The Aluminist: Sep 1, 2012

Shelves full of ebay listings.

I believe I mentioned downsizing my hammered aluminum collection in a previous post. I can now tell you that I had much more fun discovering a new piece on a shop shelf than I have had in photographing, measuring and listing each piece I’ve placed on auction. And since the purpose of it all is to sell, when that happens, the piece must be wrapped, boxed, weighed and postage ordered. Oh yes, there are invoices to be sent.

Still, excepting a few glitches in the system, this entire process has been fun and certainly educational. For the fun part, I’ve met through the back and forth communications about various pieces, numerous other collectors, and renewed contacts with friends from the years of the mail-out newsletter and aluminum shows.

The opportunity to discover new designs and motifs has been endless and reinforces what many collectors have long believed–we’ll never be able to say we’ve seen it all. It keeps cropping up. Here is another Everlast motif that is new to me. The dish was described as a heavy bowl and whether by accident or purposely, it's starting price was 99¢. There were no bids. I expect this dish was a very early Everlast piece, for some of those had the quality of the WA Forge. As a collecter and a researcher, I would have been interested in this piece, and the two shown in the last post.
Another item that slipped by me is this interesting square tray by a newcomer to add to my list of makers. It sold, and I hope someone interested in the history of hammered aluminum was the person who bought it.

The mark reads "HAND WROUGHT
FRANK L. SHAFFER.

I know I have not been the only person discouraged by eBay's past offerings, but I see that I have missed a number of items that I would have been very interested in bidding on.
One was a cake plate and cover by Canterbury Arts. Another was a necklace by Wendell August. There were others. It's also terribly depressing to see one of your favorite 'keepers' (a Continental gravy boat with attached under tray) bring no more than $7.99. Or to see a piece like the one I may have paid $80. for in the '90s, sell for less than $30.
So goes the market. What didn't sell one week, may sell the next. What gets passed by at $9.99 may be purchased from another seller for $14. What one sellers prices at $8.00, another may ask $35.00...and may get it, too!

Do you keep up with the comments that are made on our posts? There are a few questions and bits of information there that need our involvement. For tonight, that'll have to wait. I've been promising to post fresh Rodney Kent information. There are numbers to add to the numbering list and a real surprise to receive this photo of #503. Of course, it is not exactly a Rodney Kent piece but it is a continuation of the numbering sequence and was produced by Shane Industries, whose connection with the Rodney Kent line is documented in a Rodney Kent post of quite a while back. Check it out on the list of past post listed on the right side of this blog.

Now the updated Rodney Kent number list:

400 tray, 11 x 14, w/o handles

401 covered dish or candy box, all alum.

402 tray, 14” dia.

403 relish set, generally called dresser set. 2 glass dishes w/alum.

lids and caddy

404 bread tray, 12”, scalloped lip, handles.

405 silent butler, 7”. Also toast tray.

406 bread tray, 12”, w/o handles, scalloped lip

407 casserole holder, pedestal, handles. Lid fits snugly over bowl.

408 tray, 12 x 16, handles

409 tray/basket, curved up edges, handle

410 compote, covered, 6” dia., finial, holds glass dish, ribbon styled stand, 6” height.

411

412 lazy Susan, groups of tulips. Also rec. tray w/handles

413 lazy Susan, 18”

414 tray, 17” dia.

415 bowl , salad, 11” dia, pedestal,, 5” height, handles w/serving

utensilsw/ribbon design handles

416 crumb tray, 2-piece

417 candy/nut dish,6”, hex shape

418 candy/nut, 7”, fluted

419

420 cake basket, 7’ X 11”, bail type handle

421 plate, 11 ½”

422 bowl, 10”, loop handles

423 tray, 14” x 20”, handles

424 tray, 17 ½ handles

425

426 silent butler, 7 ½ dia.

427 silent butler, 5 ½ “ x, 7 ½”

428 silent butler, 5” x 7”, applied looped ribbon decoration beneath tulip finial

429 basket, 7”, turned up fluted edge, bail handle

430

431

432 a wide underplate with tulip and holding a covered glass dish

433

434 tray, oval, glass insert w/lid

435 bowl, 11”

436 plate, 5 ½”, raised lip

437 Condiment set or powder bowl; 3 pc. set w/ glass dish , alum. lid w/applied ribbon-styled decoration & tulip finial

438

439 silent butler

440 buffet server, 8” x 12”indertray holds 1 ½ qt. Pyrex dish, Alum. cover

441

442 basket. 5” x 7”, ribbon and bow bail handle

443 buffet server, undertray holds 10” dish, end handles extend into feet.

444 crumb tray, tray w/brush, brush has wooden handle w/alum. ribbon decoration, tray also has ribbon deco on handle.

445

446 coaster set, coasters in and caddy base in shape of petal tips, top handle

447

448

449 candy dish, hex shape, bail handle. Also 5” x 8” pedestal dish

450 bowl, 10”, side handles.

451

452

453 pitcher, bar ice guard embossed w/tiny tulips.

454

455 undertray

456 Lazy Susan, 18” , 9 ½ “ height., holds glass dish

457 candy dish, 6 ½” dia., alum. caddy holds glass dish w/alum. lid. Applied ribbon deco and tulip finial.

458 Lazy Susan w/ five wedge-shaped glass inserts,

459 caddy ring for glass candy dish w/alum lid w/applied ribbon decoration and tulip finial. Handles

460 plate or sm. tray, 11 ½” dia

461 butter dish & under tray, glass dish w/alum. lid with tulip finial.. Tray has no motif and tab handles.

Also covered casserole holder, 8”, tulip in reposse’ on lid, band handles w/intaglio leaf design at each end. Slotted lid w/tulip finial

462 relish server, center handle separates two triangular sections w/glass dishes

463 square under tray, holding pale blue sq. dish with lid.

464

465 relish or jam jar on 5 ½” x 10” tray

466 bowl or basket, pedestal, bail type handle

467 bowl, footed, 10”, handles

468 candy, covered, ribbon design stem/pedestal plain round base.

469 tidbit, 2-tierm bottom sec, 11 ½”, top ,8”. Height 5 ½”

470 butter dish ,sane as #461

471 Lazy Susan, 16”, flower and ribbon deco. Also 18”

472 Condimnt set w/two covered jam jars, and 2 triangular glass dishes. “U” shaped center handle in ribbon and flower design

473

474 condiment set, handled triangular undertray holds covered butterin center & two covered glass dishes

475 Chafing dish/warmer, holds baking dish w/alum cover w/applied ribbon deco and tulip finial. Ribbon & flower bands form handles and supporting legs.

476

477

478 tray, 16” dia.

479 sugar and creamer on tray, each piece has narrow, plainer version of ribbon and flower handles.

480 ice bucket

There are still gaps in the list but we're working on it. Chaos such as shown below is reminding me of forgotten items in my collection, many needing photographing for future information, some needing to be set aside for gifts to my family....and then there is those to list on eBay.