My neighbor is selling one and I don't think he knows the value.

The value to 99% of the world is zilch. But, in Utah, many suckers would overpay. Google "mormon handcart prices" to get an idea.

Yeah, I googled it already. I can't find any originals for sale. I emailed a Mormon antique dealer, waiting on a response.

How does one put a value on the lives of 250 people?

It is probably worth about the same as a few bundles of firewood.

I agree. But plenty of old shit is worthless to some and worth a fortune to a fanatic crazy person.

Does it come with a built in liahona? If so, is it voice activated?

You can get a new "mormon" handcart for $700 - $800 online

I couldn't find any "antique" mormon handcarts listed for sale......perhaps because they were made so cheap and with green wood they didn't survive long?

I would think an antique handcart might be worth a few bucks to a mormon collector, especially if it some provenance or was tied to a big moron name maybe.

Thanks! I came up with the same as you on Internet search. I contacted a collector but his website says they are temporarily closed... Hopefully he responds.

Do you live in Utah? If so, try putting it on KSL. I wouldn't trust a mormon antique dealer unless you pay for an appraisal. If he offers to buy it for a price-double it and put it on KSL.

If I was dumb enough to still believe in the gawd almighty morg, I would buy my handcart in Illinois from the Amish people and avoid the long trek through hell and high water.

Yes, I was going to say the same thing.

There probably aren't any *real* authentic original handcarts around, because they fell apart. On the other hand, maybe there are, since they were made from green wood, and perhaps it's seasoned enough now to be useful. :-)

Although, I think it was Boyd K. Packer who taught: "Some things that are handcart are not very useful."

"How much would a mormon handcart go for?"

About 200 miles if you were lucky.

Haha!

Beat me to it, LOL.

If it were real I'd be worried it was haunted.

What was it that Brigham spent on them, $5 each or some nonsense. His brilliant 'inspired' idea to save money and allow more emigrants to come through more quickly.

And of course he promised they would all make it safely because go would protect them.

Whoops 250 dead and many of the survivors left without hands or feet, amputated because of frostbite.

Mostly women were left because the men did most of the pushing and pulling and died of exhaustion. So they were referred to by Brigham and his pose as the 'handcart girls' and he encouraged all of his men to take them as extra wives.. often given as a 'reward' to a man for whatever dirty work he did for Brigham.

Reading about this in Eliza Young's book 'Wife No. 19' was just heartbreaking and SUCH a different tale than what I heard growing up as a Mormon (that those who died were at fault because they didn't wait till the next spring when they wouldn't risk crossing during winter storms.. well the opposite was true Brigham gave the command to go ahead even though it was late in the season and it was only late in the season because his man who was to be be supervising the building of the carts and the prep work went off partying some nearby city and was delayed over a month because of it. Plus those poor 'saints' were left in the open in the plains waiting, with no shelter provided for them at all and hardly any food. Many died before they even set off the conditions were so bad.

And their passage over the ocean was described as worse than slave ship passage. The horrors of what those people went through (because of what they were promised, that they would be provided for, for all of their needs, all lies they were told, just lies) are just unbelievable and Brigham was the one to blame, as it was all his plan and all about how he could pocket the greater part of the funds that had been raised to bring those 'saints' to Utah.

Apparently as he was determined to put blame on the victims and stand by his hand cart plans, he sent young able bodied missionaries back with them (who had been well fed and rested before the journey and who started the journey much closer by than the emigrants had) at the right time of year to miss the storms. Well it turns out they nearly all died of exhaustion as well and most were sick and near dead (can't remember if some also died) by the end of their journey. Brigham didn't admit fault still but scrapped the project after that.

I'd say those handcarts are cursed for sure. And I wouldn't want one anymore than I would want clothing that concentration camp victims wore in WWII.

5 buck worth of kindling.

I here they are [were] to die for.

Brigham Young was so evil. My family came before the HC folks. BY had folks rescuing his stuff from Ft Bridger, if I'm right. After he got his crap, men went to rescue the handcart people. My relatives went. What an asolute disaster. No words can describe it.

The only thing odd is my family did the rescue. My youngest brother is married to a descendent of the company. His wife is SO kool. Karma, I guess...

Wow, I'm not surprised the handcarts were hell on wheels.

I did a quick google, didn't find one from the Pioneer days.

There was one on a site called Pamono that appears to be from an era of 1920-1949 that is selling for $1,876 so maybe that's an indication?

Or it could just be something they priced that doesn't sell?

I think they have a ton of those at the LDS church. Maybe their church history museum in downtown Salt Lake could be interested?