Featured Advice on antique skeleton keys

I acquired these keys at estate sale and would like any information anyone might know about any one key pictured.
Per another thread I had on, what I thought was an old key, turns out it wasn't.
I am learning about these old keys and believe me, any input would be great for my process. There are only a few with markings.
I know nothing about them and there's so much information on the web that I'm finding is too time consuming and usually leads me nowhere!
I've already learned more on my last thread LOL.
But I would appreciate any input, brands you think they may be, time era etc.
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I can't tell you a ton about them, but your 3rd image down....close-up..... has the most interesting, and I think oldest looking keys, plus most of them appear to be brass.......I'm assuming some might be for clocks and/or locks......fun collection!!!!! I love keys!!!! @gregsglass, @afantiques ....tagging a couple of others for you!! Plus I'm sure others will chime in!!

 

Nice collection. I love old keys but don't know much about them either. About all I know is the ones with holes at the end of the shafts are usually for the locks on furniture pieces - cabinets, dresser drawers, etc.......

 

Hopefully, someone who knows keys/locks/applications will chime in to give you an idea on what you've got.

You may want to put something in the shots to get a sense of size/scale. That will help people out.

 

In the tiny town where I was raised, if someone lost the key to their old house, they would go to Silco (remember them?) and buy a key to get in the house. Some of them look like ones I got
Patd

 

LOL!!

 

Good idea thank you!

 

These are just the barrels.....I had to recreate the scene. I hope I did it right.
I'll have to do the rest tomorrow, it's bedtime! LOL

 

And one thing I would like to know is why was that decorative key in with these??
LOL!

 

Oh and here are the locks that were also in the box and infamous thread starter LOL

 

I've not seen a key like this before.
Flat with 2 prongs - different


These look like keys to small boxes - jewelry boxes etc

 

That is very interesting Davey. Thanks

All I know about keys like that is many folks buy them for decorative purposes too.
But I think that trend may be over or not as hot right now.. not sure.

There is someone on etsy who sold a massive amount of old keys but she did them mostly in lots.

 

Most of these look like pretty standard minimal security cabinet/door lock keys. The more complex keys would have been for locks where security was truly a concern. Some might be identifiable as to maker by shape but really doesn't matter much. Most keys sold are for decorative or functional use. Few true collectors out there and most of these would be of minimal interest to them. I sell keys as fast as I can get them and we always have people coming in to the shop searching for just the right cabinet key for use.

 

I know the general consensus on your other thread
https://www.antiquers.com/threads/need-help-identifying-a-skeleton-key.39135/ was that the large key was newer and just decorative, but I'm not really seeing that - to my eye, appears to be a real key with genuine age, though not a great amount of use, and at that size, perhaps something like a gate key...

~Cheryl

 

I see that @Bev aka thelmasstuff was tagged in the other thread. I'm tagging her here, too -- although she doesn't come here every day so may be a little while until she sees this.

 

Don't know anything to add...but I love old keys !!!

 

The key on the right in the top picture is a "Keen Kutter," the premium brand of hardware made for and sold by the Simmons, and later, Shapleigh's Hardware companies.

Their tools and hardware are often marked with that distinctive wedge logo and are highly collected. I've seen keys like it sell in the $5-$10 range.

 

Calling @Bev aka thelmasstuff
Her husband is a locksmith

 

Thank you for the info, I appreciate that.
I really wasn't looking to sell them, I was searching for any knowledge people could share so I could learn about them.
But your input helps greatly!
I might consider it down the road