Cast-iron beetle boot jack, Whaleworx Lot 249
Cast-iron beetle boot jack, Whaleworx Lot 249
Cast-iron beetle boot jack, Whaleworx Lot 249, detail
Cast-iron beetle boot jack, Whaleworx Lot 249, detail
Cast-iron beetle boot jack, Whaleworx Lot 249, detail
Cast-iron beetle boot jack, Whaleworx Lot 249, detail

Lot 249 — Cast-Iron Beetle Boot Jack

A rust-brown cast-iron beetle, scaled shell and six stubby legs, whose two curling antennae make the V for pullin’ off yer boots. Hollow underneath, with a hangin’ hole at the tail.

Artist
Unknown foundry; age not determined
Dimensions
Not yet measured
Materials
Cast iron, rusted finish, hollow underside, hanging hole at the tail

On the block, friend

Open bidding

Opening bid

$
Name the most you'd pay. We bid for you, just enough to stay in front, like eBay. Nobody sees your max, not even Captain Nemo.

How the bidding works (the short version of the Articles)
  • The first bid starts a 13-day clock. When it hits zero, the top bidder wins.
  • Enter your max. The price only climbs as far as needed to keep you in front, so you may win for less.
  • Each bid has to beat the price by a small step. Ties go to whoever bid first.
  • Some pieces carry a reserve, a minimum price kept secret. If bidding ends below it, the piece doesn't sell. The box tells you if it's met.
  • A bid in the last 5 minutes resets the clock to 5 minutes. No sniping.
  • Win, and we email a pay link. You have 3 days to pay. Free pickup at the South Loop dock (recommended). Smaller pieces can ship, quoted before you pay.
  • A bid is a promise to buy. Please bid only if you mean it.

Read the full Articles

The Deckhand's soundings

What's it worth?

Taking a squint at it...

An estimate from the photos and description, not an appraisal and not a reserve. Bid what it is worth to you; the sea sets no prices and neither do we.

SKU: WW-249 Category:

Description

Every ship needs a boot jack, and this one’s a bug. A cast-iron beetle with a scaled, fish-net shell, ribbed legs tucked at its sides, and two long antennae that curl out at the tips. Plant yer foot on its back, slip yer heel into the V between those feelers, and pull. Off comes the boot, no deckhand required.

Flip it over and it’s hollow-cast, with a rounded cup behind the head and a small drilled hole at the tail so it can hang on a nail by the door when it’s off duty. The whole beast wears an even coat of brown rust, the color of an old Chicago fire escape.

Beetle jacks like this have been cast for well over a century, and plenty of newer ones have been made in the old style, so the Captain makes no claims on its age. Works as a boot jack, a doorstop, a paperweight, or the strangest wall hook on your block.

Related products