For Sale - Antique Safe, Walker and Worsey, with James Walkers "Triumph" patent lock

[retiredcynic]

My father has left me an antique safe that I think was made in the late 1800's and quite rare. I am listing this to check its desirability to any collectors out there. It works great and comes with keys.
Dimensions are:- External 17"wide x 24" high x 15" deep. Internal 11 1/2" wide x 18 1/2" high x 12" deep with a 4" high internal draw with key. Door = 15 1/2" wide x 22 1/4" high.
Its located near Selby, North Yorkshire, UK
I'attempting to attach photos but this is my first time so please bear with the newbie
regards
Keith


Brian, thank you for your help and advice on the phone

[oldlock]

I'm afraid to be the bearer of bad news. What you have is a typical low grade safe made by a third tier manufacturer. There are literally thousands of these types of safes around. Safe collectors are very few and far between. Value of any safe to collector is based on quality, rare locks, rare plates etc. The collector value of this type of safe is Nil.

If you sell it the buyer is more likely to be someone requiring a light unit for use in the home where no insurance cover is required in which case a price of less that GBP50 would be about right.

[Huw Eastwood]

I won't be as harsh as oldlock!

yes it's not in the same league as a Chatwood cylinder safe or an Ely Norris cannonball, but there's usually interest for those oldies here in the UK, and yours is in very good original condition. Nice to see the original paint and linings etc.

Yes, you're very unlikely to find a 'collector' who specifically wants a Walker & Worsey, as it's nothing special and there are loads out there as oldlock says, but after a decade or two of thousands being scrapped for Eurograders there seems more interest in them now than before- many end up as focal points in rooms etc and not necessarily used as you'd think. you might be lucky and find a buyer here but also worth a go on ebay and see how it goes

[Scott Klemm]

Walker and Worsey may not be one of the big names in safe manufacturing, but I think you have a very interesting item worth preserving. I did a little research on Walker and Worsey after obtain a rim lock called "Walker's Patent Magic Lift-Up Rim Lock." Here's what I found for this lesser known company. It was founded in 1839. An 1878 advertisement listed its address as 11 Edmund St., Birmingham. A later 1892 advertisement listed the address as 14 Edmund St. under the name of John Walker and Worsey. I don't know when the partnership with Henry Baxter Worsey was established, but I presume it was about 1882. The partnership was disolved in 1895 when John Walker retired.
I hope these additional facts will give you a greater appreciation of what you have.
Scott

[retiredcynic]

I won't be as harsh as oldlock!

yes it's not in the same league as a Chatwood cylinder safe or an Ely Norris cannonball, but there's usually interest for those oldies here in the UK, and yours is in very good original condition. Nice to see the original paint and linings etc.

Yes, you're very unlikely to find a 'collector' who specifically wants a Walker & Worsey, as it's nothing special and there are loads out there as oldlock says, but after a decade or two of thousands being scrapped for Eurograders there seems more interest in them now than before- many end up as focal points in rooms etc and not necessarily used as you'd think. you might be lucky and find a buyer here but also worth a go on ebay and see how it goes

Thanks for your reply - I now realise this is not a "Rolls Royce" of safes and would not be of interest to a pure collector. But even if there were a myriad of manufacturers about in the late 1800's, I think this may be a rare "Mini" and some people like Minis.

[retiredcynic]

Walker and Worsey may not be one of the big names in safe manufacturing, but I think you have a very interesting item worth preserving. I did a little research on Walker and Worsey after obtain a rim lock called "Walker's Patent Magic Lift-Up Rim Lock." Here's what I found for this lesser known company. It was founded in 1839. An 1878 advertisement listed its address as 11 Edmund St., Birmingham. A later 1892 advertisement listed the address as 14 Edmund St. under the name of John Walker and Worsey. I don't know when the partnership with Henry Baxter Worsey was established, but I presume it was about 1882. The partnership was disolved in 1895 when John Walker retired.
I hope these additional facts will give you a greater appreciation of what you have.
Scott

Thank you very much Scott that is most interesting and informative, I appreciate it.