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Hot take: that old ventriloquist dummy in my grandpa's trunk is just a creepy hunk of wood
I pulled an old ventriloquist dummy out of a trunk in my grandma's attic last weekend with a cracked face and one eye missing, and I overheard my cousin say it might be worth something at an antique shop. After looking online, I found similar ones go for maybe $40 in good shape, and this thing is way too beat up. Is there any point in trying to sell junk like this or should I just toss it in the donation bin?
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susan_ward2mo ago
Hold up, check if that dummy has a maker's mark or any old paper tags tucked in its clothes. Some of those old beat up ones are actually rare prototypes or one-offs made by local craftsmen, not the mass produced ones you see online. Even with the damage, a collector of weird folk art might pay decent money for a unique piece with a creepy backstory. Did you look behind the shirt collar or inside the back panel for any stamps or dates?
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danielwhite2mo ago
You know, that reminds me of this old ventriloquist dummy I saw at a flea market in Ohio back in '09. It was all beat up, missing a hand, and had this weird red paint splatter on its cheek that looked like blood. The seller was asking twenty bucks, but I passed on it because it creeped me out. Turns out a few years later, I saw the exact same dummy on an episode of that antique roadshow type show, and it was a one-of-a-kind piece from some carnival act in the 1920s. The guy who bought it got it appraised for like eight grand. Makes you wonder what you're walking past at those places, doesn't it?
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