Radio worth more memories than dollars

Dear Collector: I purchased this radio around 1949. It still works. Is it worth anything other than sentimental value?

Sold through Sears, your five-tube Silvertone 9000 is housed in a brown plastic cabinet. Listed value runs from $50 to $70, but sentimental value exceeds dollars and cents.

Dear Collector: The enclosed Detaille print has been in our family for quite a long time and I am interested in knowing the title and what it is worth.

Titled “The Defense of Champigny,” the original was painted by Edouard Detaille (1848-1912) and hangs in the Met. This reproduction memorializes French forces constructing siege lines during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871. Comparable vintage prints go for $100.

Dear Collector: I have a Polaroid Model 330 camera in original box and never used. What would be its value?

Selling for about $80 in the late 1960s (a good chunk of change back then). Current value on your vintage mint camera is probably less than half its initial retail price.

Dear Collector: My mother received this vase from an aunt who left it in her will. Would you know the origin of this vase?

Produced in 1943, your Roseville 97-14 is in the ubiquitous Magnolia pattern. Listed at nearly $400; a more conservative value is $150-$200.

Dear Collector: I have a “Clippo the Clown” marionette which I purchased in 1943 and used in neighborhood puppet shows. May I have your expertise?

As you further state in you letter, Clippo is an Effanbee toy designed by Virginia Austin, a talented sculptress, designer and puppeteer who helped bring life to Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd for famed ventriloquist Edgar Bergen. Your composition Clippo could be worth well over $200.

Dear Collector: My late father-in-law had a stash of old coins including an 1898 Indian Head penny. Is it worth anything?

Depending on condition (I think I’ve said this before), your bronze coin could be worth anywhere from $1 up. And “up” could be several hundred dollars.

Dear Collector: The clock in the enclosed picture is one I received over 55 years ago. It keeps exact time. I would like to know its value.

I tracked this timepiece to Ansonia who in 1895 produced your still operating “Hermes” model, recognizable by the pensive figure of “The Messenger of the Gods” sitting slumped on a padded stool. It was offered in three metallic finishes; I believe yours is in Japanese Bronze but I could be wrong since your photo is not too clear. Whichever finish, it’s still worth almost $500.

Dear Collector: I have about 40 to 50 old magazines; are they worth storing?

None of the mags in your inventory are truly valuable; for example, the March 1924 issue of “Fruit, Garden and Home” (only published for one year) is worth maybe $3-$5. But the cover artwork, ads, articles and stories are worth more than money.