Buying A True Antique Wood or Coal Stove On Ebay

Greetings~ With Considerable Experience in The Restoration, Repair, and Sales of Antique Wood and Coal Burning Stoves, I want to take a Minute and offer up some of my Experience for you to possibly learn from. I have over 100 Stoves for Sale in our Store in New Hampshire, as well as thousands of Original Parts in Inventory.

One of my Pet Peeves is Sellers attempting to Auction a Chinese Reproduction Stove as an Antique. Almost always they will write that they are not Experts, and that the Stove has been in the Family or Somebody else's Family forever,etc. What amazes me is the fact that they do Indeed Sell! Often for the Same Amount that an Original 100 Year Old Stove could be had for. Any experienced Ebay Seller would of course notice the Made In China Clearly Emblazoned on the Casting Somewhere. They seem to not always mention that. Now, If a Chinese Stove is what your looking for, then Bid Away! The Quality of the Cast Iron is Very Good in Most Cases, but for Antique Value, It Has NONE. Most have Indifferent Fit, as they were Mass Produced, so Air and Smoke Leakage Abound. Also, the Trim Pieces are Chrome Plated, Not Nickle Plated as the True Antique Stove would be. Why is this Important? Chrome will Discolor under heat, usually turn blue. Ever notice the Head Pipes on a Motorcycle? Nickel will not discolor with heat.

Often a Seller will claim that the item is Cracked, and would be an Easy Fix. There is Nothing Easy about Cast Iron Welding. A Major Crack in the Firebox of a Stove requires More Than Average Welding Skill, Experience and Equipment to do so. Nickel Welding is about the Best Method of Repair, but it requires a Great Deal of Expertise to Accomplish for a Permanent Repair, and Is Far From Inexpensive to Perform.

Missing Pieces can be the Biggest Downfall of an Antique Stove. More Often Than Not, the Finial or Crown Top Piece is Missing. This can be almost cost-prohibitive to Replace, as many were removed while the Stove was in Use a hundred years ago, and Lost or Discarded. Finding Replacement Parts can be Very Expensive and Time-Consuming. Always look for Complete Stoves when purchasing. That Missing Trim Piece or Side Shelf may not be so Readily Available as many Sellers may Claim.

Be Cautious of The Barn-Finds. Often the Rusty Looking Stove that just needs a little Elbow-Grease to be Perfect is Indeed so Rusted that Welding Repair is almost Impossible. That does not preclude Recasting of a Part, if available; Replacement of a Part, if Available; or in the case of a Cylinder Stove, the actual replacement of the Tin Belly with new Steel. Re-Bricking the Firebox area is not out of the question, but once again is a Time-Consuming Process requiring More Than Average Skills and Equipment.

The Best Advice on Purchasing an Antique Stove for Use and/or Investment is Ask Questions, Require Documentation and Quality Photos, Compare with Others Available, and Purchase The Very Best COMPLETE Stove that you can.

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