Kovels Antiques & Collecting: Week of Dec. 30, 2013

‘A Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Hotel Emrich, 485 to 489 Pennsylvania Ave., Washington, D.C.’ is the wording on the label under glass on this antique holiday gift flask. It once held a half pint of whiskey. The bottle sold for $468 at an online Norman C. Heckler bottle auction.

BEACHWOOD, Ohio – New Year’s Eve celebrations have long included alcoholic drinks. A toast to the New Year is part of the party, along with music, noisemakers and a New Year’s wish and kiss. In the early 1900s, bars were the hub of much social activity. Neighborhood folks would eat, drink and talk as they do today, but of course without a sportscast on a nearby TV set.

Gifts from the saloon management to regular customers were expected. In the 1880s, a popular gift was a special small glass flask filled with whiskey. Its label read “Season’s Greetings,” and included the name of the giver – a hotel, bar or bartender. These holiday bottles are very collectible today. Price is determined by the shape and color of the bottle and the historic interest in the giver.

Norman C. Heckler & Co., which operates online bottle auctions, recently sold a circa 1900 gift bottle from the Hotel Emrich in Washington, D.C., for $468. It had a label under glass, which added to the value.

Q: My grandmother, who was born in the late 1800s, had some pieces of silverware that I now own. I would like to preserve them and display them in a shadow box for my children. Is there something I can put on the silver to keep it from tarnishing?

A: Silver that is going to be displayed, not used for eating, can be lacquered to prevent tarnish. It should be cleaned before treating. You can have it lacquered by someone who repairs and restores silver, or you can buy a product meant specifically for silver and do it yourself. This can be a difficult process if the piece has an intricate design. Every bit of the silver must be covered and the lacquer must be applied evenly. Lacquer will yellow over time and may crack. You can use Renaissance Wax, a microcrystalline wax, instead of lacquer, but it will not prevent tarnish for as long. Silver can’t be polished once it is lacquered. The lacquer has to be completely removed first. The type of box the silver will be displayed in also is important. It should have an airtight lid, if possible. Don’t display the silver on felt, velvet or wool.

Q: I have a dining-room set that includes a French Provincial table with three leaves, a china cabinet with glass doors, six chairs and one armchair. All the chairs have been re-covered. A tag on the bottom of one of the chairs says “B.F. Huntley Co.” The entire set was purchased at an estate sale in the 1970s. When were these pieces made and what might their value be? I’m going to sell them before we remodel.

A: B.F. Huntley, an employee of the Oakland Furniture Co., established his own furniture company in Winston-Salem, N.C., 1906. Later he acquired the Oakland Furniture Co. and two other furniture companies. In 1961 B.F. Huntley Furniture Co. merged with the Thomasville Chair Co. and became Thomasville Furniture Industries. Your vintage furniture is worth what comparable new sets sell for today.

Q: I have a very old glass plate that my great-grandmother gave me when I was 10 years old. That was 73 years ago. It’s decorated with cigar bands on the back with a man’s picture in the center. The back of the dish is covered with a felt-like material glued over the bands and center picture. Can you tell me how old it is and if it has any value?

A: Cigar bands, the decorative strips of paper wrapped around cigars, were first made in the 1830s to identify brand names. Cigar bands made from the late 1800s until about 1920 are the most colorful and decorative. “Cigar band art,” which is sometimes referred to as a form of folk art, was a popular homemade craft in the early 1900s. The bands were used to decorate dishes, coasters, bracelets and other items. Your dish was decorated by gluing the large picture, face down, to the bottom of the dish, then gluing cigar bands face down so they completely covered the rest of the dish’s exterior. The bands were then covered with felt so that when the dish is turned upright, the bands can be seen but the back is protected by the felt. Old cigar band dishes are not hard to find. They sell for $10 to hundreds of dollars, depending on age, condition and the talent of the maker.

Q: I own a 1950s coin-operated bowling alley game. It’s 14 feet long and was made by United Manufacturing Co. of Chicago. It has scoring displays for six bowlers and was made in two sections so it can be transported easily. The game is 11 feet 2 inches long, 28 inches wide and in good condition. Please tell me what it’s worth and how marketable it is.

A: When bowling was at its peak of popularity in the 1950s, United Manufacturing made several coin-operated versions of the game for use in bars and restaurants. Some are now in the homes of collectors. United was purchased by Seeburg in 1964, but the United brand name continued to be used for years. Your game, depending on condition, could sell for $1,500 or more. We have seen the game for sale on eBay and on websites devoted to collectors of coin-operated machines.

Q: I have a cut glass vase that is 20 inches tall and very heavy. It was my mother’s, and I’m wondering what the value would be. There are no markings to show who made it. It has a cracked handle.

A: You might be able to repair the handle, but the value is lower with the crack even if it’s repaired. If in perfect condition, the vase could sell for $300 to $400, but with the crack it is worth much less.

Tip: Cranberry juice will stain stone, so be careful if you have marble-top tables. Other liquids will stain, but cranberry juice stains are especially bad.

Terry Kovel and Kim Kovel answer questions sent to the column. By sending a letter with a question, you give full permission for use in the column or any other Kovel forum. Names, addresses or email addresses will not be published. We cannot guarantee the return of photographs, but if a stamped envelope is included, we will try. The amount of mail makes personal answers or appraisals impossible. Write to Kovels, Auction Central News, King Features Syndicate, 300 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019.

CURRENT PRICES

Current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States. Prices vary in different locations because of local economic conditions.

Postcard, Happy New Year, black cat, felt hat, 1907, $10.
Butter chip, white, Haviland, 1890, $10.
Ratchet noisemaker, jesters, tin lithograph, multicolor, U.S. Metal, 1950s, 4 inches, $10.
Lighter, Camel Cigarettes, Turkish Blend, silver, circa 1960, $75.
Match safe, woman seated next to barrel, porcelain, circa 1875, 7 1/2 inches, $90.
Coin Spot finger lamp, oil, opalescent glass, circa 1900, 13 inches, $195.
Bronze figure, black boy, seated, arm on knee, striped pants, painted, 2 1/2 x 3 x 3 inches, $360.
Mission bookcase, oak, brass knob, lock, 1900s, 58 x 41 inches, $595.
Scarf, 1876 Philadelphia World’s Fair, cotton, 25 x 18 inches, $700.
Volkstedt ceramic group, children playing chess, seated at table, 19th century, 5 1/2 inches, $795.

The Kovels have navigated flea markets for decades. Learn from the best. Kovels Flea Market Strategies: How to Shop, Buy and Bargain the 21st Century Way by Terry Kovel and Kim Kovel, tells you about the latest smartphone apps and websites to help you shop, share, and ship as well as what to wear, what to bring, and, most important, how to negotiate your way to a bargain. Also, tips on spotting fakes, advice about paying for your purchases and shipping suggestions. Full color booklet, 17 pages, 8 1/2 by 5 1/2 in. Available only from Kovels for $7.95 plus $4.95 postage and handling. Order by phone at 800-303-1996; online at Kovels.com; or mail to Kovels, Box 22900, Beachwood, OH 44122.

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