Buffairo Propeller.

[Denise Dawson]

Looking for help with value of this prop, as my father would like to sell. In Indiantown, FL.
Thanks for any help or suggestions. I can send more photos if requested.

[Dbahnson]

It's hard to put an exact "value" on it, since there aren't enough public sales to be able to find comparables. I will tell you that it is a fairly commonly found prop from the late teens and early twenties and is half of a four-blade stack. It was designed to fit on a Liberty engine for use on the HS 2L flying boat. It was apparently produced in huge numbers by a number of different manufacturers then quickly became obsolete. These were sold as surplus in the 1920s for $2 to $3 each. I have owned two or three of them and sold them for something in the $700 range several years ago and believe that's a reasonable target, but you'll find lots of wooden propellers on eBay for much higher asking prices. However, I don't find actual sales that support anything near those amounts.

The fact that it's still in original condition with intact decals is a big plus. Many of these show significant delamination from wood shrinkage, but if present it's still best to leave them that way. Here's a link to one that I sold in the past.