Reader won’t clean up with antique basin
Dear Collector,
Could you help me identify this wash basin? It has the following text on the back: “Emery Azalea Burslem England.”
Francis Joseph Emery, who was mentioned in a previous column, made your circa 1880s earthernware basin decorated in a blue on white design he called Azalea. Located in the Staffordshire town of Burslem, Emery employed nearly 100 workers. Your bowl is now worth $15 to $20.
Dear Collector,
Recently while going through our attic I came across an old magazine called Thrilling Westerns. It is dated September 1937 and is in impeccable condition. I have sealed it in an airtight freezer bag. Is this magazine worth anything?
For long term storage of magazines, books and the like; Mylar sleeves are recommended over freezer bags made of polyethylene because they contain inert chemicals friendlier to ephemera (paper items). Published from 1934 to 1953, this magazine featured stories by Louis L’Amour, but only in the last decade of its existence. Your issue, even in pristine state, is worth about $10.
Dear Collector,
This Gilbert “Lake No. 4” clock was a wedding present to my great-grandparents when they married in the late 1880s or early 1890s. The clock chimes on the hour, and I’ve been told it also has an alarm, but I don’t know if that’s true. Can you find out any information on this clock?
My research shows this shelf clock being manufactured close to 1895, so perhaps the wedding dates are off. It does have an alarm setting. Your may be interested in knowing that what appears to be incised carving on the oak case was actually done by steaming the wood then putting it in a large press. One of six in the Lake series, your clock ticks to the tune of $200 to $300.
Dear Collector,
I’ve heard that my 1937 buffalo nickel is worth quite a lot. Is this true?
One of the noblest coins the U.S ever minted, the James Earl Fraser design is once again being struck, albeit in a different denomination. You refer to the urban myth that all 1937 nickels are valuable (similar to the mistaken belief that the 1943 “silver” penny is rare and costly), while the truth is relatively few are. Since the buffalo on the reverse of your coin has all four legs, the value is about 50 cents. If only three legs were visible, then it would be worth at least $500.
Dear Collector,
Would you help me put a date on my Kodak Baby Brownie camera?
This simple Bakelite box camera used 127 film. Produced during the 1930s, examples seldom warrant a value higher than $30.
Dear Collector,
I have my father’s Hopalong Cassidy pocket knife. It has three blades, and there’s a black and white picture of Hopalong on his horse. If you would be so kind as to offer any information about this, I’d gladly appreciate it.
This implement with two sharp blades and a bottle opener was a popular boy’s tool in the early 1950s when it was made by Hammer Knife. Hung on a belt by a plastic fob, also decorated with “Hoppy” on his horse, Topper, your knife is currently worth $30. Add another $20 for the fob.