Preliminary identification
Photo reference
1 uploaded photo
Overview
This is an original cardboard box filled with spring-tempered steel 'Royal Card Pins' manufactured by Cushman & Denison in New York. Designed with a coiled wire clip atop a sharp pin, they were specifically crafted for retail window dressers and shopkeepers to display price tags and show cards without obscuring merchandise.
Story
Long before plastic sign holders, 1920s shop window dressers used coiled spring-steel pins like these to make price tags hover effortlessly among department store displays.
Maker / Origin
The Cushman & Denison Manufacturing Company was founded in New York in the late 19th century and became legendary in the stationery trade. They are best known for revolutionizing office life by patenting and popularizing the 'Gem' paperclip and later inventing the iconic 'Flo-master' refillable felt-tip marker in the 1940s.
Condition & Value
The original cardboard box exhibits age-toning, surface grubbiness, and minor edge wear consistent with storage in a retail stockroom. The interior metal pins appear bright, clean, and free of heavy rust or corrosion. Having the original labeled box intact significantly preserves its collector appeal.
Full Research
Sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance pulled from recent auction results.
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Comparable demand stays strongest where maker, originality, and venue confidence line up. Broader examples still trade, but the range tightens quickly when provenance, condition, or selling lane fit is missing.
Best Venue
Specialty auction or a focused dealer with buyers already in this lane.
Signed example with light edge wear and original frame.
Comparable format with stronger provenance and cleaner surface.
Smaller related piece with visible craquelure and trimmed margins.
Period match with softer condition and weaker subject matter.
Close market lane comp with similar material and presentation.