Decoy value could sink or swim

Dear Collector,

Enclosed is a picture of a cast iron decoy weighing 23 pounds. I was told it was used on a sink box during the “market hunting” days of the late 1800s and early 1900s. Can you tell me who made it and when?

Outlawed in 1918, the large-scale taking of wildfowl, known as market hunting, was having a deleterious effect on migratory birds in the U.S. Large bore guns which killed dozens of birds at a blast were often employed in a shallow punt called a sink box, in which the hunter could recline ballasted by cast iron decoys. Since many of these decoys were either abandoned or ended up at the bottom of a marsh, they have become quite rare and hence valuable, with prices hitting nearly $1,000. Since it’s unsigned, I can’t attribute your decoy to any particular maker. But beware; lately there have been attempts at making reproductions and fakes; which, of course means that you should have your dead (weight) duck authenticated.

Dear Collector,

My parents inherited these dishes about 50 years ago when they purchased a home that belonged to a relative who was in his late nineties when he sold it. Can you tell me anything about them, and are they worth anything in today’s market?

I can answer one question: your set (marked “CFH” over “GDM, France”) came from the Limoges factory of Charles Field Havilland sometime after 1881, when it came under the control of Gerard, Dufraisseix & Morel. You go on in your letter to list dozens of pieces; unfortunately, space doesn’t allow me to respond to their value.

Dear Collector,

I’ve been saving 29-cent Elvis stamps. Do you think they will be worth something in the future or should I go ahead and use them?

It won’t hurt to stash some stamps; they don’t take up much space. If I were a prophet of oddments, would I be writing this column?

Dear Collector,

I have a book entitled “Shirley Temple’s Book of Fairy Tales” with a copyright date of MCMXXII. It also states “Cover and Photographs Copyright MCMXXVI.” I would like to know the value?

Temple was born in 1928 so that means the first date (1922) was when this book was initially published. In 1936, the publisher shoehorned Shirley and her photos into an updated version, probably to hitchhike on her popularity. Not a rare volume, this Saalfield publication is now worth $20-$30, depending on condition.

Dear Collector,

I bought this Sheaffer fountain pen years ago with the thought that I would use it instead of a ballpoint. That didn’t work out, so I put it in a drawer and forgot about it. I think I paid $10, and that was in used condition. What, if anything, is it worth right now?

Instead of “dunking,” this pen has a thin tube which can be extended into the ink, supposedly allowing for swifter and neater filling. Dating from the early 1950s, your vintage writing instrument has a value of $50.