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December 16, 2007
Blowin' in the wind...
How much do you think the weather vane at left might be worth? It is made out of molded copper and dates back to 1910. Pick a high number, double it, then keep reading.
The Lexington Historical Society owned this weather vane for years. It used to sit upstairs at Buckman Tavern, leaning against an old bed, in the part of the house used for storage. No one paid a great deal of attention to it. I have been a part-time guide at the building for several years, and have walked by it on the way to the bathroom numberless times, usually without a second glance.
The Historical Society decided this year to “de-accession” the weathervane from it’s collection. In other words, to sell it. A very sensible decision, since it is not connected with the Society's main effort, to interpret the story of April 19,1775 through our historic houses. And the sale might generate some much need money to help fund upcoming restoration/renovation projects.
Auctioneers at the Skinner Auction House in Boston suggested that the weathervane might sell for as much as 30-50 thousand dollars.
They were wrong.
The weather vane sold at auction on November 4, 2007 for $941,000. Scuttlebut has it that the buyer was Ralph Lauren’s brother.
Wow.
(BTW, I apologize for not writing any blog entries lately, but I am back on the case and expect to be blogging a couple of times a week. Cheers!)
Posted by rickbeyer at December 16, 2007 09:25 AM
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