I have a Mersman side table with scalloped top. It does not have a number on the underside of it. Does anybody know why it doesn't have a number?
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As long as it says Mersman on it, it is the real thing. The number could have worn off.
Mersman's made from 1920s to the mid 1990s. They were heavily mass produced and were staples in many middle class homes.
I have been researching these for a while and I am far from an expert, so this is my opinion and maybe someone on the site who knows much more than I do can correct me. I am always hungry to learn about these lovelies:
There are a few possibilities of why no numbers:
1. They could have worn off
2. The piece could have been refinished and someone sanded them off and either left the tag in place or removed and re-affixed it
3. Fraud was happening where someone took a Mersman label and affixed it to a knock off piece.
They were hugely popular in their times so any of the scenarios are possible.
If you use Google images you can see a variety of configurations for their labels:
www.google.com/
I recently discovered a Facebook page for them...maybe someone there can give you more info
Sadly your piece has a lot of damage. I have heard mixed reviews about refinishing these pieces to resell...with camps saying it increases the value and those saying it ruins the piece.
If you are going to love it and enjoy it in your home, refinish away!! These pieces were meant to be loved and enjoyed!
If you are trying to flip it, talk to an expert. Most of the pieces don't fetch much on the market because there were so many made in the first place!
Hope this is helpful!
Mersman Furniture Company was founded in 1876, changed hands several times and stopped all production in 1995. They made different types of furniture at different times so that is really the only way to know what years a certain piece was produced. Production of living room tables was started after World War II so we can determine that tables like this were made after 1942.
it is possible that this table is either really old or actually fairly new (1977 on)
I say so because of the label.
Yes, it has no number but it has the label 'mersman tables'. The label differed throughout the years of the company:
"In 1876 J.B. Mersman founded Mersman Tables ... Shortly after the turn of the 20th century, Mersman was approached by representatives of Celina, Ohio, and offered incentives to build a plant in that city. Within six months, a new plant was built employing more than 25 people. The company's product inventory expanded to include library and dining room tables.
Mersman sold his company to his two oldest sons, Edward H. and Walter I., and Henry Lenartz, a local banker. The inclusion of Albert Mersman, J.B.'s youngest son, when he became of age was part of the deal. The new company was known as "Lenartz and Mersman Brothers." ... n 1906 the Mersman brothers, along with Edmund Brandts, bought out Henry Lenartz. The company became "Mersman Brothers, Brandts Company." ... In 1977, Congoleum sold the company to Somers Corp., a group of private investors. By this time, the company's name had changed to the Mersman Tables Co." articles.mcall.com/
and from here "In 1963 the company was sold to Congoleum. Who then re-sold it to a group of investors in 1977, who returned it to its original name Mersman Tables. It continued to produce furniture, concentrating primarily on living room tables, until its closure in 1995." www.justcollecting.com/
as you can see here a table from the 'teens (1910's) the label is mersman + #. It also is not a sticker but etched into the wood: www.ebay.com/
but here is one with the same 'mersman tables' sticker apparently considered antique but no date: www.ebay.com/
here's one alleged from the 20's that has the exact label as yours www.ebay.com/
the problem with ebay is that people either guess, don't know, or don't specify the age of their table so it's a pretty hopeless research proposition. But at least there is a precedent for antique Mersman tables with the green yellow sticker and no number
if I had more time I'd look for mersman that we knew to be new (1977 on) and see what those labels look like. But using the label to date it is a good research project
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