Question:
We have two different chicken waterers. One has "patent applied for"and one has the "patent number" on it. Both feeders are missing the bottom trays. The feeder without a patent number has a hairline crack and the other is like brand new. I do not have a photo at this time. When were these made? and I would assume that one is older than the other. THanks Quay

Answer: Quay, it sounds like you have the Ko-Rec chicken feeders. These were the later feeders most likey manufactured between 1920 and into the 30′s. These are not expensive feeders and you would really need the base to complete the feeder to get your best value out of it. Also, with the ecomony being so bad, collectors are looking for mint pieces. So any damage such as a crack or hairline on your feeder would drop it’s value quite low. Now for the "patent applied for": There are a few collectors who look for the patent applied for, but their numbers are not that large so you may have a little trouble finding them and if they have already found one with the patent applied for, they will most likely not be interested in another. On a Ko-Rec feeder, the value would be about $25 higher for a "Patent Applied For" stamp than the normal Ko-Red Feeder. Al Kohlman