Munich Stein Could Bring Up To $450

Dear Collector: I inherited a house built in 1879, which belonged to my great-grandmother. With the house come lots of interesting items, including a “Mettlach” stein.

Your No. 2002, half-liter Munich design stein is listed in the “Antique Trader’s, Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide” at $450, even though I’ve seen several sell on eBay, the Internet auction site, for a bit less.

Dear Collector: I have seven volumes of short stories by Guy de Maupassant that were published in 1903 by the St. Dunstan Society of Akron, Ohio.

Henri Rene Albert Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893) is credited with inventing the modern short story, writing numerous tales over the 43 years of his life. Dozens of English language versions have been published, not to mention French, German, Spanish, Russian, etc. The set you have is currently worth about $15 per book.

Dear Collector: I have a copy of the July 20, 1864, issue of the “Central Christian Advocate,” published in St. Louis by Poe & Hitchcock for the Methodist Church. It contains articles on the Civil War, as well as pieces about the church. It is not in pristine condition, but is readable. Is it possible for you to estimate its value?

Although not in the best of shape, your newspaper, with its account of the Civil War could be worth as much as $50.

Dear Collector: I am curious about an old round etching in wood that my parents have. It has a picture of one of the “Gibson Girls” on it. Do you have any information on the artist and his work?

American illustrator Charles Dana Gibson (1867-1944) and his “Girls” were synonymous with the “Gilded Age” in this country. For nearly a generation, Gibson Girls (the epitome of fin de siecle femininity) with their high-piled hair graced magazine covers, becoming the first “pinups,” albeit in a very modest manner. Gibson’s original work sells for thousands of dollars. Unfortunately, none of my art reference books have Gibson working in wood, so there’s little chance that you have a one-of-a-kind article.

Dear Collector: Enclosed is a list of 73 pieces of sheet music giving the song title, copyright date, publisher, and condition. The oldest is from 1892, and they go on up through the 1930s. We would appreciate any help you can give.

Marion Short has written five price guides on collectible sheet music. Each paperback book contains hundreds of color photos and is indexed for easy referencing. Published by Schiffer, these interesting and informative volumes not only cover music from Hollywood and Broadway, but also include ragtime and blues.

Dear Collector: I have a collection of old books that are titled “Messages and Papers of the Presidents.” On the inside cover is “Prepared under the direction of the Joint Committee on Printing of the House and Senate, Pursuant to an Act of the Fifty-Second Congress.” Is this trash or treasure?

Neither! Dating from the 1890s, when the 52nd Congress was convened, your books are worth about $10 each. A look on the Internet reveals a healthy number of these esoteric tomes floating in the ether of cyberspace.