Jacket Recalls New York World’S Fair
* Dear Collector: I have a 1939 New York World’s Fair jacket in very good condition. I was wondering if it has any value?
This wonderful piece of history is made of durable heavy canvas-like cotton, with red metal buttons and decorated with the fair’s theme structures (Trylon and Perisphere). Though not one-of-a-kind, I was surprised to see one sell for over $800 on eBay, the Internet auction site. The Tydol Gasoline souvenir map in the pocket is a nice touch and worth an extra $10.
* Dear Collector: I was told that my tea set is 24k gold. Each piece is marked “Winton, Grimwades, England.”
Unless it is also marked “Warranted,” your set made by Royal Winton, Grimwades Ltd. of Staffordshire (probably sometime after 1930 but before 1950), is not gold. There is a process that produces a gold, silver, copper or bronze-like surface on porcelain. Popular with collectors, “luster ware,” often fools novices with its brilliant metallic finish.
* Dear Collector: Could you give me some information on the chairs in the enclosed photo?
They appear to be a pair of molded plywood side chairs made in the late 1940s and styled by famous designer Charles Eames. If that’s the case, then you’re looking at a price tag of $300-$500 per chair.
* Dear Collector: I have a small metal bull, about an inch high, with large letters spelling out “Bull Durham.” A loop on the top suggests that it may have been a tag of some sort.
A premium included in a pouch of tobacco, your Bull Durham fob (or charm) is now worth $15-$20.
* Dear Collector: Is there a Wedgwood museum in England?
Yes. One is located at the Wedgwood factory in Stoke-on-Trent. Right now it’s closed for major renovations, but should be open by the summer.
* Dear Collector: While cleaning the garage I came across a 1943 Spiegel catalog. Prices and style have sure changed a lot since then. Does it have any value?
Between $15 and $20 is the current going rate for wartime publications, slightly higher than most pre-war catalogs. Due to a paper shortage during WWII, the major mail-order houses printed fewer catalogs, plus there were fewer consumer goods available. Add another $5 if it’s a Christmas edition.
* Dear Collector: I have a carbide lamp made by the Hall Company of Kenosha, Wis. It has a patent date of 1899, and has the word “Solar” stamped on top.
What you have is a bicycle lamp. Not only did it provide illumination for the cyclist, it also had red and green lenses for passing safety. If in very good condition, these relics currently sell for about $100.
My all-time favorite cartoon character is Snoopy, and author Freddi Karin Margolin’s new book not only features collectibles associated with this comic canine, but all of Charles M. Schulz’s league of little legumes. Over a thousand color photographs display some of the more than 4,000 items listed. The book is sectioned off by putting each collectible in an appropriate room, hence the title, “Peanuts, The Home Collection” (Antique Trader Books, 1999, $29.95). All captions contain a price range; there’s a handy index and several other nifty features. A must-have guide for the Peanuts collector.