THE COLLECTOR
Dear Collector,
My friend has had this cigarette lighter for many years and would like to know its origins. The only marking I can find on it is the word, “Reims.”
Destroyed by the Germans in the Great War, the cathedral of Reims was the coronation site for French kings. I think your souvenir brass lighter in the shape of a book may pre-date World War I, putting its value somewhere in excess of $100.
Dear Collector,
What is the value of our “David Copperfield” book?
Tied into the 1935 MGM movie, starring W.C. Fields and Freddy Bartholomew, your 1934 Big Little Book contains photos instead of the usual line drawings found in most BLBs. Your copy, in good condition, could top $50.
Dear Collector,
We would be most grateful for any information on this “Brunswick, Germany” plate that we received at our wedding almost 60 years ago.
A product of Furstenberg Porcelain, the backstamp dates it to the years between 1897 and 1939.
Dear Collector,
Is this Lenox Ale bottle worth anything? I found it with some other old bottles in the corner of our attic.
Prepared in Pittsfield, Mass. by Berkshire Brewing Association, these bottles with paper labels are now worth $25 each.
Dear Collector,
Can you tell me how much this World’s Fair button is worth?
Depicting the Trylon and Perisphere, symbols of the 1939 New York exposition, your pinback button has a current value of $15-$20. Other noteworthy events of 1939 were the first inductees to Baseball Hall of Fame, release of movie “Wizard of Oz,” and beginning of World War II.
Dear Collector,
Could you please tell me the value of this $1 bill? It has a blue seal instead of a green one.
Different types of U.S. currency have borne colored Treasury Seals: brown, red and blue on Silver Certificates, green on Federal Reserve Notes, red on Legal Tender Notes, etcetera. Your series 1957B Silver Certificate shows a horizontal crease mark, plus other signs of wear and tear. Now worth less than twice its face value, since 1968 your bill can no longer be redeemed for silver.
Dear Collector,
Where is Bovey Pottery located? I have a pitcher and washbowl inherited from a relative that has this pottery’s mark.
Founded as Bovey Tracey (after the small town in Devon, England, where it was headquartered) in the 1840s, this company underwent a number of name changes before its demise in 1957.
Dear Collector,
Which silver company, with the initials “GHF,” made the cigar case shown in the enclosed photos?
Located in North Attleboro, Mass., G.H. French & Co. produced your article in the late 1920s, shortly after which it was absorbed into a large corporation, which moved the plant to Connecticut.
Dear Collector,
How much should I sell this Marx toy fort for? It has the original box?
I don’t know; how much is a Fort Worth?