Kovels – Antiques & Collecting: Week of June 18, 2012

This famille rose Hundred Deer vase was made in the 20th century but appears to be older. It is worth close to $2,000. The deer represented by the antlered deer-head handles and in the decorative scene are from a breed native to China. They look very different from deer native to the United States. New Orleans Auction Galleries image.
This famille rose Hundred Deer vase was made in the 20th century but appears to be older. It is worth close to $2,000. The deer represented by the antlered deer-head handles and in the decorative scene are from a breed native to China. They look very different from deer native to the United States. New Orleans Auction Galleries image.
This famille rose Hundred Deer vase was made in the 20th century but appears to be older. It is worth close to $2,000. The deer represented by the antlered deer-head handles and in the decorative scene are from a breed native to China. They look very different from deer native to the United States. New Orleans Auction Galleries image.

Chinese porcelains of past centuries are selling for very high prices today. There are many types. Some we identify by the color—like celadon (pale-green glaze) or blue and white (blue decoration on white porcelain, including varieties called Canton or Nanking) or multicolored patterns named for their dominant color, including famille rose, rose medallion, rose mandarin or famille verte (green).

Another American name for some Chinese porcelain is “Chinese export porcelain.” It was the made-to-order dinnerware manufactured in China but decorated in the European manner and sold to foreign countries in the 18th and 19th centuries. Because the Chinese often copy old pieces, those who have not studied antique Chinese porcelains can’t tell old from the new. Unrecognized bargains have been found in American homes. The properly identified pieces sell for thousands of dollars. Look for flawless glazes without unintentional bumps or flaws. Turn a vase over. The bottom rim that touches the tabletop is usually unglazed if Chinese. European foot rims and bottoms of lids are glazed. Decorations should be carefully painted in light, pleasing colors. Twentieth-century Chinese wares sold to other countries are often decorated with large figures without much detail and with gold and other bright colors. A close look at a fine-quality famille rose vase would show a scene with many small people and animals in a woodland or interior setting.

Prices of Chinese porcelain vary with the quality of the work and the age. If you plan to buy an expensive piece, get expert advice. If you own any heirloom porcelains, take a close look at them. Many 18th-century and earlier pieces have been rediscovered in recent years. A decorative piece your grandmother or great-grandmother bought years ago could be a treasure.

Q: I own a British coronation mug dated June 22, 1911. On the front, there’s a picture of King George V and Queen Mary above the phrase “Urmston Coronation 1911.” Is this of any value? My grandmother brought it to the United States from England.

A: Your coronation mug is 100 years old, which qualifies it as an “antique.” It’s a souvenir mug made for the coronation celebration held in Urmston, a town outside of Manchester, England. The coronation of King George V (1865-1936) took place in London on June 22, 1911. He had actually risen to the throne the year before upon the death of his father, King Edward VII. Many souvenirs of King George V’s coronation were made. A mug like yours auctioned last year for 10 British pounds, or a little more than $15.

Q: I have a commemorative silk handkerchief of the coronation of King George VI. It was given to my mom by her brother many years ago. It’s off-white with British flags and red polka dots along the sides and a picture of the king in one corner. The words of H.M. King George VI, May 1937″ surround his portrait. The edge of the handkerchief is blue. It’s 11 inches square. The movie The King’s Speech and the age of my handkerchief have made me curious. Does my hanky have any value beyond sentimental?

A: Commemorative souvenir items from the coronations, weddings and birthdays of royalty have been made since the 1800s. Great quantities of items have been made in pottery, glass, tin, silver and other materials, most with pictures of the monarchs and the date of the commemorated event. The movie may have stimulated interest in items related to King George VI, but the value of your handkerchief has probably not increased. It is worth about $30.

Q: I have a table lamp that was given to my aunt as a wedding present in 1922. I know it was made by the Mosaic Lamp Shade Co. of Chicago, but it looks so much like a Tiffany that it has been mistakenly appraised as such. I hope you can tell me something about the Chicago company and give me some idea of the value of the lamp.

A: Lamps with stained glass shades and bronze bases were first made by Tiffany in 1899. They were so popular that similar lamps were soon being made by several other companies. The company that made your lamp was listed in the 1910 Chicago city directory as “The Mosaic Shade Co.” It was in business from about 1905 to 1914. All Tiffany lamps are signed, and Tiffany lamps made after 1902 also are marked with the model number on the base and shade. Not all lamps made by Tiffany’s competitors are marked. Some lamps made by the Mosaic Shade Co. are marked with the name of the company on the base. The value of your lamp depends on the color and design of the shade, its size and its condition. Your lamp could sell for $2,000 to $3,000, if the shade is in good condition.

Q: I have my mother’s copy of the 1915 Priscilla Crochet Book. Would someone be interested in buying this?

A: Your crochet pattern book was published by the Priscilla Publishing Co. of Boston. Several “Priscilla Crochet” pattern books were published in the early 1900s. The secret to selling a collectible like yours is to reach a wide audience. You are almost sure to find someone interested in buying it. Several early Priscilla pattern books are being offered online for prices ranging from $10 to $20. The books have been reprinted.

Tip: Don’t mechanically buff silver. It will change the color and wear away bits of the silver.

Take advantage of a free listing for your group to announce events or to find antique shows and other events. Go to Kovels.com/calendar to find and plan your antiquing trips.

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.

  • Fenton Glass Co. bell, blue satin glass, raised pattern of lovebirds, embossed “Bride & Groom,” glass clapper, 1973-’84, 4 3/4 x 3 1/2 inches, $15.
  • Wedding trousseau set, bra and half-slip, organza, pink, gray and pink flowers, WonderBra Intima, 1960s, medium slip, $55.
  • Royal Doulton Bridesmaid figurine, HN2874, white, holding colored flowers, 1979, 5 1/2 inches, $85.
  • Wise Potato Chips sign, easel back, image of table set with bowl of soup, salad and chips, “Delicious with soups and salads,” circa 1954, 16 x 15 inches, $145.
  • Plush German shepherd, “Arco,” mohair, sawdust stuffing, orange eyes, pink tongue, standing, ears pointed up, Steiff, missing button in ear, 1957-58, 7 x 8 1/2 inches, $175.
  • Bakelite pin, three red cherries on green stem, leaves, 1930s, 2 3/8 inches, $225.
  • “Get Smart” lunch box, Agents 86 & 99, K-13, metal, King Seeley Thermos Co., 1966, $290.
  • Nutcracker, cat’s head, carved wood, glass eyes, pointy ears, Black Forest, circa 1900, 7 1/2 inches, $310.
  • William IV cellarette, carved rosewood, domed lid with acanthus finial, removable bottle case, raised lotus feet, four cut crystal decanters, circa 1835, 36 x 20 inches, $4,180.
  • Louis Vuitton steamer trunk, flat lift top, checkerboard canvas cover, lift-out trays, brass mounts, label, late 1800s, 28 x 43 x 24 inches, $6,035.

Give yourself or a friend a gift. Kovels’ Advertising Collectibles Price List lists more than 10,000 current prices of your favorite advertising collectibles, from boxes and bins to trays and tins. More than 400 categories are organized by brand name, company name, product or collectible. Plus 300 photographs, logos and trademarks. A 16-page color insert features important advertising collectibles. Clubs, publications, resources and a full index. Available at your bookstore; online at Kovels.com; by phone at 800-303-1996; or send $16.95 plus $4.95 postage to Kovels, Box 22900, Beachwood, OH 44122.

© 2012 by Cowles Syndicate Inc.

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

This famille rose Hundred Deer vase was made in the 20th century but appears to be older. It is worth close to $2,000. The deer represented by the antlered deer-head handles and in the decorative scene are from a breed native to China. They look very different from deer native to the United States. New Orleans Auction Galleries image.
This famille rose Hundred Deer vase was made in the 20th century but appears to be older. It is worth close to $2,000. The deer represented by the antlered deer-head handles and in the decorative scene are from a breed native to China. They look very different from deer native to the United States. New Orleans Auction Galleries image.

Kovels – Antiques & Collecting: Week of June 11, 2012

This 3 1/2-inch porcelain bridal pair with moving arms and paper clothing sold for $18 at a Rachel Davis Fine Arts auction in Cleveland. Each figure is marked 'Made in Japan.'
This 3 1/2-inch porcelain bridal pair with moving arms and paper clothing sold for $18 at a Rachel Davis Fine Arts auction in Cleveland. Each figure is marked 'Made in Japan.'
This 3 1/2-inch porcelain bridal pair with moving arms and paper clothing sold for $18 at a Rachel Davis Fine Arts auction in Cleveland. Each figure is marked ‘Made in Japan.’

The bride and groom topper on a contemporary wedding cake often is made of plastic or sugar. But the traditions of wedding-cake toppers and even wedding cakes do not go back very far. The sweets served at weddings centuries ago included barley bread, sweet rolls or pies. Later, fruit cakes were served, and, by the 1600s, dessert cakes. In the 19th century, white icing was expensive because of the high cost of refined sugar, so it was served only by the rich.

The modern wedding cake became fashionable in the 1880s, but the bride and groom topper wasn’t introduced until the 20th century. Early figures were made of bisque, composition (like that used for dolls), chalkware or a sugar mixture called “gum paste.” The groom wore a tux or tails and a top hat. In the 1920s, small bisque kewpie figures were dressed in crepe paper to represent the couple. The bride usually wore a lace cap and a long veil. In the 1940s, the war influenced topper designs and materials. Plastic toppers were introduced. The bride wore a fashionable dress with lace, and the groom was hatless but might be in tails. Soldier, sailor and other military uniforms were chosen for military weddings. All-sugar figures returned, and a few porcelain sets were made. Today’s toppers are plastic, sugar or even porcelain figurines by Lladro or Lenox that can be kept for life. Old toppers are inexpensive but hard to find.

Q: When my wife and I married in 1948, a close relative gave us a new four-piece bedroom set as a wedding gift. The set includes a double-bed frame, a mirrored vanity with an upholstered bench and a five-drawer chest. The furniture was manufactured by Showers Furniture of Bloomington, Ind. Does a set like this have any value?

A: The history of Showers Brothers Co. can be traced back to the 1850s, when Charles Showers opened a cabinetmaking business in Bloomington. His sons, William, James and Charles Jr., took over the business in 1868. Business expanded between the 1880s and the 1920s and Showers grew to become one of the largest furniture manufacturers in the country. Showers was bought out in 1955 and closed for good in 1958. One of its factories is today the site of Bloomington’s City Hall. If you want to sell your bedroom set, it is easiest to sell it locally. Try posting an ad online. Depending on its style and condition, you might be able to get a few hundred dollars for it.

Q: I bought what I thought was a set of coin silver flatware back-stamped “900.” But the pieces are attracted by a magnet and I have been told that means they’re not really coin silver. Is that true?

A: “Coin silver” has a slightly lower silver content than sterling silver. Pure silver is too soft and must be alloyed with copper for strength. Sterling is .925 parts silver, while American coin silver is .892 to .900 parts silver. Coin silver was the silver standard common in the United States from 1792, when the U.S. Mint was founded, until the 1860s, when American silversmiths reverted to the English sterling standard they had used before the American Revolution. Neither silver nor copper is attracted by a magnet. Some spelter, a white metal alloy that looks like silver, does attract a magnet. Your flatware is probably spelter.

Q: I have a small bronze vase that is about 3 inches tall and has raised work on one side. It is marked “Lauchhammer,” with a crown over the name and crossed hammers beneath it. I would like to know who made this vase.

A: A bell and art foundry was established in Lauchhammer, Germany, in 1725. Bells, bowls, boxes, candlesticks, mirrors, plaques, sculptures, statues and other items were made in bronze, brass, iron, nickel, tin, zinc and other metals. The foundry is still in business, operating under the name Lauchhammer Kunstguss.

Q: A few months ago you wrote about a Bonnyware red plastic biscuit cutter marked “For Bisquicks.” You asked if anyone had more information about the Bisquick cutter. My aunt collected biscuit and cookie cutters for years. One of her books, “Cookie Cutters and Cookie Molds: Art in the Kitchen” by Phyllis Steiss Wetherill, explains that Bonny Ware (two words) was a brand name for a hard plastic used in 1932 to make round biscuit cutters as product premiums for General Mills’ Bisquick baking mix. A customer could mail in one Bisquick box top and receive a 2 3/8-inch green cutter and a 1 5/8-inch white cutter. Wetherill says a 2 1/8-inch yellow Bonny Ware cutter was sold in the General Mills company gift shop.

A: We have a copy of Wetherill’s book in our library and didn’t know it discussed Bonny Ware until we read your letter. A recent article in the Jackson (Mich.) Citizen Patriot confirms that Bonny Ware, a molded plastic, was made by the Reynolds Spring Co. of Jackson. Reynolds Spring’s plastics division opened in 1922 and made plastic products of all kinds. In the late 1920s or early ’30s, the company introduced Bonny Ware, a line of plastic dishes and kitchenware that came in red, orange, pink or green. Pieces were marked “Bonny Ware.” The newspaper article says that Bisquick gave away the cutters “in boxes … for years.” Anything marked Bonny Ware is collectible.

Tip: Wash your hands before handling paper collectibles. Wipe off the table before you put valuable papers down on it. There are mold spores in dirt and dust.

Sign up for our weekly email, “Kovels Komments.” It includes the latest news, tips and questions and is free if you register on our website. Kovels.com has lists of publications, clubs, appraisers, auction houses, people who sell parts or repair antiques and more. Kovels.com adds to the information in this column and helps you find useful sources needed by collectors.

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.

  • Holt Howard salt and pepper set, men, Old West style with beards and cowboy hats, glazed terra cotta, 6 inches, $20.
  • Doll bathinette, Happy Time, yellow vinyl, metal folding frame, moveable cover shows little girl bathing toddler, sold by Sears, Roebuck & Co., 1950s, 32 x 21 inches, $65.
  • Trolley sign, Cleveland Baking Powder, cardboard, image of muffins and baking powder can, “Easy to make with Cleveland’s,” 1920s, 11 x 21 inches, $90.
  • Victorian marriage certificate, flowers and angels, wedding bell with inscription, Michigan, May 18, 1898, 20 x 15 inches, $120.
  • Elephant bookends, cast iron, trunks up, Hubley, 1920s, 5 1/8 x 5 1/4 inches, $165.
  • Blue Staffordshire plate, “The Landing of General Lafayette,” floral border, impressed “Clews,” 1880s, 10 inches, $200.
  • Carnival glass water set, Windmill pattern, marigold over clear, 8-inch pitcher, nine glasses, $400.
  • Jane Withers doll, open mouth, six upper teeth, brown mohair wig, sleep eyes, Madame Alexander, 1930s, 20 inches, $595.
  • Pier table, gray and beige marble top, serpentine front edge, three polychrome floral panels, wrought-iron S-scrolled supports, 1930s, 31 x 39 inches, $630.
  • Sterling-silver serving spoon, Bird’s Nest pattern, gold-wash bowl, simulated branch handle ending in bird’s nest with perched bird and three eggs, monogrammed, box, 10 1/2 inches, $1,840.

Order the set: “Buyers’ Guide to 20th Century Costume Jewelry,” Part One and Part Two. Both for our special price of $34.95. These special reports help you identify the most popular makers and designers of costume jewelry. Spot mid-century costume jewelry, Mexican silver jewelry and European and North American pieces. Learn who Hobe and Sigi are and how to recognize a rare piece of Bakelite. Accurate, comprehensive and valuable whether you’re a serious collector or just a beginner. Available only from Kovels. Order by phone at 800-303-1996; online at Kovels.com; or send $34.95 plus $4.95 postage and handling to Kovels, P.O. Box 22900, Beachwood, OH 44122.

© 2012 by Cowles Syndicate Inc.

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

This 3 1/2-inch porcelain bridal pair with moving arms and paper clothing sold for $18 at a Rachel Davis Fine Arts auction in Cleveland. Each figure is marked 'Made in Japan.'
This 3 1/2-inch porcelain bridal pair with moving arms and paper clothing sold for $18 at a Rachel Davis Fine Arts auction in Cleveland. Each figure is marked ‘Made in Japan.’

Kovels – Antiques & Collecting: Week of June 4, 2012

The carved man leaning on the back of this wooden chair must have bumped into the head of a person seated on it. But in spite of the discomfort, the unique humorous design attracted a buyer who paid $885 for the chair at a Showtime auction in Ann Arbor, Mich.
The carved man leaning on the back of this wooden chair must have bumped into the head of a person seated on it. But in spite of the discomfort, the unique humorous design attracted a buyer who paid $885 for the chair at a Showtime auction in Ann Arbor, Mich.
The carved man leaning on the back of this wooden chair must have bumped into the head of a person seated on it. But in spite of the discomfort, the unique humorous design attracted a buyer who paid $885 for the chair at a Showtime auction in Ann Arbor, Mich.

“Fantasy furniture” is a term used to describe tables and chairs that don’t fit the rules of any recognized style. Chairs made of cow horns or parts of spinning wheels, and tables held up by carved bears or shaped like large hands are “fantasies.”

A famous and expensive dining room table has legs that are full-size carvings of either a man or woman hunched over to hold the tabletop on their backs. An inexpensive fantasy design for a chair made about 1900 is now called “North Wind.” It looks like a typical oak side chair with a solid seat and sometimes turned legs. But the back is made with a carved man’s or woman’s face, sometimes with flowing hair.

More ambitious designs have the full figure of a person climbing on top of the chair back. The best of the North Wind chairs have a one-piece back made of solid wood. The carving was not an added piece of wood. Inexpensive chairs influenced by the North Wind group were pressed-back chairs showing a face or a person. The design was pressed into the wood by a machine. It was not a raised carving.

A humorous fantasy chair sold recently. The back was carved to look like a beer keg with a pensive man leaning on the top. The chair is 40 1/2 inches high to the top of his hat. The chair, made in the early 1900s, sold for $885 at a Showtime auction held in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Q: About 33 years ago, I was metal detecting around Lompoc, Calif. I found a Boy Scout coin with the Scout logo on one side and, on the other, the saying, “When you have done your good deed for the day, secretly pass the coin from one pocket to the other.” I have been unable to find any information about this coin. Can you help?

A: Robert Baden-Powell founded the Boy Scouts in England in 1907. The Boy Scout movement in the United States started in 1910. “Do a good turn daily” is the Boy Scout slogan. Scout “good deed” coins have been around for years and are not valuable. Today’s Scouts can flip the coin virtually on a smart phone. The “Good Turn” iPhone app records the date, time and location of the Scout’s good turn. It keeps a list of the deeds and also can display the location of the good deed on a map of the world.

Q: My Madame Alexander “Pussy Cat” baby doll dates from the early 1970s. She is pretty worn because I played with her a lot, but I still have her original box. Value?

A: Madame Alexander made Pussy Cat baby dolls from 1970 to 1984. They came in two sizes, 14 and 20 inches. The smaller doll, in excellent condition, sells without her box for about $60. The larger doll is worth about $100. A worn doll in either size might sell for $10 to $20, with a premium for the box.

Q: I would like to know the current price for various old bottles from San Francisco’s Bay City Soda Water Co.

A: Bay City Soda Water Co. was in business from 1871 to 1913. The bottles were embossed “Bay City Soda Water Co. S.F.” and have an embossed star on the back. They were made in green and various shades of blue. The blue bottles are fairly common, but the green bottles are rare. Both blob-top and Hutchinson-type bottles were made. Blob-top bottles were sealed with a cork and a wire closure. Hutchinson-type bottles had spring stoppers, patented by Charles Hutchinson in 1879. Value depends on the color of the glass. We can’t tell the exact color of your bottle without seeing it, so we can’t give you a value, but a Bay City Soda Water bottle in “medium coloration” sold recently for $130.

Q: I received a filigree-and-rhinestone bracelet from my great-grandmother’s estate. Try as I might, I can’t find any information about the “La Mode” mark on the bracelet or the name on the box, “La Mode Original.” Please help.

A: “La Mode” was a trademark used by Ripley and Gowan, of Attleboro, Mass. The company’s history dates back to the 1880s, and until the 1930s it often used the mark “R & G.” U.S. trademark filings indicate that Ripley and Gowan filed for use of “La Mode” as a trademark in 1924. The company used the trademark for both women’s and men’s costume jewelry—everything from bracelets and necklaces to cufflinks and keychains. The trademark, now “dead,” was assigned to Barrows Industries of Providence, R.I., in the late 1950s. Most La Mode Original bracelets sell online for $25 to $30.

Q: I bought a set of dishes about three years ago in Melbourne, Fla. It’s a service for 12 with two vegetable bowls. The dishes appear to be stoneware and are marked on the bottom “Tiffany Ceramiche Italy.” I’m interested in finding out more about these dishes, and especially if they are really “Tiffany.”

A: Your dishes were made by Tiffany Ceramiche, a company in Scandiano, Italy. The company began as a maker of stoneware tiles and is not associated with the famous glassmaker Louis Comfort Tiffany, or with Tiffany & Co., the store in New York. Another Italian company, Este Ceramiche, has made porcelain for Tiffany & Co. Those dishes are clearly marked with both company names. Tiffany Ceramiche became part of Ceramica Lord, which was bought by Gruppo Majorca in 2010.

Tip: If your cane or rush chair seats seem dry, spray them with water using a mister. A cane or rush seat that is regularly used lasts only about 10 to 12 years. Keeping it from drying out extends its life.

Need prices for collectibles? Find them at Kovels.com, our website for collectors. More than 84,000 prices and 5,000 color pictures have just been added. Now you can find more than 900,000 prices that can help you determine the value of your collectible. Access to the prices is free at Kovels.com/priceguide.

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.

  • Anchor Hocking mug, image of Norwegian Kitchen Witch, green dress, red apron and shoes, red-and-gray head scarf, verse on other side, 9 ounces, 4 x 4 1/4 inches, $35.
  • Nancy Ann Storybook doll, Pretty Maid, painted bisque, blond mohair wig, jointed arms, black shoes, pale-blue flocked satin dress, marked, 5 1/2 inches, $40.
  • Jukebox-shape bank, Ideola, hard brown plastic, brass plate in front, coin slot, Ideal, 1950s, 6 1/2 inches, $85.
  • Howdy Doody Peanut Butter jar, Flub-a-Dub on lid, Howdy on paper label, H.D. Food Products, Boston, New York, 1950s, 4 1/2 inches, $95.
  • McKee Glass Co. compote, Feather pattern, cover, 1890s, 11 1/2 inches, $150.
  • Maxi hostess dress, synthetic fabric, floor length, high neck, butterfly sleeves, pleated skirt, back zipper, blue-green, metallic print, Alfred Shaheen, 1960s, size medium, $225.
  • Beany & Cecil cufflinks, cast metal, gold luster, characters’ heads, given to cast members of Time for Beany TV show, 1950s, $340.
  • Tiffany & Co. gravy ladle, sterling silver, Olympian pattern, Paris and Venus scene on handle, 1878, 7 1/2 inches, $415.
  • Weather vane, sheet iron and copper, attendant at gas pump with chauffeur-driven car mounted on arrow, directionals below, 1930s, 21 x 19 1/2 inches, $575.
  • Dumbwaiter, Victorian, walnut, carved sides with applied roundels, three shelves, carved paw feet, 1880s, 35 x 42 x 20 inches, $875.

New! Contemporary, modern and mid-century ceramics made since 1950 are among the hottest collectibles today. Our special report, “Kovels’ Buyers’ Guide to Modern Ceramics: Mid-Century to Contemporary” identifies important pottery by American and European makers. Includes more than 65 factories and 70 studio artists, each with a mark and dates. Works by major makers, including Claude Conover, Guido Gambone and Lucie Rie, as well as potteries like Gustavsberg, Metlox and Sascha Brastoff, are shown in color photos. Find the “sleepers” at house sales and flea markets. Special Report, 2010, 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches, 64 pages. Available only from Kovels. Order by phone at 800-303-1996; online at Kovels.com; or send $25 plus $4.95 postage and handling to Kovels, Box 22900, Beachwood, OH 44122.

© 2012 by Cowles Syndicate Inc.

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

The carved man leaning on the back of this wooden chair must have bumped into the head of a person seated on it. But in spite of the discomfort, the unique humorous design attracted a buyer who paid $885 for the chair at a Showtime auction in Ann Arbor, Mich.
The carved man leaning on the back of this wooden chair must have bumped into the head of a person seated on it. But in spite of the discomfort, the unique humorous design attracted a buyer who paid $885 for the chair at a Showtime auction in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Kovels – Antiques & Collecting: Week of May 28, 2012

Would your father like this? It's shaped like a guillotine and works like one when cutting off the end of a cigar. It auctioned in November for $1,464 at Neal Auction Co. in New Orleans. It should be kept out of the reach of children.
Would your father like this? It's shaped like a guillotine and works like one when cutting off the end of a cigar. It auctioned in November for $1,464 at Neal Auction Co. in New Orleans. It should be kept out of the reach of children.
Would your father like this? It’s shaped like a guillotine and works like one when cutting off the end of a cigar. It auctioned in November for $1,464 at Neal Auction Co. in New Orleans. It should be kept out of the reach of children.

Father’s Day is coming in June, so think ahead and try to find a unique gift for your father. Shop at a flea market or antiques shop.

Some of today’s movies and TV series have made the “look” of the 1950s and ’60s popular. Shirts with buttonholes, not buttons, on sleeve cuffs need cufflinks. Most dealers who sell jewelry also sell inexpensive and unusual vintage cufflinks—costume jewelry links more than 50 years old—for $10 to $30. Expensive silver and gold cufflinks with precious stones can sell for $750 to $1,000.

The breast pocket handkerchief also has come back. These often are seen at flea markets, carefully folded and stacked, at prices from $2 to $15. Old toy trains, cars and games are easy to find, and so are bookends, duck decoys and tools. The list is almost endless.

Smoking is out of style, but all the collectibles associated with smoking are easy to find. Ashtrays, old lithographed tin boxes that held tobacco, bargain-priced carved Meershaum pipes with amber mouthpieces, advertising signs and cigarette lighters are interesting gifts even if your father doesn’t smoke.

The most unusual find this year originally was used by a cigar smoker, but it probably is displayed on a library shelf today, useless but fun. It is a French walnut and ivory cigar cutter shaped like a small guillotine. The 19th-century oddity, called a “Guillotube,” is 17 3/4 inches high and has a working blade. Keep it locked away from children. It’s a macabre reminder of the French Revolution and of the danger of smoking cigars. It sold for $1,464 at a 2011 auction in New Orleans.

Q: I own an Eames lounge chair and ottoman I purchased in the 1970s. I have had offers from dealers who want to purchase the set even though the leather on the ottoman is heavily worn. If I have the ottoman re-covered, would I increase the set’s value?

A: The famous Eames lounge chair and ottoman have been in continuous production since 1956. In the United States, the manufacturer since the beginning has been Herman Miller Inc., of Zeeland, Mich. We suspect that your chair interests dealers because of the plywood frame’s finish. Chairs that have plywood frames with Brazilian rosewood veneer sell for high prices because an embargo on Brazilian rosewood has been in place since 1992. Don’t bother re-covering the ottoman.

Q: I have a color woodcut print by Paul Jacoulet called Joaquina et sa mere. It is signed and numbered “163.” My mother-in-law wrote on the back that the first print in the series was given to Pope Pius XII. I’m interested in learning the value of this print.

A: Paul Jacoulet (1902-1960) was born in France and spent most of his life in Japan. He made Japanese woodblock prints that were issued in series and sold by subscription. Each series had a distinctive seal, such as a sparrow or butterfly. The complete title of your print is Joaquina et sa mere au Sermon du Pere Pon. That roughly translates to “Joaquina and her mother to the sermon of Father Pon,” so perhaps that was why it was given to the Pope. Leslie Hindman Auctioneers in Chicago sold this print for $620 in 2011.

Q: I have an old Winchester poster advertising hunting rifles. At the bottom of the poster are the words, “Winchester Western, copyright 1908 by Winchester Repeating Arms Co., American Lithograph Co., N.Y.” The poster, 15 5/8 by 20 1/2 inches, pictures two black men and a dog running away from a skunk emerging from a hollow log. I paid $45 for it. Is it worth more than that?

A: We don’t know if your poster is a copy of the original or a trimmed original. We do know that the originals were larger, 25 1/4 by 33 1/2 inches, and that they were printed with a title along the bottom: Shoot Them and Avoid Trouble. It is believed that Winchester recalled many of the posters because of the title’s racist overtones and trimmed the posters (to cut the title off) for redistribution to Winchester dealers. If you had an uncut original in excellent condition, it could sell for more than $3,000. If you have a trimmed original, it might be worth $500. Copies sell for about $35-$40.

Q: In a house we were cleaning out after a death in our family, we found a round collector’s plate that pictures the Madonna and Child. The picture is signed “Jessie Willcox Smith.” What can you tell me about the plate and the artist?

A: Jessie Willcox Smith (1863-1935) was a famous American illustrator whose work was used extensively in magazines and children’s books. She was born in Philadelphia and attended the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts there before taking classes from Howard Pyle, another well-known illustrator. Collector plates using Smith’s images were first made well after her death. They don’t sell for more than about $20. Check the back of your plate to see if there is a mark that may help you date the plate and identify the company that made it.

Tip: Allergic to dust and dust mites? Put old stuffed animals in a sealed plastic bag, then put the bag in your freezer for 24 hours. The temperature will kill dust mites and their eggs.

Take advantage of a free listing for your group to announce events or to find antique shows and other events. Go to Kovels.com/calendar to find and plan your antiquing trips.

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.

  • Olympic banner, 1984 Summer Olympics, Los Angeles, white, purple “L,” pink “A,” red “8,” turquoise “4,” 22 x 48 inches, $20.
  • Mechanical bank, “Old Time Uncle Sam,” plastic, place coin in Uncle Sam’s hand, push button, coin drops in bag, copyright J.S.N.Y., Hong Kong, 1974, 8 3/4 x 4 1/4 inches, $40.
  • Stamp holder, celluloid envelope, ad for Parke’s coffee on one side, ad for Gold Camel Tea on other, insert for stamps, Meek Co., Coshocton, Ohio, circa 1910, 2 1/4 x 1 3/4 inches, $45.
  • Boy Scouts booklet, The Boy Scout Plan, celluloid cover, image of American flag, circa 1915, 3 3/4 x 2 3/4 in., four pages, $60.
  • Prohibition pennant, felt, “Make Ohio Dry” on one side, “Ohio Is Going Dry” on other, black, white letters, orange trim, 1915, 17 inches, $85.
  • American flag, 46 stars, silk, black pole, 1908, custom-made wooden case, 17 x 12 inches, $125.
  • Red Wing pottery flower frog, seahorse on coral base, glossy ivory glaze, circa 1942, 8 1/2 x 4 1/4 inches, $150.
  • Man’s linen suit, white, mother-of-pearl buttons, cuffed pants with button fly, “Tailored by Goodall” label, 1930s, size 30 pants, $295.
  • Coca-Cola carton topper, image of Eddie Fisher, die-cut cardboard, “On Radio, KRHD-Radio,” 1954, 20 x 12 inches, $475.
  • Serving table, William IV, carved mahogany, backsplash with scroll terminals, stretcher shelf, turned vase-shape supports, turned feet, circa 1840, 36 1/2 x 53 inches, $1,075.

Contemporary, modern and mid-century ceramics made since 1950 are among the hottest collectibles today. Our special report, “Kovels’ Buyers’ Guide to Modern Ceramics, Mid-Century to Contemporary” identifies important pottery by American and European makers. Includes more than 65 factories and 70 studio artists, each with a mark and dates. Works by major makers, including Claude Conover, Guido Gambone and Lucie Rie, as well as potteries like Gustavsberg, Metlox and Sascha Brastoff, are shown in color photos. Find the “sleepers” at house sales and flea markets. Special Report, 2010, 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 in., 64 pages. Available only from Kovels. Order by phone at 800-303-1996; online at Kovels.com; or send $25 plus $4.95 postage and handling to Kovels, Box 22900, Beachwood, OH 44122.

© 2012 by Cowles Syndicate Inc.

 

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

Would your father like this? It's shaped like a guillotine and works like one when cutting off the end of a cigar. It auctioned in November for $1,464 at Neal Auction Co. in New Orleans. It should be kept out of the reach of children.
Would your father like this? It’s shaped like a guillotine and works like one when cutting off the end of a cigar. It auctioned in November for $1,464 at Neal Auction Co. in New Orleans. It should be kept out of the reach of children.

Kovels – Antiques & Collecting: Week of May 21, 2012

This pop-eyed dog made by Weller Pottery is only 4 inches high. It sold for $360 at a 2011 Humler & Nolan auction in Cincinnati.
This pop-eyed dog made by Weller Pottery is only 4 inches high. It sold for $360 at a 2011 Humler & Nolan auction in Cincinnati.
This pop-eyed dog made by Weller Pottery is only 4 inches high. It sold for $360 at a 2011 Humler & Nolan auction in Cincinnati.

Art pottery made by Weller is a favorite among collectors. The company made art pottery in Zanesville, Ohio, from 1893 to 1948. From the 1920s to the 1940s, Weller also made less sophisticated pottery for the yard called “Garden Ware.”

Stone-colored birdbaths, sprinklers, fountains, toadstool seats, sundials and urns were available. Large, colorful Garden Ware figures were the most unusual. They were made in several sizes: 4, 7 1/2, 10 and 18 inches. Lifelike dogs, roosters, birds, cats, rabbits, pelicans, ducks, frogs and squirrels were produced, along with humorous frogs, gnomes and unusual “Pop Eye” dogs. All of these figures were made to be half-hidden among plants, a surprise to be glimpsed from a garden path.

Many of the figures were created by Dorothy England Laughead. She worked at Weller Pottery from 1925 to 1960.

Today a 4-inch Coppertone frog sells for about $300 and a 4-inch Pop Eye dog for $300, but a 19-inch “Gnome on Tree Trunk” is worth more than $5,000. Most Garden Ware has cracks and chips from living outdoors, but minor damage does not change the price very much.

Q: I recently saw an ad for new Bauer pottery. Pieces shown in the ads were in solid colors with molded rings. Is Bauer being reproduced?

A: Bauer pottery was originally made by J.A. Bauer Pottery Co. from 1885 to 1962. After the factory closed, the molds were destroyed. In 1998 Janek Boniecki, a collector, began making new Bauer under the name “Bauer Pottery Co. of Los Angeles.” Original colors are used and the molds are made from pieces of original Bauer pottery. A plaster model of an original piece is made about 8 percent to 10 percent larger so that the finished piece will be the correct size after it shrinks. Then a master mold, which is known as the block-and-case, is made from the plaster model. Production molds or dyes are made from the master mold. About 150 different pieces of new Bauer have been produced. Pieces are now being made in Highland, Calif. New Bauer pottery is marked “Bauer Pottery 2000 Highland USA.” Pieces are sold in gift stores and through online catalogs. To see the complete line, check the company’s website, BauerPottery.com.

Q: I was given a four-piece set of patio chairs by a family friend who said the set originally came from an old motel in Miami Beach, Fla. I have been trying to decide if I should restore the chairs or sell them. The metal frames have some rust and several of the chairs’ vinyl straps are missing. The straps are fastened onto prongs on the frame. I have yet to find anyone who has ever heard of prong connections for straps, and everyone I have asked thinks the set is very old. Is there any way to find the age and value of these chair?

A: Old lawn furniture doesn’t sell for high prices unless it’s marked with the name of a famous designer or maker. It’s probably not worth the time and money it would take to restore it. The rust must be sanded or scraped off the metal frames. Then the frames should be painted with a rust-preventative base coat and a finishing coat of paint. In order to consider restoring the chairs, you would have to find a source for new straps. You can buy vinyl strips in various lengths, but it might be difficult to cut the kind of holes needed to fit around the prongs on your chairs. In order to avoid sagging straps, the vinyl strips have to be cut 10 percent to 15 percent shorter than the actual measurement needed. Then the vinyl has to be boiled briefly to make it pliable enough to be stretched to fit the frame. Vinyl tightens as it cools. If you can find the supplies and do the work, you still have chairs that will be very hard to sell.

Q: What are the fancy decorations and handles on silver trays made of?

A: If the tray is sterling silver, its handles probably are sterling. The handles on silver-plated trays are often made of spelter, Britannia metal or another low-grade metal and then plated when the rest of the tray is plated. Be careful. We know of someone who put a silver tray in the oven to keep food warm. The heat melted the handles and they fell off.

Q: I would like to know how to clear the water in old snow domes. The water in mine has gotten very cloudy.

A: The liquid would have to be replaced. There are a few repair services that will do it, or you can attempt to do it yourself. But it’s difficult. Hold the snow dome upside down before you try to separate the top from the bottom. If it’s glued together, you may be able to soften the glue first by immersing the snow dome in hot water. Snow domes with black plastic bases or brown pottery bases made in the 1930s and 1940s were held in place by plaster of Paris, which can be carefully chipped away. Domes with new shiny black plastic bases, black pottery bases (1940s), or cobalt blue bases (1920s) cannot be opened unless they have a threaded base, and very few did. If you can open yours, pour the original liquid through a cloth so that the “snow” is separated from the liquid. Use distilled water to refill the dome. Adding about 1/2 teaspoon glycerin to the water will make the “snow” fall more slowly. Snow domes should not be stored in the dark. Exposure to light keeps the liquid clear. But don’t keep them in direct sunlight. The glass can magnify light rays and may start a fire.

Tip: A diamond ring is durable but not indestructible. Don’t wear it when using chlorine bleach that can discolor the mounting. Have a jeweler see it once a year to check for loose prongs or worn mountings.

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.

  • Umbrella, white, allover pattern of children in red and turquoise outfits, Japan, 1950s, child’s, 17 x 21 inches, $30.
  • Rattle-teething ring, mother-of-pearl ring, sterling silver bell-shaped rattle with embossed clock and ribbon, “Birth Record,” Webster Co., Attleboro, Mass., 1920s, 3 inches, $65.
  • Gulliver’s Travels cup and saucer, bone china, gold trim, saucer shows Gulliver pulling fleet of ships, cup shows Princess Glory and Prince David, Hammersley and Co., 1939, $95.
  • New Martinsville glass candlesticks, Crystal Eagle pattern, colonial blue, two-light, circa 1936, 5 3/4 x 7 1/4 inches, pair, $125
  • Still bank, Woolworth Building, New York City, cast iron, bronze finish, A.C. Williams, Ravenna, Ohio, 1920s, 8 inches, $155.
  • Reddy Kilowatt advertising figure, red Lucite, glow-in-dark head, hands and feet, black Bakelite base, 1950s, 5 1/2 inches, $195.
  • Rookwood vase, yellow roses on buff ground, flame mark, Rose Fechheimer, 1903, 9 3/4 inches, $350.
  • License plate attachment, “Hood Tires” ad, man in uniform holding flag with brand emblem, tin lithograph, 4 1/2 inches, $605.
  • “Barcelona” loveseat, chromed frame, tan buttoned leather cushions, after a design by Mies van der Rohe, modern, 30 1/2 x 59 x 30 inches, $1,535.
  • Tiffany tazza, sterling silver, chrysanthemum design, scalloped rim, footed, marked, 1873-1891, 3 1/2 x 9 inches, $2,120.

Keep up with changes in the collectibles world. Send for a free sample issue of our 12-page, full-color newsletter, “Kovels on Antiques and Collectibles,” filled with prices, news, information and photos, plus major news about the world of collecting. To subscribe at a bargain $27 for 12 issues, write Kovels, PO Box 8534, Big Sandy, TX 75755; call 800-829-9158; or subscribe online at Kovelsonlinestore.com.

© 2012 by Cowles Syndicate Inc.

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

This pop-eyed dog made by Weller Pottery is only 4 inches high. It sold for $360 at a 2011 Humler & Nolan auction in Cincinnati.
This pop-eyed dog made by Weller Pottery is only 4 inches high. It sold for $360 at a 2011 Humler & Nolan auction in Cincinnati.

Kovels – Antiques & Collecting: Week of May 14, 2012

Antlers were put together to make this German chair in the early 1900s. A pair sold for $1,600 at New Orleans Auction Galleries in March 2012.
Antlers were put together to make this German chair in the early 1900s. A pair sold for $1,600 at New Orleans Auction Galleries in March 2012.
Antlers were put together to make this German chair in the early 1900s. A pair sold for $1,600 at New Orleans Auction Galleries in March 2012.

Furniture has been made from carved and joined pieces of wood for centuries, but in every century there are a few designers who are intrigued by the forms of nature and use them to create furniture. Chairs made of curved horns are one of these furniture forms.

During the 19th century, horn chairs were made in many countries, perhaps because curved cow horns or strangely shaped antlers reminded some furniture makers of the curved and carved furniture popular during Victorian times. In the United States, most of these chairs were made in the Western states. It was possible to buy quantities of Texas longhorn horns at slaughterhouses in meatpacking cities. The horns were joined together to make a back, arms, legs and part of the upholstered seat. It took at least 12 horns to assemble a simple chair and almost 30 for a complicated chair. The horns had to be polished by hand. In other locations, furniture makers used antlers from local antelope, moose or elk. The chairs made in the West were large, Victorian in style and composed of many horns. Horn chairs from Europe, particularly Germany, were made to resemble traditional 19th-century chairs and included light-colored antlers with protruding points. Seats were upholstered with leather.

All horn chairs are now described as “in the rustic taste.” There are a few firms making horn chairs today.

Q: I have several pieces of “old Lenox” china. Some are marked with a blue Lenox “L-in-wreath” logo, others with a brown or green logo. Did the company use marks of different colors during different years?

A: Walter Scott Lenox took control of the Ceramic Art Co. of Trenton, N.J., in the mid 1890s and changed the company’s name to Lenox Inc., in 1906. That’s the year Lenox started using the L-in-wreath mark. Between 1906 and 1930, Lenox usually used a green wreath mark. But during the same time period, unfortunately, it also used wreath marks that were blue, red, black or gold. The gold wreath became Lenox’s standard mark in the early 1950s.

Q: We paid $2 for an 8-inch Wagner skillet at an auction. The molded words on the bottom are not like the wording on our other Wagner cookware. Our other Wagner pieces are marked “Wagner Ware, Sidney.” This one, in a different style of lettering, reads “Wagner’s 1891 Original Cast Iron Cookware.” Under that, there’s a list of “Seasoning Instructions.” What can you tell us?

A: Your skillet was made in the early 1990s by General Housewares Corp. of Terre Haute, Ind., to promote Wagner’s 100th anniversary. Wagner Manufacturing Co. was founded in Sidney, Ohio, in 1891. Wagner became a division of the Randall Co. of Cincinnati in the early 1950s, and in 1959 Randall was acquired by Textron Inc. of Providence, R.I. Ten years later, Textron sold Wagner to General Housewares, which sold the Wagner factory in 1997. The factory closed in 1999, just a few years after making anniversary wares like your skillet. If you paid only $2 for it, you did all right. We have seen Wagner anniversary skillets selling for $10 to $20.

Q: I still have the first and second Kovels’ Complete Antique Price List. Do they have any collectible value?

A: We would love to say “yes.” Our first two annual price guides were published in 1968 and 1969, and we think they’re classics. But while they provide a fascinating look at the antiques and collectibles marketplace of 40 years ago, used copies aren’t selling for more than about $8 apiece.

Q: I own close to 900 vinyl jazz records from the 1950s through the 1980s. Where can I sell them? The artists include Stan Kenton, Stan Getz, Count Basie, Phil Woods, Charlie Parker, Dave Brubeck and Paul Desmond. Many of the records have never been released on CD.

A: Vinyl records are tricky to sell. Most sell for very little. But some records, including some jazz records, sell for a lot. Do some research before you try selling. Visit a vintage record shop in your area and talk to the owner or knowledgeable salespeople. You also can consult collectors via the International Association of Jazz Record Collectors, JAJRC.org, which publishes a journal for collectors. Another publication for record collectors is Goldmine (GoldmineMag.com). Do some comparison shopping online, then contact stores and collectors in your area or online.

Q: At a local estate sale, I paid $45 for a small floor-model reed organ called a “harmonium.” The brand name on the key cover is “Imperiale” and the back is marked “Made in Japan.” I am having the instrument restored. Can you help me figure out maker, age and value?

A: Harmoniums were invented in the 19th century. One version of the instrument was patented in 1840. From the late 1800s into the 1930s, they often were purchased for home use or for small churches. The Imperiale brand dates from a later decade of the 20th century, perhaps as late as the 1960s. The brand was made by the Marco Polo Japan Corp.

Tip: Be careful about washing good crystal glasses in the dishwasher. The heat could crack them, especially glasses with cut decorations.

Sign up for our weekly email, “Kovels Komments.” It includes the latest news, tips and questions and is free, if you register on our website. Kovels.com has lists of publications, clubs, appraisers, auction houses, people who sell parts or repair antiques and more. Kovels.com adds to the information in this column and helps you find useful sources needed by collectors.

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.

  • Toilet-paper roll holder, brass- and nickel-plated, embossed “Otis McDonald Plumbing Co.,” Springfield, Mo., 1930s, 5 x 3 1/2 inches, $25.
  • Hazel Atlas tumblers, Beehive pattern, pink, ring pattern with series of ovals, starburst on bottom, 1950s, 8 ounces, set of four, $40.
  • Penny Brite doll, vinyl, navy blue and white checked rain outfit, red trim, red boots, hat and umbrella, Deluxe Reading, 8 1/2 inches, $65.
  • Souvenir face-powder compact, West Point 1910, celluloid, photo image of squad of cadets standing at attention, wooded encampment in background, 1 1/2 by 2 1/4 inches, $65.
  • Cola-Cola playing cards, image of redhead holding bottle of Coke in one hand and cards in other, “Be Really Refreshed” on box, 1961, 3 1/2 x 2 1/2 inches, $95.
  • Mother’s Day plate, image of cocker spaniel and puppies, shades of blue and white, Bing and Grondahl, 1969-1979, 10th anniversary, 9 inches, $125.
  • Miriam Haskell costume jewelry necklace and clip earring set, milk glass molded flowers with clear rhinestones, double-strand necklace, signed, 1950s, 14 1/2-inches, necklace, $250.
  • Monkey doorstop, full figure, sitting, tail wrapped around to front, cast iron, Hubley, circa 1930, 8 7/8 by 4 5/8 inches, $445.
  • Lenox tea set, porcelain, vines and flowers, silver overlay, octagonal glass trivet, sugar and creamer, eight-cup teapot, $475.
  • Pie safe, walnut and yellow pine, dovetailed backsplash, two doors, shelves, punched tin panels on sides, white over green paint, North Carolina, 19th century, 57 x 37 inches, $1,885.

Available now. The best book to own if you want to buy, sell or collect—and if you order now, you’ll receive a copy with the author’s autograph. The new Kovels’ Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide, 2012, 44th edition, is your most accurate source for current prices. This large-size paperback has more than 2,500 color photographs and 40,000 up-to-date prices for more than 775 categories of antiques and collectibles. You’ll also find hundreds of factory histories and marks, 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.

© 2012 by Cowles Syndicate Inc.

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

Antlers were put together to make this German chair in the early 1900s. A pair sold for $1,600 at New Orleans Auction Galleries in March 2012.
Antlers were put together to make this German chair in the early 1900s. A pair sold for $1,600 at New Orleans Auction Galleries in March 2012.

Kovels – Antiques & Collecting: Week of May 7, 2012

This ‘Crossed Out’ figural doorstop in pristine condition sold for $1,725 at a 2011 Bertoia auction in Vineland, N.J.
This ‘Crossed Out’ figural doorstop in pristine condition sold for $1,725 at a 2011 Bertoia auction in Vineland, N.J.
This ‘Crossed Out’ figural doorstop in pristine condition sold for $1,725 at a 2011 Bertoia auction in Vineland, N.J.

Iron doorstops are among today’s top-selling collectibles. They are probably not propped against a door to keep it open but are instead displayed like rare porcelain figurines on a prominent shelf. The clever, colorful and often humorous doorstops favored today are made of painted cast iron.

They were first popular in the late 19th century. Flower baskets, cottages, animals and people were the most common doorstop shapes. More than 1,000 American-made doorstops are known, and there are at least 35 different doorstops that look like Boston terriers.

A new doorstop in 1920 cost 25 cents. Today a rare doorstop sells for more than $10,000. But most doorstops in average condition cost about $100. Original paint is important and repainting a doorstop, no matter how battered, lowers the price. A broken or badly damaged piece has almost no value.

Many reproductions of old doorstops have been made, most of them since the 1980s. That’s when new collectors started searching for pieces for their collections. Reproductions start out with overly bright paint, and any rust that develops on them is bright orange, not dark brown.

One unusual vintage cast-iron doorstop is a clownish boy wearing a checkered shirt. He is standing with his legs and arms crossed. At his feet are piles of books and pamphlets. It may have been made to commemorate the New York Times crossword puzzle. Since the Times didn’t publish its first crossword puzzle until 1942, the doorstop wasn’t made before then. One sold in 2008 for $4,025. In 2011 another one sold for $1,725.

Q: My old child’s rocking chair has a music box attached to one of the rockers. A short rod extends from the music box to the floor so that when the chair rocks, the music box plays. Unfortunately, the music box no longer works. What can you tell me about the chair? Do you know anyone who repairs something like this?

A: In the mid-20th century, a few companies made children’s rocking chairs with music boxes. The mechanism on your chair was a feature of little rockers made by the N.D. Cass Co. of Athol, Mass. See if you can find a Cass Toys label or mark on the chair. Anyone who repairs music boxes should be able to repair the box on your chair. We list a few in the free directory on our website, Kovels.com.

Q: Please tell me what my World War II poster is worth. My father got the poster from his bank in 1942, which is why I know it’s an original. It’s 39 by 60 inches and pictures a close-up of a pilot. The wording on it is: “You Buy ‘Em, We’ll Fly ‘Em, Defense Bonds, Stamps.” The poster is in excellent condition and I have kept it framed under glass.

A: World War II patriotic posters interest many collectors. Your poster, featuring art by Norman Wilkinson, was made in at least three sizes. Yours is the largest. We have seen a small one sell for $100, so yours would sell for more.

Q: The pair of king and queen figurines my parents owned for years are now mine. The bottom of each is marked “Made in Occupied Japan.” I figure that means they were made after World War II, but I’d like to know more.

A: You’re asking a timely question, since the end of the Allied occupation of Japan after World War II ended 60 years ago, on April 28, 1952. The “Made in Occupied Japan” mark on your figurines was used between February 1947 and April 1952. But that particular wording was required only until August 1949. Later the rules were relaxed a bit. After August 1949, exported ceramics could be marked as your figurines are or, simply, “Occupied Japan,” “Made in Japan” or “Japan.”

Q: I have owned an old heating stove for years. The name on it is “Warm Morning.” Can you give me any history?

A: “Warm Morning” was a trade name for heaters made by the Locke Stove Co. of Kansas City, Mo. The heaters were first sold in the early 1930s and remained popular through the ’40s. They were made to burn different fuels—wood, coal, gas or oil.

Q: More than 50 years ago, my husband and I bought a silver-plated melon-shaped serving piece with a removable silver insert and a second pierced silver insert below it. The dish is 15 inches high by 8 inches in diameter. The top rolls back and is decorated with an ornate coat of arms. The bottom is marked “Mappin & Webb, 7577 & 78 Oxford Street, Building City, London.” Can you tell me the history of this piece and its value?

A: You have what probably was marketed as a “bun warmer” or “breakfast warmer” designed to keep rolls or other food warm on the table or buffet. Mappin & Webb is still in business. It’s one of England’s oldest jewelry retailers and is known for its high-quality silver. The firm dates back to 1774, when Jonathan Mappin founded his own silversmith workshop in Sheffield, England. George Webb joined the Mappin family in the business in 1858 and the company’s name was changed to Mappin & Webb. A Mappin & Webb silver-plated warmer like yours sold at auction last summer for $85.

Tip: Valuable old wicker should never be painted. It should be misted once a month. Vacuum and dust it regularly. Once a year wash it with a natural soap.

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.

  • Shoe stretcher, Stoughton No. 2, wooden, locking nut on adjuster, Geo. E. Belcher, 8 1/2 inches, $15.
  • Souvenir mug, “Asbury Park 1901” and “Harold,” ruby-red flash above embossed-star base, clear smooth handle, 2 7/8 inches, $40.
  • Hull pottery ewer, Wildflower pattern, dusty pink, soft peach and green, 1946, 4 1/2 inches, $95.
  • The Nancy Drew Cookbook, 1st edition, subtitled “Clues to Good Cooking,” by Carolyn Keene, Grosset & Dunlap, 1973, $125.
  • Ashtray, Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs, cream ground, gold trim, center with brown hot dog logo with chef’s hat and apron, 6 5/8 inches, $160.
  • McKee Jade casserole dish, Philbe pattern, embossed design around dish, marked, 7 x 5 inches, $250.
  • Wee Patsy baby doll, composition, painted eyes, closed mouth, molded hair, jointed shoulders and hips, yellow dress, Effanbee Doll Co., 5 1/2 inches, $440.
  • Manhole cover, cast iron, profile of Asheville, N.C., City Hall, words “Asheville” and “Vulcan,” 23 1/2 inches, $470.
  • Child’s “Police” tricycle, pressed steel, royal blue, tail box opens at top, tag reads “Crystal Lake Permanent Bicycle License 1843,” 1950s, 31 3/4 x 35 1/2 inches, $650.
  • Kneehole desk, English oak, nine drawers, brass ring pulls, each drawer has lock, black leather top with gold tooled edge, 1800s, 42 x 23 1/2 x 28 3/4 inches, $1,700.

Order the set: “Buyers’ Guide to 20th Century Costume Jewelry,” Part One and Part Two. Both for our special price of $34.95. These special reports help you identify the most popular makers and designers of costume jewelry. Spot mid-century costume jewelry, Mexican silver jewelry and European and North American pieces. Learn who Hobe and Sigi are and how to recognize a rare piece of Bakelite. Accurate, comprehensive and valuable whether you’re a serious collector or just a beginner. Available only from Kovels. Order by phone at 800-303-1996; online at Kovels.com; or send $34.95 plus $4.95 postage and handling to Kovels, P.O. Box 22900, Beachwood, OH 44122.

© 2012 by Cowles Syndicate Inc.

 

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

This ‘Crossed Out’ figural doorstop in pristine condition sold for $1,725 at a 2011 Bertoia auction in Vineland, N.J.
This ‘Crossed Out’ figural doorstop in pristine condition sold for $1,725 at a 2011 Bertoia auction in Vineland, N.J.

Kovels – Antiques & Collecting: Week of April 30, 2012

This unusual fish bowl was made by an unknown factory, but it appealed to bidders and sold for $2,540 at a December 2011 Humler and Nolan auction in Cincinnati. © 2012 by Cowles Syndicate Inc.
This unusual fish bowl was made by an unknown factory, but it appealed to bidders and sold for $2,540 at a December 2011 Humler and Nolan auction in Cincinnati. © 2012 by Cowles Syndicate Inc.
This unusual fish bowl was made by an unknown factory, but it appealed to bidders and sold for $2,540 at a December 2011 Humler and Nolan auction in Cincinnati. © 2012 by Cowles Syndicate Inc.

Did you have a bowl filled with pet fish when you were young? The idea dates back to the Roman Empire, when carp were kept in marble tanks. Once panes of glass were made, a pane could be used on one side of the tank so people could more easily watch the activities of the fish. The Chinese were making large porcelain tubs for goldfish by the 1400s. Copies of these tubs are still being made and sold, although they are usually used for plants, not fish. By the 19th century, there were aquariums and fish bowls that look like those found today. Raising fish became an important hobby, and the first public aquarium opened in 1853. By 1900 there were aquariums and fish bowls made in fanciful shapes, and some were even part of a planter or lamp. It is said that keeping fish is one of America’s most popular hobbies. So when a fishbowl topped by three ceramic polar bears was auctioned at Humler & Nolan in Cincinnati, it’s not surprising that it sold for $2,540. The fish bowl is cleverly designed. A porcelain “basket” holds an ice cave (the bowl). It’s topped by the bears, and openings show the bowl and active fish. It’s about 24 inches high and 15 inches in diameter, big enough to hold a few fish and plants. The bowl is lit from below. The maker is unknown, but it’s signed “Makonicka.” The bears and ice are designed in a style popular after 1890.

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Q: A few years ago, I bought a round 60-inch dining-room table with a pedestal base at a Los Angeles antique shop. The dealer told me the table was made in Germany, but there’s no label or mark on it. The interesting thing about it is that there’s a thick base under the tabletop that hides eight leaves. You can lift the top of the table and rotate the leaves out so they form a ring around the table, making the tabletop 80 inches in diameter. Have you ever seen a table like this?

A: Your table is called a “perimeter table,” and the leaves are referred to as “perimeter leaves.” The style has been around for decades and some cabinetmakers are building them today. A U.S. patent for this sort of table was granted in 1911. That was during an era when all sorts of different table extension designs were being invented.

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Q: I’m trying to find information about my 5-foot Col. Sanders metal weathervane. I was among the crew who remodeled a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in Miami in 1980. The weathervane was going to be trashed, and I was the only worker who wanted it. So I took it home and stored it in my garage for 32 years. The weathervane is a full figure of Col. Sanders holding his cane up in the air. The weathervane must have stood on top of the restaurant for about 20 years. What is it worth? How should I sell it?

A: Harland Sanders (1890-1980) opened his first restaurant in Corbin, Ky., in 1930. The first Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise opened in 1952, and there were 600 by 1964. We have seen Col. Sanders weathervanes for sale at antique shows for about $500. But a few have sold at auction for $1,000 or more. Price depends not only on where and how you sell it, but also on condition. If your weathervane is not rusty and the colors aren’t faded, contact an auction that specializes in advertising. You will have to pay a commission.

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Q: We’re moving and have a collection of old pictures in frames that my great-grandfather bought for $10 at a barn sale in the 1950s. One is a print of cattle and ducks that’s signed by James M. Hart. Under his signature are the words “copyrighted 1899 by James M. Hart.” There are some brown stains in the corner. Is it worth anything?

A: James McDougal Hart was born in Scotland in 1828. His family immigrated to Albany, N.Y., in 1830. Hart started out as a sign painter’s apprentice, then studied art in Germany. In 1854 he opened a studio in Albany. Later, he opened studios in Brooklyn and Keene Valley, N.Y. Hart died in 1901. Several of his works are in museums today. The brown stains on your print are called “foxing” and can be caused by deterioration due to age or by exposure to heat, cold or humidity. If your pictures were stored in a barn, conditions were not ideal. Some oil paintings by James M. Hart sell for several thousand dollars. But his prints, in perfect condition, sell for just a few hundred dollars. Your print would be difficult to sell since it is in poor condition.

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Q: In the late 1800s, my great-grandfather owned a tinware company in Cleveland called Mannen & Esterly Co. For the past 45 years, I have been trying to gather information about the company. As for its products, so far I have only found a few of the company’s painted tea boxes, and they’re in collections.

A: John E. Mannen is listed in the 1886 Cleveland city directory as a tinsmith. In 1894-95, his business is listed as “stoves.” By then he had moved to the address that would later become that of Mannen & Esterly. Mannen and Willis M. Esterly were granted a patent for a “clothes dryer for laundries” in 1903 and another for a “heating apparatus” in 1904. By 1909 the company advertised that it made sheet-metal goods, plain and decorated cans, japanning, “Manest” laundry dryers, “Manest” natural gas furnaces, dust separators, and exhaust and blow pipework. By 1919 the name of the business became “John E. Mannen Co., successor to Mannen & Esterly.” That company made Dri-Rite laundry dryers and Age-Gar garage heaters. It was still in business in the 1920s, but by 1936 John Mannen is listed as president of the Metal Fabricating Corp. That company was founded in 1932 and is still in business in Cleveland, making metal boxes, cabinets, bins and specialty products. Since most Mannen & Esterly products were largeappliances, you won’t find much to collect other than the tin containers you have already found.

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Tip: If you buy an old teddy bear at a garage sale, bring it home and put it in a plastic bag with some mothballs for a few weeks. Don’t let the mothballs touch the bear. The fur and stuffing of old bears attract many types of hungry insects.

Take advantage of a free listing for your group to announce events or to find antique shows. Go to Kovels.com/calendar to find and plan your antiquing trips.

***

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.

Ideal doll, Tiny Kissy, vinyl head, brown rooted saran hair, pixie cut, green eyes, plastic arms and legs, hands jointed at wrists, push hands together she puckers up, 1960s, 16 inches, $45.

Evel Knievel lunch box, metal, image of Evel smiling and jumping canyon in rocket vehicle, 1974, Aladdin, $55.

Pierre the Chef wall clock, white hat & uniform, holding clock, electric, Sessions, 1950s, 10 x 7 inches, $60.

Gumball coin bank, Huckleberry Hound, tin lithograph, Hound, Jinks, Pixie, Dixie and Yogi Bear, 1960 Hanna Barbera copyright, Knickerbocker, 11 inches, $90.

Sterling-silver cheese slicer, acorn pattern, Georg Jensen, 3 x 8 1/4 inches, $165.

Duncan & Miller pressed-glass pitcher, Button Arches pattern, ruby stain, clear base and handle, c. 1900, 12 inches, $235.

Moorcroft bowl, orchid pattern, smoke color fades to cobalt, 12 x 5 1/2 inches, $325.

Windsor chair, brace-back, comb-back, continuous arm, shaped plank seat, turned legs, paper label, Wallace Nutting, early 1900s, 44 1/2 inches, $415.

Indian Motorcycles 1913 catalog, illustrated, black-and-white embossed cover with red image of cycle, 24 pages, 9 3/4 x 6 1/2 inches, $600.

Amish quilt, cotton, diamonds, stars and feathers, navy, red and pink, brown border, Lancaster, Pa., 1925-1940, 75 x 89 inches, $1,280.

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Available now. The best book to own if you want to buy, sell or collect – and if you order now, you’ll receive a copy with the author’s autograph. The new “Kovels’ Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide, 2012,” 44th edition, is your most accurate source for current prices. This large-size paperback has more than 2,500 color photographs and 40,000 up-to-date prices for more than 775 categories of antiques and collectibles. You’ll also find hundreds of factory histories and marks, 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.

***

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

This unusual fish bowl was made by an unknown factory, but it appealed to bidders and sold for $2,540 at a December 2011 Humler and Nolan auction in Cincinnati. © 2012 by Cowles Syndicate Inc.
This unusual fish bowl was made by an unknown factory, but it appealed to bidders and sold for $2,540 at a December 2011 Humler and Nolan auction in Cincinnati. © 2012 by Cowles Syndicate Inc.

 

Kovels – Antiques & Collecting: Week of April 23, 2012

This 8-inch early-20th-century copy of an ancient Chinese iron used to press cloth sold for $89 at a December 2011 Ivey-Selkirk auction in St. Louis. Its shape inspired a 1950s ashtray. An antique Chinese iron would sell for hundreds of dollars.
This 8-inch early-20th-century copy of an ancient Chinese iron used to press cloth sold for $89 at a December 2011 Ivey-Selkirk auction in St. Louis. Its shape inspired a 1950s ashtray. An antique Chinese iron would sell for hundreds of dollars.
This 8-inch early-20th-century copy of an ancient Chinese iron used to press cloth sold for $89 at a December 2011 Ivey-Selkirk auction in St. Louis. Its shape inspired a 1950s ashtray. An antique Chinese iron would sell for hundreds of dollars.

Permanent-press fabrics have relieved most households of the need to iron clothing. In past centuries, ironing was an almost daily duty of a woman in the home. Before about the 10th century, cloth was ironed with smooth wooden or glass pieces and a pounding stick. Heat was not used until the 16th century in Europe. By then, pressing irons were metal pans with long handles. A piece of charcoal was put in the pan to heat the bottom and the heated pan was rubbed over the cloth.

This crude iron was gradually improved. Charcoal was replaced by a heated iron rod to avoid the charcoal ashes that sometimes fell on the cloth. Next came special box irons with handles and pointed fronts. They were shaped like the electric and steam irons used today. Soon a solid piece of iron, also in today’s familiar shape, was made to put on the stove to heat, then quickly used to heat and smooth cloth. By the turn of the 20th century, irons were heated by liquid gas, alcohol, gasoline or electricity. Unfortunately, some of the liquid-fueled irons blew up.

The electric iron was patented in 1882, but few homes had electricity back then. So the electric iron was not in general use until about 1915. Since then, irons have been improved with the addition of thermostats that control heat and steam. Some even became cordless and could fold up to go with travelers. All types of old ironing sticks, mangling boards and irons are collected today. Nineteenth- and unusual 20th-century examples sell for hundreds of dollars.

In the 1950s, an early Chinese iron that looks like a small, ornate cooking pot with a handle was copied and used as a portable ashtray. These mid-20th-century copies sell for about $30 today. A genuine antique Chinese iron is worth hundreds of dollars.

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Q: Recently I purchased five matching maple side chairs with “Mottville, N.Y.” stamped on the back of the top slat of each chair. Two of the chairs are stamped “F. Sinclair” under “Mottville,” while the other three are stamped “Union Chair Works.” I’ve cleaned up the chairs and given them new woven seats. Please tell me the approximate age and value of the chairs, and explain the different marks.

A: The Union Chair Works factory was built in Mottville, near Skaneateles, N.Y., in 1866, although some records say the founding of the company dates back to 1859. The company’s owners, Joseph Hubbard and Francis A. Sinclair, advertised their furniture under the brand name “Common Sense” and eventually made chairs, rockers, tables and settees. The company operated at least into the 1880s, and perhaps into the early 1900s. If all you had to do to get the chairs into tiptop shape was clean them and replace the woven seats, the set could sell for more than $500.

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Q: I want to leave my collection of Hummel figurines to my 14-year-old great-granddaughter. What should I wrap them in and how should I store them?

A: Hummel figurines are based on the drawings of the nun M.I. “Berta” Hummel. They were first made in 1935 by the W. Goebel Porcelain Co. of Oeslau (now part of Rodental), Germany. The figurines are made of earthenware. Parts that aren’t glazed will absorb moisture, so they need to be stored in a dry place. Don’t store them in the basement, which often is damp, or in the attic, where they would be subject to extreme temperature changes, which could cause crazing. You can wrap the figurines in plain archival paper, white tissue paper or pieces of white bedsheets and pack them carefully in a box with bunches of tissue paper between them to prevent them from bumping each other when the box is moved. Don’t wrap them in newspaper. Newsprint comes off and may stain the figurines. Don’t wrap them in colored paper or plastic, either. The best way to store them is in their original boxes, if you still have them.

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Q: My mother left me an oval brooch made of blue milk glass. I think it originally belonged to her grandmother, who died in 1924. It’s a series of little blue balls and tiny silver balls. The gold-tone border is impressed “Czechoslovakia” in capital letters on the back. What do you think it’s worth?

A: The country of Czechoslovakia was formed in 1918, when World War I ended. So your brooch was not made before 1918. The country split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993. Costume jewelry made of Czechoslovakian glass sells for a wide range of prices, depending on design and condition. Your brooch could sell for $20 to $50.

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Q: I was pleased to see your recent column about furniture designs by Charles Rohlfs. But being from Buffalo, N.Y., I was disheartened that you said Rohlfs was a New York City furniture maker. He actually lived and worked in Buffalo.

A: Thanks for speaking up for Buffalo. Rohlfs (1853-1936) was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and studied design at the Cooper Union in Manhattan. But he moved his family to Buffalo in 1887, when he took a job with a stove manufacturer there. In 1897 he opened his own workshop in Buffalo and created his unique furniture designs for a decade.

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Tip: If you get gum on your Oriental rug or carpet, freeze it with an ice cube in a plastic bag, then scrape it off with a plastic credit card.

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Sign up for our weekly email, “Kovels Komments.” It includes the latest news, tips and collector’s questions and is free if you register on our website. Kovels.com provides lists of publications, clubs, appraisers, auction houses, people who sell parts or repair antiques and more. Kovels.com adds to the information in this column and helps you find useful sources needed by collectors.

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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, (Name of this newspaper), King Features Syndicate, 300 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019.

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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.

Madame Alexander doll, Chatterbox, hard plastic and vinyl, pigtails, sleep eyes, head turns, talk button in front, battery-operated, 1961, 24 inches, $55.

Bermuda Triangle board game, made in Ireland, Milton Bradley, 1976, 20 x 12 inches, $60.

Cookie pail, Sunshine Biscuits of New York, red, white and blue cardboard, pictures little cookies in toy shapes, tin cover, handle, 1950s, 11 ounces, $70.

Cambridge Glass cake stand, Virginia pattern, rum well in center, 1940s, 8 x 11 inches, $200.

Cameo pin, diamond accent around woman’s neck, carved flowers at left shoulder, dress draped across front, silver filigree and scrollwork, 1920s, 1 5/8 x 1 1/2 inches, $275.

Bellows, turtleback, painted long-tailed bird, black ground, brass nozzle, American, 19th century, 17 3/4 inches, $555.

Show towel, silk and wool on linen, potted flowers, peacocks and trees, 2 verses, 3 rows of fringe, “Catherine Derr,” 1854, 60 x 17 3/4 inches, $705.

Hepplewhite card table, mahogany, poplar and chestnut, shaped top over banded inlay panels, tapered legs with string inlay, 1800-1815, 30 x 35 x 18 inches, $1,765.

Newcomb College pottery jar, lid, blue matte glaze, raised flowers, vines and leaves, marked, Anna Francis Simpson, 1919, 7 inches, $4,720.

Chippendale tall case clock, mahogany and pine, broken-arch pediment, floral rosettes, glass door, 8-day movement, signed John Fissler, Frederick Town (Md.), c. 1790, 102 1/2 inches, $4,995.

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Keep up with changes in the collectibles world. Send for a FREE sample issue of our 12-page, full-color newsletter, “Kovels on Antiques and Collectibles,” filled with prices, news, information and photos, plus major news about the world of collecting. To subscribe at a bargain $27 for 12 issues, write Kovels, P.O. Box 8534, Big Sandy, TX 75755; call 800-829-9158; or subscribe online at Kovelsonlinestore.com.

***

© 2012 by Cowles Syndicate Inc.

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

This 8-inch early-20th-century copy of an ancient Chinese iron used to press cloth sold for $89 at a December 2011 Ivey-Selkirk auction in St. Louis. Its shape inspired a 1950s ashtray. An antique Chinese iron would sell for hundreds of dollars.
This 8-inch early-20th-century copy of an ancient Chinese iron used to press cloth sold for $89 at a December 2011 Ivey-Selkirk auction in St. Louis. Its shape inspired a 1950s ashtray. An antique Chinese iron would sell for hundreds of dollars.

Kovels – Antiques & Collecting: Week of April 16, 2012

Unfortunately, the removable cushion and frame that formed the seat of this chair are missing. The dual-purpose chair by a famous designer was appraised at $15,000-$20,000 at a Los Angeles Modern Auction in December 2011.
Unfortunately, the removable cushion and frame that formed the seat of this chair are missing. The dual-purpose chair by a famous designer was appraised at $15,000-$20,000 at a Los Angeles Modern Auction in December 2011.
Unfortunately, the removable cushion and frame that formed the seat of this chair are missing. The dual-purpose chair by a famous designer was appraised at $15,000-$20,000 at a Los Angeles Modern Auction in December 2011.

Dual-purpose furniture has been made for centuries. By the 1700s, there were chairs with large, round backs that flipped down on the top of the arms to make a table. There also were chairs that could be flipped over to be used as library steps.

In the 1800s, new types of springs and hinges made it possible to manufacture a flip-down bed that could be stored in a closet, or card tables with hidden pull-out leaves that transformed into a dining table.

A famous French architect and designer, Armand-Albert Rateau, designed a clever dual-purpose chair in about 1925. The chair had an oak frame with ebony veneer. The back of the chair was upholstered with silk and straw. The seat back was hinged so that it folded down on the rest of the frame to form a low table. The Art Deco chair design was unique and could be useful today in a small apartment.

Q: I bought an old barbershop and all the antiques in it, including 1920s barber chairs, tons of razors, razor sharpeners, strops, combs and about 25 ceramic shaving mugs decorated with words and designs and signed on the bottom with makers’ marks. My favorite mug, titled “10th Infantry,” has a painting of soldiers and a bugler. I don’t want most of these things. How do I sell all of this?

A: There are collectors who would be interested in nearly everything in your shop. The most-expensive chairs are those with elaborate iron trim. They sell for hundreds of dollars. And a rare occupational shaving mug—the kind with the name of an occupation and an image of a person working—can be worth even more than a chair. An “Aeronaut” mug picturing a parachutist auctioned for the record price of $45,000 in 2008. You could sell the things yourself, but if you’re not familiar with the collecting world, you could ask an expert, dealer, appraiser or auction house to help you. If the collection is in excellent shape, it probably would be best to contact a large auction house that sells shaving mugs, barbershop signs and barber equipment. The smaller items can be sold in groups (lots). It is easy to find auctions of barbershop items by searching online.

Q: We own 12 plates that have a wide gold embossed border and multicolored flowers in the middle. They’re 11 inches in diameter, and I think they’re called charger plates. The back of each plate is marked with a crown above the letters “H & C.” Underneath that are the words “Selb Bavaria” and “Heinrich Co.” What can you tell me about these plates?

A: Franz Heinrich founded his porcelain company in Selb, Bavaria, Germany, in 1896. The company became part of Villeroy & Boch in 1976. The mark on your plates was used in the 1930s.

Q: We have an original typed letter handed down in the family from a relative who was a union leader in the 1950s. The letter, dated Aug. 30, 1958, is from Sen. John F. Kennedy and refers to “two enclosed speeches” he made on the Senate floor, one about national defense and the other about labor reform. The letter is signed “John Kennedy.” The stationery has a verifiable watermark and we have had the letter authenticated by a local historical society. What is it worth?

A: We’re not sure if you had the stationery or the autograph or both authenticated. And we also don’t know if your local historical society employs or has a relationship with an autograph authenticator. It’s a tricky business, especially with public officials. Kennedy is known to have used autopens as early as the 1950s before he was elected president in 1960. It also is generally known that Kennedy often asked his secretary to sign his letters. If the letter is original but the autograph an autopen signature, the letter would sell for under $100. If the signature is real, the letter is worth $2,000 or more.

Q: My parents received a china candy dish as a wedding gift in 1944. It has a vertical brass handle in the center. The mark on the bottom is a pair of straight-sided M’s within a diamond, all within a fancy green-and-yellow cartouche. Under the cartouche is the stamped phrase, “Made in Japan.” Can you tell me who made the dish and what it’s worth?

A: The mark on your dish has been identified as one used by Moriyama Pottery, a company founded around 1911 in Mori-machi, a town in Shizuoka Prefecture. The china dish either was made before World War II, or the family story about when your parents received the gift is incorrect. The “Made in Japan” mark was used again starting in late 1949.

Tip: Paperweights that are displayed on a wooden table in front of a sunny window may magnify the sun’s rays enough to scorch the tabletop.

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.

  • Libbey wine glasses, Silver Leaf pattern, stemmed, 6 1/4 in., set of 8, $40.
  • Royal Copley Pirate Head wall pocket planter, dark hair, gray headscarf, green shirt with yellow collar, 1950s, 8 inches, $55.
  • Donald Duck pencil sharpener, red Bakelite, Donald dressed as cowboy firing cap gun, 1950, 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 inches, $65.
  • Wristwatch, lady’s, bracelet style, diamond accents, square face, 10K gold filled, Gruen, Swiss, late 1940s, $75.
  • Vogue doll, Betty Jane, composition, open-close green eyes, smoky eyeshadow, red open mouth, four teeth, auburn wig, pink ruffled dress, matching hat, 16 inches, $155.
  • Indian Motorcycle advertising blotter, image of Indian Scout cycle, Bath Cycle Co., Bath, Me., 1920s, 3 1/2 x 5 inches, $225.
  • Quilt and pillow cover, buttonhole applique, green-and-red floral wreath, white ground, 1932, quilt 82 x 84 inches, covers 24 x 84 inches, $350.
  • Student’s merit plaque, ink on paper, student’s name Emanuel Metzker, dated 1845, peacock, fish and quill pen design, framed, 6 x 9 3/4 inches, $820.
  • Pocket tin, Gold Dust Tobacco, “Worth Its Weight in Gold,” image of three gold miners, Canada, 4 x 3 inches, $1,485.
  • Queen Anne corner chair, maple and pine, solid splats, turned arm supports, cabriole legs, pad feet, mid-18th century, 29 inches, $1,995.

New! Contemporary, modern and mid-century ceramics made since 1950 are among the hottest collectibles today. Our special report, “Kovels’ Buyers’ Guide to Modern Ceramics: Mid-Century to Contemporary” identifies important pottery by American and European makers. Includes more than 65 factories and 70 studio artists, each with a mark and dates. Works by major makers, including Claude Conover, Guido Gambone and Lucie Rie, as well as potteries like Gustavsberg, Metlox and Sascha Brastoff, are shown in color photos. Find the “sleepers” at house sales and flea markets. Special Report, 2010, 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches, 64 pages. Available only from Kovels. Order by phone at 800-303-1996; online at Kovels.com; or send $25 plus $4.95 postage and handling to Kovels, Box 22900, Beachwood, OH 44122.

© 2012 by Cowles Syndicate Inc.

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

Unfortunately, the removable cushion and frame that formed the seat of this chair are missing. The dual-purpose chair by a famous designer was appraised at $15,000-$20,000 at a Los Angeles Modern Auction in December 2011.
Unfortunately, the removable cushion and frame that formed the seat of this chair are missing. The dual-purpose chair by a famous designer was appraised at $15,000-$20,000 at a Los Angeles Modern Auction in December 2011.