Treadle machine proves its worth
Dear Collector,
I recently acquired this Singer treadle sewing machine for $70. Would you mind telling me if it has any real value?
According to the serial number you included in your letter, this sewer, in a Number 2 cabinet, dates from just before the start of the 20th century. You further describe some damage and state that the machine is nonworking. Taking those facts into consideration, you have an interesting conversation piece worth every penny you paid.
Dear Collector,
Is there any value to “The Compleat American Housewife 1776” published by Nitty Gritty Productions? Should I donate it to public library?
Any librarian worth his or her salt will know that this book from 1974 is worth only a buck or two. Even then, the 1960s expression “nitty gritty,” meaning essentials of the matter, was considered out-of-date.
Dear Collector,
What can you tell me about this jug? On the bottom is printed “Buchan, Portobello, Scotland.”
I can tell you it was made after 1949.
Dear Collector,
I have three of these 1910 German banknotes. Wasn’t that period of time when their money was highly, highly inflated?
The green serial number and seal are a giveaway that your 1,000 mark notes, though bearing a 1910 date, were reprints from after WWI. This pre-inflationary currency is worth $1 each.
Dear Collector,
Please tell me the value of a “Captain Marvel Club” button?
Upon remarking “Shazam” (an acronym constructed from the names Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles and Mercury), Billie Batson transforms into his alter ego, crime fighting Captain Marvel. Your 1942 button is listed at $25 to $75, depending on condition.
Dear Collector,
Could you tell me how old this Wolverine No. 31 merry-go-round is, and what it is worth?
Wolverine Supply and Mfg.Co., a Pittsburgh based manufacturer of tin toys, made your miniature carousel in the 1930s during their peak years. From the enclosed photo, I notice several pennants that once flew above the canopy are missing, bringing the value below the $500 for a near perfect example.
Dear Collector,
I have a 1901 copy of Cosmopolitan magazine in excellent shape and has a story by H.G. Wells.
You refer to “The First Men in the Moon,” which appeared in the May issue. Your mag is currently worth at least $10.
Dear Collector,
Please advise what you think this covered bowl would have been used for. It is marked with “WW.”
Decorated with castles from the Palatinate, the wine-growing region of Germany, this punch/wine bowl was made by Wick-Werke (Wick Works) of Grenzhausen during the 1920s.
Dear Collector,
As a first-time Mom, I received a new Polaroid Highlander Land Camera, Model 80, from my husband in 1957. The pictures enclosed show the camera and all accessories stored in the original leather carrying case, plus the box in which them came. Kindly state the value of this 50 year-old item.
Retailing for more than $70, this early instant camera has lost value in the secondary market. Today it’s worth about $60.