Antique kitchen scales

There’s a huge market for antique scales, although you’d think that something as matter-of-fact and functional as this would be unlikely to have old and fancy versions. But believe me, they do. My neighbour, Celine, bought a pair of cast iron scales from an auction some years back that had its trays held up by Atlas-like figures, while the weights were made in the shape of animals. The scales were apparently created in the 1800s. You can get quaint old porcelain scales with pretty floral patterns, but beware their delicateness. I like the primitive American family scales that can often be found in shiny brass versions. If you’re not buying something as fancy as Celine’s, vintage kitchen measures actually come quite cheap, and if they have lasted for decades, even centuries, then you can be sure that their springs are stronger than concrete. But do test before you finally decide to buy. Genuine antique kitchen scales can be found at many online antique stores, watch how shipping is calculated as many are heavy. If buying from local stores of markets, take a test weight with you, lookout for rust and push the antique kitchen scales down a few times and check if the scale returns to zero.