Meeker's
Mechanical
Nature Antiques
Larry and Carole
Meeker

Purveyors of Americana
Patented & Mechanical Antiques
www.AntiqBuyer.com

Contact Us At
AntiqBuyer@gmail.com


Antique & Vintage
Special Purpose Flower / Millinery Irons

Past Sales Archive

This is just a sample of the many antiques & collectibles we have sold.
Click link to see other Past Sales Archive Pages on this Site.

We Buy Quality Antiques Contact Us at AntiqBuyer@gmail.com

Special Note Concerning Iron Prices: Sad Irons / Pressing Irons Prices are evolving:
After 20 years of steady increases in values, which culminated in a bubble burst, iron prices have now settled back to levels of the past.

Prices seen reflect actual recent sale results from this website or a general price that is more in line w/ today's market.
Irons pictured without prices represent earlier sales whose sale results are outdated and do not accurately reflect current market values. 
Ebay results closely reflect current market values for many sad irons.  Check eBay completed / SOLD results to see current values for many antique irons.

Our current offering of Antiques for sale are at our sister Website Patented-Antiques.com.



Millinery Flower IronsAntique Millinery Flower / Leaf Irons   Here are six small vintage flower irons.  Four of them have their cutters.  The detail of the casting of the flowers and petals is incredible.

 

Very Good . . . . . .  $595.00 / Lot of all 6     SOLD!






Flower Irons / Millenary IronsFlower Irons / Millinery Irons  These flower irons are the tools that were used in the millinery, dressmaking, costume-making and other fabric-related trades to make the silk and velvet flowers that adorned the fancy clothing and hats of the day.  These are three different flower pedal designs, each finely detailed and in excellent condition.  Buy one, two, or take all three and save a little!

Very Good . . . . . .  $395.00 Lot  or $175.00 Each     SOLD!







Meeker's Patented-Antiques.com Antique Sad Iron SalesAntique Art Flower Iron  An interesting profile and nicely marked by a New York maker!!

Very Good . . . . . .  $125.00     SOLD!











Set of 2 Antique Millinery Leaf / Flower Iron Molds with One Cutter2 Antique Millinery Leaf / Flower Iron Molds with One Cutter  At first glance these two leaf irons look the same, but the patterns and sizes are slightly different.  The cutter that is included would probably work OK for either.  I'm not sure which of the two it actually "belongs" with, so I'm selling the two molds and one cutter together.  Be sure to click on the picture links below to see the close-up details.  There is a ruler in some of the pics so you can judge sizes. 

Very Good . . . . . .  $195.00     SOLD!









Antique Millinery Leaf / Flower Iron MoldAntique Millinery Leaf / Flower Iron Mold   Complete with its cutter.  Be sure to click on all the picture links below to see the close-up details.  There is a ruler in one of the pics so you can judge size.  

Very Good . . . . . .  $145.00 this one only     SOLD!

 









Millinery Flower Iron CuttersMillinery Flower Iron Cutters   Here are 11 vintage flower iron cutters.  Several have heart shapes.  One is a very detailed maple leaf.  The additional pictures are close-ups so you can see the patterns they cut.  

Very Good . . . . . .  all 11 for $100.00     SOLD!

 




Flower / Leaf IronsUnusual Small Flower / Leaf Irons  These are the tools that were used in the antique millinery, dressmaking, costume-making, and other assorted fabric trades to make beautiful silk and velvet flowers that adorned the fancy hats and clothing of the day.  After the fabric was starched it would have been pressed between the two heated halves of these pressing molds to emboss the design.  Typically these brass and iron tools are found in much larger sizes.  The smallest one here measures about 1 inch and the largest one about 2.5 inches.  All three of these small leaf irons are intricately detailed and make for a great display.

Good . . . . . SOLD






Flower / Leaf IronsUnusual Small Flower / Leaf Irons  These are the tools that were used in the antique millinery, dressmaking, costume-making, and other assorted fabric trades to make beautiful silk and velvet flowers that adorned the fancy hats and clothing of the day.  After the fabric was starched it would have been pressed between the two heated halves of these pressing molds to emboss the design.  Typically these brass and iron tools are found in much larger sizes.  The smallest one here measures about 1 inch and the largest one about 2.5 inches.  All three of these small leaf irons are intricately detailed and make for a great display.

Good . . . . . SOLD







Flower IronLarge Graphic Flower Iron   This is one of the largest, most graphic and highly detailed examples of a flower iron which I acquired several years ago when I bought out the entire inventory from a Connecticut millenary firm which had gone out of business.   This one is a special example.

Good . . . . .  SOLD



Nearly all of the flower and leaf irons listed below came from the Norm Kelly collection of pressing irons.  We sold him a number of these about 10 years ago after we bought a large number of them, which had come out of a closed factory in Connecticut, at an auction in NY.  It was the largest stash I had ever seen and we had a lot of fun moving them and dispersing them.  Norm was in line to get some of the nicest ones and he had the pick of the collection.



Antique Silk Flower Iron3 Flower Irons   Here are three large and very graphic examples.  The one on the left resembles a daisy, the one in the middle looks like a sunflower, and the one on the right I think is a poinsettia.  The middle one has a few careful repairs to the ends of a few petals.

Left . . . . .Good  . . . . . SOLD!    

Middle . . . . . Good . . . . .  SOLD!

Right. . . . .Good . . . . . SOLD!     






Antique Flower Irons3 Vintage Flower / Leaf Irons   The one on the left is an upright lighter duty model probably suitable for lighter weight fabrics.  The other two are very finely detailed.  All three are really lovely! 

Left . . . . Good . . . . .  SOLD!

Middle . . . . . Good  . . . . . SOLD!

Right . . . . . Good  . . . . .  SOLD!






Vintage Silk Flower Irons3 Small Flower Irons   Each one is different.........way different from the next.  These are very popular today with both cottage industry users for what they can produce, and collectors who just like the form and function. 

Left . . . . Good  . . . . . SOLD!

Middle . . . . . Good . . . . .  SOLD!

Right . . . . . Good  . . . . . SOLD!




Vintage & Antique Silk Flower Iron3 Vintage Flower Irons   The one on the left and the middle one are "in-ees".  The right one an "out-ee".

Left . . . . Good  . . . . .  $125.00     SOLD!

Middle . . . . . Good  . . . . . $100.00     SOLD!

Right . . . . . Good  . . . . .  $100.00     SOLD!





Silk Flower / Leaf Iron3 Vintage Flower & Leaf Irons   The one in the middle is a very large and finely detailed leaf.  I am not sure what the two outside ones represent, but they are almost mirror images, one a "female" and one a "male" if you will.   

Left . . . . Good. . . .  SOLD!

Middle . . . . . Good . . . .  SOLD!

Right . . . . . Good . . . .  SOLD!




Large Silk Flower Iron / Leaf IronLarge Vintage Flower / Leaf Iron   This one is over 6" across and must weigh close to 20lbs.  It is one of the largest I have ever seen or had.  This is the way it came from the factory, with felt flower impressions still stuck inside the form. 

Good . . . .  SOLD!







Flower Iron Cutters4 Vintage Flower & Leaf Iron Cutters   From what I have heard each flower iron is supposed to have a matching cutter to cut the fabric before it was placed in the mold.  Its rare to find the matching pairs, as typically over the years the cutters would have gotten separated from the irons.  I do not think any of these are for the irons above, but they will display nicely. 

Good . . . .  SOLD!




Antique Flower Iron Cutters2 Vintage Flower & Leaf Iron Cutters   These are from a different collection and are heavier duty and probably for leather and /or heavy fabric.  On the left is a figural "6" or "9", and then on the right is a nice "star". 

Good . . . .  SOLD!



BACK to Ironing Archives

This is just a sample of the many antiques & collectibles we have sold.
Click link to see other Sales Archive Pages on this Site.

We Buy Quality Antiques Contact Us at AntiqBuyer@gmail.com

Our current offering of Antiques for sale are at our sister Website Patented-Antiques.com.


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Larry & Carole Meeker