Kovels April 09

On Antiques

VOL. 35 NO. 8

and Collectibles

THE NEWSLETTER FOR COLLECTORS, DEALERS AND INVESTORS

European antiques dealers are doing well at shows in the United States because of current exchange rates. It favors American buyers, who were grabbing 20th-century European furniture at bargain prices at the January Miami Beach show.

It pays to go through your storage boxes. Bernice Gallego, a California antiques dealer, says she found a baseball card in one of her boxes of buys last summer and put it on eBay with a $10 starting bid. The flood of inquiries she received made her think the card might be valuable, so she took it off eBay and sent it to an auction house. The card sold in February for $75,286 (with buyer’s premium). It pictures the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings team on one side and an ad for a New York sports equipment manufacturer on the other. It could be the first baseball card ever issued. The buyer owns a company that promotes sports memorabilia shows.

Tie bars and tie clips, popular in the ’50s, are fashionable again. Expensive modernist designer silver bars go for hundreds of dollars, but costume jewelry examples cost as little as $10.

Clips can damage silk ties, but bars are fine.

You can sell gold coins, old broken jewelry, single earrings, some watches and even gifts from your ex to the infomercial man on television, but it’s probably better to go to a local jewelry store. The latest fad is “Gold Digger Parties.” A group of friends get together, bring their gold to be sold, and invite a gold buyer.

You don’t have to stay through the entire event, and there is no long sales pitch. But be careful what you sell. Out-of-style vintage jewelry often comes back in style and is worth more than just the gold content.

Piano babies, the large bisque babies made to hold a scarf on the piano a century ago, are out of favor and hard to sell today, according to an auctioneer who used to sell dozens at every sale.

News Flash

APRIL 2009

China Dolls with Molded Hats

Tip your hat to the collector who paid $5,600 for this c.1865 German porcelain doll at a California auction. The doll’s classy hat is molded right on her head.

Check out a lot more antique dolls with molded hats or bonnets on page 88.

Baseball Collectibles Hit Homers

Clang Clang Clang went the trolley that once displayed this 1928 Lucky Strike ad picturing Hall of Fame pitcher Lefty Grove. It was a hit at an Illinois auction, where it sold for $270. Catch spring fever and more baseball collectibles on page 87.

Bitters Bottles

Bitters are far from bitter to bottle collectors.

Take this H.P. Herb Wild Cherry bitters bottle. It sold for the pleasing price of $952 at a California auction. Get some sweet information about bitters bottles on page 94.

IN THIS ISSUE Sale Reports: Baseball Collectibles................................................87 Dolls with Molded Hats or Bonnets.........................88 Chippendale Furniture..............................................90 Old Stock Certificates...............................................91 Coin Silver................................................................92 Bitters Bottles...........................................................94 On the Road – Miami – Part I.......................................89 Dictionary of Marks – Coin Silver................................93 Buyer’s Price Guide......................................................95 Collector’s Gallery........................................................96

Collectors Cherish Chippendale

A collector with a flair for classic style bid $12,500 for this c.1770 Massachusetts Chippendale bonnet-top chest-on-chest at a New York auction. Learn more about the history and prices of Chippendale furniture on page 90.

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Letter to Lee

Shop for Your Health

Dear Lee, It’s spring, and if you live in the snowbelt it’s time to wave goodbye to shoveling drives and sidewalks. It’s also time to turn off your TV set and say hello to plants, mulch and antiques and collectibles flea markets.

Psychiatrists and psychologists have a lot of positive things to say about shopping. It’s a good way to combat depression.

A purchase, especially one that’s a bargain, actually excites the “happy” parts of your brain. A shopping trip, according to two leading experts on brain research, provides physical activity, challenges the mind, and helps you maintain a positive selfimage. In other words, it provides a long walk carrying heavy purchases, many decisions to make about price or desirability of an antique, and after you decide what to do, you feel good about yourself and your ability to spot a “find.”

Of course, you must beware of the food—flea markets and malls don’t offer the best nutrition, but who doesn’t like cotton candy, corn dogs, turkey legs, funnel cakes, snow cones and

grilled pepper, onion and sausage rolls. Some people even like fried dill pickles and deep-fried Oreo cookies. Just don’t overdo it—and keep walking.

When you buy at a flea market this year, you’re helping the economy, saving trees and energy by recycling and—if you’re clever—creating wealth for your retirement. But I like flea markets because they are happy places. A visit is a treasure hunt that gives you a good chance to find a treasure. Strangers talk to you and even offer advice. I have special “flea” friends who get up before dawn and drive with me for miles to shop early. Then at the end of the day we all show off our purchases.

If you have never been to a big antiques flea market, one of the many “extravaganzas,” go this year. You can find bargains and enjoy a day filled with surprises, mysteries, lots of laughs, and probably at least one improbable purchase. We once tried to buy an outhouse, antique of course, but we couldn’t figure out how to get it home. We wanted to put it in a corner of our garden.

• Hotline • Hotline • Hotline • Hotline • Hotline • Hotline • Hotline • Hotline • Hotline • Hotline •

A list of collectibles selling for $10 and under was in a recent magazine. The problem is that the best examples of anything on the list sell for well over $10. Pincushions, vintage black & white photos, alphabet letters from old signs, dish towels and keys are seriously collected already and are even the focus of clubs and publications. Swizzle sticks (if from defunct resorts), wooden rulers (if they have ads), and playing cards (if they’re old or have good ads) also sell for over $10. But they’re all interesting small collectibles.

We never heard of this collection before, but maybe we go to the wrong stores. Beer Cans & Brewery Collectibles magazine (February-March) has an article complete with photos and prices of brown bags made to hold beer. They’re heavier than most grocery bags and have strong handles. Graphics add to the value.

“Made in Japan” is found on many pieces of pottery and porcelain made since World War I. Some marks are in black ink, some in red. Does anyone know if there is a special reason for a particular color? Or is it just the whim of the maker?

Surveys show that 23% of couples in the United States hide purchases from each other. It’s probably a higher percentage among collectors, especially if only one of the pair is a shopper.

Old board games like Monopoly, Candy Land and Clue have been redesigned over the years, creating new versions for collectors. Clue now comes in a version that uses electronic methods to hunt for clues; Monopoly, which added a bag-of-moneytoken in 1999, is sold in dozens of variations; and Candy Land is made in a shapes-and-colors version for even younger children.

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional service. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought.

—from a Declaration of Principles jointly adopted by a committee of the American Bar Association and a committee of publishers

KOVELS ON ANTIQUES AND COLLECTIBLES

Photos are not reproduced to scale; actual size of items pictured is given whenever possible. Outof-print reference books mentioned in articles may be available through interlibrary loan or from book search services.

Editor and Publisher: Terry Kovel; Editor in chief: Marcia Goldberg; CFO and Website Director: Kim Kovel; Designer: Jeffrey Clark; Associate Editor: Liz Lillis; Copy Editor: Cherrie Smrekar; Photo Editor: Karen Kneisley; Controller: Lisa Bell; Marketing: Hamsy Mirre; Staff: Mary Ellen Brennan, Grace DeFrancisco, Gay Hunter; Customer Service: Tina McBean

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Customer Service: To inquire about an individual subscription or to order a new subscription ($36 one year, $4 single copy), call toll-free 800-829-9158; or write to Kovels on Antiques and Collectibles, P.O. Box 420345, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0345; or visit our website, Kovels.com, and click on “Contact Us.”

Editorial correspondence: Kovels on Antiques and Collectibles, P.O. Box 22200, Beachwood, OH 44122.

Website: We invite you to visit our website, Kovels.com, to look up prices, read more news, visit the free Directory listings, check on your subscription (use the “Contact Us” link), register for our free weekly comments and more.

Kovels on Antiques and Collectibles (ISSN 0741-6091) is published monthly for $36 per year by Antiques Inc., 30799 Pinetree Road, #305, Cleveland, Ohio 44124. Periodicals postage paid at Cleveland, Ohio, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Kovels on Antiques and Collectibles, P.O. Box 420345, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0345.

Copyright 2009 by Terry Kovel. All rights reserved. No part of this newsletter may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Collecting Baseball S

pring has sprung, the grass has ris’—and baseball season is here again. Time to think about all the baseball memorabilia you can collect without buying a single baseball card or autographed baseball. There are programs and tickets, pins and pennants, ads and cereal boxes.

You could find all of them at the winter Mastro Sports auction for prices that started at $270 for a 1928 Lucky Strike trolley sign picturing pitcher Lefty Grove. The same bid bought a 1920s Bakelite fountain pen with Babe Ruth’s facsimile signature on the shaft and a tiny baseball on the top of the cap.

At the high end was a 1920 Spalding Baseball advertising sign that sold for $11,400.

The store-display ad pictures a big pitcher’s hand gripping an Official National League baseball made by Spalding. Its value was enhanced by the legend on the bottom, “The ball that won the World’s Series.” It refers to the 1919 Series thrown by the Chicago Black Sox (the Cincinnati Reds won, 5 games to 3, in a best-of-nine series).

Several other baseball items are pictured, including a couple of Quaker Oats premiums featuring Babe Ruth and a sealed box of Post Sugar Crisp picturing Ted Williams. The Quaker Oats premiums auctioned for $600 and $960, and the cereal box for $900. So save those cereal boxes (although we suggest opening the bottoms 1955 Ted Williams sealed box of Post carefully and emptying the cereal to avoid insect Sugar Crisp, mail-in offer for cloth baseball patches, 6 oz., 7 3/4 in. h. by 6 infestation).

1/4 in. w. by 1 1/2 in. d., $900.

Also look carefully around house sales and flea markets. Sometimes you can find a scorecard, program, ticket or pennant from a long-ago game at a bargain price. And keep your eyes open for baseball bobbin’-head figures. A rare 1962 Roberto Clemente figure auctioned for $1,140.

1920 Spalding Baseball advertising sign, store display. The World Series referred to in the caption was the notorious 1919 “Black Sox” Series, (professional restoration, surface wear), 27 1/4 by 19 1/4 in. framed, $11,400.

The catalog, Sports and Americana Premier Catalog Auction, Dec. 17-18, 2009, is available from Mastro Auctions, 7900 S. Madison St., Burr Ridge, IL 60527, MastroAuctions.com. Photos are courtesy of Mastro.

1920s Babe Ruth Bakelite fountain pen, screw top, small baseball on cap. Babe Ruth facsimile signature engraved on shaft, metal pocket clip with Diamond brand name and logo, $270.

1883 Detroit at Buffalo scorecard, Buffalo’s Riverside Park, Aug. 21, 1883. Folded, unmarked scorecard inside with preprinted lineups, including Hall of Famers Dan Brouthers and Pud Galvin, (spine worn, faint toning), 6 1/16 by 7 9/16 in. open, $2,160.

1934 Quaker Oats Babe Ruth flip-movie book, riffling pages reveals a “live action” home run scene in one direction and a fielding scene in the other, 35 pages, 3 by 2 1/8 in., $960.

1934 Quaker Oats Babe Ruth “Ask Me” jumbo pinback and complete set of baseball trivia cards, premiums distributed together. Set of 26 cards includes an original “How to Play” rules sheet, $600.

Early 1950s Brooklyn Dodgers 3-D “Dem Bums” pennant, mascot created by cartoonist Willard Mullin. Blue felt, thick appliqué lettering, bum carries real wooden bat and knapsack, original tassels, 29 in. l., $2,040.

PICTURED ON COVER 1928 Lefty Grove Lucky Strike trolley sign, one of a five-sign set. Grove in Philadelphia Athletics uniform, (lightening at corner, surface wear), 10 1/2 by 20 1/2 in. framed, $270.

1962 Roberto Clemente Bobbin’-Head, rarest of the bobbin’-heads, (restored), $1,140.

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Hats, Bonnets & Snoods on Dolls B

efore about 1880, commercially made dolls were nearly all “lady dolls,” also called “fashion dolls.” Their heads were made of glazed porcelain (“china”) or unglazed porcelain (“bisque”), their eyes were usually painted, and their molded and painted hairdos were usually black. Some creative mold-makers added fancy hats, snoods, bonnets or headbands to the heads, and decorators painted flowers, ribbons, bows and feathers on the dolls’ headwear.

Theriault’s recently auctioned more than 20 antique German and French dolls with porcelain shoulder heads (head and shoulder are molded as one piece) and fancy snoods, bonnets and hats.

Most expensive, at $14,560, was a c.1870 German doll (pictured)

by C.F. Kling. She’s wearing a sculpted tam painted plaid and has blond hair, glass inset eyes and pierced ears with dangling porcelain earrings—all unusual features that interest avid doll collectors. Least expensive was a French doll (not pictured) with gray hair and a wide pink headband that sold for $896. Most sold for prices between $1,000 and $5,000. Several are shown.

Companies that made doll heads sold them either to factories that made doll bodies or directly to customers who attached homemade or store-bought bodies to the heads. That’s why you find 19th-century doll bodies in such a variety of materials, shapes and sizes. Their original clothes were nearly all cotton and plain, no matter whether the dolls were assembled at home or a factory, so you don’t often find an antique doll with her original outfit.

German bisque shoulder-head doll with sculpted tam, glass inset eyes, pierced ears with dangling earrings, long flowing curls arranged along shoulder, sculpted bodice with gilt-edged collar and polka-dot scarf. Original muslin body, stitchjointed, bisque lower arms, plaid-painted heeled ankle boots with painted laces, antique dress. Marked “62-3,” C.F. Kling, c.1870, 13 in., $14,560.

The Theriault’s auction catalog, M’lady: The Margaret Hartshorn Collection of Early Dolls, Jan. 9, 2009, is available from Gold Horse Publishing, P.O. Box 151, Annapolis, MD 21404, Theriaults.com. Photos are courtesy of Theriault’s. Ms. Hartshorn hunted for dolls she described as “rare, early and unexpected.” For more information, see The Collector’s Encyclopedia of Dolls, Vol. 2, by Dorothy S., Elizabeth A. and Evelyn J. Coleman (Crown, NY, 1986).

German porcelain shoulder-head doll with sculpted plumed snood, sculpted gilt-decorated snood crowned with scarf and plume. Muslin body, stitch-jointed, leather arms, antique dress, c.1870, 16 in., $2,688.

German porcelain shoulder-head doll with sculpted ruffled bonnet, ribbon on bonnet forms a bow at nape. Muslin body, stitch-jointed, porcelain lower limbs, painted black flat shoes, early cotton transfer-printed dress, undergarments, c.1860, 14 in., $2,912.

PICTURED ON COVER German porcelain shoulder-head doll with sculpted hat, brown hair arranged in long finger curls. Original muslin body, stitch-jointed, leather arms. Original two-piece cotton dress, undergarments, stockings, twill-kid shoes. Attributed to Alt, Beck and Gottschalck, (hairline at side of shoulder), c.1865, 22 in., $5,600.

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French (?) porcelain shoulder-head doll with sculpted snood, pierced ears. French fashion kid body, gusset-jointed, stitched and separated fingers. Antique silk dress with constructed hoop skirt, undergarments and leather slippers. Possibly early Gaultier doll, c.1860, 13 in., $3,920.

On The Road On the Road, Miami – Part I

I

German bisque shoulder-head doll with sculpted headband and necklace, glass inset eyes, pierced ears with dangling earrings, sculpted bodice with upturned collar and neck ribbon, necklace with cameo medallion. Muslin body, stitch-jointed, bisque limbs, painted glazed boots, silk dress. Marked “106-3,” C.F. Kling, c.1870, 15 in., $8,960.

German porcelain shoulder-head doll with sculpted bonnet, scalloped edge and ribbon on bonnet. Muslin body, stitch-jointed, porcelain limbs, painted flat black shoes. Antique muslin dress with lace trim, undergarments. Similar doll appeared in early Kestner catalog, c.1860, $5,152.

German bisque shoulder-head doll with sculpted coronet snood, hair in snood falls low in back, sculpted flower at each side of snood. Muslin body, stitch-jointed, replaced bisque lower arms, antique dress. Marked “III” on front shoulder plate, “g” inside shoulder plate, attributed to Gera, c.1870, 14 in., $1,456.

Note: The condition of all pictured dolls was listed as “generally excellent,” except as noted.

traveled to one of the world’s biggest art shows in Miami to see what’s really new in the world of modern art and design. I looked with the eyes of a historian searching for what led to today’s cutting-edge pieces. Collectors can better understand what’s worth saving from the past two centuries when they see what’s been “borrowed” by today’s artists and designers.

Art Basel, Design Miami, the Cartier Dome, Photo Miami and dozens of individual galleries and artists had displays, some in storefronts and tents.

Day 1, Design Miami: Over 100 dealers were in the building.

An Asian dealer had some classic Chinese furniture that appeared to be melting. I looked carefully. Each piece was a wooden sculpture, chair or table with a “wooden puddle” at the base. I liked the look, but every piece was tipped so you couldn’t use it as furniture.

A Tokyo gallery was selling a “Mutant Attack” chair by Claudio Colucci, a famous Swiss designer who works in Paris and Tokyo. It’s a real antique Thonet bentwood chair with shortened legs and a thick marshmallowshaped cushion of polyurethane foam on the seat, making it the right height to sit on. Most of the chair, from the legs to above the seat, is dipped in bright urethane paint. Examples will be included in a 2009 museum ex“Mutant Attack Series” chairs

by Claudio Colucci, urethane hibition. foam and urethane paint added to A New York gallery’s allantique chair, from a total edition Asian sales force was offering of 50. (photo credit: Takumi Ota) what looked to me like some recently painted old country furniture. They assured me it was handmade and hand-painted furniture by a Seattle artist. The handpainted idea seemed the selling point for the modern art collectors at the gallery.

The most impressive old-style new furniture was a set of “Bavaria” furniture by Studio Job of Belgium and the Netherlands. A cupboard, mirror, screen, table and bench made of rosewood were decorated with multicolored laser- “Bavaria” bench by Studio natural Indian rosewood, cut inlay. Each piece was $70,000 Job, marquetry in various dyed to $125,000, and three complete woods, one in a limited edition of six pieces, 78 3/4 in. h. by sets sold the first day.

Then we went to the Cartier 70 3/4 in. w. by 18 1/2 in. d. jewelry exhibit. Very exclusive— special passes needed and very well guarded. The round “tent” held millions of dollars in jewelry, some old, most new. But the highlight of the “event,” if you didn’t go to buy special-order pieces or drink champagne, was a light show on the tent’s round ceiling. An artist made a 15-minute production featuring dancing diamonds and great music.

to be continued…

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Chippendale Case Furniture T

he evolution of furniture styles isn’t like Darwin’s process of “natural selection,” but there are similarities: Furniture styles evolve slowly, changes come about for various reasons—comfort, appearance, cost, available materials, inventive designers and talented cabinetmakers—and the fittest styles survive.

Chippendale style has survived—and keeps reviving. Collectors look for both original and revival examples at auctions and shows. And you can find brand new Chippendale furniture at retail stores.

Prices of antique Chippendale furniture vary considerably depending on Chinese Chippendale-style breakfront, carved maker, origin, age, size, condition, provemahogany, paneled backs. Pagoda-form pediment nance, and the quality of the wood, design over three glazed cabinet sections, fixed shelves. and carving. At auctions held at Sotheby’s Three cabinet doors, one with two interior drawers, (worn, flaws). British, late 19th c., 80 3/4 in. h. by in New York and Brunk in North Caro80 in. w. by 25 in. d., $2,185. (Brunk) Charleston Chippendale chest-onlina, 18th-century Chippendale case furchest, figured mahogany veneers. niture sold for prices ranging from $1,093 Possibly original Chinese Chippendale for a mid-Atlantic mahogany slant-front brasses, (refinished, repaired, replacedesk to $1.76 million for a c.1780 bombé ments). Charleston, S.C., 1750-70, 72 1/2 in. h. by 44 1/2 in. w. by chest-on-chest made in Massachusetts for 24 1/4 in. d., $46,000. (Brunk) New Salem merchant Edward Allen.

Pennsylvania Chip Other case furniture pieces from the pendale slant-front auctions are pictured. A late 1700s walnut tall chest made in desk, figured walnut, fitted interior with North Carolina sold for $2,300, a c.1790 New England cherry cubbyholes, drawers chest of drawers for $11,250, a 1760-80 Newport, R.I., mahogaand prospect door, ny bonnet-top secretary for $25,300, and a c.1750-70 Charleston (refinished, repaired, brasses and feet rechest-on-chest with figured mahogany veneers for $46,000. placed), late 19th c.,

Two antique revival pieces 42 in. h. by are also shown. A Chinese Chip41 in. w. by 22 1/2 in. d., $1,725. pendale-style breakfront made Chippendale furniture (Brunk) in England in the late 1800s aucwas introduced in the tioned for $2,185, and a late 1800s 1750s. The style is Pennsylvania slant-front desk named for Thomas went for $1,725. A c.1900 maChippendale, an English hogany games table (not pictured) cabinetmaker who pubGoddard Townsend School was a bargain at $546.

Chippendale bonnet-top seclished The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker’s Director in 1754. The book pictured his furniture designs, including variations on the Queen Anne style and new designs reflecting French and Chinese influences.

The Important Americana catalog, Jan. 23-24, 2009, is available from Sotheby’s, 1334 York Ave., New York, NY 10021, Sothebys.com. The Fine and Decorative Arts catalog, Jan. 3-4, 2009, is available from Brunk Auctions, P.O. Box 2135, Asheville, NC 28802, BrunkAuctions. com. Photos are courtesy of the auctions.

For more information on American furniture styles, including Chippendale, see Kovels’ American Antiques by Ralph and Terry Kovel (Random House Reference, NY, 2004).

PICTURED ON COVER Massachusetts Chippendale bonnet-top chest-on-chest, carved and figured mahogany, (refinished, replacements, hardware replaced), c.1770, 84 in. h. by 39 1/2 in. w. by 20 in. d., $12,500. (Sotheby’s)

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retary, dense mahogany. Upper case with paneled pediment and two figured mahogany panel doors opening to fitted interior over two candle slides. Lower case with fallboard opening to shell-carved and fitted interior with drawers and shell-carved prospect door opening to three drawers and till.

Lopers (fallboard supports) with original bird figural brass mounts and handles, (refinished, restored, replacements). Newport, R.I., 1760-80, 97 in. h. by 43 1/2 in. w. by 24 1/2 in. d., $25,300. (Brunk)

New England Chippendale chest of drawers, inlaid and carved cherry, reverse-serpentine front, blocked ends, (refinished, hardware replaced, inlay losses), c.1790, 35 1/2 in. h. by 41 1/2 in. w. by 22 in. d., $11,250. (Sotheby’s)

North Carolina Chippendale tall chest, walnut. Three over five drawers flanked by fluted quarter columns, ogee bracket feet, (refinished, repaired, replacements).

Piedmont, N.C., possibly shop of John Ghent, late 18th c., 58 3/4 in. h. by 42 in. w. by 21 3/4 in. d., $2,300. (Brunk)

Mid-Atlantic Chippendale high chest of drawers, carved walnut, some hardware original, (restoration, patches, repairs), c.1780, 66 1/2 in. h. by 40 1/2 in. w. by 23 in. d., $13,750. (Sotheby’s)

Philadelphia Chippendale chest of drawers, figured walnut, probably original hardware, c.1770, 34 in. h. by 41 in. w. by 21 1/4 in. d., $20,000. (Sotheby’s) Connecticut Chippendale bonnettop secretary, carved cherry, reverse-serpentine front, key, (restoration, patches, replacements), c.1785, 84 1/2 in. h. by 40 1/2 in. w. by 22 1/4 in. d., $27,500. (Sotheby’s)

Collecting Stock Certificates

W

hen companies get in trouble—companies like Enron and WorldCom or, more recently, Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch—their stock prices may plummet but the value of their paper stock certificates usually rises.

We talked to Eric Drum of Pennsylvania Railroad stock certificate, owned by Bear OldStocks.com to get a few Sterns, 1963, canceled, $49.95. suggestions for new collectors:

Old certificates often turn up in piles of personal papers at house sales or estate auctions. Most of them are canceled or worthless. But even if the company is out of business, the piece of paper printed with stock or bond information has collector value. Age is not always important. Some newer stock certificates have value.

Eric told us the most expensive stock certificate he’s seen lately was a c.1902 Ezekiel Air Ship Mfg. Co. certificate that sold for $15,000. The certificate pictures an airplane built by the company’s founder, Burrell Cannon, a Texas Baptist minister. Some Texans claim the plane was flown by an Ezekiel employee the year before the Wright Brothers’ famous flight in 1903.

There are at least Eastern Air Lines stock certificate, facsix reasons collectors simile signature of Eddie Rickenbacker (Eastern’s president and a WWI ace), owned buy old stock certifiby Luke, Banks & Weeks, 1939, $275. cates. Some admire the engravers’ art at the top of the certificate. Some covet the autograph at the bottom. The history represented by the stock is of interest, especially for those who want railroad, automobile, mining or corporate greed collectibles. And some use framed certificates to decorate the office or a room with a related collection. Many like the conversation value of an unusual stock. But most collect for fun and buy any stock that has special appeal or even some family connection.

More prices from: Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad, 1894, $60.

Broadway Joe’s restaurant, no Namath signature, 1971, $50. Sinclair Oil, 1960s, $15. WorldCom, 2002, $80. General Motors, 1980s, $15. Photos are courtesy of Eric Dunn and OldStocks.com.

The International Bond and Share Society (116 Parklane Dr., San Antonio, TX 78212, Scripophily.org) publishes Scripophily, a quarterly magazine for collectors. The store at the Museum of American Finance, 48 Wall St., New York, NY 10005, MOAF.org, sells old stock certificates and other collectible financial papers.

Green Giant Co. stock certificate, owned by Dean Witter Reynolds, 1970s, canceled, $135.

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Coin Silver at Auction

J.E. Spear & Co. coin silver tray, engraved, applied scroll feet and borders. Partial mark, Charleston, S.C., 1846-71, 16 1/4 in. l. by 12 in. w., $4,140.

M

ore than a dozen pieces of coin silver by mid-19th-century American silversmiths recently sold at a Brunk auction.

They included everything from mugs and plates to bowls and flatware, with prices going from $230 for a fiddle-handle ladle to $4,140 for an engraved tray with applied feet and borders.

The auctioned pieces were made by silversmiths working in both northern and southern states. A sugar and creamer by Virginia silversmith William Mitchell Jr. sold for $1,380, a pitcher by Bailey & Co. of Philadelphia for $449, and a round tray

by New York and Charleston silversmiths Hayden & Gregg for $575. Other pieces are also pictured.

By the middle of the 19th century, silversmiths were working with sheets of silver bought from suppliers instead of melting coins and preparing the metal themselves.

In addition, they could use new tools to create decorative borders or new machinery to make fancy silver borders to be soldered on edges. Ornate designs could be machine-enStauffer & Harley coin silver ladle, graved, and cast finials and appliqués could fiddle handle, oval be added, too. bowl. Marked, Phila The term “coin silver” refers to the qualdelphia, mid 1800s, 13 in., $230. ity of American silver made starting in 1792, the year the U.S. Mint opened. The Mint required that U.S. coins had to be 892 of 1,000 parts silver.

In 1837 the Mint upped the requirement to 900 parts.

The other parts that make up the 1,000 were an alloy of mostly copper, which gives the silver durability without changing its color.

Before the American Revolution, silversmiths used the English silver standard of 925 of 1,000 parts, called “sterling.” By the Hayden & Gregg coin silver tray, mid 19th century, American engraved, beaded border, doublesilversmiths trying to find struck mark. Partial mark on rim, New York City or Charleston, S.C., a competitive edge started (one foot split), 1832-46, 7 1/4 in. using the English standard dia., $575. again and marked their pieces “sterling.” In 1868 the Gorham Co. changed over to the English standard and other companies followed—putting an end to the use of coin silver. Today’s collectors consider the workmanship, age and condition of a piece more important than the quality of the silver used.

The catalog, Fine and Decorative Arts, Jan. 3-4, 2009, is available from Brunk Auctions, P.O. Box 2135, Asheville, NC 28802, BrunkAuctions.com. Photos are courtesy of Brunk. For more information, see Kovels’ American Antiques, 1750-1900 by Ralph and Terry Kovel (Random House Reference, NY, 2004); and Early American Silver by Martha Gandy Fales (E.P. Dutton, NY, 1973). The accompanying Dictionary of Marks features the marks of some of the silversmiths whose work sold at the auction.

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Kovels – April 2009

Gregg, Hayden & Co. coin silver pap boat, helmet form, ring foot, scroll handle. Marked, three-letter script monogram, (dents), Charleston, S.C., 1838-43, 2 1/2 in. h. by 6 in. l. $863.

William Mitchell Jr. coin silver sugar and creamer, dierolled leaf and bell floral borders, bud finial, scroll handles.

Marked, “H” monograms, (dents, scratches), Richmond, Va., 1820c.1845, sugar 10 1/2 in. h., creamer 7 1/4 in. h., $1,380.

Mitchell & Tyler coin silver bowl, pedestal base, rope-twist border. Marked, (dents, scratches), Richmond, Va., 1845-66, 3 in. h. by 7 1/2 in. dia., $431.

Bailey & Co. coin silver pitcher, pear form, pad feet, floral and scale decoration. Marked, Philadelphia, (monogram removed, dents, scratches), 1846-78, 4 1/4 in. h., $449.

Bailey & Co. coin silver entrée, floral finial, repoussé floral and scroll decoration. Marked, monogram, Philadelphia, (scratches, dents), 1846-78, $460.

Dictionary of Marks

C

oin silver was originally made in the United States from

silver coins that were melted down. It was popular from the

late 18th century until about 1870 and is very collectible today.

Coin silver is of a slightly lower standard than sterling.

The earliest coin silver pieces were made from European coins. Later, American coins were used. Silver was mined in the United States after the mid 19th century. Pieces made from mined silver may be marked “coin,” “pure coin” or “dollar,” even though they weren’t made from coins. The terms were used to indicate the percent of pure silver used in the piece.

Pygan Adams b.1712-d.1776 New London, Conn.

Worked c.1735

Gregg, Hayden & Co. Charleston, S.C. Worked c.1846-52

Coin Silver

Spoons are the most common pieces of coin silver. Forks became common after 1830. Not many knives were made because the silver was too soft to cut well. Serving pieces and other items were also made, especially after the mid 1800s.

Marks found on coin silver may include the maker’s name or first initial and last name, the retailer’s name, and the city and state. The marks shown here are from Kovels’ American Silver Marks, 1650 to the Present by Ralph and Terry Kovel (Crown, New York, 1989). They include those used by some of the makers whose silver is featured in our sale report.

Bailey & Co. Philadelphia Worked 1846-78

James Conning b.1813-d.1872 New York City, c.1840 Mobile, Ala., 1842-72

John Ewan b.1786-d.1852 Charleston, S.C. Worked 1823-52

Hayden & Gregg New York City Charleston, S.C. Worked c.1832-46

William Mitchell Jr. b.1795-d.1852 Richmond, Va. Worked 1820-c.1845

Mitchell & Tyler Richmond, Va. Worked 1845-66

J.E. Spear & Co. b.1817-d.1871 Charleston, S.C. Worked 1846-71

John Vogler b.1783-d.1881 Salem, N.C. Worked 1805-20

R eproductions

Warning: Fake tin signs advertising old brands or even products that never existed have been made in quantity since the 1960s. The signs look old, but there are clues to help identify them: Fakes are standard sizes, 12 by 18 or 18 by 24 in.; old ones came in various sizes. Fakes are aluminum, not steel (carry a magnet when you’re shopping—if the magnet sticks, the sign is probably old). Some newer signs were used in TGI Friday’s restaurants. Those signs were mounted with nails through drilled holes. (iCollect247.com)

Add a couple more Old Sleepy Eye “fantasy” glass items if you’re keeping a list. Guernsey Glass of Cambridge, Ohio, apparently sold both an Old Sleepy Eye cup plate and toothpick holder several years ago. We’ve seen the cup plate in Amberina and carnival glass and the toothpick holder in clear

green, blue and green slag. Harold Bennett, Guernsey’s owner, may have commissioned Mosser Glass or Boyd Glass, both also in Cambridge, to make the pieces.

New papier-mâché nodders made from 19th-century molds could fool you. The new nodders are made by Marolin, a German company that also reproduces vintage candy containers. The new nodders, like old ones, are hand-painted. But there are differences: The balance pin on an old nodder is usually a thin flat strip of brass; on new ones, the pin is a round rod. Old pins have a natural patina; new ones are shiny or sometimes painted. Old heads return to an upright center position; new heads come to rest either forward or backward. (Mark Chervenka, ReproNews.com)

Readers Write • Readers Write • Readers Write • Readers Write • Readers Write • Readers Write

“How can I find government seizure and bankruptcy auctions?” asked a reader. “The online sites ask me for money for a list and I thought the government should have a free list.”

You’re right. The government makes free lists available. Visit USTreas.gov/auctions to see lists of real estate, vehicles and other property up for auction all over the country. For a list of auctions of property and goods forfeited to federal law enforcement agencies and U.S. allies, go to USMarshals.gov and click on the

“Managing and Selling Assets” link. GovernmentAuctions.org is not a government site and charges a fee for membership, but links on the right side of its homepage allow you to view auction lists free of charge. Banks in your area may periodically auction the contents of abandoned safety deposit boxes, and police departments sometimes auction recovered stolen property that can’t be returned. Abandoned storage lockers are another source.

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Bitters Bottles

O

ver 200 bottles were sold at the January online American Bottle auction, and the 25 bitters bottles offered were among the priciest.

The word “bitters” must be embossed on the glass or printed on the paper label for a bottle to be considered a bitters. Many bitters bottles are “figurals” shaped like cabins, barrels, pigs, clocks, cannons or ears of corn. The most expensive bitters in the auction was a figural Kelly’s Old Cabin Bitters bottle that sold for $3,360. A pineapple-shaped W.C. Co. Pineapple Bitters was $560. Least expensive was an octagonal S.O. Richardson Bitters, $78, followed by a square Marshall’s Bitters (“The Best Laxative and Blood Purifier”), $90.

Bitters is a mixture of gin and herbs.

During the second half of the 19th century, it was sold as medicine so it wasn’t taxed as an alcoholic drink—even though some mixtures were as much as 59% alcohol.

Another reason for its popularity was the strength of the U.S. temperance movement, whose members frowned on social drinking. Who could condemn bitters when it claimed to cure whatever ailed you?

Most bitters were bottled between 1862, the year a Revenue Act was passed that included a tax on alcoholic beverages (but not medicine), and 1906, when the Food and Drug Administration put restrictions on the sale of bitters as medicine.

W. & Co. N.Y. Pine- It also required content labeling and outapple Bitters, medium lawed outrageous advertising claims and golden amber. Applied poisonous patent medicines. mouth, pontil, (ding More prices: S.T. Drakes 1860 Plantation X under collar), 8 7/8 in., Bitters, 6-log, deep cherry puce, $476; puce, $1,904. $560.

Brown’s Celebrated Indian Herb Bitters, patented Feb. 11, 1868, medium amber, partial original paint, $672. Woolrich’s Pick-MeUp Bitters, Halifax, Nova Scotia, square, ice blue, $532. Moosewood Blood Bitters, Nova Scotia, light green-blue, $560. Royal Bitters, Geo. Clement, Niagara, Ontario, strap sides, deep blue aqua, $1,232.

Photos and prices are courtesy of American Bottle Auctions, 2523 J St., Suite 203, Sacramento, CA 95816, AmericanBottle.com. The Auction 46 catalog, Jan. 5-13, 2009, can be viewed on the website. The bible for collectors is the two-volume Bitters Bottles by Carlyn Ring and W.C. Ham (out of print, but some are available from Bill Ham, 4237 Hendricks Road, Lakeport, CA 95453, BittersBottles.net). See also Kovels’ Bottles Price List, 13th ed. (Random House Reference, NY, 2006).

Note: The condition of all pictured bottles was listed as “mint” or “nearly mint,” except as noted.

PICTURED ON COVER H.P. Herb Wild Cherry Bitters, “Reading, Pa.,” amber. Applied top, 10 in., $952.

Kelly’s Old Cabin Bitters, Patented 1863, olive-root beer. Applied top, smooth base, 9 1/4 in., $3,360.

Alpine Herb Bitters, TT & Co. [embossed logo for Thomas Taylor & Co., San Francisco], light amber. Partial label, applied top, 10 in., $672.

Dr. Henley’s Wild Grape Root IXL Bitters, western bottle, turquoiseteal. Applied mouth, 12 1/2 in., $952.

Brown’s Celebrated Indian Herb Bitters, “Patented Feb 1867,” light amber. Rolled lip, crudity, 12 1/4 in., $2,128.

S.T. Drakes 1860 Plantation X Bitters, “Patented 1862,” 6-log, puce. Applied top, 10 in., $1,904.

Royal Italian Bitters, “Registered Trade Mark A.M.F. Gianelli Genova,” Montreal, amethyst.

Applied top, smooth base, 13 1/2 in., $1,792.

Old Sachem Bitters and Wigwam Tonic, golden amber. Applied top, pontil, Right: Solomons’ 9 1/2 in., Strengthening In$1,344. vigorating Bitters, “Savannah, Georgia,” cobalt blue. Applied top, 9 1/2 in., $3,136.

• TIPS • TIPS • TIPS • TIPS • TIPS • TIPS • TIPS • TIPS • TIPS • TIPS • TIPS • TIPS • TIPS • TIPS

Vintage handbags should be stored away from sunlight, heat, dust and humidity. Store in fabric bags to prevent the accumulation of moisture, which damages Lucite and Bakelite.

Never use toothpaste as a silver polish. Some have baking soda and other abrasive ingredients.

Paper ephemera like trade cards, photographs, books,

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signs and letters that were made before 1950 rarely fluoresce under a black light. Paper made after 1950 contains many bleaches and dyes and will fluoresce.

Keep your collection of glassware away from the speakers of your sound system. Heavy bass and high-pitched sounds can crack glass.

Buyer’s Price Guide ADVERTISING Dr Pepper crayon set, pad & eraser, 1982, unopened........... $30 Reach for Bunny Bread strip sign, rolled edges, red ground, white letters, 28 x 3 in.................................... $55 Gordon’s Gin thermometer, “How the English keep everything dry,” white, blue & red letters, 12 in............... $95 Long’s California’s Maraschino Cherries pocket mirror, bottle of cherries in center, yellow ground, lithograph on paper, 1 3/4 x 3/8 in.................................................... $160 Woolsey Marine Paints sign, porcelain, “Serving at sea since 1853,” double-sided, red sky, sailboat on blue water, 34 x 22 in................................................. $625 Coca-Cola display, “Thirst Asks Nothing More,” silk-screened plywood, aluminum deco trim, Kay Displays, c.1938, 38 x 9 3/4 in........................................ $920 DOLLS & TOYS Raggedy Ann watch, red leatherette band, Raggedy Ann on face, Bobbs-Merrill Co., 1971, 5 1/2 in............. $175 Bullwinkle Magic Color Kit, Gold Medal Flour premium, 1962, 8 pages, 5 1/2 x 7 1/2 in........................ $195 Walt Disney Fire Fighters lunch box, domed, Disney characters as firefighters, thermos, Aladdin, 1969.......... $220 Outer Limits board game, Milton Bradley, 1964................ $335 Flapper doll, composition, painted features and sandals, crepe skirt, swimsuit top, matching headpiece, clockwork makes her bosoms shake, 18 in..................... $460 Rabbit-in-cabbage clockwork toy, peers out of cabbage patch, ears twitch, chops on food, looks around, stops & disappears, Austria, 9 in.................................. $2,875 FURNITURE Arts & Crafts oak side table, rectangular top, slab sides, tenon construction, shelf, “Lifetime Furniture, Grand Rapids Bookcase & Chairs Co.,” 1910, 28 x 23 in......... $345 Victorian mahogany stool, padded seat raised on scrolling & X-form supports, center shield carving, French cut-velvet upholstery, 1850, 18 x 21 x 17 in....... $900 Anglo-Colonial William IV plantation chair, hardwood, crest rail with carved scroll ends, sling-form seat with woven cane, turned legs, 1830s, 38 1/2 in........... $2,040 French fruitwood dining table, round, Louis XVI style, boxed florets, brass ferrules & casters, 3 leaves, 5 legs, 30 x 72 in........................................... $2,640 GLASS Akro Agate Play-Time tea set, Jade Trans-Optic, stippled band, box, 14 piece............................................ $245 Mt. Washington sugar shaker, egg shape, blue to white, dogwood flowers, c.1890, 4 1/4 in.................................. $270 Insulator, Brookfield No. 450, side wire groove, single petticoat, embossed, yellow green.................................. $310 Carnival glass water set, Lattice & Grape, blue, 7 pc......... $350 Tiffany Favrile bowl & separate flower frog, peacock blue, undulating rim, 2-tier flower frog, 9-in. bowl, 4-in. flower frog................................................. $2,390

POTTERY & PORCELAIN Weller Dickensware vessel, handle, profile of young boy, reads “Never perform business, said Master Belling,” turquoise ground, 4 1/2 x 5 in.......................... $485 Rookwood vase, flaring double handle, squeeze-bag design, stylized leaves & flowers, shades of brown & green, 1929, 6 1/2 x 9 in.............................................. $785 Chinese Famille Rose porcelain plaque, imperial hunting scene with emperor on white elephant, immortals, attendants, animals, 1880s, 12 x 18 in....... $1,090 SILVER & OTHER METALS Sheet-metal salesman-sample furnace, round, removable top, square vent, doors open, “Red Cross Cooperative Foundry Co., N.Y.,” 1924, 18 x 10 in......... $115 Brass boar paperweight, figural, seated behind rolled scroll, tongue exposed, c.1900, 3 in................................ $130 Silver-plate water pitcher, angular pear shape, deeply curved shaped rim & arching foliate handle, engraved irises & satyr masque, 1890s, 12 1/4 x 7 1/4 in.............. $275 Cast-iron parrot doorstop, navy blue head, yellow body, red feathers, Taylor Cook, 10 3/4 in................................ $575 Georg Jensen sterling silver lobster picks, Cactus pattern, 1930s, set of 12............................................... $2,160 TEXTILES & CLOTHING Victorian nightgown, white cotton, pin-tucking on bust, button-down front, c.1890, size medium.................. $60 Hooked rug, beaver floating on log, red & black ground, maple-leaf corners, 21 x 38 in........................... $155 Appliquéd quilt, Lady of the Lake pattern, tester bedpost cut, c.1848, 69 x 77 in........................................ $610 Judith Leiber pearl & clear crystal “Sleeping Cat” purse, gilt leather lining, coin purse, gilt comb, round make-up mirror, 6 x 2 3/4 in.............................. $1,200 MISCELLANEOUS Floral-spray green plastic scarf clip, blue rhinestones, V-shape, 1950s, 2 in.......................................................... $35 National Cash Register, black crinkle finish, chrome highlights, marble shelf, 1950s, 17 x 14 x 16 in............. $115 Casey at the Bat lobby card, 1927 film starring Wallace Beery & Zasu Pitts, Beery in uniform holding bat, oversized, 14 x 17 in....................................................... $130 Frank Howard Fan Club button, 1970, shades of blue, Frank at bat, 2 1/4 in....................................................... $145 Colorado State Fair 1904 button, picturing head of wild-eyed horse with flared nostrils, teeth showing, yellow ground, red horse, blue lettering, 1 3/4 in........... $525 $15 & UNDER West Virginia 1973 license plate, orange, blue letters............ $8 Fenton vase, Hobnail pattern, Springtime Green, flared & rolled edge, 1977, 5 in................................................... $12 Tabasco sauce cookbook, 1979, 37 pages............................. $13 Avon bottle, Alaskan Moose, aftershave, 1974, 6 oz............ $14 Frankoma pottery coyote pup, Prairie Green, 7 in................ $15

Prices compiled monthly from sales and advertisements. For 44,000 current prices and 2,500 color photographs and factory marks, see Kovels’ Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide 2009, 41st edition, available at local bookstores and libraries, from Kovels.com or by mail from KOVELS, P.O. Box 22200, Beachwood, OH 44122 ($27.95 plus $4.95 postage and handling).

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Collector’s Gallery

Q

I am interested in selling my Charlie Chaplin doll. I was told that this is the only one with the original box. Can you tell me if this is true and how much I might expect to sell it for?

Charlie Chaplin (18991977), the famous comedian, actor and filmmaker, made his first movie in 1913. His most memorable is The Tramp, released in 1915. The character of the Tramp has remained famous and collectors hunt for all sorts of Chaplin memorabilia. Your Charlie Chaplin Mechanical Walking Toy was made in 1917 by the B & R Co. It was one of the first toys to be patterned after a film character.

It’s tin with lithographed details and cast-iron shoes. Turn the cane a few times and Charlie shuffles forward. Original boxes greatly increase the value of a toy. You do not have the only toy with an original box, but with the box your toy is worth $1,100 to $1,500.

A

Q

My sons used to play with this 15 1/2-inch Mickey Mouse cowboy doll. I saved the doll after my boys moved out more than 55 years ago. What is the doll valued at today?

Good for you for saving your sons’ Mickey Mouse cowboy doll. A Mickey cowboy doll was introduced by the Knickerbocker Toy Co. in 1935 and became popular immediately. So over the next few years, the company made more versions of the doll in different sizes. Knickerbocker was the first company to make licensed Mickey Mouse dolls dressed in costumes. In addition to a cowboy, there was a Mickey clown and a Mickey marching major.

Your doll still has his original felt chaps and red kerchief, but he’s missing his hat, lasso and pair of six-shooters. Perhaps they’re stored away in your house somewhere. Your doll’s whiskers are missing, too. A Mickey cowboy doll the same size as yours but with all his accessories except the lasso auctioned last year at James D. Julia’s for $4,888.

Still, your doll is worth perhaps $1,000.

A

Q

My husband got this Davy Crockett suitcase as a Christmas present in the mid-1950s. The front reads “Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier.”

It is 12 by 10 inches and 5 inches deep. Value?

Davy Crockett (17861836), the American frontiersman, was first featured on Walt Disney’s television series in 1954. The show’s theme song, The Ballad of Davy Crockett, was an instant hit. Between 1954 and 1956, Davy Crockett was featured in several episodes of the Disney show. During the 1950s, Disney licensed over 500 Davy Crockett products. Your husband’s suitcase was made in 1955 by Neveel.

It’s made of wood and cardboard covered with imitation leather.

It has flocked accents on Davy, the teepee, the bear and all the lettering except “Crockett.” The suitcase is worth $125 to $200, depending on condition.

A

Q

I have a humidor that belonged to my father, who was born in 1902. I’m interested in knowing if it has anything other than sentimental value. It’s marked “Nippon” on the bottom.

Ceramics marked “Nippon” were made by many different manufacturers in Japan from 1891 to 1921. In 1891 the U.S. Congress passed the McKinley Tariff Act that required all china imports to be marked with the country of origin. “Nippon” is the transliteration of the Japanese word for “Japan.” In 1921 the U.S. government decided that the English word “Japan” had to be used instead, and the Nippon era ended. Once inexpensive, Nippon china is now eagerly sought by collectors. Your Nippon humidor has a relief-molded design. The dog portrait was incised in the mold, which resulted in a 3-D figure on the humidor. Then it was hand-painted. Nippon collectors refer to these pieces as “blownout.” Your humidor was probably made between 1909 and 1921.

If it’s in excellent condition, it’s worth $675 to $950.

For more information, see Collector’s Encyclopedia of Nippon Porcelain

A

by Joan F. Van Patten (Collector Books, Paducah, KY, 2002). Or visit NipponCollectorsClub.com, the website of the International Nippon Collectors Club (INCC).

Letters from readers help us keep track of the changing world of antiques and collectibles. We wish we could answer all questions individually, but that just isn’t possible. We do read every letter, but only a limited number of questions of general interest are answered. Values given are average for the type of antique, not a specific appraisal. No questions about coins, stamps, books or oil paintings, please. Send written questions to P.O. Box 22200, Beachwood, OH 44122. Photos should be in focus and processed by a traditional photo lab; computer-generated prints on regular paper cannot be used. We try extra hard for subscribers, so include your newsletter label and a large, self-addressed, stamped envelope. Email questions and digital photos using the form at www.Kovels.com/contactus/collectorsgallery.html. We regret that we cannot return any photos. We retain the right to use them in this publication or other Kovel forums, regardless of medium. Please do not send old letters, cards or papers of value. Sometimes research takes time, so please be patient.

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