‘Chatterbox’ Most Valuable In Early Years

Dear Collector: I have seven children’s books titled “Chatterbox,” dated 1897 through 1903. There are numerous full-page black-and-white illustrations, along with six color plates in each book. Would these books have any value?

First published in 1866, Chatterbox was a very popular series both in the U.S. and England, having many different publishers and editors over the years. Of course, the earlier books would have more value, but yours should be worth $30-$45 each. The last publication was in the 1930s.

* Dear Collector: Two urns that I have are marked “Warble, England.” What are their backgrounds?

I believe you misread the name of “Wardle,” a Staffordshire firm located in Hanley. In operation from 1874, they probably made your urns sometime after the First World War.

* Dear Collector: I have a charcoal drawing of a bunny signed by Barbara Cooney. Cooney gave me this sometime in the mid-1950s when she appeared at our local library. Do you have any idea of the value?

Since Cooney is alive and well, and living in Maine, it would be remiss of me to place a value on her work. Born in 1917, she’s won two Caldecott Medals for illustrating children’s books, plus she’s written quite a few books on her own.

* Dear Collector: Enclosed is a copy of a personal letter that I received from J. Edgar Hoover, who at that time was head of the FBI. Does it have any financial value?

Even without the need to view the original letter, it looks like Mr. Hoover’s signature was courtesy of a rubber stamp. If that is the case, then it would have almost no value. Authentic signatures by this controversial lawman are worth $50 and up.

* Dear Collector: Recently I received a tin “Trailways” bus from my great-uncle. It has a friction motor in the rear and the license plate reads “1964.” What can you tell me about it?

If you have the original box in which it came, a toy of this type would be worth around a hundred dollars, depending on the type of bus and its condition.

* Dear Collector: I am searching for more information on a painting I bought at a flea market. The painting is an original watercolor signed “The Clipper Ship Aristoles,” by Arthur E. Bracy. It’s copyrighted 1937.

The fact that your “painting” is copyrighted leads me to think that it’s really a print. The best way to tell the difference between a print and the real thing is to remove the item from the frame. This allows you to scrutinize the surface texture for telltale brush marks. Bracy, a 20th century American artist, specialized in maritime themes, some of which are now worth more than $1,000.

Each week The Collector gets many interesting letters. And every once in a while there’s one that catches our eye. Just a while ago we received an envelope that had five 6-cent stamps all of them 30 years old!

According to the “Scott 2000 Catalogue” (the philatelist’s friend) the current value on these stamps is more than the 33-cents required by the United States Postal Service for first-class mail.