This is an extraordinary piece, and it still looks magnificent. You step on the turtles head to open the shell to spit into. When you step on the head the shell still stays open until you push the head back up to close it. It does show some wear and age. The underside of the shell has the lion share of it. The underneath of the turtles frame has some patina as well, as does the rest of the turtle. The underside of the shell has a nick in the metal as shown in the pictures. I believe the spittoon bowl has been swapped out at one time or another. The stamp is awfully worn away. You can still make out some of it though. It shows some other normal wear as well. Has some scratches and scuffs. This piece is over 125 years old, but it carries its age gracefully. Overall this is a very nice piece for its age, and utility of the item. When closed it measures roughly 14 long. See pictures to make your own determination on physical condition.