Weathered whirligig in no shape to excite collectors

Q. I have finally summoned the courage to write and ask about this whirligig discovered in the barn of the old house my husband and I bought. I have no idea how old it is, or whether it's valuable. It is missing some of the deep maroon- and cream-colored paint; otherwise, it's intact. There are no names or markings.A. According to the famous real estate clich#233;, it's "location, location, location." But in the antiques world, the bywords are "condition, condition, condition." For those who do not know and may think that a "whirligig" is some sort of child's toy, it is actually an object that spins, turns or has at least one moving part to indicate wind direction - much like a weather vane. Whirligigs are also known by the names buzzer, a comic weather vane, a gee-haw or a spinner.Whirligigs are normally driven by the wind, but they may also be hand- or friction-powered, or even powered by a motor.There are plenty of examples of weather vanes in ancient civilizations, but the first known visual representation of a European whirligig can be found in a medieval tapestry that depicts children playing with one. Later, paintings by Hieronymus Bosch and Jan Provost also represented the curiosity in oil. The piece in today's question is clearly much more contemporary than those.Whirligigs became somewhat fashionable in this country's Appalachian region during the mid- to late-19th century, and their popularity expanded to other regions at the turn of the 20th century. Collectors consider their crafting to be "folk art," and during the Great Depression, farmers sometimes created them to raise a little extra money to help make ends meet.These colorful, animated devices added an element of fun to an otherwise demanding life in rural America and have become a well-established subcategory in the field of folk art. Older ones with interesting, novel and clever designs have increased in value. In fact, at a Skinner Gallery (Boston) auction in 1998, a 19th-century Uncle Sam whirligig, dated and with a history of ownership, sold for $12,650.Today, whirligigs are used as mechanisms in gardens to frighten birds and as novelty items, decorative outdoor art and children's toys. Craftsmen still make them, but unfortunately, most of the new ones on the current market are stamped and painted metal that is mass-produced in China.As we said earlier, condition is important in the field of collecting, and your whirligig is in bad shape. This is not unusual for whirligigs because, for the most part, they spend their lives exposed to the elements and few survive in outstanding condition.This example, from the early 20th century, does not appear to be functional. In fact, it appears to be missing a part. In addition, it appears to have been repainted, and the form is not figural enough - not "folksy" enough to get serious whirligig collectors excited. The insurance-replacement value of this particular piece is less than $100.bull; Contact Helaine Fendelman and Joe Rosson at Treasures in Your Attic, P.O. Box 27540, Knoxville, TN 37927, or via e-mail at treasures@knology.net.