Dear Collector,

This table vase belonged to my mother-in-law and I inherited it in 1956. I would like to know more about it and what it’s worth. I have copied the marks shown on this vase but they are not very clear.

Clear enough for me to decode that it’s a Rookwood, made circa 1917. Rookwood, an art ware potter known for interesting adornment and glazes, began operations in the late 1880s, employing a large number of skilled decorators. Your vase has a potential value of nearly $500.

Dear Collector,

I found a gold plated Charlie McCarthy spoon at my parents’ homestead while digging with a backhoe. It is in very nice shape; I tested it with a magnet, which did not react to it. Please tell me what year it was produced and what value it may have?

One of dozens of toys based on Edgar Bergen’s wooden friend and ventriloquist’s dummy, a movie and radio star during the 1930s and ‘40s, your base metal spoon is not worth much, about $5 to $10. As a cherished story, hopefully told by family members for generations to come, your find is priceless.

Dear Collector,

I have an envelope with a postmark from the day that the first astronauts landed on the moon. I don’t know if it is a collector’s item or what it is worth, and would appreciate your expertise.

Your FDC (First Day Cover) commemorates the first moon landing on July 20, 1969 but was issued in September of that year. In mint condition, which yours is not, this envelope is worth $1.50.

Dear Collector,

Can you help me establish the date this .32 S&W revolver was made? It has been in our family so long there are no living relatives old enough to remember when it was purchased.

According to the serial number you supplied, your “Lemon Squeezer” (a nickname applied to this hammerless top-break gun) was made in the first decade of the 20th century.

Dear Collector,

Would you tell me who made this plate marked with entwined initials?

The monogram is that of Theodore Haviland, one of the most famous porcelain makers in Limoges, France.

Dear Collector,

Is this 1936 Lynchburg, Va., half-dollar worth anything?

In celebration of this city’s sesquicentennial (which, according to my Webster’s is “a 150th anniversary or its celebration”), your commemorative coin was minted in limited numbers; about 20,000. Compared to the nearly 20 million regular half-dollars produced that year, yours is a rare piece worth several hundred dollars.

Dear Collector,

Can you assist me in identifying the history of a watercolor by Aaron Allan Edson? My father said the artist knew a family friend back in the late 1880s. I’m also interested in knowing how much it’s worth?

Edson (1846-1888), the son of two Americans living in Canada, would later become associated with that country, becming a charter member of the Society of Canadian artists. He traveled to England and France, where he perfected his landscape skills. Because you did not describe the size, condition or subject of your picture; I cannot tell you its history or value.