THE COLLECTOR
Dear Collector,
I purchased this unusual, unmarked piece at an estate sale recently. Would you be able to tell me if this is actually Wedgwood? If so, what would you call it and when does it date to?
What you have is a lavabo (Latin for “I shall wash”), whose genesis can be traced to the early Christian Church, where it was used for ritual hand washing. Later, it moved into homes, often hung inside a cabinet, serving a more practical purpose. Nowadays you’ll find this tank above a half bowl hanging in gardens as a decoration whose original function is long-forgotten. Since Wedgwood is one of the most documented potteries, and your lavabo is unmarked, we can assume that it came from another, less-important maker. Which means that I can’t even give an approximate value. The spigot appears to have some letters or numbers on it; perhaps you can trace the maker through them.
Dear Collector,
My mother bought this Argus C3 camera for me on my 18th birthday in 1951. I still take good pictures with it.
Your 35mm plastic camera was in production from the late 1940s to the ‘50s, with the full kit selling for about $70 then. Right now, value is at $15-$40.
Dear Collector,
Here’s a photo of an old “Tom Corbett, Space Cadet” comic book; what do you think it is worth?
A look inside “Comic Values Annual 2005” (KP Books, 2005, $19.99) by Alex G. Malloy, shows this 1952 Dell book based on the television program, could be worth more than $100 if in very good condition.
Dear Collector,
I have an 1860 ten centimes coin from Luxembourg; is it valuable?
Minted in Germany from 1854 to 1870, this bronze coin has a present value of $2.
Dear Collector,
Please tell me the approximate value of a 1935 copy of “How I Raised Shirley Temple” by her mother Gertrude.
Published by Saalfield, your book is now worth $20-$30.
Dear Collector,
Which company was responsible for producing our old dishes? They have a label on the bottom with “Dresden White-Granite.”
Although appearing to be German made, your ironstone set came from the East Liverpool, Ohio factory of Potter’s Co-operative in the first decade of the 20th century.
Dear Collector,
I can’t remember how or when I got this “Burke’s Law” game, but it must be almost 40 years old. What do you think it’s now worth?
Based on the early 1960s television show of the same name (starring Gene Barry), your 1964 Transogram board game has a current high value of $50.
Dear Collector,
The enclosed photos are of a bank in the shape of a WWI tank that has been in our house forever. Some of the original paint is missing, as is the small plug on the bottom. Even with these defects, does it have any value?
This was probably made by Williams, a U.S. firm who rolled out a number of similar metal, tracked-coin repositories immediately after the Great War. Conservative estimate of value is $200.