Dave's oldest trap is dated 1877, but most of his traps were made between 1890 and 1920. Although most of his traps are American-made, he has some from Canada, France and Germany.
The collection proves that people have been trying for years to "build a better mouse trap." One trap looks like a clip for a potato chip bag. Another resembles a guillo¬?tine. Some traps are called "chokers."
A solid brass trap in his collection was designed to hang above the ground in an open position. When the mouse tripped a spring, the trap closed like a hayfork, piercing the mouse.
Glass traps filled with poison often were placed in orchards. Other traps look like wire cages and baskets. The grimly named "Wheel of Death" is a wire wheel cage that trapped the mouse, which would then run itself into cardiac arrest. Another trap electrocuted mice, and a pre-baited box called a "Mouse House" was designed so that a person could discard the dead mouse without having to see it.
When Dave asks for mouse traps in antique shops, many store owners tell him they have a cat. Dave then asks, "Is it stuffed? Stuff it, and I'll buy it."
With all those traps in the house, one might think Dave would never see a mouse. But he actually found one in one of his traps several years ago. Most of the time, however, his traps are decorative, not functional.
Dianne L. Beetler is a lifelong rural resident who enjoys writing about people with unusual collections. She has been pub¬?lished in Country, Farm Journal, Farm Show, Antique and Collectible News, and Antique Week. FC