All types of candy containers are popular collectibles — everything from tin boxes to papier-mache figures to figural glass containers. The containers were made in shapes that attracted children almost as much as the candy did. The containers were used as toys or ornaments long after the candy was gone. Glass candy containers were first made in the late 1800s. Pressed-glass figural bottles could be made and sold for very little money. Many brands of candy were made in small round pieces that looked like sugar-coated pills and could be easily poured into a container shaped like a bottle. A strong watertight holder was needed. Some were a bit educational, like bottles shaped like trains or planes or the Liberty Bell (for the 1876 U.S. Centennial). Some were familiar comic figures, like Felix the Cat, while others were historic, like Admiral Dewey. Toys, including dollhouse furniture or even little houses, were children’s favorites. Papier-mache figural candy containers were made in quantity in the l930s in Germany. Unfortunately, many modern fantasy containers have been made, so collectors must study old ones to avoid fakes.

Q: About 32 years ago I purchased a used Colonial-style cherry dining room suite. It includes a drop-leaf table with two additional leaves, a large buffet and an open hutch. It was made by the Empire Furniture Co. of Johnson City, Tenn. What year, I don’t know, but the style makes me think it’s from the 1940s or ’50s. Is there a market for a suite like mine?

A: Used furniture in excellent condition can be sold to someone looking for a well-made set who doesn’t want to pay retail for a new set. Colonial styles have come and gone a few times during the 20th century, but chances are your set is from the 1940s. Empire Furniture was founded in Johnson City in 1894 and remained in business for close to 100 years. Advertise your furniture locally to get the best price. It’s easier to sell furniture to buyers who live near you.

Q: My green McCoy vase looks blemish-free, but recently I put water in it for a flower arrangement and later saw that the water was seeping through the bottom. Should I try to have it reglazed? I’ve had it a long time but never put water in it before.

A: The vase leaks because the glaze doesn’t completely cover the bottom. You may be able to fix the leak by sealing the bottom with paraffin. First make sure the inside of the vase is clean and dry. Then pour in a little melted paraffin and swirl it around until it completely covers the bottom of the vase. Let it cool and harden completely before attempting to put water in the vase. As an extra precaution, it’s always best to put a saucer under a vase to prevent leaks from ruining the finish on your table.

Q: I have an old-fashioned high-heel shoe made of light-blue glass, 6 inches long and 3 inches high. The glass has a cut design. Inside the shoe it says, “Made by John E. Kemple Glassworks, Kenova, W.Va.” Can you tell me something about it?

A: Kemple Glassworks was founded in 1945 by John E. Kemple and his wife, Geraldine, in East Palestine, Ohio. When the building burned down in 1956, the company moved to Kenova, W.Va. Kemple made glass from old molds bought from other companies. Kemple owned more than 1,000 molds, including some that were made in the late 1800s. The company closed in 1970 when John died. The molds were sold to Wheaton Industries and are now in the Museum of American Glass at Wheaton Village in Millville, N.J. Your glass shoe is a copy or reissue of a Victorian glass shoe. Value: $25-$50.

Q: My father collected bottles, especially patent-medicine bottles. He said that some of these “medicines,” made before the Food and Drug laws of today, actually killed people. If the bottles held poisons, is it safe to store them in the house?

A: There are several reasons to be careful when you’re handling old bottles and containers. One famous pottery jug was made with uranium to radiate water – a health drink in its day. It is dangerous to be near these jugs for a long time because they are still radioactive. Bottles that held poison, pesticides and other toxic liquids were usually identified by special shapes or labels. Once thoroughly cleaned, they are safe to display. But wear rubber gloves and do the cleaning in a well-ventilated room. Any container with remnants of old medicine or liquid also should be carefully cleaned or treated as toxic trash. A little-known story of an epidemic of “jake leg” illustrates the problem. Jamaican ginger extract, a 19th-century patent medicine with high alcohol content, was sold by bootleggers during Prohibition. In February 1930 the first case of jake leg was noticed: the patient, hospitalized, could not walk properly. His legs “flapped” and he couldn’t point his toes up. About 40,000 people developed the problem in 1930 and 1931 before it was discovered that a pair of Boston bootleggers were fooling government agents by doctoring Jamaican ginger with a plasticizer used to make lacquer and airplane finishes. They marked their product as “medicine.” The jake leg epidemic was one of the factors that led to the 1938 Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic act that required product testing.

Tip: Have a place for everything and everything in its place. Don’t stack old dishes or crowd vases on a shelf. Proper spacing prevents nicks and breaks in pottery and porcelain.

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 e-mail 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.

Need more information about collectibles? Find it at Kovels.com, our website for collectors. Check prices there, too. More than 700,000 are listed, and viewing them is free. You also can sign up to read our weekly Kovels Komments. It includes the latest news, tips and questions and is delivered by e-mail, free, if you register. Kovels.com offers extra collector’s information and lists of publications, clubs, appraisers, auction houses, people who sell parts or repair antiques and much more. You can subscribe to Kovels on Antiques and Collectibles, our monthly newsletter filled with prices, facts and color photos. Kovels.com adds to the information in our newspaper column and helps you find useful sources needed by collectors.

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.

• Joe Palooka Lunch Kit, illustration of Joe and two friends, orange ground, two handles, art by Ham Fisher, 1948 copyright, $80.
• Miss Curity advertising nurse doll, painted plaster, name on hat and uniform, 1950s, 21 inches, $140.
• Amish quilt, cotton broadcloth, Lone Star pattern, pink ground, feathered wreaths and plumes, hand-quilted in black thread, 1940s, 78 x 74 inches, $270.
• Orphan Annie wristwatch, brown leather band, image of Annie on dial, New Haven, original box, 1935, $315.
• Running-fox weather vane, sheet iron, reddish-brown paint, 1930s, 50 x 30 1/2 inches, $405.
• Gay Caballero windup toy, celluloid, donkey vibrates, tail spins, head bobs, rider kicks back and forth, Occupied Japan, 5 1/2 inches, $465.
• American Renaissance writing desk, burled and incised walnut, spindled gallery top, leather writing surface, frieze drawers, side rotary cupboard, 1875 Wooten patent label, 36 x 40 1/2 inches, $1,095.
• Moser glass chalice, Prussian blue Horn of Plenty with scrolling acanthus, fitted in embossed figural metal frame with mythological dragons and griffins, stag finial, 19 inches, $1,435.
• Bell’s Buffalo Soap sign, paper lithograph, “You Dirty Pig,” Grandma Pig washing piglet, black letters on pink background, R.W. Bell Mfg. Co., Buffalo, N.Y., 29 x 22 1/4 inches, $2,310.
• Chinese yellow dragon robe, horse-hoof sleeves, frog closures, gold metallic thread, dragons over wave, 1920s, 75 x 53 inches, $3,680.

Just published! The best book to own if you want to buy, sell or collect. The new Kovels’ Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide, 2011, 43rd edition, is your most accurate source for current prices. This large-size paperback has more than 2,600 color photographs and 42,000 up-to-date prices for more than 775 categories of antiques and collectibles. You’ll also find hundreds of factory histories and marks and a report on the record prices of the year, plus helpful sidebars and tips about buying, selling, collecting and preserving your treasures. Available online at Kovelsonlinestore.com; by phone at 800-303-1996; at your bookstore; or send $27.95 plus $4.95 postage to Price Book, Box 22900, Beachwood, OH 44122.

© 2010 by Cowles Syndicate Inc.

Caption

This old papier-mache candy container seems to promote healthy eating with her cauliflower body, radish arms and carrot feet. But it must have pleased children when they found candy inside. Morphy Auctions of Denver, Pa., sold the 9 1/2-inch container for $4,312.