During the second half of the 19th century the Ansonia Clock Company was one of the major clock makers in the world. The company was founded in 1850 as a subsidiary of the Ansonia Brass Company. In those days, clock movements were made from brass, and the founders of the company knew that there was an enormous profit that could be realized from having access to a huge supply of brass and being able to build clocks from it.
That was the time of the most significant expansion in the United States. The country was developing at a frightening rate and was realizing for the first time the tremendous power that it had.The people were growing richer and were looking for things to spend their money on. Purchasing a clock back then was like purchasing a new piece of electronics equipment today.
Because of that trend the following years saw the expansion of the Ansonia Clock Company. At its height it was making more than 400 models of clocks, more than 20,000 clocks per year, and they even ventured into watch making. The company had a colorful history. The factory used for the production of the clocks burned down twice. First in 1854 when fire totally destroyed the factory in Ansonia and then again in 1880 after the factory has moved to New York. Despite those setbacks Ansonia clocks continued to be manufactured and people appreciated the high quality and the precision that it offers.
Although the company folded up a few years after World War I and its factory equipment sold to Soviet Russia, there were so many clocks produced by the company that any collector today interested in antique Ansonia Clocks still has a very large market from which to take his pick. Ansonia clocks were exported to a lot of countries so they can still be found all over the world. One interesting thing about collecting antique Ansonia Clocks is that there were so many models made by the company that it is really difficult to keep track of all of them. It was the aim of one of the founders of the company to come up with as many variations of clocks as they could, so a buyer would never have to check any other clock brand except for Ansonia for the perfect clock for their home, whether a grandfather clock or cuckoo clock.
If you would like to start a collection of antique Ansonia Clocks or any other brand of antique clock for that matter then here are some tips that you can follow:
1. A clock that is in mint condition without any signs of repair or restoration should fetch a price that is many times higher than a clock that is in fair condition. Check the clock carefully for any signs of damage or repair. If you are not familiar about the signs then do some research first.
2. Look for labels and marks that might signify that a clock has been made by a well known maker, but you should be careful because these can be faked quite easily now. One way to mitigate against this risk is to purchase from reputable clock sellers and resellers.
3. Like any collector’s item, a clock that belonged to a celebrity or some great or notorious person will have more value. This is a personal preference whether you want to collect such clocks or not. Just bear in mind that just because an antique Ansonia clock was owned by a famous person, doesn’t mean that it’s high price is what you will pay for the exact same Ansonia clock that was owned by a farmer.
4. Consider how rare the antique clock is and how many of its models were made. Naturally, the more rare an item the more its price will reflect that rarity. Some models of antique clocks whether Ansonia or otherwise had less of a manufacturing run than other models from the same year even.
5. If you are planning on selling the clock again, you should have an idea of how much you might be able to sell it back into the market for. Ideally, you will be buying it now at a cheaper price than you hope to resell it for down the road a few years or more.
As with any sort of antique collectibles, this is a hobby and pastime best suited to those who are patient and are willing to do their research ahead of time. Collecting antique Ansonia clocks and other antiques can be quite lucrative, but you have to be able to bide your time in waiting for the right clock at the right price.