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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Price not always equal to value


This 12-inch-high Roseville Peony vase dates to 1942.
 (The Spokesman-Review)
Glenn Erardi Special to The Spokesman-Review

Dear Collector: Could you tell me what the market price is on my Roseville 67-12 vase?

Market prices are sometimes different than values listed in price guides due to a number of factors; perhaps the greatest of which is eBay, the Internet auction site. By offering a vast variety of goods pulled from cellars, attics and garages, eBay effectively reduced their selling prices; which in turn drastically changed the world of antiques and collectibles. Your 12-inch-high art pottery vase is in the Peony pattern produced by Roseville in 1942. Assigned a value of $250-$300 in one major reference, I think it more likely that your keepsake is worth slightly less, perhaps $175-$250.

Dear Collector: Could you tell me if there is any worth to Arthur Fiedler’s signature? I think he was a conductor of the Boston Pops.

A violinist (his surname in German means fiddler) with the Boston Symphony, Arthur Fiedler (1894-1979) was in fact the eighteenth conductor of the Pops; though he will always be remembered for the many years he served as leader of that orchestra. Current value on his autograph is about $30.

Dear Collector: I would like to know about our old Waterbury clock?

The enclosed photo shows that your circa 1918 regulator, called the Crane, has some damage to it. In working order, it could be worth as much as $600.

Dear Collector: Please tell me how old these kerosene lamps are, and what they are worth?

Sorry, I need more than several blurred pictures to make an evaluation. At the very least, you should have included copies of any marks. However, you can look through “Oil Lamps: The Kerosene Era in North America” (Collector Books, 2004, $39.95) by Catherine M.V. Thuro, to find quotes on your lamps.

Dear Collector: Please identify the maker of my old china platter?

One of the photos you sent along shows a backstamp with the letters S and R inside a circle, topped by a crown. This mark was used by British porcelain maker Samuel Radford during the 1880s.

Dear Collector: I found this copy of “John Carter of Mars” among things left by my uncle after his death last year. What is this small size book worth?

Published in 1940, this Better Little Book was written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the fellow who penned the Tarzan novels. Apparently is very good condition, your science fiction classic could be worth as much as $70; more than twice the value of most other Whitman juvenile books.

Dear Collector: I bought this battery operated bank at a flea market. It’s just a black box, on which you place a penny, whereupon the cover opens and a hand appears grabbing the coin. I paid $10, was that too much?

Introduced in 1964, your “Thing” was based on the disembodied hand (servant) of the same name from TV’s “The Addams Family.” Considered a minor hit on the toy/novelty market, it originally sold for $5. Original bank in original box now sells for $25-$40.

Recommended reading: “Atomic Home: A Guided Tour of the American Dream,” Whitney Matheson (Collectors Press, 2004, $1995). “Popular Art Deco Lighting: Shade of the Past,” Herb Millman & John Dwyer (Schiffer, 2004, $49.94). “Antique Trader Answers to Questions About Antiques & Collectibles,” Kyle Husfloen (Krause, 2004, $14.99

Prices quoted reflect retail values, and as with many antiques and collectibles these values vary.