THE COLLECTOR
Dear Collector,
I would like to know some history on this portable GM tube radio with a 67 1/2 volt battery?
Hardly handy by today’s standards, your circa 1940 pre-transistor superheterodyne (a principle to overcome interference which was invented by the creator of FM radio, Edwin Armstrong) pocket portable with four tubes and a battery with enough voltage to power a subway system, was considered the microchip of its day, even though it probably weighs several pounds. If it still works, value is $100 to $150.
Dear Collector,
When my grandmother died, my sister got her piano, and I got all the sheet music. Here is the list, what do you think the whole lot is worth?
Three typewritten single-space pages make for a long, long list, so I picked the one with the most unusual title: “She Never Kissed Anything Else Except The Blarney Stone.” This 1927 song is worth $10.
Dear Collector,
This hand-shaped vase marked “NM” was my mother’s. How old is it? How much is it worth?
The initials stand for Nelson McCoy, an Ohio based pottery that made your vase in the 1940s. Off the cuff, I’d say it’s worth $45.
Dear Collector,
This Maltese five shillings was found inside an old trunk in our attic. No one in the family has ever been to Malta. Does it have any value?
Situated south of Sicily and made up of a number of small islands, Malta is now an independent state within the British Commonwealth. However, in 1939, when your note was issued, Malta was ruled by King George VI, which is why his portrait is on this bill that is worth about $10.
Dear Collector,
When was this My Angel doll made? I think she is dressed in her original clothing, but I no longer have the box in which she came.
An Arranbee toy, Angel was made in 1961. Her body is formed from vinyl and plastic. Since she’s incomplete (minus box, shoes and other accessories), value is between $10 and $40, depending on her size.
Dear Collector,
Over the past few years I’ve begun collecting lunchboxes and finally found one that was a bargain. I paid way below market price for this Green Hornet box because some paint was scratched off on the side. Did I do well?
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but the reason the price was so low is because it’s a reproduction. The real ones, manufactured by King Seeley in 1967, sell for more than $300, and that’s without the thermos. Your 1998 G-Whiz! product is marked with the company logo right on the spot that’s been defaced. There’s still an up side; if you paid less than $15, you got a good deal.
Dear Collector,
Was there ever a crockery or china maker in Huntingdon, Pa.?
I see at least three potteries listed for that city. Hyssong/Hissong, a family concern that specialized in utilitarian wares. Willam Thomas, maker of stoneware, and Henry Glazier, who also made stoneware.