Making a cutaway out of this piece was probably a good idea. Someone has buffed the bejeebers out of it, so at best it was a $400 shooter. As to its value, it has no intrinsic worth so you would be paying for the skilled labor that went into creating it. I have no idea how much time went into planning, setting up and making the extensive cuts, and doing the final finish, but it had to be a bunch...I am guessing in the vicinity of 100 hours. How much does an expert machinist make per hour? If it is somewhere around $50 then you have a base price of $5400. For myself, I would not spend a fraction of that amount for this type of display piece.
__________________
If it's made after 1918...it's a reproduction
|