Matchstick Ship, Prison Art, Huge 5' One-Of-A-Kind, Local Pick-up Only
$2,150.00
Here is a once-in-a-lifetime piece! This is a piece of prison art I picked up at an antique shop. It is a ship made out of matchsticks. I'm told it was done by a 'lifer' in a state prison, and probably came out of the one at Fort Madison, Iowa (my source said his seller was not anxious to share details about their family, which is itself a confirmation of sorts). This one is 5'5" long, about 43" high when the top pennant is put back on (we had to take it off to fit in the van!), and 14" wide. We don't have all the details, but a similarly-sized one listed online a few years ago took tens of thousands of matchsticks and 4800 hours to build, ...and had an asking price of $50,000!!! The silver backing on the stern are old cigarette packs, the sails are fabric, and the ropes are cotton cords. It comes with two stands that raise it another couple of inches higher.
Condition is excellent but a couple minor repairs may need to be done. The pennant is off the top mast so the ship will fit in a van, and when it is moved it is easy to loosen small pieces if not careful. These can all be easily repaired with a strong glue or hot glue gun in two minutes, and it is always very obvious how to do it.
Besides a museum, which is a logical home for this, it would also look great in a high-end seafood restaurant or a lakeside bar. In a home setting, you would need a large room to keep it from overpowering the entire room, but it would look good on a mantle if deep enough to hold it, or in a separate display case. I would recommend putting it under a cover of some sort to keep the dust off of it.
Because of its size and delicacy, I will not ship it, so don't even ask. Local pick-up only (don't use an open truck...too windy), or I would consider delivering it anywhere in the country. Cost of delivery would be 50c/mile and $15 per hour (estimate 60 miles per hour) round trip based on google maps, delivery charges payable in advance by USPS money order only. An amazing piece of folk art. Don't let it slip away...you'll rarely get another chance at such a showpiece!
For more great items from Dayspring Collectibles, click this link to go to our main shop page: http://www.etsy.com/shop/dayspringcollectible
Keep in mind that many of my items are one-of-a-kind, and I have local customers looking at them. If you buy something that has just sold locally and wasn't yet removed, the order will be cancelled and your full payment returned to you, unless I have a similar item in stock. You can always contact me before your purchase to confirm the item is still available.
Condition is excellent but a couple minor repairs may need to be done. The pennant is off the top mast so the ship will fit in a van, and when it is moved it is easy to loosen small pieces if not careful. These can all be easily repaired with a strong glue or hot glue gun in two minutes, and it is always very obvious how to do it.
Besides a museum, which is a logical home for this, it would also look great in a high-end seafood restaurant or a lakeside bar. In a home setting, you would need a large room to keep it from overpowering the entire room, but it would look good on a mantle if deep enough to hold it, or in a separate display case. I would recommend putting it under a cover of some sort to keep the dust off of it.
Because of its size and delicacy, I will not ship it, so don't even ask. Local pick-up only (don't use an open truck...too windy), or I would consider delivering it anywhere in the country. Cost of delivery would be 50c/mile and $15 per hour (estimate 60 miles per hour) round trip based on google maps, delivery charges payable in advance by USPS money order only. An amazing piece of folk art. Don't let it slip away...you'll rarely get another chance at such a showpiece!
For more great items from Dayspring Collectibles, click this link to go to our main shop page: http://www.etsy.com/shop/dayspringcollectible
Keep in mind that many of my items are one-of-a-kind, and I have local customers looking at them. If you buy something that has just sold locally and wasn't yet removed, the order will be cancelled and your full payment returned to you, unless I have a similar item in stock. You can always contact me before your purchase to confirm the item is still available.