Delusion (patent 1876)
WESTFIELD, Ind. – Antique furniture, comic books and rare coins are typically what comes to mind when it comes to collectibles, but the world of collectibles includes those who seek “off the beaten path” retro items, including rat and mouse traps. John Moore, IPM director for Fumigation Service & Supply (FSS), Westfield, Ind., is one such collector; Moore has accumulated more than 500 rat and mice traps that date back to the mid-19th century.
John Moore
Moore’s interest in rodent traps was sparked by a visit in 2014 to the office of colleague Dannis Warf, also a rodent trap collector. “On his shelf, he had this really weird-looking boxy trap called a Delusion Live Catch Mouse Trap,” Moore recalled. “And from there, I became fascinated with the history of the mouse trap in the United States.”
Since that visit with Warf, Moore has built an impressive collection of his own. “It’s kind of become a fun competition between Dannis and me.”
A highlight from Moore’s collection is the William E Pratt mousetrap, a device that was patented in 1885. “I had to download the patent to figure out how the darn thing worked,” Moore said. “It was really complex, and it’s the only known example of that trap. You can find it in old advertising and there's a patent for it, but to my knowledge I am the only one who has one.”
Moore said that on the rare occasion he does get a mouse in his basement, he will try out some of these old traps. “Let’s try this one from the 1930s and see how well it works,” he said. “I have fun with it.”
The mouse trap is the most patented item in U.S. history, with more than 4,000 patents issued. “Some of these traps are amazingly complex and unusual,” Moore said. “I have 300 of them displayed (in a lighted case) like a museum.”
Although the mouse trap has the most U.S. patents, Moore said he doesn’t think people today are applying for mouse trap patents at the same rate they were in the past because we know more about rodent biology and behavior today. In the late 19th/early 20th century, there were many, many misconceptions about rodent behavior and, Moore said, “I think people have learned that nothing outperforms the old snap trap.”
Moore said he has thought about selling his collection, which he thinks could net $30,000 - $35,000, but right now he is having fun collecting the traps. He and his wife, Shiela, are antique dealers who have booths at local antique malls – and this is something that gives him an advantage. “I have an understanding of what the accurate market retail market value is, and I can also pretty quickly identify an item that has been severely undervalued.”
Moore also recommended that rodent trap enthusiasts visit the Trap History Museum in Galloway, Ohio.