Sailor boy cookie jar could fetch $400
Dear Collector,
I was born in 1948 and have this cookie jar that was purchased the year of my birth. It has sat on shelves in more than 18 different homes, and somehow it came out of these many moves unscathed. I was told it was made by Shawnee Pottery, but now they are out of business. Information on this item would be appreciated.
Pre-dating your birth by nearly a half-dozen years, your Sailor Boy (occasionally identified as “The Gob” or “Jack Tar”) jar is probably the most collectible of perhaps three or four variants. Current value is listed at over $400.
Dear Collector,
What is the value of a movie poster from “The Purple Hills?”
Your one-sheet poster, measuring 27-by-41-inches, from this 1961 “oater” (a western), is worth only $25. Starring Gene Nelson, Joanna Barnes and Kent Taylor, this movie was a remake of a 1915 film, whose memorabilia has much higher value.
Dear Collector,
It would be wonderful to have information on the plate in these pictures. It has been in our family for as long as I can remember.
Having a possible manufacturing date of 1903, this celery or asparagus dish came from Beyer & Bock, a porcelain maker located in Volkstedt, Germany.
Dear Collector,
I have a silver salver with a crown and the letters “NTC” stamped on the underside. Can you tell me who made it and how old it is?
The short answer is no; though I will invite readers to tender likely solutions. I did find out that the word salver, meaning a serving tray, derives from an ancient custom of sampling food for poison.
Dear Collector,
Is a bottle shaped like the battleship Maine worth much?
Depends on when it was made, plus color and condition. Intended as a candy container, this figural first appeared shortly after the historic Feb. 15, 1898, sinking in Havana Harbor. An original bottle in cobalt or cranberry, the two most highly-prized colors, can have a value of several hundred dollars, while more contemporaneous collectibles are worth $5 to $35 each.
Dear Collector,
I have a 1911 Lincoln penny in fair condition. Could you possibly tell me what it is worth today?
Since you didn’t make note of a mint mark, which is just under the date on your “wheatie” (a collector’s nickname based on wheat stalks decorating the reverse), I’ll assume you have the most common coin, which was struck in Philadelphia. If that’s the case, then your penny is worth … a dime.
Dear Collector,
What is the value of this oil painting with the signature “Grimaldi?”
Research led me to dozens of artists with that name. Even omitting the ones who painted in other media or styles, I was still left with more Grimaldis then I could shake a stick at. In other words, without a first name or a possible date range, I couldn’t even make a guesstimation on your painting’s worth.