THE COLLECTOR
Dear Collector,
I would like to know the value of my Toast-O-Lator toaster? The bread goes in one end, and creeps through on tracks, coming out the other end, done. There is a small round window in the front so you can watch it toast.
Recently, a rare see-through Model C sold for $5,000 on eBay, the Internet auction site. But this was more than likely a one-shot deal, and does not set the bar for this type of unique toaster. Your late 1940s Model J, though considerably less valuable, works on the same principle of “walking” the bread past heating filaments via a series of rails. In working condition (take care that the toast doesn’t become jammed; a common problem caused by the quirky conveying system), your appliance could be worth several hundred dollars.
Dear Collector,
Do you think this cap gun is worth anything? It was in a box of things I got at an estate sale.
Dating from the 1960s, this Kilgore “Champion Fast Draw” Western revolver is listed at $50 in one price guide.
Dear Collector,
Can you tell me what this invitation signed by Mary Pickford might be worth?
Your card inviting the bearer to an afternoon tea on Sept. 24, 1941, is probably worth $50-$75.
Dear Collector,
Can you give me any history on this ewer, marked “Bisto?” I bought it at a yard sale where the seller was unable to give me its background.
An anagram for Bishop & Stonier, Bisto semi-porcelain was made in their Hanley, Staffordshire pottery between 1890 and 1935.
Dear Collector,
This bank was my husband’s back in the 1930s. I think his folks may have received it when they bought their Majestic radio. Can you estimate its value?
Manufactured by Arcade in 1932, your cast iron penny bank was shipped in its own Majestic radio crate. The $75 value on this bank is doubled when you add in the original box.
Dear Collector,
Enclosed are copies of the front and back of a 1937 Canadian dollar in excellent condition. What’s it worth?
Printed in Ottawa, this bilingual (English and French) bill bearing a portrait of George VI, is listed at $6 in one major price guide.
Dear Collector,
What’s the value of this old typewriter?
Your Molle Number 3 (carrying a potential value of $300) was made in Oshkosh, Wis., by the Molle Typewriter Company. Without a serial number I can’t pinpoint the exact date your standard keyboard machine was made, but a good guess would be sometime around the First World War.
Dear Collector,
I would like to know how much this Dick Tracy book is worth.
Published in 1935 by Whitman, your “Dick Tracy on the Trail of Larceny Lu” Big Little Book has a value of $40.
Dear Collector,
I started collecting dog licenses as a kid when I got my first dog, and now have about 200 from 18 states. Most were given to me by friends and relatives, although I’ve bought a number on the Internet. Have you ever heard of anyone else who collects dog licenses?
Not yet!