Victorian keepsakes have aged well
Dear Collector,
These figurines have been in my family for many years. My aunt, who just turned 100, gave them to my mother several years ago. She claims they are Staffordshire dogs; however, I have my doubts. My husband would love to find out they are worthless and get rid of them.
Based on a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel owned by a young Queen Victoria named “Dash,” this pair of Staffordshire or “china dogs,” may be older than your aunt. As is often usual for ornaments of this type, there are no factory marks, but shape, color and style seem to be strong earmarks of the breed. Literally every Victorian home had a set of these on the mantle, along with candlesticks, a vase or two, family photos, a clock and other garnitures. Beauty (and sometimes value) is in the eye of the beholder. Tell your husband they’re worth at least $200.
Dear Collector,
I was wondering if an Elvis Presley autograph from his Chicago concert on March 28, 1957, has any value. I also have the ticket stubs.
The stubs alone should be worth nearly $250 each. His autograph (after authentication), may have a value as high as $2,000. Part of your ticket price of $1.50 probably helped Elvis pay for Graceland ($150,000) when he bought it later that month.
Dear Collector,
I bought this Ezra Brooks cable car decanter for $1. What is it really worth?
Issued in 1968 by this bourbon distiller, this figural bottle honoring San Francisco’s trademark transport has a listed value of $4 to $6.
Dear Collector,
I have a coin that commemorates the Beatles’ first visit to the U.S. I bought it at a yard sale for $8. It is in perfect condition.
A search of eBay, the Internet auction site, turned up a large number of these pieces, struck in 1964, showing an average price of, you guessed it, $8.
Dear Collector,
The “Little Orphan Annie” cup in this photo has “Manufactured Exclusively for the Wonder Co., Chicago. Maker of Ovaltine” on its bottom. Any value?
Your ceramic mug, valued at nearly $50, was made in 1932.
Dear Collector,
I got a painting by Thos. J. Caparn at a garage sale many years ago. Any information on the artist would be appreciated.
Caparn (1834-1925), a self-taught landscape/seascape artist born in Newark-on-Trent, England, later moved to the United States where he made his home in Summit, New Jersey, about 12 miles from Newark. Current value on his watercolor work varies from $200 to $2,000, depending on subject and size.
Dear Collector,
The dishes in the enclosed photo are part of the set my mother had for many years. She encouraged me to hold onto them. Are they of any value?
Made by Homer Laughlin in 1952 in their then new Cavalier shape, your dinner plate is worth $8, as is the cup and saucer, while the cereal bowl is about $5.
Dear Collector,
I would like to know the range of years “Made in Occupied Japan” was used?
1945 to 1952.