Antique 1930s SALESMAN SAMPLE Mahogany Wood Child's CHINA CABINET HUTCH CUPBOARD

  

This is a rare Salesman's Sample Cabinet, circa the 1930s. Salesmen peddling full size china cabinets/hutches/cupboards/apothecary cabinets obviously couldn't haul the massive, actual-sized pieces of furniture as they traveled door to door. Exact miniature replicas were manufactured to serve as models for what the salesman would be marketing to his customers in their homes. Basically, the salesman's samples are like child-size versions. The real deal in every sense - just in petite form.

There is nothing more historically accurate and precious, and the smaller footprint couldn't be more practical, not to mention convenient. To that end, this china cabinet/hutch/cupboard/apothecary cabinet measures approximately 27 1/8 " in height (bottom of the legs to the top of the crown molding), 14" long (the front left side of the counter/ledge to the front right side of the counter/ledge), and 8 1/8 wide (from front to back).

It could sit on the backseat of a car, fit into a trunk, and be placed on the customer's kitchen table for easy display. In your home, the options are endless. Dining Room, Kitchen, Bedroom, Bathroom - any room would benefit from the adorable aesthetic and very decent storage space that this mercantile relic has to offer. What a fun twist to display cups and saucers in the small-size salesman's sample beside its full-size counterpart in my dining room. That dining room now belongs to a different owner, and so this beautiful cabinet must also find a new home.

The door glass is original, as are the 4 wood pulls, the inside brass hardware for securing the doors, the 8 brass hinges, the 2 upper shelves, the drawer box - and everything else! Brass hardware on the bottom of the upper cabinet catches the doors for closing.

A similar brass mechanism secures the 2 bottom doors. There are no locking mechanisms. The condition of the piece is fantastic, especially considering its almost 100-year old age and the traveling it most likely did back in the day, along with whatever use it has enjoyed since then. The cabinet is completely intact, totally strong, structurally sturdy, and ready for use in whatever capacity you might imagine.

The flaws are minor and reflect normal wear and tear. A tad bit of white paint adheres to the backmost left side of the cabinet.

The spot is small and hardly noticeable. The left glass door is a bit resistant to sliding on the counter/ledge to open and close.

To a greater degree, the right glass door sticks and rubs against the counter/ledge when opening. As you can see in the video, it opens and closes successfully, but you will need to apply a little force to get it past the sticking spot on the counter/ledge.

Also, the glass in this door has a crack. It extends from the lower left side of the glass to the upper right, ending even with the first shelf. It is an angled, semi-curved line. Luckily, it looks worse on the inside of the glass than on the outside. Most of the time, I hardly notice the crack when the door is closed. It presents more like a minor scratch than a crack. No idea when or how it happened - might have been 90 years ago, while traveling with the salesman over a bump in the road. We'll never know, but I love knowing that the cabinet retains its original glass, and imperfections are simply par for the course.

On my part, I dotted clear super glue into the crack so that it would be fortified, hold together indefinitely, and not worsen with time. That has done the trick, with the glass proving totally secure, thanks to the fix. There are some scratches on the cabinet - nothing terrible.

Minor scratches and scrapes are to be expected. You have to study the cabinet closely to even notice them.

The piece has never been refinished, so there will be these light, minimal markings. The inside of each bottom cabinet door has residual fragments of labels/glued documentation. The sticker on the inside of the right hand door barely remains. The left inside door provides more entertainment. Not sure when these papers were applied, or why.

In any case, the remnants add interest to the piece. Like the broken glass, they are part of the cabinet's story - and I have no doubt it is a fascinating one. Please review the pictures and feel free to message me with any questions.

It would be my pleasure to pass along any helpful details. PLEASE NOTE: Cast Iron Base not included. If interested in a package deal (base and cabinet combined), please message me for more information. STORAGE & PRESERVATION: A STRONG BEGINNING. All items are stored in a smoke and substance free, exceptionally clean home.

All items are appropriately wrapped and held in a safe space. PACKAGING FOR SAFE TRANSIT: THE JOURNEY MATTERS. I take the packaging process very seriously. PHOTOS AND QUESTIONS: HELP ME TO HELP YOU.

I try to show all details in the photos.