^Lot 334 Stage Whip - , - - General Americana

A handmade whip from the 19th century. Constructed from willow and woven rawhide, this piece has a shaft that measures about 53" and a lash about 2 feet longer. Though similar whips are still manufactured for limited purposes, the buggy whip industry as a major economic entity ceased to exist with the introduction of the automobile, and is cited in economics and marketing as an example of an industry ceasing to exist because its market niche, and the need for its product, disappears. In discussing market regulation, it is often held that the economy would be disadvantaged as a whole if the automobile had been banned to protect the buggy-whip industry. This whip is in very nice condition, with the metal cup holder still on the shaft. The whip belonged to "old man Giddings", and can be seen in the photograph of him and his son in Yreka in this sale. - Jacobitz Collection