This scale dates to the early turn of the century and boasts a decorative border around the face. It is marked, “American Family Scale”, manufactured by “The American Cutlery Company” and had the honor of being purchased by Chicago based “Sears~Roebuck” company back in the day. The second to the last image shows an advertisement put out by “May and Co”. on May 28th, 1900 that appeared in the “Dayton Daily News” showing the scale priced at just .69 cents. The ad further states, “Made of the best steel, nicely enameled and ornamented. Exactly as illustrated, has an enameled dial, weighs 24 Lbs, by ounces. Warranted perfect and accurate”. The scale in this advertisement does have the manufacture nameplate on the front just below the face. This scale being offered does not possess the name plate and there is no patent date on the face either. Research shows there were two different dates of patents, one in “1898” and the other in “1912”. One of the reasons these scales were so popular was because during that time prices were high and the thrifty housewife felt the need for checking up on purchases. By using this scale at home she knew what produce would weigh and felt empowered while shopping at the market just in case their scale was off and God help them if it was!
This scale is fully functional and in working order. There is a little dial just below the top plate (where items would be placed to weigh), in the front that can be turned to adjust the indicator to the “0” position. Some of the black enamel has suffered loss as shown but the face is in good condition and so is the decorative border.
The lettering on the sides that reads, “American Family Scale” is 90% intact and the overall appearance is great. There is a small bend on the front corners located on the right and left hand side but the back corners are terrific! A small dent is also present on the decorative border in the 10:00 position but the other areas are not affected.
This scale is heavy and made very well. You can get creative and decorate a small bowl filled with seasonal items that rests on top of the plate. Another idea is to use a battery operated pillar candle surrounded by fresh greens and berries placed on top of the weighing mechanism for holiday decorating. An array of wee pumpkins along with bittersweet and small Indian corn can also be used for the autumn season. Luckily, pumpkins are sold by the piece, not by the pound so the grocery store manager won’t be privy to an angry woman on his hands if their scale is off! Ha! Enjoy!
Scale stands 8 ¾” tall, measures almost 5 ½” across the bottom base and measures 7” deep. Scale face measures almost 6” across (right to left) and 6” tall (vertical position). The top plate measures 5 ½” across (right to left) and also measures 5 ½” deep.
~Freight (Standard Mail) included, however Insurance is optional and can be purchased @ checkout ~ within the continental U.S.