‘Edition’ marking a key clue to value
Dear Collector: I’m hopeful you can give me some information and value on this blue bottle with “A. Lancaster’s Indian Vegetable Jaundice Bitters” on one side, and “Col. Sam Johnson Proprietor, Richmond, Va. 1852” on the other?
Wheaton, a major glass and plastic container maker, produced this eight-sided bitters bottle back in the 1970s. While it’s easy to confuse this with an original antique, the fact that it’s marked elsewhere with the word “Edition” gives us a clue to its true age. One of a large series of reproductions, your bottle has a current value of between $3 and $5.
Dear Collector: From childhood I’ve had a Davy Crockett single-blade pocket knife, which is still in good condition. I wonder what its value is?
Bearing the Walt Disney logo, your circa 1955 Imperial product, depicting Fess Parker as the legendary frontiersman, has a minimum value of about $40.
Dear Collector: During WWII, when my husband was in Europe he found this coin beneath his tank. What is it?
Commonly called a “Madonna Thaler,” your 1871 Bavarian silver coin has Ludwig II on the obverse and Mary, the country’s patroness on the reverse. Ludwig (1845-1886), The Mad King, was responsible for much extravagant and costly construction during his reign including the famed Neuschwanstein, which served as the model for Disney’s Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. A possible suicide, Ludwig drowned in Lake Starnberg. This coin has been restruck a number of times lately, but yours was the last year of the initial issue. Today, an original thaler in good to fine condition is worth $100-$150.
Dear Collector: Will you ever appraise Beanie Babies?
Probably not. I decided long ago to concentrate only on pre-1970 collectibles, which leaves out Beanie Babies.
Dear Collector: My daughter bought this cup and saucer for $2 at a yard sale. She wants to know if they are old.
The Glaswegian pottery of Cochran & Company used this particular backstamp from 1869 to 1917. Predicated on style, I would place these items in the last quarter of the 19th century.
Dear Collector: What’s the date and value of my Dr. Pepper thermometer?
This circular advertising thermometer was distributed during the 1950s and ‘60s. I found it listed in one price guide for $150-$175.
Dear Collector: When I married in 1950, I took my GE alarm clock to our new home, where it’s been by our bedside ever since. I intend to bestow it on my oldest granddaughter upon her upcoming marriage.
Originally retailing for $6.95, your model 3H168 Debutante electric wood-case clock had a production run of three years starting in 1945. Further research shows that 53,000 units were manufactured. I’m all for passing on everyday things to another generation, where they’ll serve a practical, yet personal function.
Dear Collector: What is a “Ruff and Reddy” Little Golden Book worth?
One of the earliest Hanna-Barbera cartoons, this dog and cat duo were featured by LGB in 1959. A mint copy of this title is now worth $6.
Dear Collector: Any value to my Wagner Ware popover pan?
Your Style A cast iron pan with eleven cups dates from around 1920, and is worth an estimated $50.