NEO-GOTHIC CHROMED METAL TOAST RACK / LETTER HOLDER Start Price USD 7.99 Current Price USD 11.50 Time Left - Bid Count 4 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Monday, August 25, 2008 End Time Monday, September 01, 2008 Location Middletown, CT See more about 'NEO-GOTHIC CHROMED METAL TOAST RACK / LETTER HOLDER ' Description   For collectors of 20th-century metalwork inspired by earlier Arts and Crafts, Aesthetic Movement, and/or Neo-Gothic art and design, up for auction is a base metal and chromed -- or perhaps it's stainless steel, though I rather doubt it -- toast rack of unknown origin (English? American? Japanese?) that looks like a Christopher Dresser knockoff but I'm pretty sure has a much, much humbler provenance. Still, the item is a lovely piece with an ecclesiastical bent that would fit well into juist about any kind of interior, be it Victorian or modern, and of course it's practical as well and can be used to hold correspondence, bills, postcards, coupons, whatever. Even toast, though I imagine nobody would use if for that purpose any more. There are no marks -- no hallmarks, nothing engraved, no label -- on the sides or underside of the rack, which measures about 6-1/4 inches long by 4-1/2 inches high by 4 inches wide (16 x 11.5 x 10 cm). The central "arch" as it were, which points upward (heavenward), like a steeple, is really the rack's handle, and it and the six other trefoil-shaped sections (that is, resembling a three-leaf clover) are designed to accommodate six pieces of toast. The rack rests on a rectangular base which in turn rests on four little spherical feet (like a ball-and-claw foot, but without the claw!). The condition of this piece -- which I'd like to think is early 20th century but could be considerably later for all I know (they've been made in the UK all through the 1900s, and this is a typical / classic design of these breakfast table accessories) -- is very good, and there are no dings, dents, scratches, shiny bits that have lost their sheen, etc., anywhere on it that I can see.  This wonderful little conversation piece -- I like to think of it as a charming and functional anachronism with quasi-spiritual design references -- is being sold AS IS, as described above. I am setting a very reasonable starting price, and there is NO RESERVE. Shipping and handling for the piece to U.S. addresses $7 (Parcel Post), to Canada $9, and to all other countries $13 (the latter 2 First Class International). I ACCEPT PAYPAL ONLY FROM NON-U.S. BUYERS. For U.S.-based buyers, PayPal is preferred, but money orders and personal checks (in U.S. dollars) are also accepted (at least until October, alas, when eBay is disallowing all payments other than PayPal and credit cards), and I will send out the item once your check clears in my bank account. If you want to have the piece sent Priority or Express Mail, charges will be extra and you must request this asap after winning the auction (or beforehand, if possible, after you have placed a bid on it) and I will adjust the final invoice amount accordingly. If you are not satisfied with your purchase, please contact me with an explanation and I will refund your money -- less shipping and handling and my eBay and, if relevant, PayPal fees -- once the item is back in my possession and is in the same condition in which it was sent to you. I will combine items for shipping at a discount; please indicate to me upon winning the first item(s) if you intend to bid on another item (or items) of mine up for auction at or around the same time. NOTE THAT I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ITEMS LOST BY THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE. I've had a couple problems with items never arriving, but on the whole the U.S.P.S. has been pretty good about getting things to their destinations intact and in good time -- still, I want to stress that I will not reimburse you fully if the item never makes it to you. If you are the winner of this auction, PAYMENT IS EXPECTED WITHIN 10 DAYS OF THE END OF THE AUCTION. If you cannot pay within this time frame, please contact me asap so we can work something out. I'm very flexible and understanding, but I would appreciate communication from you one way or another (I've recently had some problems with people winning an auction and not contacting me for over 10 days -- hence the unfortunate need to add this sentence here). Good luck bidding, and please don't hesitate to email me if you have any questions about this vintage metal toast rack. Place a Bid!