Thoughts on this Darktown Battery
 

Saw this in an antique store yesterday. Sorry the pictures aren't very good. The batter is missing both arms and the bat. I know there are a lot of fakes out there. Any thoughts on this one? Value with missing arms and bat? Thanks, Kenny.

That looks real to me. Age, paint , bottom etc.

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certainly real
 

but I couldn't imagine it would sell for much - perhaps as parts (not many) or the novelty. If I saw one while shopping for stuff and couldn't find anything I might pay about 75.00 - 100.00. I have one currently, have sold one, and have studied 9/10 of them in various venues over the past 20 years.....

no guarantees whether written or implied.

Thanks so much for your opinions guys. I have been doing some more research and found a site mechanicalbanks.org and they have banks that have sold from 1994 up to this month. One with arms replaced sold for 3000, one repainted replaced arms and bat $1035, one touch up and replaced parts $1380, touched up and replaced arm $1490, replaced arm and paint $935 and one replaced arms for $1450. Thanks to gnaz01 for pointing out the mechanicalbanks site.

My father is a member of the mechanical bank collector's association of the USA, and has been collecting mechanical banks for 50 years. He said besides having all original parts, what determines value is the amount of original paint on the bank.

For 2013, the average list price for an all original bank with 80% original paint is $2,200. With 90% paint it's $4,800, and with 97% paint it's $14,000. He said the bank in the photo is real, but in the condition it's in, it would be valued at max $100.

For comparison regarding paint etc, here are photos of his bank: