stevebeilgard Posted July 30, 2008 Report Share Posted July 30, 2008 a busby is that big, bearskin hat you see the english guards wearing in full dress uniform. we have an original busby made in 1752, in it's original can with original locks. it was made for lord eliott. we also have documentation hat this busby was worn when lord eliott accompanied napoleon. quite a history. it's in fair shape for something made in 1852. would anyone have a clue as to how much this thing is worth, or where i could find out a value. my wife is thinking of selling it as we're downsizing everything at out place. in fact, within a couple years our place will be too much and we'll sell it. i've got to keep things increasingly simple around here, for reasons you know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texan_Til_I_Die Posted July 30, 2008 Report Share Posted July 30, 2008 The first place I'd go would be a major auction house like Southeby's or Christies. If they don't show any interest, then it's probably not that valuable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texastrophies Posted July 30, 2008 Report Share Posted July 30, 2008 Did a little research and couldn't really come up with an answer for you Steve. I will say though, if it has any value at all, with that bunch you got coming up there in September I would suggest putting it under lock and key. :D:D Here is a picture of one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Andrea Posted July 30, 2008 Report Share Posted July 30, 2008 Try to get it appraised by an auction house. ( A reputable one) If nothing else.....sell that sucker on Ebay. Just make sure you have the reserve price set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruttinbuc Posted July 30, 2008 Report Share Posted July 30, 2008 I'd imagine it to be worth quite a bit with the history that goes with it. Maybe not here in the US, but in the UK to a museum or historian. Maybe an appraiser from the Antique Road Show... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aksheephuntress Posted July 30, 2008 Report Share Posted July 30, 2008 ...I can't help but wonder what Jim Shockey would look like wearing that,SteveB.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nativetexan Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 Definitely go with Christies or Sotheby's. Militaria is a huge seller and someone out there would pay a small fortune for that but you need to get it advertised globally. I would not suggest Ebay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 I'll start the bidding at $5! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nativetexan Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 New ones for the British Army cost about $1000 a piece according to this article...And in usual fashion, someone is pissed about that...I was just thinking also you might check with your local museum. They might be able to put you in touch with a collector, or even take it off your hands for you. Ban the black bear busby, group says: 'We shouldn't be wearing the furs of our black bears on our heads' The Ottawa Citizen, Fri 04 Oct 2002 Page: A11, News Byline: Patti Edgar The Queen's royal visit to Canada should include a little reflection on the Canadian black bears whose fur ends up on her guards' noggins, says a Vancouver-based animal rights group. The black busby worn by unflinching regiments outside Buckingham Place are made out of the furs of Canadian black bears. And that has angered the Fur-Bearers Association, which tried to draw attention to their cause on the eve of the royal tour. The group, which claims 4,000 members, issued a statement asking the Queen to keep the lumbering Canadian bears on her mind during an 11-day tour of Canada, which starts today in Iqaluit. "Is that what a Canadian black bear is worth? A ceremonial hat? My guess is that Canadians will say 'No' and I hope the Queen takes that to heart," said Jennifer Allen, the organization's executive director. "We shouldn't be wearing the furs of our magnificent black bears on our heads." Ms. Allen would like the Queen to recommend a switch to synthetic hats for her guards. The busby is worn by about 3,000 troops in five British regiments to commemorate their victory in 1815 over Napoleon's forces at Waterloo, where France's elite troops wore bearskins to look more menacing. The Canadian Governor General's guards also wear a bearskin busby. At about half a metre in height, each hat takes at least one bear pelt, dyed black. The hats can last as long as 30 years, allowing them to be passed on to younger family members. As a result, the British army only needs 150 new pelts each year for the headgear, which cost about $1,000 each. Animal-rights advocates came close to banning bear fur from the hats in 1997, when Britain's Minister for Defence Procurement was married to a member of the Worldwide Fund for Nature's fundraising committee. Then-minister Lord Gilbert requested that a synthetic substitute be found, but the results didn't stand up to London's damp weather. The wet synthetic hats were likened to a "rather bad hair day" by one television anchor. A ministry official described the guards as looking like "punks who have just stepped out of the shower." In a June letter to the Fur-Bearers Association, a spokesman for the British government's Defence Logistics Organization said they are still researching alternatives to bearskin, and when one is found it will be "introduced across the board." The hunt for an alternative to bear fur puzzles Randy Mersereau, vice-president of the Canadian National Trappers Alliance. "I don't know why anyone would want to use a synthetic material over something that is natural, biodegradable and probably a whole lot warmer," said Mr. Mersereau. The Fur-Bearers Association also advocates a ban on animal traps like foot snares, which are sometimes used to catch black bears in Canada. Ms. Allen called the snares cruel. Mr. Mersereau said the foot snare "hardly does any damage at all." Illustration: Colour Photo: Julie Oliver, The Ottawa Citizen: British guards require about 150 Canadian black bear pelts a year for their headgear. An experiment a few years ago saw hats made with synthetic fur, but they were criticized as looking like a 'rather bad hair day.' Reprinted with permission from the Ottawa Citizen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevebeilgard Posted July 31, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 some good ideas here, guys. thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckee Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 With good documentation , the price for a collector goes, up, up, up ....that much I know for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerClay Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 With good documentation , the price for a collector goes, up, up, up ....that much I know for sure. I agree here. My mothers family were all antique dealers and the paperwork just tripled (or more) the value. Put it on ebay:D:D (just kidding) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerClay Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 Here is one site I found that may help. http://www.crawforddirect.com/worth.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 Would kind of wonder if an online auction site like Cowan's could help you out with finding a value Steve? Might check with them, I just did a search there for busby, and came up with this http://www.cowanauctions.com/past_sales_view_item.asp?ItemId=65100, notice the est price is $2500-$3500 on the one they have there which is prussian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.