Mini Traps Catch Collectors’ Attention

Mini Traps Catch Collectors’ Attention FARM HOME Lawn Mowers 31h 38 One of the best things about collecting miniature traps is that your wife lets you display them in the house says Douglas Valentine Collecting them and regular-size traps stored in a shed is a way for the retired Navy/post office worker to relive his time trapping as a youngster Because no one else was doing it he recently created a Facebook page Miniature Animal Trap Collectors to connect with other enthusiasts in the U S and overseas The niche group members share information about traps in their collections and how to clean and restore them The trap manufacturing company Oneida Community made the first miniature trap to display at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair “The Newhouse miniature souvenir trap—it’s the holy grail ” Valentine says noting he has one “If you can find one they can go for over $2 000 ” Oneida made a couple more limited productions in 1899 and 1904 estimated 300 total According to museum owner Tom Parr in Fur-Fish-Game magazine in 1925 Melvin Koch used Oneida’s parts and tooling to produce another version of the trap with a round plain pan By the sixth of eight versions he added V-cut pans His final model was made as a tie clasp In the late 70’s many states sold “mosquito traps” as souvenirs Many were made Valentine says and so they’re fairly common In 1981 Tom Mitchell created The Trappers Workshop and made novelty belt buckle traps that were numbered Parr notes they can sell for $150 each Mitchell also produced keychain novelty traps including some imprinted with “I am 4 trapping” when his state Washington fought anti-trapping issues Some companies such as Sterling Fur out of Ohio offered China-made miniature models of other trap styles such as coil and long spring traps Traps don’t have to be old to have value Valentine says many collectors prefer new traps made by Edward Hutzel who sells handcrafted traps through his Hutzel Trap Company In addition to full-size traps he makes miniature traps “The Hutzel traps are in demand because of the quality and uniqueness of the mini models of old antique traps ” Valentine says Prices can range from $50 to $200 E-bay and shows through the North America Trap Collectors Association are good places to find traps Valentine says He invites anyone interested in learning more to join his Facebook group Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Douglas Valentine varminttrapper@yahoo com; Facebook: Miniature Animal Trap Collectors

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