SELLING A CLAWFOOT TUB

Vintage Tub & Bath does not purchase or appraise antique tubs. We can, however, offer some advice on how to sell these items. Please use the following information as a general reference.

The factors that are usually taken into consideration when selling an antique tub are condition, size, and originality. The most commonly manufactured, and therefore, most readily available clawfoot tubs are the standard 5-foot roll rim tubs.

An antique tub will normally have superficial scratches in the porcelain, dulling the most used areas of the porcelain. Sometimes you can find out the model or year it was manufactured by looking underneath the tub. You might see an item number, which will be a string of numbers. If you only see two numbers, then that’s most likely the year. Refinishing the tub will revitalize the interior, eliminating the stains, nicks, and cracks in the porcelain. However, if the cast iron is cracked, the tub will not hold water.

Tub refinishing can cost an additional $1000. Refinishing is a painting process that will repair defects in the porcelain. The interior of the tub is body-filled, sanded, acid-etched, primed, and painted. The exterior is sandblasted down to the original cast iron and then primed and painted. The tub will look smooth and brand new again but will not last nearly as long as a new cast iron clawfoot tub. In fact, a refinished clawfoot bathtub has to be treated much more gently than a new tub, so it would be more economical to purchase a new clawfoot bathtub.

Here are a few places where you may be able to sell your tub.

Here are a few resources that may help identify or appraise your item.

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