Hello, I have a large vintage storage trunk and I am looking at selling it, however, I don't know what it is worth. It is in excellent condition, with one scratch at the back. It locks and I have 3 keys for it. The dimensions are: Height - 27.5", Width - 22.5", Length - 49".
I see people asking up to $200 for these, but haven't seen one sell in ages.
The caveat about the asking price is two fold--most offer "free shipping" which means the seller pays shipping and that will be huge on these (so their profits will be low--maybe under $50 depending on where they ship it to) and second, these are asking prices, not SOLD prices so there is no way to gauge (in what I can locate), actual sold values by region.
I see people selling beat up ones at the flea market for $5-10, but I never see anyone walking around with one to see if that is a good selling price.
These were a staple in college dorms for years (pre plastic tubs) so not a lot of them survived so that works in your favor.
Yours looks to be in nice shape. Is it wood or particle board or something else? The wood ones I would start in the $200 range, the particle board ones, maybe start at $175. Then you can take best offer.
Like other "furniture" type sales values are regional so if you are in a colleges town in a big city, for example, these may be a dime a dozen or if you are in a rural area, they may be scarce.
Post back how your sale goes! Fun item! Thanks for sharing!
This looks like a nice extra large storage trunk but it does not appear to be a vintage Seward brand trunk.
I believe your trunk was probably made for Sears to resemble the steamer trunks that were popular at the time. If your stated measurements are correct then it is larger than any of the similar trunks listed online as most of those appear to be either 31" or 28" long compared to your 49" long.
Reasons I feel your trunk is really a 'Sears' trunk and not a Seward is based on size as one point although it is possible Seward made larger trunks at one time but after reviewing over 100 listings for Seward trunks the largest I have found is 30".
Seward appears to have placed their name on their antique/vintage trunks - usually on the handles. Your trunk has handles but no name. It also seems that Seward trunks used larger metal rivets/nail-heads than yours but it is difficult to tell from the pictures.
You can find similar trunks listed for sale online but the trunks that have sold are all very low value - even as low as $6. These sales are from 2015 - 2021.
It appears Seward produced well made trunks but were usually sold as utility/storage trunk and were never considered a high end trunk such as some other brands were. Although Seward became the largest trunk manufacturer in the world, their trunks were still usually used by what was generally called 'working class'.
Sold for $6 in 2016:
www.k-bid.com/
This same trunk sold for 3 different prices from 2015-2019;
$10 - $20 - $50:
www.liveauctioneers.com/
This trunk has been listed for sale on eBay for over 4 years. It was reported sold but was relisted: $349.
www.ebay.com/
Since your trunk appears to be larger than other trunks this style that may be a selling point.
I'm not sure of the value of your trunk because shipping would cost more than the value of your trunk so the value will depend on whether this style of trunk is popular in your area. Maybe a college nearby?
You can always start at a higher price with best offer considered and free local pick-up and wait a few weeks to see if any offers are made. If no offers, you can lower the price and wait again.
Information about Seward company:
"Founded in 1946, Mercury Luggage Manufacturing Company began designing high quality luggage and bags in Jacksonville, Florida. In 1998, Mercury Luggage acquired Seward Trunk Co. of Petersburg, Virginia which was founded in 1878 and grew to be the largest domestic manufacturer of trunks and footlockers in the United States. Mercury Luggage established itself as a premier supplier of high quality luggage, bags, trunks and cases that are used by major corporations, pro and college sports teams, top retailers and all branches of the U.S. military."
Can anybody tell me how much this vintage steamers trunk is worth?
Hello! I recently purchased this trunk at a thrift store, however, I do not have any knowledge about old trunks so I was wondering if someone could help me get an understanding of when it is from and what it is worth. The dimentions are 20.5"x39"x20.5". It seems to be made of wood. Thanks!
I got this trunk from my grandparents. It's a Albert Rossenheimer trunk. Can someone give me the history of this trunk and the value please?
I have a trunk that a old friend gave me. He said he got it from a guy who was stationed over in Afghanistan in the 90's. He said the trunk was made early 80's. It's very nice from the handles to the lid to the drawers.
Everything is tight on it. I would say probably every bit of 60 lbs. I'm not looking to sell it, just want some inputs. Thanks!
This is not a very old trunk. Im not sure what he paid for it, but I dont think it is worth more than $200.
Found this in my grandpa's garage who passed away and want to sell. Just trying to find the price I should sell it for. No idea what the value is.
It looks like your steamer trunk has it's top tray, which makes it much more desirable to someone who is interested in buying it. Use a bit of plain white toothpaste (if you don't use it in your household, I suggest getting a tube at Dollar Tree, but be sure that it's not striped, just plain) and gently use it on a damp washcloth to scrub the plate where the latch is. You don't need to go nuts and scrub it back to good as new, just so that the date/year it was patented. Once you know when it was made, you'll be able to get a price for it from your local antiques store. Take several photos from all angles so you can prove that there's no hidden damage, but especially one of the date, that's going to either help you a great deal, or put it in the moderate range.
The bow of the top of the trunk will also be a concern to the buyer, those who want a coffee table with character, or someone buying it for a child's playroom as a treasure chest. They'll have to secure the lid so there are no unfortunate accidents, but that's their expense.
Most times, people who were the children of the original owners put them in basements (mold issues) or attics (heat damage). If you do have any odor, I suggest that you put a lipped cookie sheet inside with a complete box of baking soda poured onto the cookie sheet and leave the lid closed for a while and it will take up all of the odors. Once you've got your date and a lot of good photos of it, I'm sure that it would fetch a really good price from your antique shop! Good luck! It's a pretty one, for sure!
