The Masonic order is a fraternal organization that is shrouded in mystery. Urban legends always seem to place them square in the middle of all kinds of conspiracy theories. It seems that they just can't get a break in the popular media.
I don't know a lot about them in particular. I tend to mind my own business and never would even think about them if they did not catch my attention by some other means. In this case, I noticed them because Masonic items are quite popular on eBay and they generally sell quite well. Vintage Masonic items in particular are much sought after collectibles.
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 45 Pocket Watch Fobs AW Co Simmons Masonic MOP  US $153.49
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 1920s MASONIC Triangular Pocket Watch Replica NR US $3.25
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 A HEAVY POCKET WATCH CHAIN WITH UNUSUAL MASONIC FOB US $48.55
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 UNUSUAL COLLECTION OF MASONIC POCKET WATCH CHAINS US $108.06
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What caught my eye this week was a Masonic pocket watch that popped up in my searching of collectibles. Any watch that pulls fifteen bids and ends at a price of over $4000 will get my attention. Masonic pocket watches just got added to my list of things to look for at estate sales!
I should say that just finding one of these will not guarantee a huge selling price. This one was extremely rare. It was one of only 1500 fourteen kt gold watches made in the series produced by the Dudley company back in the 1920s. A good thing for potential buyers and sellers to note was that this watch was in an unreconditioned state and was not even running. A lot of times, sellers at estate sales will let non-functioning items go at a deep discount, even if they know it is very old. Although a professional seller might know the value of this watch, if you find something like this at an estate sale being run by non-professionals, you might be able to pick up a nice deal. Whether your consience will allow you to do that or not is up to you.
Vintage pocket watches in general are pretty popular. I wouldn't spend too much without researching them a bit though. Not every old pocket watch will sell like this one did. In fact, this one stood out as a clear exception and was much higher than the nearest pocket watch that sold. That watch, also Masonic, sold for about $1,250. Still nothing to sneeze at, but prices dropped off sharply after that.
If you are going to buy one of these on speculation, always get as many details as you can before buying. Also, don't pick such items up and recklessly start moving and twisting parts around. You may find yourself paying for something that you managed to break. Some of them can be very delicate or might have already experienced some type of prior damage. Ask the seller to demonstrate what the watch can still do.
If you are a fan of antique pocket watches, you will enjoy this pocket watch video. It is quite a collection!
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