Big demijohn...advice on buying please!

[BarbaraInCalif]

I have the opportunity to purchase this huge demijohn. It measures 25" tall, 18 1/2" in diameter with a circumference of 60" (5 feet). No chips, cracks or repairs and has a pontil that measures a good 4" in diameter.

What is a fair price?

Thanks,
Barbara

 

[BarbaraInCalif]

Pontil

 

[BRIAN S.]

Depends on how bad you want it .
I have seen interior decorators give some pretty good prices for some of these big ones.
What is the seller asking for it ?

 

[BarbaraInCalif]

Well, the owner is asking $250; I have absolutely no idea if that is a reasonable price.
Don't desperately want this demi, it's just a rare opportunity to buy a nice bottle locally.

Barbara

 

[swizzle]

That's gonna be your call. Personally I'd only offer around $100 for it but that's mainly because its not crude enough for my taste. I looks rather new until you see the pontil on it. If you like it and can afford it then go for it. You might want to start at $175 and see if you can get her to drop the price. Demi's that size are tough to collect because one takes up the whole shelf. Good luck. Swiz

 

[jays emporium]

I don't know much about em but that bottle doesn't look crude at all. To me the age would be questionable. I'd rather buy 25 small bottles that would take up the same space but that's just me.

 

[BarbaraInCalif]

Thanks for confirming my own feelings about this bottle..I'll be passing on this one!

 

[CALDIGR2]

Barbara, there is a seller here in CA who imported hundreds of those Demis from South America several years ago. I don't touch them; he has a warehouse full of them and brings many of them to area antique shows.

 

[RED Matthews]

So BarbaraInCalif, I got back here to check the pictures again, and I am not impressed with the pontil for that size bottle. It would take a 4" punty rod with glass chips around the edge, but I don't think they would have used that type of attached handle on that weight of glass in the early forming dates. I like demi's but I wouldn't be enamored by this one, at their desired price. RED Matthews