Determining the value of a collectible

By ANNE B. ADAMS

AND NANCY NASH-CUMMINGS

DEAR ANNE AND NAN: A relative of mine has what we believe to be an original Jack Daniel's whiskey barrel. It was used for the transport of "sour mash" Tennessee whiskey. It stands about four feet tall. The wood and slats are in very good condition and there is a cork in it. The barrel is covered with original Jack Daniels labels and handwritten notes. The earliest legible date is 1890. Can you help us determine its value? --- MARSHA SILVERNAIL, Rochester, N.Y.

DEAR MARSHA: We got in touch with Claude Bellar, of Greenbier, Tenn. He collects Jack Daniel's items. Here is what he said about your barrel: "I have one of these barrels myself, and I purchased it at an antique mall over a year ago. I paid $60 for mine, but the original price asked for it was about $85. I believe this type of barrel to be one that was used as a display at the Jack Daniel's Distillery. It could also have been a store display, but I haven't been able to verify either of these facts. I have only seen the one that I purchased, so I believe these to be fairly hard to find." Readers, do you have any other ideas?

FEEDBACK: GARLIC ODOR IN ICE --- Cheryl Hammond, of Wonder Lake, Ill., wrote to tell us that she, too, had a problem with garlic- smelling ice when she lived in a western suburb of Chicago. Her friends at the office told her to use bottled water, as a chemical in the locally treated water caused the odor. She notes, "Sure enough, when I moved my refrigerator to Wonder Lake, where I have my own well, the odor disappeared."

Newspaper Enterprise Association

Copyright 1999
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.