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GOLF
TREASURES:
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
I
have inherited a set of George Nicoll of Leven ltd. Pin Splitter
irons, 3 to 9 and PW and SW, These clubs are in the original
delivery box, the heads still wrapped as dispatched and packed
in a local newspaper dated 1984. I would like to find out
more about this manufacturer and whether these clubs were
hand made? What was their original value? and whether they
have any market value today? I do not know where to go for
these answers and if you could assist in any way I would be
grateful.
Jacqueline
Green
Dale
Concannon writes:
Thank
you for your letter.
First
the bad news. Despite what you may have heard about vast
sums being paid at auction for antique golf clubs, less
than 10% of all wooden-shafted clubs are worth more than
£10! The reason is simple — Like today, most clubs were
produced in huge numbers to cater for the golfing boom of
the early 1900's. And while the vast majority of them have
disappeared over the years, there are still countless hickory
shafted golf clubs still in existence.
Today,
the vast majority of hickory clubs made between 1900 and
1930 are only worth between £5-£10 for irons and £10-£20
for woods. Of course, similar clubs are offered for sale
at vastly inflated prices in antique shops etc. but this
is the figure most collectors would pay for them at auction.
As for those early steel-shafted clubs dating from the 1930's
and 1940's with shafts made to look like 'cane' or 'wood'
they currently have little value above £5. Therefore, the
simple truth is that most 'antique' clubs found gathering
dust in the attic or picked up at flea market or boot fairs
are sadly, not going to make your fortune. That said, there
are always exceptions.
So
how can you tell if your club/s are in the common bracket?
Made between 1900 and 1932, this usually applies to any
golf club that:
-
Has
any marking on the striking face such as lines, dots or
dashes. (Pre-1900 clubs had no face markings to impart
spin.)
-
Has
a symbol or 'cleek 'mark denoting the company who made
it stamped on the back of the head like an anvil or star
for example.
-
Has
metal-caps at the end of the grip or thin Black leather
grips.
-
Has
yardage ranges stamped on the back (80-125-yds for example).
-
Has
a stainless steel or chromed head stamped 'rustless.'
or 'matched set.'
-
Has
a metal or aluminium shaft that is coated or painted to
look like 'cane' or 'wood'.
As
for your particular golf club/s:
George Nichol of Leven (Scotland) were among the first golf
companies in the world to manufacture matched sets of irons.
In business from 1881 to 1983, Pin Splitter clubs were popular
models from the fifties, sixties and seventies as were the
Pin Seekers from the late seventies. Considered fairly low
grade clubs compared with MacGregors etc, the boxed set
you describe sound like something from the sixties or seventies.
Dispatched from Scotland for export all over the world,
the clubs would have been hand forged rather than hand-made
but sound like nice examples of their period. As for value,
they are untouched in their original wrapping and that has
to raise their worth quite considerably. A used set of Pin
Splitters would be worth around £50 today. As set like yours
has to be worth five-times that to a collector.
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Do
you have any golfing items that you think may be valuable?
If so, write or email us
at Golf Today and expert DALE CONCANNON will try
and put a value on it. It would also help if you can
describe it in detail, perhaps enclosing a photograph
or sketch.
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