Cachepot could have real cash value
Dear Collector,
I recently purchased this Richard Ginori cachepot at a garage sale for $1. The bottom is marked “Bonwit Teller.” Can you tell me about this piece and its value?
There were a number of connections that occurred to place this pot in your hands. Longtime Italian porcelain makers Ginori and Richard merged in 1896, while the year after in New York City, Richard Bonwit joined with Edward D. Teller to open the first of their shops specializing in women’s clothing and accessories. Until the company was dissolved in 1990, Bonwit Teller stores spanned the nation from Boston to Bal Harbour to Beverly Hills. Assuming your cachepot (from a French word meaning to hide) is vintage, then its value could be more than $50.
Dear Collector,
Can you give me some information on this “Official Police” Colt revolver?
As its name implies, this six-shot .32 caliber pistol was intended for use by police from 1929 to the late 1960s, though it was also available for the civilian market. According to the serial number you provided, your particular gun was manufactured in 1934. Listed value is less than $200.
Dear Collector,
Is there any interesting background on this Erla radio that I found in the trash many years ago? Oh, it doesn’t work.
An acronym for Electrical Research Laboratories, a Chicago-based radio manufacturer, your De Luxe Super Five Erla was first marketed in 1925. This table model could be worth $150, but only in working order.
Dear Collector,
I found this Shakey’s Pizza baseball card in a yard sale. What can you tell me about it?
Between 1976 and ‘78, this Seattle area fast-food chain gave away several different sets. Once again, I remind readers that this column concerns itself with antiques and collectibles made before 1970.
Dear Collector,
I bought this Jan doll for my newborn granddaughter because I had one when I was a little girl. Would you put an exact date and value on it?
Value on this 1959 Vogue vinyl doll has to be expressed in a range. Current listed prices put it at $40 to $60.
Dear Collector,
What’s a 1953 “Life” magazine worth?
Depending on issue and condition, value is $5 to $10.
Dear Collector,
I got this Howdy Doody puppet head in a mixed lot at a local auction. There’s minor damage on the bottom, otherwise it seems to be OK. Please tell me what it’s worth?
Originally employed as a string holder (hence the hole in his mouth out of which the string is fed), I found this circa 1952 chalkware figurine listed in one price guide for more than $400.
Dear Collector,
In your opinion, which of these two Big Little Books is more valuable?
The 1948 “Flash Gordon and the Fiery Desert of Mongo” has a high value of almost $100 in tip-top form, while your “Red Ryder and Circus Luck” (1949) in a comparable state is worth only $40.