These clubs will help you show off on the green or add a little green to your wallet.
Roll up to any antiques store and there are a few collectibles youre sure to find: postcards, dishware, and antique golf clubs. These light-as-a-feather golf clubs hardly resemble the complex configurations of clubs today. And antique golf club values depend on supply and demand, just like most niche collectibles, meaning that only a few of them are really worth displaying. Learn more about the clubs that made the game popular and when theyre worth holding onto.
Research the Clubs in Books
If youre inexperienced at buying or selling antique golf clubs, there are resources available that can help you determine their value. Books on the subject that can help include the following.
- Antique Golf Collectibles: A Price and Reference Guide by Chuck Furjanic – This is an older book, but it has excellent descriptions of the various types of clubs and how factors affect the value.
- Antique Golf Collectibles Identification & Value Guide by Peter Georgiady – This highly visual book features photos of hundreds of clubs, making it easy to identify what you have and get a sense of its value.
- The Vintage Era of Golf Club Collectibles: Identification & Value Guide by Ronald John – This book has a specific focus on the vintage clubs of the 1920s through 1940s. If you own a club from this era, its a great resource.
Common Vintage Golf Clubs
Common vintage golf clubs in todays market are worth $10-$20. The same club 10-15 years ago would have been worth $40-$50. The demand was much higher back then, especially with foreign buyers. The internet has flooded marketplaces with antique golf clubs, and so demand has steadily decreased over the last decade.
Serious collectors and antique dealers have no interest in common vintage golf clubs. Theyre only interested in rare and hard-to-find clubs. During the early to mid 1900s, inexpensive golf clubs were mass produced by companies like Wilson, Spalding, Burke, MacGregor, Kroydon, and more.
If youre not sure whether your grandfathers old set of clubs is of the more common variety, check them for these criteria that indicate they arent all that rare:
- Aluminum caps on the end of the handles
- Nickel, chromed, or stainless steel heads
- Dots, lines, hyphens, or other face scorings
- Stamps on the back for yard ranges
- Phrases on the back such as accurate, superior, aim-rite, and other common sounding names
Rare antique and vintage golf clubs have uncommon patents or features and were made in limited quantities that set them apart from the mass-produced common clubs. Many feature wooden shafts and were made during the 16th-18th centuries.
Rare golf clubs that are worth collecting will have these features:
- Unique head shapes and wood heads
- Unmarked faces or unusual markings
- Unusual patented features for players improvements
- Thick-necked wood clubs covered with several inches of string whipping
- Smooth face irons made by golf club makers such as Army & Navy, Dunn, Forgan, Gray, White, Carrick and Anderson
- Deep groove wood shaft clubs called rakes or waterfalls
Have Golf Clubs REALLY Improved In The Last 20 YEARS!? SHOCKING TEST
FAQ
How to sell antique irons?
How old are antique irons?
What is antique iron?
Why are antique irons called sad irons?
Are vintage Irons worth anything?
From the side of collectors, it is crucial to know which models are classified as vintage and which are antique. The main difference is price and value. This does not mean that vintage irons aren’t valuable, but they can rarely achieve the price tag of antique ones.
What is the difference between antique and vintage Irons?
Antique irons are the ones manufactured from the early 1800s to the early 1900s, while vintage irons are manufactured from 1918 to 1978. To make it more clear to you antique irons are linen smoothers, flat irons, charcoal irons, goose irons, and vintage irons are the first models of electric and steam irons.
Why are antique irons so popular?
Considering that antique irons are not only valuable collectibles they are very beautiful as well, their popularity rises day by day. A lot of people acquire an antique iron for home decor without even knowing how valuable it is. Some people even buy them to actually use them.
How much is an antique iron worth?
You take your antique iron to a reputable antique appraiser. After a thorough examination, they determine that due to its excellent condition and unique design, your iron is valued at $500. 3. Comparative Analysis Comparative analysis involves researching similar antique irons that have been sold recently in auctions or online marketplaces.