Old razor carries little current value

Dear Collector: I purchased this Rolls razor new in the late 1930s. I would appreciate your opinion as to its value.

Containing a stone, strop, razor handle and two blades within its own case, the English-made Rolls was close to the top of the line in shaving equipment during the first part of the 20th century. Underscored by the large number of surviving examples, current values for this particular brand are sometimes lower than their original selling prices. A complete set (yours is missing paperwork and box) can be had for less than $7.

Dear Collector: I would appreciate your evaluation of this 1939 California “World’s Fair” license plate.

Too bad you don’t have a matching pair, which could be worth as much as $100 plus. As it is, your single plate has a current valuation of about $20-$35.

Dear Collector: I am requesting info on a musical instrument which has been described as either a harpsichord or a square piano.

The enclosed photos show an article with just one keyboard; whereas a harpsichord has two. A piano (short for pianoforte, Italian for soft and loud, which describes its varied tones) has strings that are struck by small felt-covered hammers, unlike those of a harpsichord which are plucked with a pick-like device called a plectrum. So, it appears to me that you are in possession of an old square piano, and that’s as far as I can go in providing an answer to your question.

Dear Collector: I am interested in finding out the value of “Buster Brown’s Latest Frolics,” published in 1907 by Cupples & Leon Co.

Ted Hake, in his “Official Hake’s Price Guide to Character Toys” (House of Collectibles, 2004, $35.00) has listed your comic strip reprint book on page 226. Suggested value is $160 to $950, depending on condition.

Dear Collector: When I was a child, my father bought me “The Shirley Temple Songbook,” a two-record set. Is this a collector’s item?

Your 1961 TFC (Twentieth Century Fox) stereo recordings are currently worth about $15.

Dear Collector: Can you identify the maker of this old vase which has the word “Silhouette” stamped on the bottom?

Research shows a Thomas Duncan of Newport News, Virginia, making use of this mark during the early 1950s.

Dear Collector: What is the purpose of this “I’m for Hiram” button?

Presidential hopeful in 1920, Hiram Warren Johnson (1866-1945) was governor of California and a U.S. Senator. His famous quote “The first casualty when war comes is truth,” was originally delivered in 1917.

Dear Collector: What’s the age and value of this ballet dance doll?

Made in 1958 by Eegee (E.G. Goldberger), your “Karena Ballerina” is worth $12.

Dear Collector: I’m not sure how old these bookends are, but I got them from my mother in the 1960s when I went away to school.

The young woman posed in front of a lyre is referred to as a thespian according to one reference, which prices these iron bookends from the 1920s at between $75 and $115.

Recommended reading: “Breyer Animal Collector’ Guide,” Felicia Browell (Collector Books, 2005, $24.95). “Winchester Repeating Arms Company,” Herbert G. Houze (Krause, 2004, $34.99). “Kovel’s American Antiques: 1750-1900,” Ralph & Terry Kovel (Random House Reference, 2004, $24.95).