I have an old clawfoot tub and how can i find out how old it is.?
Question:no dates on it. and it is for sale.
Answers:
If it has a manufacturer's name on it, you might be able to contact them (if they still exist, of course). My grandmother had one of those, and I LOVED taking a bath in it as a kid - I could practically swim in it, it was so big.
Enjoy!
All those old cast iron tubs will have a mold number on the underside or close to a fixture hole if having such. Mold numbers will identify the manufacture name if the name is not already embedded. You may also find mold numbers inside the claw foot which can be traced also.
However, even with that information the chances of knowing the exact age are very slim unless of a very unusual design.
Anything out of the ordinary in design, such as a specific design purchased by royalty or ultra-wealthy certainly is traceable thru antique books. The tubs that have contoured sides certainly are rare to find and are very valuable. The ones with even sides around are quite commonplace.
Other than that, those that would want a clawfoot tub these days don't care about the age as they just want it to decor an era of bathing. They already know it is an antique and, unlike you, they are not likely to cart it around to auctions for a high sale price...(just kidding...!) I was in a restaurant two years ago that used two clawfoot tubs as a salad bar. I passed on the salad...
Of course, they do make great field feeders for livestock also...lol
Bedets are becoming quite popular also...they make great water fountains for drinking...if you dare...!
Good luck...!
A lot of these tubs are marked on the bottoms.
Antique dealer or appraiser.
It could be worth some money.
More Related Questions & Answers...