THE COLLECTOR
Dear Collector,
I am sending you a photo of my Dad’s Root Beer sign which has been in the family for many years. I’d say it’s in quite good condition. While the gauge is accurate, I don’t know anything about its age or possible value.
Dad’s, now owned by Monarch Beverage of Atlanta, was first bottled in 1937. Still popular in the Midwest, this root beer employed many advertising related items, of which your 1950s tin sign/thermometer (in most excellent condition) is one of the better examples. Listed in several price guides, this item carries a value of $150; but recently another one, in inferior shape, sold for more than $200 on eBay, the Internet auction site.
Dear Collector,
My mother is cleaning out her home prior to moving into an assisted-living unit, and asked me if I wanted my old Twilight Zone game. Is it worth the shipping charges to have her send it to me?
Considering that this 1961 Ideal Toy Corp. board game could be worth $150, I’d say yes!
Dear Collector,
Enclosed are photos of a dish that belonged to my mother’s grandmother and may come from Wales, where she was born in 1879. There is a pretzel mark with the letters “E&C” stamped on the bottom.
What you see as a pretzel is actually a “Staffordshire Knot,” so we know that your E & C Challinor bowl’s origin is England. This pottery, located in Lane Delph, Fenton, employed this particular printed backstamp between 1860 and 1890.
Dear Collector,
I am curious as to the value of a 1953 Series two dollar bill?
Current value on a circulated note showing average wear is $4.
Dear Collector,
Who made this sugar bowl that is marked “MZ Austria” with an eagle?
Attributed to Moritz Zdekauer, a short-lived decorative household and tableware maker who succeeded August Nowotny & Co. of Altrohau, your porcelain bowl dates from the very end of the 19th century.
Dear Collector,
Do you know when this Telechron electric clock was made and what it is worth today?
Your early 1940s wall-mounted timepiece was marketed as the “Stewardess.” Originally priced at $4.95, its value has now jumped to nearly $100.
Dear Collector,
I bought this peanut vending machine for $15 at an estate sale. It works, but there’s no key; did I pay too much?
Made by Victor, your 1950s aluminum “Vendorama” is worth $30.
Dear Collector,
Believe it or not, I got this Mary Poppins lunchbox and Thermos when I was in the second grade.
Your 1965 Aladdin Industries tin (actually steel) combination is worth about $150.
Dear Collector,
When I hear of people digging up things in their back yards I was always skeptical. Guess what, I just found this old bottle while preparing the footing for new stairs to our porch. How old, how much?
Abilena Cathartic Water, a laxative, was popular during the 1890s. Cleaned up, your amber bottle is valued at $3-$5.