June 12, 2005

Purina Cow Chow Milk Scale

Brass face has the following lettering:


COW CHOW
Makes More Milk
At Less Cost

Farmer's Milk Scale
Not Legal For Trade

Spring Balanced
to 30 lbs.
Warranted

Don't Guess - Use This
Purina Milk Scale


The number 7908 is stamped above "Cow Chow", The needle moves easily, presumably this still works!

Purina  Cow Chow Milk Scale
SOLD!
The company behind the famous checkerboard symbol, Purina Mills, was founded by William H. Danforth in 1894. The Purina Company (originally called the Robinson-Danforth Commission Company) was the result of a partnership which was formed to produce animal feed, and operate a retail feed store.

Purina commissioned numerous products which were given to salesmen, customers and owners of these feed companies, in return for new or enlarged accounts. This was part of the massive advertising technique to develop wholesale and retail accounts from feed stores, feed lots, farms and dairies.

Among the many products produced as incentives were: brass scales for weighing milk, baby chickens, rings, clothespin bags, posters and signs, brass animals, fine art animal paintings, ties, and well-made pocketknives with the famous Purina name and red and white checkerboard overlaid with clear celluloid on the sides of the handles.

This scale has some rust and is dirty. I didn't want to clean it, I'll leave it to the lucky high bidder to decide how much of that wonderful old patina to keep.

Scale is approximately 10" x 4 1/2", not counting the hook at bottom and ring at top. What a great addition to any scale or Purina advertising collection!

This is Item number: 6184385149 on EBay

1 comment:

wallyg said...

Could you please tell me how much the Purina cow chow milk scale was sold for or a value? Also do you know the approximate year that the scale was made? Thank you