Oscar Onken Clock up for auction this week on ebay. Looks like it needs some work. Any estimates on its worth?

Lauren

Hi Lauren,
I believe that the normal trend to be that Arts and Crafts clocks are in moderate demand, and as such, prices are kept somewhat reasonable. While there are various conditions that determine a fair market value, this particular clock is from Oscar Onken, the founder of Shop of the Crafters. Therefore, the final value realized for this particular item may be somewhat higher than a similar clock made by someone else.
Even with the stated condition issues, I would not hesitate to say that this particular clock will fetch something between $800-$1200 dollars. That figure will undoubtedly be surpassed, if at least two people are very interested in owning this particular example of Arts and Crafts furniture, and if the current seller will be able to handle the responsibility of carefully wrapping this item for shipment.
Finally, this is a good example of what is called a cross over collectible. That is, this piece is desirable by at least two groups of collectors. In this instance, you have Arts and Crafts enthusiasts in one hand, and clock enthusiasts in the other. Being in demand by more than one group of people usually results in a higher than average fair market value. Thanks. Tim

You have to wonder: it may be Shop of the Crafters, but the construction is not impressive at all compared to the other stuff of theirs I've seen.

Good Morning Friends,
Not being a clock enthusiast my self there have been many a clock that I have seen at auctions that were in appearance not as pretty as other clocks that were made by the same company or an employee of that company who wished to add his own design in the Arts and Crafts style by keeping it simple but, still useful in the field of keeping time during the day.

There are many clocks that are not as pretty as others but still remains functional for what it was intended, also beauty of most anything is in the eye of the beholder.

Personally I like the plain look in this piece as is intended by the A&C styles.

Respectfully,

Ralph Jones

hoping that the original person who posted this actually scooped up the crafters clock for a mere $128. nearly 1/10 of what someone offered as a "comfortable" estimate. while i am sure that no one considered this a binding estimate, i would encourage folks to on this site to hold off on appraising items unless they are trained to do so or have seen the item - condition is such a huge piece of this.

i believe that a/c clocks are an important point of the overall aesthetic. i believe that the demand for most a/c clocks is low since so many were mass produced by gilbert/national/new haven all clock companies were making "mission clocks" in the teens and 20's. the top tier makers who were doing mantle, wall and grandfather clocks are a different story. great craftsmanship always shines through and will be sought after in cross over marketplaces as suggested by one post – this crafters clock is a new haven mantle clock with a crafters style face.

when you purchase a mission a/c clock you should be prepared to invest a significant amount in getting the clock running perfectly again. in the past two years i have purchased very nice, mass produced, a/c wall and mantle clocks and spent good money having them fixed properly. old a/c clocks are great and reliable if you know what you are getting into

Thanks for the input. Having seeing the auction listing, one may wonder if the clock was an actual Oscar Onken. Nowhere in the auction were there any actual photographs of a signed paper label, etc, as such. There are enough enthusiasts out there who would realize its value and potential. I put an estimate on it, after someone had requested any ideas on the subject.
Has anyone actually contacted the seller, to confirm if the item was an authentic Oscar Onken? I see one problem of internet auctions is when someone lists a major name in the title, to bring attention, just to find out in the listing it is otherwise. This holds especially true in the case of "limbert era" used. "Stickley era" listings are sometimes withdrawn, due to Stickley still being in business.
I became interested in this forum a few months back, and began to participate in it, in hopes of further developing this forum, and to encourage participation from others. I now realize how every word I print may be scrutinized. I sincerely apologize if anyone has been offended by my active,albeit naive, involvement. Thanks. Tim

Tim,

Your involvement in the forum is greatly appreciated and your opinions are valid as most are. Nothing you said in your statement of value was offensive or out of line and Lauren was specifically asking our opinion of the value and what it might demand.

As a moderator who has been involved with the forum for more years than I would like to say, I welcome your comments as well as the opinions and comments of most others. Thanks again for your participation and I look forward to seeing more of your involvement with the forum.

respectfully - i was in no way suggesting that you should not participate or offer your opinion. i am suggesting that people are careful when offering estimates or appraisals.

no one would be happy if they purchased at an inflated cost, sold something that was undervalued or passed on an item that they thought would go higher than it did

Good Evening Folks,
I have been in Arts and Crafts furniture for quite some time as I build them as well as contemporary pieces and I in no way felt that Tim was out of line with his opinion on a price as well as to offer an answer to another's question.

Having been down the road on many antiques and have seen first hand counterfeit pieces all claiming that they are Stickley or Roycroft as well as Limbert but, in reality they have scammed the buyers as they were bought on the INTERNET and sold on Ebay.

I purchase nothing from those places for that very reason. Many of you who know me can attest that if I make an A&C piece in the Stickley stile I am not claiming that it is an actual stickley.

Words stated on these forums can be mistaken as a remark toward a certain individual and feelings get injured when in fact it was meant to make a point, and not a slur toward anyone on this post.

Respectfully,

Ralph Jones

I agree about estimates; they are all just estimates! I have had people who are considered experts in the field initially quote one figure for a lamp and then one much lower only a day or so later. It's sort of a pseudo science, really. As for the clock, I am sure it's just a generic piece someone is passing off as SOTC/Oscar O. Also, as for getting a more accurate idea of value, I search auction results from the bigger houses all the time. However, there's nothing wrong with anyone throwing around numbers; ultimately, it's up to the person bidding/buying to do the research.