New slot machines and pinball games are designed to look modern and up-to-date. They have flashing lights and moving decorations and they make lots of noise. Studies show that all of these features add to the excitement of the game. So try to imagine the first coin-operated vending machines that were used in 200 B.C. to dispense holy water. They were plain clay pots with levers. In England, tobacco could be purchased from a coin-operated machine by the 1600s. New technology was used to make the machines of the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. After the Civil War, all kinds of coin-operated machines were found in many stores. A pony on a stand could give a bouncy ride for a dime. Some machines dispensed merchandise like perfume, gum or cigarettes. Some were games of skill. And some told fortunes or dispensed cards picturing movie stars or bathing beauties. Many played music. Collectors today like all types – arcade games, gambling games and dispensers. There are experts who can repair the machines and stores that sell missing decals and parts, so even an old damaged machine can become an attractive part of a collection. But remember, some states have strict gambling laws, and it may be illegal to let others use your “antique” slots.

Q: I have seven jigsaw puzzles made in the 1940s. The puzzles, each 14 by 22 inches, were manufactured by Jaymar Specialty Co. of New York City. Six of the puzzles picture familiar Disney cartoon characters, including Mickey Mouse and Goofy. But one of them shows 13 “Gremlins” destroying a U.S. Army Air Corps fighter plane while it’s engaged in combat with Japanese warplanes. What’s that about?

A: Your mysterious puzzle pictures are Disney characters. During World War II, fighter pilots blamed engine trouble – or any bad luck – on imp-like creatures they called “gremlins.” The term became familiar to Americans via magazine articles and the letters pilots sent home. Roald Dahl (1916-1990), who would go on to become a famous author of children’s books, was a British Royal Air Force pilot during the war. He collected stories about the Gremlins, and a friend of his sent the stories to the Walt Disney Co. Disney studio artists illustrated a magazine article based on Dahl’s stories, which led to the 1943 publication of Dahl’s first children’s book, The Gremlins. Although Disney’s plans to use the stories as the basis for a feature film or an animated short did not pan out, Dahl’s Gremlins were featured in a nine-episode series of Disney comics in 1943 and ’44. At the same time, the studio produced some Gremlin promotional items, which must have included your puzzle.

Q: I have a question about Mary Gregory glass. Were there ever any signatures on her original work? How can collectors recognize an authentic piece?

A: Mary Gregory glass is a real problem for collectors. Recent research indicates that much of the information printed about Gregory as recently as the 1970s is a myth. “Mary Gregory glass” is the name we have given to any glass decorated with white-enamel-painted children. There was a real person named Mary Gregory, and she did indeed work for the Boston and Sandwich Glass Co. in Sandwich, Mass., in the 1880s. But she probably never decorated glass with paintings of children. In fact, no evidence has been found that Boston and Sandwich ever produced that kind of glass. Experts have concluded that the glass we call “Mary Gregory” actually is Bohemian glass imported to the Sandwich area after the factory closed in 1888. It was apparently passed off to tourists as “Sandwich glass.” Many examples of decorative glass with painted children are known to have been made in Bohemia and England in the late 19th century and later in the United States. The glass has remained popular.

Q: I recently bought a pair of dressers, a three-drawer mirrored vanity with cabinets at both ends and a taller dresser with five drawers. A metal plate that reads “Austinsuite Registered Trade Mark” is nailed to the top right-hand side of each dresser. I would like to know more about the manufacturer and the pair’s possible value.

A: Austinsuite was an affordable line of furniture manufactured by F. Austin Leyton Ltd. in the 1950s-70s. The company was founded in London by four Austin brothers. It is no longer in business. Austinsuite furniture is often sold in England and some can be found in the United States. A single dresser with a detachable mirror recently sold for $496.

Q: My father’s favorite gift to my mother was Kremitz jewelry. Is there a market for it? Is it considered costume jewelry?

A: Marks on jewelry often are hard to read because they’re so small. Your mother’s jewelry was probably made by Krementz & Co., founded in 1866 in Newark, N.J., by George Krementz and his cousin. The company is still in business. It is known for its high-end costume jewelry. Single pieces can sell for several hundred dollars.

Tip: Old pantyhose are good to use to apply an oil finish to furniture. Remove all elastic first. The material does not leave lint.

Terry Kovel answers as many questions as possible through 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 any photograph, but if a stamped envelope is included, we will try. The volume 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.

• 1960s Philadelphia Phillies felt patch, old-style logo, white circular patch with red cap and letters, 2 inches, $10.
• “My Three Sons” triplet dolls, Steve, Robbie and Charles, drink and wet, fully jointed, Remco, original box, 1969, $65.
• Yellow Rose of Texas square dance dress, scooped neckline, yellow rickrack, short sleeves, full skirt, 1940s, 36-inch bust, $75.
• Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus program, features The Flying Wallendas, The Human Projectile, lions, tigers, elephants and monkeys, 1931, 68 pages, $95.
• Black Forest souvenir pincushion and sewing caddy, hand-carved bear holding pincushion and sitting near scissors, thimble and pin envelope, 1880s, 4 1/4 x 2 3/4 x 4 inches, $485.
• Coca-Cola cooler, pressed steel, portable, top opens, embossed red logo, green wheeled base, shelves at front and back, Glascock Bros. Mfg., 1929, 30 x 17 inches, $575.
• Staffordshire cup plate, blue transfer, view of Castle Point in Hoboken, N.J., 3 1/4 inches, $900.
• American National pedal fire truck, white, green and red, full fenders, bell on hood, simulated headlights with glass inserts, wood sides, ladders on supports, circa 1930s, 54 inches, $2,875.
• Galle cameo glass vase, bulbous stick form, yellow shading to frost, cascading stemmed purple wisteria, signed, 29 inches, $3,000.
• Chippendale slant-front desk, walnut, dovetailed case, interior with inlaid prospect door concealing secret compartment, four graduated drawers, chamfered corners, 1770-90, 43 x 37 inches, $4,800.

Kovels’ American Antiques, 1750-1900 by Ralph and Terry Kovel is the book that introduces you to the collected antiques from past centuries. Learn about American antiques, from art pottery and old advertising signs to rare silver. Written to help you recognize and evaluate the valuable items of Grandma’s day. Hundreds of color photographs, marks, makers, dates, factory histories and more. Chapters on pottery, glass, furniture, silver, advertising collectibles, prints, jewelry, pewter, tools and ephemera. An easy-to-use book with current information. Out-of-print but available online at Kovels.com; by phone at 800-303-1996; or send $24.95 plus $4.95 postage to Kovels, Box 22900, Beachwood, OH 44122.

© 2011 by Cowles Syndicate Inc.