Morning Glory horn ID and ballpark value ? - Pics added

[De Soto Frank]

Ran across a very shabby "banner" Home 2-minute machine yesterday (showing evidence of storage in a damp location, and also with a stripped drive gear), with a horn and front-mount crane. Am primarily interested in the horn & crane.

Horn is old, red "japan" over tin-plated steel, with flowers in the inside of the horn. It has 11 panels, and measures about 21" across the bell and 32" long. Some paint loss on the oustide, light surface rust, but no rust-outs; some dings.

There is a decal on one panel, with the logo:

T Co T , all inside an oval.

Back on the neck of the horn (where the panels transition to the neck) is a smaller version of this logo, with a stamped patent date Aug 22 05.


Any ideas on who made the horn and what it might be worth by itself?


Thanks !

DS Frank

(Sorry the photos are so informal!)

[phonogfp]

The horn was made by the Tea Tray Company of Newark, NJ. Value will depend upon condition and the decoration. Paint loss on the outside is pretty common, and affects value. Posting a few good photos would be helpful.

George P.

[De Soto Frank]

Thanks George; didn't have my digi-cam with me.... will see if I can grab some pics.


Thanks for the ID !


Regards,

Frank

[De Soto Frank]

( Bump to top - photos added )

[phonogfp]

The good news is that yellow and purple pansies are rather uncommon decorations. The bad news is that the overall condition is a bit tatty. Of course, the horn is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it, but I'd estimate at least $150-$200.

The gear on the "Home" is an easy fix. That particular gear commonly fails on the Model B, and all the major parts suppliers sell replacements.

Hope this is helpful - -

George P.

[De Soto Frank]

George,

Thanks for your additional input; this was the price range I was thinking of... too bad the outside of the horn isn't as nice as the inside...

Is it still best to leave it alone, as opposed to trying to clean / restore ?
(Wouldn't think of touching the inside...)

Now to see if the owner and I can find common ground on a price... the machine itself needs a lot of love... and a lid.



Regards,

Frank

[phonogfp]

Is it still best to leave it alone, as opposed to trying to clean / restore ?
(Wouldn't think of touching the inside...)

Leaving it alone is the safest route, although probably not the most satisfying one. I clean all my painted horns with a product called OZ. It's very gentle but thorough, and revitalizes the remaining paint. I've never had it remove anything that shouldn't be removed. Beyond cleaning, I wouldn't do anything else, but that's just me. Admittedly, the outside of the horn could be made more attractive by repainting with matching translucent red and gold stripes. However, if the red doesn't quite match (which often seems to happen) and if the gold stripes are rendered with model paint (which also seems to occur with distressing regularity!), I'd recommend stopping with a careful cleaning. In short, if done perfectly, a restoration can be an improvement. Otherwise, you can't go wrong keeping it original.

George P.

[3victrolas]

I clean all my painted horns with a product called OZ

I have a Babson Bros. morning glory horn. The exterior of mine is pretty much in the same condition as the Tea Tray Co. horn. Where did you find the OZ cleaning product? I'd like to clean mine, & it sounds like this cleaner is what I've been looking for. Thank you.


Sharon

[phonogfp]

Another member of this board was asking the same thing in a PM. He found this link:

http://www.cheyennesales.com/catalog/behoz.htm

It's the OZ Creme Polish. I don't recall where I bought my last can (the stuff lasts forever), but it was possibly a Woodcrafter store, or a mom & pop hardware store. Hopefully the website will provide a list of dealers in your area. Good luck!

George P.

[phonogfp]

I was curious about where I had purchased OZ, so I found the manufacturer's website:

http://www.hbehlen.com

By clicking on "Distributors" you can locate a dealer near you. Hope this helps.

George P.