On Antiques And COlleCtibles

VOL. 37 NO. 2 THE NEWSLETTER FOR COLLECTORS, DEALERS AND INVESTORS OCTOBER 2010

IN THIS ISSUE

Vinyl records, popular from their introduction in the 1930s until about 1991, are becoming im-

portant collectibles for a special group of mu-sic fans. The sale of vintage vinyl record albums and singles has gone up about 33 percent since 2008, according to industry surveys. Dealers say collectors like to “control” the music by holding the record, putting it on a turntable, moving the tone arm and getting up to turn the record over every 30 minutes or so. Plus the sound quality is “smoother,” they say. Collectors look for partic-ular songs and artists and great album-cover art. American folk art is selling for ever-increasing prices. Weathervanes, cigar-store figures and carousel horses—all informal items that are large and sculptural—top the list. Perhaps a tough economy makes buyers want things that amuse them. So cartoonish figures like those made by Schafer & Vater (1890-1962), figural salt and pepper shakers, Holt-Howard designs (1949-1990) and anything decorated with TV, movie and cartoon characters of the past should pick up in sales. David Webb Inc., the famous jewelry store, went bankrupt in 2009, then was purchased in June 2010. The 62-year-old brand name will continue with new designs and the revival of some old classics. Use your flower frogs to hold pens and pencils and your pin-type flower holders to hold papers, suggests a recent magazine article. We had no luck. The holes were too big and the pins too short, so my pencils fell down and my papers flopped over. If you’re searching flea markets and yard sales, don’t offer too little for a treasure. Being too cheap will mean that you may not hear about similar items the seller has not yet set out for display. Offer a low but fair price—about half market value if it’s a rare item.

News Flash

Sale Reports: Porcelain Half-Dolls ................................................22 Opal Glass Dresser Boxes .......................................15 Sterling Flatware Sets ..............................................18 Milk Bottles .............................................................16 Small Wooden Boxes ...............................................17 Bargain Antique Furniture .......................................20On The Road, Hawken School .....................................19Dictionary of Marks – Italian Pottery ..........................21Buyer’s Price Guide .....................................................23Collector’s Gallery .......................................................24

Sterling Silver Flatware SetsWith the holidays coming, this Reed & Barton sterling silver flatware set would add class to any table. And you could buy 68 pieces for $1,265, a lot less than retail, at a North Carolina auction. We serve up more vintage sterling flatware sets on page 18.

Milk Bottles: Cream of the CropOther collectors turned green with envy when their bids for this rare milk bottle fell short at a Pennsylvania auction. The winner of the emerald bottle paid a whopping $3,738. Follow the milk route over to page 16, where you can gulp down more information about vintage glass milk bottles.

Antique Furniture At Bargain PricesA piece of antique furniture can be a great find—and a bargain. Take, for instance, this 200-year-old Federal desk-bookcase that sold for $1,541 at a Massachusetts auction. Antiques with just a few problems often sell for very rea-sonable prices. See what we mean on page 20

Half-Dolls Are TopsThis c.1910 German porcelain half-doll strikes a dignified pose fitting for an antique that sold for $336 at a Chicago auction. If you turn to page 22, we’ll tell you why half-dolls were made and how they were used.

Kovels – October 2010 13

Letter to Lee Browsing By the Bay

Photos are not reproduced to scale; actual size of items pictured is given whenever possible. Out-of-print reference books mentioned in articles may be available through interlibrary loan or from book search services.

Editor and Publisher: Terry Kovel; Editor in chief: Marcia Goldberg; CFO and Website Di-rector: Kim Kovel; Designer: Jeffrey Clark; As-sociate Editor: Liz Lillis; Copy Editor: Cherrie Smrekar; Photo Editor: Janet Dodrill; Control-ler: Lisa Bell; Marketing: Hamsy Mirre; Staff: Mary Ellen Brennan, Grace DeFrancisco, Gay Hunter; Customer Service: Tina McBean

Customer Service: To inquire about an individ-ual subscription or to order a new subscription ($36 one year, $4 single copy), call toll-free 800-829-9158; or write to Kovels on Antiques and Collectibles, P.O. Box 420345, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0345; or visit our website, Kovels.com, and click on “Contact Us.” Editorial correspondence: Kovels on Antiques and Collectibles, P.O. Box 22192, Beachwood, OH 44122. Website: We invite you to visit our website, Kovels.com, to look up prices, read more news, visit the free Directory listings, check on your subscrip-tion (use the “Contact Us” link), register for our free weekly ezine and more.

KOVELS ON ANTIQUES AND COLLECTIBLES

KOVeLS ON ANTIqUeS AND COLLeCT-IBLeS (ISSN 0741-6091) is published monthly for $36 per year by Kovels Antiques Inc., 30799 Pine-tree Road, #305, Cleveland, Ohio 44124. Send ad-dress changes to KOVeLS ON ANTIqUeS AND COLLeCTIBLeS, P.O. Box 420345, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0345.

Copyright 2010 by Terry Kovel. All rights re-served. No part of this newsletter may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, with-out permission in writing from the publisher.

• Hotline • Hotline • Hotline • Hotline • Hotline • Hotline • Hotline • Hotline • Hotline • Hotline •

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional service. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. —from a Declaration of Principles jointly adopted by a committee of the American Bar Association and a committee of publishers

Dear Lee,

We recently visited in San Francisco and spent an afternoon at a few area antique shops. First stop: a store that looked like

an antique shop but carried only reproductions or fantasies. We recognized dozens of metal signs made by Desperate enterprises, a Wadsworth, Ohio, company founded by the dealer who sold us one of our first old advertising signs. Sometime after we met him, he started making copies of old signs for gift shops. He has sold thousands. Next stop: a mall where we saw a samovar with missing parts priced $45, a tin flour-sifter missing its inside wire marked $10, and bookends that had been recently copper-plated priced $100. But we also spotted some good buys. A 1920s Chinese advertising poster picturing attractive young women was only $20. Some of the other antiques we saw are pictured.

Toy collectors in the future will have an easier time dating today’s toys and other collectibles. The european Union now requires toys to be marked “Ce” (the initials of a French phrase that means “european Conformity”) and the name and address of the maker. The mark indicates that eU safety laws have been followed so the toy can be shipped from country to country within the european Union. Other safety marks are also used by

international toymakers. A lion head in a triangle has been used since 1988, and a house-shaped mark that includes the lion head has been used by retail stores since 1991. Stone troughs used to water livestock in the past are selling to gardeners who want antiques in their yards. If you can’t afford an old one, there’s a way to make replicas from a mixture of cement, peat moss, sand and fiber mesh.

We are often asked, “Who is Lee of your ‘Letter to Lee’?” Here is our mysterious Lee checking a Satin Skin poster priced $600. We have the same poster, bought over 30 years ago for about $25.

Chinese baskets like this one are old, but they’re being shipped in from China in wholesale quantities. We see them at every show.

The vintage sheriff’s badges in this educational display show where they were used. Guns and related items were selling quickly in the same booth.

We met a husband and wife who are longtime subscribers and collectors. They were buying this odd assortment (clockwise from top): carved wooden butter mold, $65; flask, $20; fake piece of cheesecake, $12.

A painted Silver Streak sled popular from the 1930s into the ’50s was tagged $95.

14 Kovels – October 2010

The proper Victorian woman’s dressing table held beautifully decorated accessories like perfume bottles, dresser sets and

small delicate boxes to hold powder, hatpins, hairpins, jewelry or trinkets. A handful of Victorian opal glass dresser boxes sold at a recent early’s auction in Cincinnati. Prices ranged from $288 to $1,035. each was a piece of either Wave Crest or Nakara glass, lines made by the C.F. Monroe Co. of Meriden, Conn., one of the largest American makers of decorated opal ware. Opal ware is an opaque, creamy white glass that looks like china. It was popular from about 1890 to 1910. Charles F. Mon-roe opened a shop in 1880 to sell imported glassware. In 1882 he founded his own glass-decorating studio and employed lo-cal artists. The company bought undecorated glass blanks from the Pairpoint Manufacturing Co. of New Bedford, Mass., and a few French glass houses. Some blanks had puffy, “blown-out” patterns or swirls in the mold and may have been designed as special orders by C.F. Monroe artists. Before the glass was deco-rated, pieces were usually dipped in an acid bath that gave them a lusterless matte finish. C.F. Monroe marketed three opal glass lines; Wave Crest, Nakara and Kelva. The names were given to three different dec-orating styles used on many of the same blanks. Wave Crest was introduced first and is the most commonly found today. Pieces were decorated with flowers, cherubs and scenes on pastel back-grounds. Nakara, generally found on simple shapes, has deep, rich background colors with raised beading and enamel scrolls. Some Nakara boxes are decorated with transfer portraits or scenes, Gibson Girls or Kate Greenaway figures. Kelva pieces almost always feature flowers on a mottled background. Hard to find but very desirable are seascapes, animals, birds, courting couples and geometric Persian-style designs. Opal ware lost popularity after 1910 and C.F. Monroe went out of business in 1916. The Summer Art Glass Auction catalog, July 30-31, 2010, is available from early Auction Co., 123 Main St., Milford, OH 45150, earlyAuctionCo.com. Photos are courtesy of early’s. For more information, see Wave Crest: The Glass of C.F. Monroe by Wilfred R. Cohen (Collector Books, Paducah, Ky., 1987).

Opal Glass Dresser Boxes

Wave Crest footed dresser box, blue opaline glass, scrolling medallions, hand-painted flowers. Four-footed lion-paw metal frame, signed “Wave Crest,” C.F. Monroe Co., 6 in. h., $345.

Wave Crest dresser box, pink and opal glass, hand-painted mums and daisies, C.F. Monroe Co. red banner mark, 7 in. dia., $288.

Wave Crest dresser box, red glass with scrolling molded opal glass panels. Lid with hand-painted flowers, C.F. Monroe Co. red banner mark, 8 in. l., $748.

Nakara dresser box, purple glass lid with large hand-painted flowers, metal box with reticulated scrolling and masks, C.F. Monroe Co., 7 in. dia., $1,035.

Nakara dresser box, green satin glass, hand-painted flowers, C.F. Monroe Co., 6 in. dia., $316.

Kovels – October 2010 15

Milk bottles, along with pyro soda bottles, took up much of the space and attracted the most activity at the sum-

mer convention of the Federation of Historical Bottle Collec-tors. Milk bottles are plentiful, which means new collectors can afford to buy a few and ex-perienced collectors can usual-ly find a bottle or related dairy collectible they don’t yet own. More than 130 round glass milk bottles, most in the bowling-pin shape made from the 1920s into the ’40s, were sold at a Morphy summer auction. The auction, which featured a single farm-related collection of more than 700 pieces, attracted the biggest live audience of any sale ever held at Morphy’s. Dan Morphy said there were more than 225 cars in his parking lot. Prices for the milk bottles ranged from $46 for each of two

bottles (one, a pyro-decorated bottle, is pictured) to $3,738 for a rare emerald green embossed bottle (pictured

on cover) that originally held eggnog. It was made for the east end Dairy of Harrisburg, Pa. Most of the milk bottles went for under $500. Milk was first sold in glass bottles in the United States in 1879, but their use didn’t become widespread until the 1920s thanks to advances in automatic bottle-making machinery. early bottles were embossed with dairy names and other identification; starting in the early 1930s, bottles were labeled using the less expensive method of pyroglazing (also called “applied color labeling”). Square milk bottles took over the glass bottle market after World War II.

The Frank and Rhoda Zeager Collection catalog, Aug. 14, 2010, is available from Morphy Auctions, 2000 N. Reading Road, Denver, PA 17517, MorphyAuctions.com. Photos are courtesy of Morphy. For more information, see Udderly Splendid by John Tutton (privately printed by author, 1967 Ridgeway Road, Front Roy-

al, VA 22630, 2003). Tutton has written several other books on milk bottles. The National Association of Milk Bottle Collectors publishes a monthly newsletter, The Milk Route (18 Pond Place, Cos Cob, CT 06807, MilkBottle-Collectors.com).

Collectors hunt for two-color pyros, rare pyro colors (red and orange are the most common), bottles with patriotic wartime slogans, bottles that identify the breed of cow’s milk used (Jer-sey or Guernsey, for instance) and cream-top bottles, especially those with figural tops (like the baby-face cream-top pictured). Customers used a cream-top spoon in-serted into the top of those bottles to pour off the cream that separated from the skim milk below.

PICTUReD ON COVeREast End Dairy milk bottle, made for eggnog, decoration at neck, Harrisburg, Pa., (near mint), quart, 9 1/4 in., $3,738.

Witchwood Farm milk bottle, pyro witch on broom, Springhouse, Pa., (good), quart, 9 1/2 in., $374.

Log Cabin Farm Jersey milk bottle, pyro of log cabin, Lititz, Pa., (near mint, pictured on cover of Udderly Beautiful, one of John Tutton’s books on milk bottles), quart, 9 1/2 in., $1,265.

Funk’s Sunset Dairy milk bottle, multicolored, setting-sun logo on reverse, Lebanon, Pa., (near mint), quart, 9 1/2 in., $575.

Mumper’s Dairy milk bottle, multicolored pyro of dairy, elizabethtown, Pa., (near mint), quart, 9 1/2 in., $230.

Bomgardner Dairy milk bottle, baby-face cream top, pyro of two children playing on reverse, Palmyra, Pa., (near mint), quart, 9 1/2 in., $259.

Collecting Milk Bottles

Missouri Pacific Lines milk bottle, Sunnymede Farm, Bismarck, Mo., (excellent), half-pint, 4 1/4 in., $46.

Pine Tree Dairy milk bottle, Dutch woman, Backmanville, Pa., (near mint), quart, 9 1/2 in., $489.

16 Kovels – October 2010

John Drissel decorated spice box, painted tulip, lid indistinctly inscribed “Cath. Apleker (?),” “e. Stevens” paper label. Drissel (1762-1846) lived in Lower Milford Township, Bucks Co.,

Pa., 1 5/8 in. h. by 8 1/4 in. l., $9,912.

The appeal of small wooden boxes of all types is probably instinctive—the warm feel of old wood and the many

possible uses for the boxes make them hard to pass up at a show or sale. Whatever their original purpose, you can use them to store keys, stamps, pipes, knives, bills, playing cards, candles, sewing supplies or countless other sundries. We spotted more than 30 small wooden boxes at a North-east Auctions sale in New Hampshire. Many were more than 200 years old and had well-documented histories, pushing their prices into the thousands. Some of those, including a $9,912 painted spice box, are pictured, along with a few that sold for un-der $1,000. Cabinetmakers, woodworkers and ama-teurs made, carved and decorated wooden box-es during the country’s early years, just as they

do today. The boxes were often given as gifts or simply used around the house. An 18th-century pine bible box (pictured) sold for $1,062, the same amount that won an amusing 19th-century puzzle box with a spring-latched wooden snake. The puzzle box was simi-lar to others made by a known Berks County, Pa., woodworker named Heinrich Bucher. More prices: Paint-decorated valuables box, landscape scene, fitted interior,

rectangular, mid 19th c., 13 in. l., $14,160. Folk art sewing box, one drawer, bin top filled with 19 pieces of velvet fruit, 10 in. sq., $944. Pennsylvania candle box with spoon rack, pine, painted birds & flowers, signed “George Fuller” on reverse, 14 by 11 1/2 in., $1,770. Coordinated pair of book-form boxes, mahogany, satin & ebonized wood inlay, heart, star and diamond designs, each 7 3/4 by 7 1/8 in., $1,416. Photos are courtesy of Northeast Auctions, 93 Pleasant St., Portsmouth, NH 03801. The Annual Summer Americana Auc-tion catalogs, Aug. 6-8, 2010, can be viewed at Northeast-Auctions.com.

L ittLe Wooden Boxes

Heinrich Bucher-type puzzle box with spring-latched snake, lid inscribed “Jan 1 1840,” 4 in. h. by 5 3/4 in. l., $1,062.

American sailor-made heart-shaped box, inlaid decoration, 9 1/2 in. l., $531.

American carved pine bible box, front and sides carved beneath a tongue-and-groove border. Inscribed “1707” above two symbols, 6 3/4 in. h. by 17 1/2 in. l. by 11 in. d., $1,062. New England inlaid cherry pipe

box with drawer, shaped crest and sides with convex-molded edges, central oval decoration on front board, 1785-1800, 15 3/4 in. h. by 5 1/4 in. w. by 3 3/8 in. d., $6,490.

American woman’s sewing box, top inlaid with an American eagle and banner surrounded by geometric stars. Probably made as an engagement present, 12 in. l., $590.

Inlaid mahogany double knife box, scrollwork handle with applied boxes and inlaid star. Two sloping lids with star inlays above a case with diamond inlays, 16 in. l., $944.

Kovels – October 2010 17

Most brides don’t even register for sterling silver flatware these days. It’s simply too expensive. But that doesn’t stop

them from wishing they owned a set of sterling to dress up the dining room table. Wishes can come true. Sets of antique and vintage sterling silver flatware sell at auction for a fraction of what a new set costs—and sometimes the qual-ity of the older sets surpasses that of the new. More than a dozen sets of vintage sterling flatware sold at a recent Brunk auction in Ashe-ville, N.C. Some sets included mixed patterns and less than 50 pieces, but others had more than 100 pieces in a single pattern. A 104-piece set in the Fair-fax pattern, introduced by Dur-gin in 1910 and continued by Gorham, sold for $1,495. Some pieces carried Durgin’s marks and others Gorham’s—Gorham purchased Durgin in 1921 and continued to make Durgin’s most popular patterns. Fairfax is still made today—the manufac-turer’s suggested retail price for a new 66-piece set is $12,450 (although you can probably find a new set for about half that). Other silver flatware that sold at the auction: 68 pieces of Reed & Barton’s Classic Rose pattern (made from 1954 to 2005), $690; 39 pieces of Gorham’s Greenbrier pattern (1938-91), $1,265; 138 pieces of Reed & Barton’s Francis I pattern (1906-present), $3,910; and 111 pieces of Internation-al’s Prelude pattern (1939-pres-ent), $1,610. A 46-piece new set of Prelude retails for $7,400. The Fine and Decorative Arts catalog, July 10, 2010, is available from Brunk Auctions, P.O. Box 2135, Asheville, NC 28802, BrunkAuctions.com. Photos are courtesy of Brunk. For more information, see Sterling Silver Flatware for Dining Elegance, rev. 2nd ed., by Richard Osterberg (Schiffer, Atglen, Pa., 1999); and Silverware of the 20th Century: The Top 250 Patterns by Harry L. Rinker (Ballantine, N.Y., 1997). Also see the “Old vs. New” feature that regularly runs in Silver Magazine, P.O. Box 10246, Greensboro, NC 27404, SilverMag.com.

Gorham and Durgin Fairfax sterling silver flatware, 102 pieces (nine pictured), including 12 dinner forks, salad forks, iced tea spoons and solid-handle spreaders, 14 soup spoons, seven cocktail forks and hollow-handle knives (in two sizes, six with French-style stainless blades and one with a silver-plated blade), five dessert spoons and various serving pieces. Most with monograms, most with Gorham or Durgin mark, wooden case, $1,495.

SetS of Vintage Sterling flatware

Reed & Barton’s Francis I pat-tern is one of America’s most elegant. Patented in 1907, it’s considered the world’s most complete silver service, accord-ing to Silver Magazine. Buyers should be aware, however, that the quality of Francis I and other patterns that have been in continuous production has suffered over the years. Newer manufacturing methods led to a loss of design de-tail, a lack of patina and less crispness in handle outlines. All the more reason to look for older sets. And don’t let a monogram bother you. Just tell your guests that you inherited the set from your great-grand-mother.

If you’re buying or selling silverware, check the market price of silver bullion. Don’t sell for less than meltdown value. Whether or not you pay much more than meltdown depends on the quality of the pattern.

Need to fill in a set of sterling with just a few extra pieces? Check Replacements.com or one of the other matching services listed in the free Direc-tory at Kovels.com.

PICTUReD ON COVeRReed & Barton Classic Rose sterling silver flatware, 68 pieces (five pictured), including 10 dinner forks and hollow-handle spreaders (in two sizes), salad forks (one with bent handle) and hollow-handle knives with modern stainless blades, 12 teaspoons, eight soup spoons and various serving utensils. No monograms, one-drawer wooden case, $1,265.

Reed & Barton Francis I sterling silver flatware, 138 pieces (11 pictured), including 12 dinner forks, place forks, salad forks, iced tea spoons, soup spoons, demitasse spoons (five with monogram), solid-handle spreaders and hollow-handle knives with French stainless blades, 24 teaspoons, two tablespoons and various serving utensils. Most marked either “Reed & Barton” or with “eagle/R/Lion,” $3,910.

Whiting Lily sterling silver flatware, 46 pieces (seven pictured), including eight cocktail forks and hollow-handle knives with silver-plated blades (plating loss), 17 teaspoons, three dinner forks (tine wear) and salad forks, four soup spoons and a sugar spoon, ladle and solid-handle butter knife. Most with monogram, $1,495.

18 Kovels – October 2010

Hawken School – Part I

The annual outdoor antique show at Hawken School in Gates Mills, Ohio, is now held inside a building. It started 25 years

ago as a school fundraiser, with dealers’ booths on the grounds. White painted furniture and country antiques were popular back then. It has gradually become a large show with many out-of-town dealers who sell both country and sophisticated wares. This year the show featured some of everything. Although the downturn in the economy has hurt some shows, the dealers at this show had obviously thought about what sells these days. They combined inexpensive collectibles to attract buyers, and their booths displayed creative uses for familiar antiques. At a booth filled with flow blue dishes, I bought something unusual—a hunk of a damaged 1850s blue willow plate cut out and mounted as a pendant. It’s a great piece to wear to collector events. Another dealer was selling a shard, a large piece of a broken delft tile, for $56. It looked surprisingly good hanging on the wall. A booth where prospective buyers were actually waiting in line displayed dozens of necklaces made from long strings of pearls, each with a pendant that was an antique medal or charm. A double-booth near the entrance was filled with “smalls”—piles of pill boxes, postcards, small prints, costume jewelry, brass pipe tampers, cuff links and tiny ceramic figurines. Some were old and some more recent, but the display made everything tempting. One box marked “$15 each” held see-through bags filled with a jumble of things like figurines, spoons, medals and toys. I checked at the end of the day and most were sold. Another booth offered designer silk scarves, $8-$20. There were many expensive things at the show, too. A Victorian beaded tea cozy was $650. An old brass pipe cost $345. One booth with more-modern things had brushed steel chests of drawers at $495 each. The chests, from a factory, were originally painted but had been stripped to the now popular metallic finish. Old tables were made more useful and attractive by covering their tops with sheets of copper. “Serendipity” is a word that describes many antique show finds. I happened to spot four square dessert plates that matched a 1930s set of round Crown Ducal Florentine dishes I’ve had for years. After I bought the four for $40, the dealer told me he had seen eight more plates somewhere at the show. I searched the rows of dealers and finally found the other eight plates (all eight: $75). Then while waiting for my plates to be wrapped, I spotted a small silver dish for $20 marked “Los Castillo, Hecho en Mexico.” A great price for a piece by such a popular silversmith.

to be continued …

on the road

Crown Ducal Florentine mark on Terry’s round plates, c.1930-35.

Crown Ducal Florentine mark on Terry’s square plates, c.1935-38.

Tiffany English King sterling silver flatware, 33 pieces (six pictured), including 12 forks and soup spoons and nine teaspoons (several with bowl damage). Tiffany & Co. marks, heraldic devices, one-drawer wooden case, $1,265.

Gorham Greenbrier sterling silver flatware, 39 pieces (eight pictured), seven hollow-handle knives with French stainless blades, six dinner forks, salad forks, soup spoons and teaspoons (most with bowl damage, one with handle tip damage), two solid-handle spreaders and various serving utensils. No monograms, $690.

International Prelude sterling silver flatware, 111 pieces (11 pictured), including eight dinner forks, iced tea spoons, soup spoons, strawberry forks, ice cream spoons, solid-handle spreaders and hollow-handle knives with stainless blades, nine salad forks, 12 teaspoons, 14 solid-handle spreaders (in two sizes), 16 demitasse spoons and various serving utensils. No monograms, $1,610.

Kovels – October 2010 19

If you yearn to own a piece of 18th- or early 19th-century American furniture but

figure you’ll never be able to afford one, don’t give up. even the best auctions offer imperfect antiques that have been refinished and repaired at some point—and their prices can be close to or even under what you would pay for a brand new piece of quality furniture. Take a look at the pictured pieces. every one of them sold at a Skinner auction for under $2,000, and several went for less than $1,000. All of them are probably close to 200 years old and were made in the eastern United States. A Philadelphia carved mahogany game table was won for $948, a New england sofa for $1,659 and a Federal sideboard for $770. A bowfront bureau also attracted a winning bid of $770; a tall chest of drawers, $1,304; and a Chippendale slant-lid desk, $1,185. Antique American furniture pieces that bring the highest prices have original brasses, no repairs or replacement parts and original finish (or what experts believe to be original finish). Their makers and history are known and well-documented. But refinished and repaired pieces with a murky past are still “antique” and make attractive and usable pieces of furniture. More prices of refinished, repaired and imperfect antique furniture: Pine and oak shoe-foot hutch table, probably New england, late 1700s, 27 1/2 by 43 by 52 1/2 in., $504. queen Anne carved maple Spanish-foot armchair, probably Massachusetts, 1700s, 40 3/4 in., $593. Pine, maple and ash oval-top tavern table, New england, 1700s, 23 1/2 by 28 by 20 in., $385. Federal mahogany Pembroke table, New england, c.1800, 28 1/2 by 33 by 21 in., $711. Chippendale carved mahogany oxbow slant-lid desk, Massachusetts, c.1760-80, 44 by 41 1/2 by 23 in., $889. The American Furniture and Decorative Arts catalog, Aug. 14-15, 2010, is available from Skinner, Inc., 274 Cedar Hill St., Marlborough, MA 01752, SkinnerInc.com. Photos are courtesy of Skinner.

Chippendale oxbow slant-lid desk, carved mahogany, interior with nine drawers and eight valanced compartments. Massachusetts, (replaced brasses, refinished, imperfections), late 1700s, 43 1/4 in. h. by 41 in. w. by 23 in. d., $1,185.

Chippendale tilt-top candlestand, walnut, round dish top, vase- and ring-turned support, tripod base, cabriole legs, pad feet, (refinished, imperfections), late 1700s, 27 in. h. by 19 in. dia., $267.

Tall chest of drawers, maple. Southern New England, 1700s, (replaced brasses, refinished, minor imperfections), 51 in. h. by 36 in. w. by 19 1/2 in. d., $1,304.

PICTUReD ON COVeRFederal desk–bookcase, inlaid walnut, upper section with doors opening to shelves. Probably Middle Atlantic states, (replaced brasses, refinished, restored), c.1810, 81 1/2 in. h. by 40 1/2 in. w. by 22 1/2 in. d., $1,541.

Federal sofa, carved mahogany, wavy birch inlay. New england, (refinished), c.1810-15, 36 in. h. by 71 in. w. by 26 in. d., $1,659.

Chippendale game table, carved mahogany, rectangular folding top, straight skirt, drawer with old gilt-brass pull, cabriole legs, claw-and-ball feet. Possibly Philadelphia, (refinished, restored), 28 1/4 in. h. by 34 1/2 in. w. by 16 in. d., $948.

Bargain Antique Furniture

Federal sideboard, mahogany, string inlay, bowed top and case, drawer, two hinged doors. Possibly southeastern Unit-ed States, (restored), c.1790, 41 1/2 in. h. by 55 1/2 in. w. by 24 1/4 in. d., $770.

20 Kovels – October 2010

dictionary of Marks 20th-Century ItalIan Pottery

reproductions

tips • tips • tips • tips • tips • tips • tips • tips • tips • tips • tips • tips • tips • tips • tips

Hundreds of small potteries and workshops throughout Italy produced ceramics during the 20th century. Many

of the potteries were (and some still are) located in Nove and other cities in northern Italy, where pottery has been made for

hundreds of years. Colorful Italian pottery is popular with tourists and collectors.

Marks shown are from Italian Pottery Marks: From Cantagalli to Fornasetti (and Everyone in Between), 1850-1950 by Walter and Karen Del Pellegrino (81 Woodland Ave., Keansburg, NJ 07734, 2005).

Vintage cast-iron doorstops are popular collectibles, so reproductions can be found in a lot of gift catalogs. We spot-ted a brightly painted cast-iron rooster doorstop in the Vermont Country Store catalog. It’s described as “crafted from an antique mold” and is priced $24.95. The price of a vintage rooster can top $500. Remember: If an “old” doorstop looks too good to be true, it probably isn’t old at all.

Speaking of cast iron, reproductions of cast-iron toy stoves, which can sell for thousands, are offered in the Upper Deck Ltd. wholesale catalog. (The company should not be con-fused with the Upper Deck Co. that publishes sports cards.) The new toys look much like old ones, and a couple have even been deliberately “rusted.” They wholesale for $12.25 to $22.50 each and come in three designs.

Agostinelli & Dal PràNovec.1883-1953Mark used c.1887-c.1952Founded c.1883 by Domenico Agostinelli and Giuseppe Dal Prà as part of the Societa Cooperativa.

The original partnership, continued by descendents, broke up in the early 1950s.

Dal PràNovec.1953-presentMark painted under glaze, 1953-presentGiuseppe’s daughter, Rita, took over Agostinelli & Dal Prà after the partnership ended and renamed the firm Dal Prà. (At the same time, ermete Agostinelli established

Porcellane d’Arte in Bassano.)

BitossiMontelupo Fiorentino1921-presentMark used with or without a period, 1921-1950sFounded by Guido Bitossi. Designers included ettore

Sottsass, Marcello Fantoni and Guido Gambone. Bitossi is now part of Gruppo Colorobbia. From 1976 to 2000, pieces were marked with the name “Flavia” as well as “Bitossi.”

CarlessoNove1945-presentMark used 1945-presentFounded by Antonio and Ruggero Carlesso.

MelandriFaenza1919-1990Mark used 1922-1931

Pietro Melandri (1885-1976) was a painter who began making ceramics while he was a prisoner in Hungary during World War I. He worked in partnership with Umberto Focaccia from 1922 to 1931 and alone afterwards. Melandri’s sons took over the business after he died.

RonzanTurin and Bassano1939-1996Mark used 1939-1942Giovanni Ronzan founded the pottery in Turin with his brothers and a friend, Giovanni Cecchetto. The factory moved to Bassano in 1942, during World War II. The Turin factory reopened in 1949 and both factories continued to operate until they closed in 1996.

ZenNove1885-presentMark used 1935-1940Founded by Antonio Zen, who made some lines exclusively for Tiffany. Several different marks have been used. The letter “e” in this mark indicated it was made for export.

If a furniture part is loose or falls off, put it in a plastic bag, label it and save it in an obvious place. It may be possible to tape it to the bottom of a chair or the inside of a drawer. When you’re ready to make a repair, you won’t have to hunt for the part. Experts say you should never put silverware in a dishwasher for several reasons: eventually the oxidation (black highlights) will disappear, hollow-handled knives are filled with

a material that will melt, and if the silver touches stainless steel it will get black spots. Be safe. Wash silver by hand. You can keep your antique birdbath clear of algae if you put a few pre-1982 pennies in the water. Copper discourages algae. Friends will probably toss in more money thinking you have a wishing well. That’s what happens at the fountains in every mall.

Kovels – October 2010 21

A century ago, porcelain half-dolls were at their height of popularity. Women stitched skirts to the bottom of the

dolls’ torsos (notice the sew holes on the dolls’ hips) and sewed them atop pincushions or propped them over pow-der boxes, teapots, toasters or even small lamps. The best of them, made by european dollmak-ers, were never meant for children or even children’s rooms. And now their prices mean they’re still not to be touched by kids. A handful of half-dolls, also called pincushion dolls, were offerd at a Theriault’s summer auction. Most of the half-dolls were mold-ed with clothing, but a few were molded nude so own-ers could dress the dolls in a complete fabric outfit. The most expensive, at $2,576, was a large Roy-al Rudolstadt nude doll with elegantly posed arms held away from her body (see side-bar). She was wearing an an-tique embroidered silk gown and still sat on her original wire lamp cage. A German doll with one gloved hand held to her lips auctioned for $1,232. The other dolls, some by known makers, attracted bids under $1,000. Several are pictured. The Great Man’s Doll cata-log for the July 18, 2010, auction in Chicago is available from Theriault’s, P.O. Box 151, Annapolis, MD 21401, Theriaults.com. Photos are courtesy of Theriault’s. For more in-formation, see The Collector’s Encyclopedia of Half-Dolls by Frieda Marion and Norma Werner (Crown, N.Y., 1979). It’s out of print but available at Amazon.com.

Half-dolls were made with arms in variations of three basic poses: “close,” “open and re-turning” and “arms away.” The first type has arms close to the body, with no space between the arms and body. These were the cheapest to make and gen-erally sell for less than other poses. The second type, “open and returning,” has space be-tween one or both arms and the body. The third type, “arms away,” has arms held away from the body; the arms were cast from separate molds and attached with slip. They were more difficult to make and more easily broken.

European Half-Dolls

PICTUReD ON COVeRGerman porcelain half-doll, face lifted to side, hair with rolled curls, high pouf and feathers. Bodice with ruffled trim and sleeve edging, fan position symbolizes love, c.1910, 7 in., $336.

Kister of Germany porcelain half-doll, hair in topknot with bow, right hand holding bouquet of pansies. Draped shawl over bodice, small yellow bows at wrists, gold beaded necklace. Blue mark, (flakes on petals), c.1910, 4 in., $336.

German porcelain half-doll, tilted head, hair in high pouf, gloved hand to lips. Gilt-edged bonnet with bow and plumes, gilt-laced bodice with draped shawl, flared hips, c.1900, 6 1/2 in. h., $1,232.

German porcelain “Morning Glory” half-doll, head turned to side, hair in loose chignon decorated with morning glories. Low-cut bodice with Dresden lace trim, sleeves edged with gilt beading, gold bracelets. Flared hip base, blue stamp mark attributed to Volkstedt-Rudolstadt, c.1900, 5 1/2 in., $616.

German porcelain “Gold Earrings Lady” nude half-doll, attributed to Royal Rudolstadt, head turned downward and to right, hair in loose roll at back and decorated with turquoise beads, gold earrings. Antique embroidered silk outfit, attached to original wire lamp cage, c.1900, 7 1/2 in., 18 in. overall, $2,576.

German porcelain half-doll, head turned right and uplifted, hair with side poufs and long ringlets. Low-cut blouse with Dresden rose, c.1900, 6 1/2 in., $784.

Herend of Hungary porcelain half-doll, right arm lifted, left behind head. Gold cap, shawl over peasant blouse and lace bodice, skirt with floral apron. Sculpted from hips up, blue Herend mark, c.1900, 6 in., $952.

22 Kovels – October 2010

Buyer’s price Guide

Prices compiled monthly from sales and advertisements. For 42,000 current prices and 2,600 color photographs and factory marks, see Kovels’ An-tiques & Collectibles Price Guide 2011, 43rd edition, available at local bookstores and libraries, from Kovels.com or by mail from KOVeLS, P.O. Box 22192, Beachwood, OH 44122 ($27.95 plus $4.95 postage and handling).

ADVERTISING20 Mule Team fan, cardboard, handle, image of young

woman on front, image of soap chips, bar soap, toilet cleaner & water softener on reverse, c.1915, 8 in. .. $75

Barking Dog cigarettes store display, gray pottery dog, eyes glow, Philip Morris Co., 1930s, 8 x 10 in. ............. $115

Elsie the Cow figural lamp, vinyl, Elsie smiling, accented facial features, daisy necklace, switch on back, wooden base, 1950s, 4 x 9 1/2 in. .................... $125

Goebel Private Stock 22 Beer sign, tin, impressed letters read “Goebel, It’s Mello-ized,” glass of beer next to batter trophy, red & black, 1951, 11 x 14 in. ...... $175

Baby Ruth candy bar sign, glossy paper, Tales of the Texas Rangers TV show, photo of star Jace Pearson, Curtiss Candy Co., 1950s, 11 1/2 x 14 1/2 in. ................ $180

DOLLS & TOYSBewitched costume, outfit with images of Samantha

winking, Samantha plastic mask with witch’s hat, Ben Cooper, Screen Gems, 1965, box.............................. $75

Howdy Doody Xylo-Doodle piano, plastic, side push buttons, images of Howdy Doody, Clarabell & friends, Kagran copyright, 1950s, 9 x 14 in. .................. $175

Nancy Ann-style show doll, hard plastic, blue sleep eyes, rosy cheeks, closed mouth, brown wig, taffeta & lace gown, hoop skirt, satin strap shoes, straw hat, 16 in. ..... $230

The Munsters magic slate, cardboard frame with cast members & house at 1313 Mockingbird Lane, Kayro- Vue Productions, 1965, 8 1/2 x 13 1/2 in. ...................... $315

“The Batwatch” wristwatch, Batman face in center, silvertone case, leather band, NPP Inc., 1966 ................ $345

FURNITUREContemporary club chair, green faux suede upholstery,

T-form seat cushion, box-pleated skirt, 1920s, 33 in. .... $145Gilbert Rhode coffee table, for Troy Sunshade, black

lacquered wood, double-shelf form, chromed steel C-form legs, mid 20th century, 21 x 35 x 17 in. ......... $1,000

Cast-iron garden bench & armchair, Laurel pattern, leaves & vines, crescent shape, c.1900, bench 29 by 42 in., chair 29 in. ................................................... $4,182

Four-poster bed, mahogany, leaf-carved balusters, barley twists & floral garlands, bud finials, brass ball feet, New Orleans, c.1900, 94 x 56 in. ................. $6,870

GLASSCarter’s cathedral master ink bottle, cobalt blue, partial

neck label, nearly complete primary label, embossed “Carter’s, 10, C101” under base, 1900-30, 9 3/4 in. ........ $90

Steuben perfume bottle, Verre de Soie, melon form, green flame stopper, 3 1/2 in. ......................................... $315

Tiffany gold favrile glass vase, flower form, pulled green leaves, white ground, signed, 6 x 4 1/2 in. ........... $805

Pressed glass tulip vase, deep peacock green, blood red streak, octagonal bowl & base, flared rim, Boston & Sandwich Glass Co., c.1850, 10 x 5 1/2 in. ............ $2,185

POTTERY & PORCELAINWeller Dickensware mug, brown glaze with incised

design of 2 ivory nudes standing by a shield with the word “Prosit,” marked, 6 x 6 in. ............................... $260

Fulper vase, mauve wisteria glaze, curdled texture, oval, raised mark, 1916-22, 9 3/4 in. .............................. $410

Meissen figurine, woman in 18th-century dress seated beside table with parrot peeking out of birdcage, gilt accents, late 19th century, 5 3/4 in. ....................... $1,007

Abingdon cookie jar, Halloween witch on broomstick, crescent moon & flying bat in background, cat handle, double-sided, 1950s, 8 1/2 x 11 1/4 in. ........... $1,140

SILVER & OTHER METALSCast-iron Halloween cat bookends, cats with smiling

open mouths, long flowing fur on neck & chest, marked “DAL” on back, 1925 copyright, 2 x 4 1/2 in. .. $160

Sterling silver carving set, Renaissance pattern, knife, fork & sharpening file, marked “Tiffany & Co.,” c.1905, 14 in. .................................................... $470

Hamilton railroad pocket watch, gold-filled, open face, Ball Official Standard model, 21 jewels, adjustable positions, engraved case, c.1893, size 16 ....................... $500

Figural weathervane, Confederate soldier sitting on stump fishing, fish on hook, sheet iron, painted on both sides, c.1900, 21 x 27 in. ..................................... $1,175

TEXTILES & CLOTHINGGucci silk scarf, empire-style coffee cups, red ground,

putti & Chinese-style figures on border, 34 x 34 in. ...... $245Hooked rug, Dickens carriage silhouette, coachman &

couple, black on olive green, red umbrella & horse reins, c.1920, 42 x 27 in. ...................................... $250

Judith Leiber clutch, gathered black snake, onyx frame, brass bar, lined in black faille, lizard strap, 8 x 12 in. .... $615

Quilt commemorating Spanish-American War, flags of 39 countries, signed inscription, e.B. Townsend, Bloomfield, Iowa, July 1898, 85 x 78 in. .................... $9,400

MISCELLANEOUSSailor pin, figural, pearl face representing Pearl

Harbor, sailor waving a pair of signal flags, die-cut white metal, enamel paint, 2 1/4 in. ................................. $55

Skeleton, carved ivory, walking, carrying masks & skulls on branch, pierce-carved, water-lily hat, Japan, first half of 20th century, 9 in. .......................... $2,290

$20 & UNDERRoyal Munich plate, yellow & lavender, white rose

design, 7 1/2 in. .................................................................. $5Dish towel, embroidered cotton, “Sew on Wednesday,”

young girl sewing with a bluebird watching, 1930s, 42 x 14 in. ............................................................. $10

Halloween witch mask, soft rubber, cutout eyes, orange hair, green & black face, down-turned mouth, wart on chin, c.1955, 10 1/2 in. ............................ $17

Pressed glass salt & pepper, Prism pattern, 2 3/4 in. ........... $20

Kovels – October 2010 23

Q We own a floral porcelain jar-dinière and matching pedestal

that have been in our family for four generations. My great-grandfather was a printer at the time of the Columbian Ex-position in Chicago in 1893 and we un-derstand that he received the jardinière in exchange for doing some printing. I think the set is a Zsolnay piece because the mark looks like the five churches. Any general or pricing information would be appreciated.

A Zsolnay pottery was made in Pecs, Hungary, beginning in about 1853.

The mark with five towers, representing the five churches in Pecs, was used be-ginning in 1878. Most of the tower marks include the words “Zsolnay” and “Pecs.” Designs like your jardinière were made between 1858 and 1897. Zsolnay later concentrated on art nouveau, art deco and modernism designs. Zsolnay is still in business making limited edition items, tiles and architectural ceramics. You can find the approximate year your jardinière was made by looking for an incised four-digit number on the bottom of the piece and checking it on the list of Zsolnay production numbers and dates at DrawRm.com/zsolnay-marks.htm. Your jardinière set should sell for more than $1,000.

Q I am the original and sole owner of this Heinz toy truck. My dad bought it for me in the early 1930s, and I’m 80

now. I was a small boy with very few toys—this was during the Depression and we were poor. I remember a local mom-and-pop store displayed my toy as a promotion. There was only one truck per store. It wasn’t for sale, but my father talked the store owner into selling it to him for $3 when the promotion was over. Are there many of these trucks around? What is its value? Heinz wanted to buy it from me, but I didn’t want to sell it.

A Your Heinz advertising toy truck is made of pressed steel. It was manufactured by Metalcraft Corp. of St. Louis,

probably in 1932. Metalcraft was in business from 1931 until 1937. The company made close to a mil-lion pressed steel toy trucks, many of them covered with decals advertising every-thing from local din-ers to Coca-Cola and Goodrich tires. Until 1936, its toy trucks were designed by Al Korte. Yours is a well-known toy often dubbed the “Heinz Pickle Huckster Truck.” But other examples of your truck have more than a single decal on each side—they have other decals, too, including “H.J. Heinz Co.,” “Rice Flakes,” “Spaghetti” and “To-mato Ketchup.” It’s possible the store where your father bought the truck removed the other ads or requested a truck without them. If your truck has never been restored and has the original spare tire and hook, it is worth $500 or more.

Letters from readers help us keep track of the changing world of antiques and collectibles. We wish we could answer all questions individually, but that just isn’t pos-sible. We do read every letter, but only a limited number of questions of general interest are answered. Values given are average for the type of antique, not a specific appraisal. No questions about coins, stamps, books or oil paintings, please. Send written questions to P.O. Box 22192, Beachwood, OH 44122. Photos should be in focus and processed by a traditional photo lab; computer-generated prints on regular paper cannot be used. We try extra hard for subscribers, so include your newsletter label and a large, self-addressed, stamped envelope. email questions and digital photos using the email form on the “Contact us” page at our website, Kovels.com. We regret that we cannot return any photos. We retain the right to use them in this publication or other Kovel forums, regardless of medium. Please do not send old letters, cards or papers of value. Sometimes research takes time, so please be patient.

coLLector’s GaLLery

Q My office chair was made by the Phoenix Chair Co. of She-

boygan, Wis. The chair has the origi-nal label on the bottom and the same logo is also cast on the metal swivel mechanism. The second spoke on the chair back is upside down. Does the manufacturer’s error make the chair worth more or less?

A Phoenix Chair Co. was in busi-ness from 1875 until the 1930s.

The style of your chair suggests it was made c.1900. At one time, there were so many furniture manufacturers in Sheboygan that it became known as “Chair City.” The upside-down spoke doesn’t affect the value of your chair. It can probably be turned around to right-side up by a good woodworker.

Q Any idea of the value of my Yankee cigarette ma-

chine? There are pictures of fruit on the three reels beneath the three windows, just like a slot machine. The machine took one cent and dispensed different brands of cigarettes.

A Your machine is called a “trade stimulator.” It sat on

a counter in a store, bar or soda fountain and was meant to attract customers and promote sales. But the machine dispensed gumballs The plate under the windows on your machine says, “Your coin buys ball of gum. For your amusement line up three of a kind and obtain 1 pack of cigarettes, any 15¢ brand.” It was not legal to sell cigarettes with a game of chance, so the store sold penny gum and gave away cigarettes as prizes. If the same fruit appeared in all three windows, the per-son playing got a free pack of cigarettes. Your machine was made c.1941 by Groetchen Tool & Manufacturing Co. of Chicago. The company made slot machines in the 1930s and ’40s. If your ma-chine works, it could sell for more than $300.

24 Kovels – October 2010