Old Map Proves A Hard Sell

Ted Snyder told the Alton Telegraph he was looking for building materials, not an antique map, when he visited an auction house last September . But when he saw an old map with, "Edwardsville" on it, Mr. Snyder, who's from Edwardsvile, Illinois decided to make a bid, eventually getting the map for $27.50.

It came as a pleasant surprise when Eric Barnett, the director of the University Museum at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville told Mr. Snyder that the map was not a copy, but hand drawn with a quill, and may have been the original map used for an 1873 atlas. While he hasn't had the map appraised, Mr. Snyder said a map enthusiast who was not an expert told him it might sell for as much as $50,000.

But Mr. Snyder has yet to receive an offer of any amount for his old map. The Madison County Historical Museum, says the map looks almost exactly like the map in "Illustrated Encyclopedia and Atlas Map of Madison County." But the museum says that they already have a lot of copies of the atlas and that Mr. Snyder's map lacks some artistic details that are on the one printed in the atlas.

Ideally, Mr. Snyder would like to see the map on display in a public building, "I think it would look nice in the (Madison County) Courthouse," he said. But so far, not a single person has come forward to offer any amount for his map. "I'm shocked," he said, "I'’m not in it for the money; I just want people to see it. I respect the map, but I want it to be displayed."

Mr Snyder plans to hold on to his map a while longer and hope a buyer comes along. If he does sell the map, he plans to get a harley.