Wooden Filing Cabinet

Q:         We have a wooden filing cabinet that has a flat work surface with two cupboard doors below and drawers above. There are 15 small drawers over six larger drawers with brass plates for labels and a horizontal glass door on top. There is a brass plate on top that says “Yawman & Erbe Mfg. Co., Rochester, N.Y.” The drawer pulls have a logo with “Y and E” on them. Can you give me an idea of the value of this piece?

A:         Philip H. Yawman and Gustav Erbe started working in partnership in 1880. At first they made microscopes, but they soon began manufacturing specialty equipment for other companies. In 1898 they began making and selling office equipment under the name Yawman & Erbe Manufacturing Co. The company held several patents for filing systems and other office equipment and was one of the largest producers of office furniture and equipment in the world in the early 1900s. Your filing cabinet would sell for $500 to $800.