Anyone know OREGON trade tokens?

[oddcoins]

I'm looking for a little info on a token I dug a few days ago. It's actually my first Oregon trade token find. it reads, LEE & BRINK / EUGENE, / ORE. // GOOD FOR / 5c / IN TRADE. It's aluminum octagon 26mm.

I noticed that it's not listed on Hemphill's Oregon trade tokens book, but it did make it in the 2001 supplement.

My questions: how rare is this token? Who/what was "LEE & BRINK"? What years were these tokens made & used?

oddcoins@msn.com

THANKS!!
Neil

 

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[Jeffro]

I have the sanborn maps for eugene from 1900-1920. I can look around for a store by that name if you can tell me the general vicinity you found it in?

 

[oddcoins]

I actually got some info from a token collector guy in my area! He told me that Lee & Brink were in business as a Cigar & Tobacco Store at 897 Willamette, Tel. 53., in at least 1913-1914.

I'm not sure where he got this info from, but I'm sure it's correct. This collector told me that he bought an example of this token from a token dealer for $25 in 2003. So I assume it's not super rare, but it's still a treasure to me!

 

[Siegfried Schlagrule]

Most trade tokens sell for less than $20. The exceptions are for discovery pieces and special categories like saloons, hard times tokens rarities, civil war token store cards and area collectors. Many collectors only collect their home state and try to get one from each town. Other cases are coin collectors who only collect tokens from their home town. You should ask your friend why he spent that much before assuming that it is or isn't rare. Price is rarely a good indication of rarity. I have personally sold two piece sets of rare lumber tokens for over $150. When I offered a second set a week later the high bid was only $20. exanimo, ss