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Antiques! => Antique Questions Forum => Topic started by: chuckchili on January 22, 2011, 08:16:31 PM

Title: Unique Barber "Chair"
Post by: chuckchili on January 22, 2011, 08:16:31 PM

I found this interesting item today and was wondering if anyone had seen one of these before. The horse portion is aluminum as far as I can tell and has Miracle Equipment Company on the the horse's front right "knee" which I researched and learned they have been in business for 80 years and make alot of the playground items today.  I cannot find any information on child's barber chairs.  Does anyone have any ideas on this one?

(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn82/chuckchili/OnLineSales001-1.jpg)

(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn82/chuckchili/OnLineSales004.jpg)

(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn82/chuckchili/OnLineSales003.jpg)

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn82/chuckchili/OnLineSales001.jpg
http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn82/chuckchili/OnLineSales004.jpg
http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn82/chuckchili/OnLineSales003.jpg

Title: Re: Unique Barber "Chair"
Post by: waywardangler on January 22, 2011, 10:05:36 PM

Here's one much older than yours so they have been around for some time...http://www.proxibid.com/asp/LotDetail.asp?ahid=1464&aid=28096&lid=7784689

Title: Re: Unique Barber "Chair"
Post by: KC on January 22, 2011, 10:07:46 PM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracle_Recreation_Equipment_Company (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracle_Recreation_Equipment_Company)

They made carousel horses.  This might have been a custom job or "engineered" one using their carousel horses.

Now known as the Miracle Recreation Equipment Company in Iowa.

Title: Re: Unique Barber "Chair"
Post by: waywardangler on January 22, 2011, 10:11:46 PM

This site has all kinds of new ones for kids, including a horse...http://www.saloninteriors.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=SI&Product_Code=carousel

Title: Re: Unique Barber "Chair"
Post by: talesofthesevenseas on January 23, 2011, 02:44:32 PM

I think what you have there is a cast aluminum playground rocking horse that was repurposed as a barber chair. These originally were fixed onto a large rocking spring. I remember most of them as having coil springs rather than this type. Here's an example:

http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vintage-spring-playground-horse-cast-75665288 (http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vintage-spring-playground-horse-cast-75665288)

I remember these from the 1960's. My guess is that they date to the 50's and 60's maybe as late as the early 70's. They tended to whack kids in the forehead if you got rocking too hard on them and were gradually phased out of playgrounds.

(http://images.cloud.worthpoint.com/wpimages/images/images1/1/0709/10/1_f19e6cf3c39642f3530518223e00ce6b.jpg)

Title: Re: Unique Barber "Chair"
Post by: chuckchili on January 23, 2011, 11:32:33 PM

Thanks for the answers!