For Sale: Victorian Wicker Removal Basket?

James Staton

James Staton

Not really Pro-Car related but I thought someone here might be interested in these so here goes............. I am not sure what to call this thing. I have heard it called a "Corpse Cooler". I understand that it was used for removals around the turn of the century. It belonged to Fike Funeral Home which is the oldest funeral establishment in our area and may even go back as far as Rogers and Tipton Undertaking, the firm the Fike family purchased to operate in connection to their furniture business in 1901. At any rate I have had it stored for some time and have decide to get rid of some of these things that my wife says I have been "hoarding" up. It is made by the Durfee Embalming Fluid Co. Grand Rapids Michigan and is still in good condition. Also included in the price is a pair of Oak folding casket stands that are marked Climax PAT N Aug 23 83. Asking $350.00 for it all but I am willing to listen to offers if you are interested. Buyer will have to figure out shipping but I will be glad to help on this end.

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Thanks,
James
 
Wow, except on 1930's pictures it is the second one survival I see!



Ill check with a local collector, he might be interested !
 
There was a fellow at Carlisle Swap Meet that would bring one every year, until there were so many complaints about it or him, that he was told to either leave it home, or loose his spaces.
 
Paul there is one for sale in stafford almost right across from the speedway. The one James is selling is half the price.. I actually run across them every now and then, so i dont think they are that rare.I do think That James has a good price tho. I usually see them for around 600.
 
I don't think they are terribly rare either. A few years ago there was guy at a local flea market trying to sell one that was similar. He said his was a "Native American Wicker Coffin", hand made by an Indian who had a blacksmith do the iron work for the latches and bracing. A good story makes it all I guess, he was asking $595.00 for his "rare and unusual item", he sure did some stuttering when I told him I had one almost identical in my basement.

Regards,
James
 
Fair price. I have one I paid $300 for, and there is an antique store near me that has one for $500, and not as good as mine or the one james is selling.
 
What would make it extremely rare, is if it came with a skeleton inside.. :halo:
 
We had one in mortuary school, it was called a "wicker basket" (pretty original eh?) and was used to remove the deceased from the place of death, before the days of stretchers... Mr. Ferno wasn't inventing yet...
 
Congrats James on your sale! I see them frequently in antique shops. Prices and what the dealer calls them are usually "interesting". If anyone needs another one of these there is one in an antique shop near LeGrand, IA.
 
wicker basket

there is one here in Springfield, Ohio. it has a round pillow at one end. round like a pancake. There is no ticking or liner. The outside has a belt on each end to hold the lid in place. It is sitting on a church truck in my old car/procar library. Another surviver. I bought it a couple years ago at the
local flea market.
Mike
 
Mike Stevens said:
there is one here in Springfield, Ohio. it has a round pillow at one end. round like a pancake. There is no ticking or liner. The outside has a belt on each end to hold the lid in place. It is sitting on a church truck in my old car/procar library. Another surviver. I bought it a couple years ago at the
local flea market.
Mike
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I have never seen one of these with a liner of any kind. They were used for removal only so there was no need for a liner.
 
Kurt Arends said:
Congrats James on your sale! I see them frequently in antique shops. Prices and what the dealer calls them are usually "interesting". If anyone needs another one of these there is one in an antique shop near LeGrand, IA.
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I bet its the same antique shop I mentioned in my earlier post. He has had it many many years!
 
John Royark JR said:
I bet its the same antique shop I mentioned in my earlier post. He has had it many many years!
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I am sure it is. He bought a bunch of vintage funeral home items that he purchased from a couple of funeral homes that had closed in the Tama/Toledo, IA area several years ago. He had probably a dozen torchiere floor lamps, shades, pedastals, etc. All of which was/is priced fairly high.
 
here is the one that i bought at a funeral auction just a couple of weeks ago. it has a small pillow and a leather bottom liner
 

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Kurt Arends said:
I am sure it is. He bought a bunch of vintage funeral home items that he purchased from a couple of funeral homes that had closed in the Tama/Toledo, IA area several years ago. He had probably a dozen torchiere floor lamps, shades, pedastals, etc. All of which was/is priced fairly high.
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Yup, thats him. About half of the torchiere lamps are still there, a friend bought one of the coffins there, and I bought the other (yes, coffins, not caskets). Friend also bought some other great old funeral items. I still stop by every year or so to see if he came down on any prices yet, but no luck.
 
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