‘Saving Santa’ packs little value
Dear Collector,
I gave my little sister this Santa bank many years ago, and would like to know if it has any value?
This made-in-Japan battery-powered mechanical bank bears a copyright date of 1960. Listed for $200 in one major reference (of course, that’s with all the original packaging), I’ve seen this Noel Decorations, Inc. toy sell for considerably less; sometimes as low as $25.
Dear Collector,
I have two plates that are very interesting to me, but I don’t know their history. Each plate is hand painted; they appear to relate to the French Revolution. Could you give me any history on them?
Bearing the mark of Peasant Village (PV) a subsidiary of Mitteldorfer Straus, an American distributor of porcelain, your two plates are part of a set of 12. Since each piece bears a scene and partial musical score of an opera, they have been nicknamed “Opera Plates.” Your two just happen to have French operas, that’s why the mix-up. I’m not convinced that they are hand painted; more likely the decoration is by decal. Value is about $25-$40 per set.
Dear Collector,
I have an 1892 silver dollar that is not polished. Can you tell me its value?
The less a coin is handled (cleaned, polished or even touched), the greater will be its value. Your Morgan Dollar has a value of between $15 and $20, unless it has a Carson City mint mark or the price of silver skyrockets.
Dear Collector,
My son found this “Wild Bill Hickok” cap gun at a yard sale for $2. How old is it?
The real Wild Bill was born James Butler Hickok in 1837. Dubbed the “Prince of the Pistoleers,” he was without doubt one of the best marksmen of his time, killing an opponent at 75 paces with a single shot to the heart. This toy dates from the early 1950s TV program based very loosely (if at all) on Hickok’s life. Starring Guy Madison and Andy Devine as comic sidekick “Jingles,” this show aired for eight seasons, ending in 1958. Value on your toy is at least $100.
Dear Collector,
I think this coffeepot was a gift to my grandparents upon their wedding in 1920. As you can see, it has an anchor with “PSF.” I’d love to know who made it.
Part of a multipiece set for serving chocolate, your porcelain pot was made by Steingutfabrik Sauer & Roloff in the German town of Haldensleben (which when translated into English, gives us the odd expression “Waste Dump Lives”).
Dear Collector,
Can you tell me how much this Coca-Cola tray is worth? It’s like new; there are no scratches or dents on it.
If something looks new, it’s probably because it is new. That’s the case with your reproduction of a 1914 serving tray. The real thing is worth almost $1,000. Yours has a value of $5.