This elegant bow-front chest is an example of Federal furniture, the style that spread across the country right after the American Revolution. The antique chest sold for $8,125 at a New York auction. See more Federal furniture on page 66.

Cast-iron toy ranges are hot, but they may not be out of your price range. This toy Hubley Eagle gas range sold for just $58 at a New Jersey auction. We cook up more information about cast-iron dollhouse kitchens on page 68.

A collector with a keen sense of smell bid $392 for this 200-year-old seahorse scent bottle at a Michigan auction. Little bottles like these once held smelling salts for the faint-of-heart. Catch your breath, then turn to page 65 to learn more.

There seemed to be plenty of animal attraction at the Detroit auction where this Royal Bayreuth rooster pitcher sold for $472. Wake up to fun facts about antique Royal Bayreuth pitchers and creamers on page 70.

New gold jewelry is losing favor at retail stores because of the high price of gold. Be sure you have increased the insurance on your old gold jewelry to reflect the new higher price of gold.

Be careful if you’re reheating food in Pyrex or other American-made glass baking dishes. They can shatter at a lower temperature than European glassware. We talked to an expert at Pyrex, who said U.S. manufacturers use soda lime to make glass baking ware—and glass made with soda lime can be damaged at a lower temperature than other types of glass. Their advice: 1) Don’t add liquid to a hot pan. 2) Avoid big temperature changes; for example, don’t transfer a dish from the freezer to the oven. And we learned the hard way that covered leftover dishes with embossed decorations of bundles of vegetables or fruit crack easily when heated in a microwave oven.

A record $11.5 million was paid for John James Audubon’s Birds of America, the four-volume double-elephant folio, at a Sotheby’s auction in London. The price is the most ever paid at auction for a published book.

The Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art in Biloxi, Miss., has opened after damage and delay caused by Hurricane Katrina. The museum, designed by architect Frank Gehry, comprises six independent buildings. Eighty-five pieces of Ohr pottery are now on exhibit.

Does your keychain hold the little tags stores give good customers who sign up for discounts? Be careful. If you lose your keychain, the tags can tell a thief where you live, your phone number and other information. If the keys and tags go astray, you should change the locks on your house. If just an unidentified house key is lost, it is only an inconvenience when you want to get back into your house.

We noted in our December issue that the price of the famous near-mint 1909 Honus Wagner rookie card went from $451,000 in 1991 to $2.8 million three years ago. A subscriber wrote to tell us that the card was valued at $250 in the 1978 Guinness Book of World Records.

Last July, new laws went into effect in several states that required dishwasher detergents to be made without phosphates. Almost all detergents you buy at grocery stores were reformulated. This has caused problems for the owners of dishwashers with automatic dispensers. Some GE and other brands manufactured since 2002 have a dispenser in the door that clogs if the new detergent is added while there is still some of the old inside. If yours is one of these models and you’ve mixed detergents, don’t run the dishwasher until you “purge” it. Instructions can be found at GEAppliances.com (click on “Service & Support”). We checked with GE, and our vintage dishes that now look cloudy because of the new detergent can be cleaned by hand-washing. Do not try to remove the “cloud” with an abrasive. It’s a mineral deposit, and most dishwashing liquids will remove it.

There are now several cable TV series geared toward collectors. Pawn Stars (History Channel), Hollywood Treasure (Syfy), Auction Hunters (Spike), Auctioneer$ (TLC) and Auction Kings (Discovery) examine odd parts of the collecting world—everything from celebrity memorabilia to good buys at storage warehouses. Some may not last very long. None come close to the quality and appeal of the long-running Antiques Roadshow (PBS). But you will see unusual items, enjoy hosts with personality, and pick up tips about value and condition. Let us know which shows you like and why.

Dear Lee,

 

Every collector can tell a story about the “one that got away.” Maybe it was too expensive or too “different.” Or maybe it was something we learned more about years later. Don’t feel badly. Here are some of our “misses”:

We were married three years when we decided to build a house. That was before we started studying and writing about antiques. We hired an architect who was working on the Elephant House at the local zoo with an artist named Viktor Schreckengost. Although we were introduced to Viktor and admired his work, we didn’t buy anything from him. In later years, he became famous for the Jazz bowl he had designed decades earlier—one of them sold for $158,000 last year. All of his work is treasured today.

Our decorator back then was Isabelle Lichtenstein. Her “starving artist” husband was named Roy. He wanted us to buy one of his paintings, but we didn’t like his work. This was well before he became famous for his paintings that look like comic strips. One of his early “ugly” paintings that sold to a smart collector back then for $27.50 just auctioned for $128,700.

And we didn’t buy a tall Rookwood vase decorated with a single fish. It was signed “Shirayamadani,” but we were unfamiliar with the name and still on a tight budget. That vase today would sell for over $8,000

Then on a family trip to France we visited Vallauris, a city filled with tourist shops offering pottery. Picasso had been there a few years before and designed pieces that were still being made and sold. We did know the name Picasso, so we bought the least expensive plate we saw for about $25. It now sells for $1,500. But the limited edition pitchers we didn’t buy for $50 now sell for $8,000.

We recently watched a rerun of one of our very first TV shows, taped in 1970 for our local public television station. We were standing in front of a flea market table displaying a now-famous piece of folk art—a carved head of a black man. We never even thought of buying folk art back then, so we walked away from a piece now worth over $25,000.

We wonder how many other rarities we have overlooked at shows and shops. Do you have a story about the “one that got away” from you? Please tell us. Email editor@kovels.com.

Pair of enamel and 18K gold cufflinks, “four vices,” signed “KJD,” English hallmarks, $915.

Pair of black diamond and yellow sapphire cufflinks, Eli Frei, $2,318.

Pair of two-color tourmaline cufflinks and matching tie tack, mounted in 14K gold, $671.

 

There was once a time when men didn’t wear much jewelry—maybe a ring, tie tack or pair of cufflinks. No earrings or gold necklaces for them.

Times have changed, but a lot of men continue to stick with the basics and “dress up” by wearing a pair of cufflinks with a dress shirt—perhaps only when they wear a tux.

Vintage cufflinks can be found at auctions, shows, house sales, shops and flea markets. Costume-jewelry cufflinks made of gold-tone metal and semiprecious or imitation stones can be bargains, but fine-jewelry cufflinks will cost you.

Dozens of high-quality vintage cufflinks sold at a recent Bonhams & Butterfields auction. A few examples are pictured. Prices went from $671 for a pair of unmarked tourmaline (a semiprecious stone) cufflinks and matching tie tack to $2,318 for a pair of Eli Frei cufflinks mounted with black diamonds and yellow sapphires (precious stones).

Cufflinks marked with the name of a well-known designer like Eli Frei or Renato Cipullo or a famous retailer like Tiffany & Co. or Cartier sell for more than unmarked pieces. A pair of Tiffany frosted onyx and pink sapphire cufflinks auctioned for $1,159, and a pair of Cartier 18K gold and diamond locomotive-shaped cufflinks went for $2,074.

Men first wore cufflinks in the 1700s, and their use was widespread by the mid 1800s. Collectors looking for less expensive but unusual examples can hunt for “wraparound” links that go around the outside of a cuff, “reverse crystal” links with colored carvings that look like painted pictures, and links made with old coins.

Photos are courtesy of Bonhams & Butterfields, 580 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10022. The Gentleman’s Library auction catalog, Nov. 17, 2010, can be viewed in the archives at Bonhams.com.

Pair of 14K gold cufflinks and matching tie tack, bull’s heads, $1,342.

Pair of coral and 18K gold cufflinks, faces, $1,037.

Pair of 18K gold and cultured pearl cufflinks, Renato Cipullo, $732.

Pair of frosted onyx and pink sapphire cufflinks, Tiffany & Co., $1,159.

Collecting Cufflinks

Standard hot nut vending machine, aluminum base, ruby hobnail glass top lights up. Silver King Corp., Chicago, 1947, 15 1/2 in. h., $330.

Right: Breath pellet vending machine, aluminum, with tray and original chlorophyll decal, 5 cents, c.1930, 12 in. h. by 6 in. w., $90.

True Blue Gum vending machine, nickel-plated cast-iron base, glass dome, replacement paper label says “Penny in Slot–Push the Rod.” Automatic Sales Co., Lansing, Mich., (plating worn), c.1905, 12 in. h., $2,040.

Northwestern 33 gum vending machine, red porcelain over cast iron. Northwestern Corp., Morris, Ill., 14 1/2 in. h., $240.

Gem trade-stimulator gumball vending machine, cigarette reels. Garden City Novelty Co., Chicago, c.1936,
13 in. h. by 9 1/2 in. w., $540.

Regal peanut vending machine, cast iron, 1 cent. Regal Products Co., LaCrosse, Wis. (Regal’s first machine), 1930s, 12 1/2 in. h., $90.

Coin-Op Vending Machines

“Eat ’em Hot” nut vending machine, aluminum, electric, lights up and blinks. Mabey Electric & Manufacturing Co., Indianapolis, 1934, 23 1/2 in. h., $720.

 

 

Old coin-operated vending machines are appreciated for their mechanical ingenuity and colorful decorations. Over the years, they have dispensed cigarettes, matches, chewing gum, soft drinks, wine, beer, stamps, postcards, snuff, handkerchiefs, eggs, sugar cubes, quinine, lighter fluid, laxatives, perfume and even divorce papers.

More than a dozen coin-operated gum, peanut and candy vending machines sold at a fall Rich Penn auction for prices ranging from $90 to over $2,000.

Most expensive, at $2,040, was a True Blue Gum machine made about 1905 by the Automatic Sales Co. of Lansing, Mich. A 1934 “Eat ’em Hot” nut machine by Mabey Electric & Manufacturing Co. of Indianapolis was the most expensive nut vending machine—it sold for $720. Both are pictured.

The first automatic vending machine was probably a third-century B.C. holy water dispenser used at an Egyptian temple. When a coin was deposited in the dispenser, it landed on a tray attached to a lever that opened a valve to release some water.

But coin-operated machines didn’t really catch on until centuries later. Fast-forward to London in the 1880s, when the first modern coin-operated vending machines dispensed postcards. In 1888 Thomas Adams installed penny machines on New York City subway platforms to sell his Tutti Frutti gum. Four years later, Herbert Mills of Chicago’s Mills Novelty Co. designed peanut-vending machines to sell his own brand of peanuts. Vending machines were soon popping up all over the United States.

The catalog, A Country Store Advertising Auction Event, Nov. 6-7, 2010, is available from Rich Penn Auctions, Box 1355, Waterloo, IA 50704, RichPennAuctions.com. Photos are courtesy of Rich Penn. For more information, see Drop Coin Here: The Book of Antique Coin-Operated Gambling, Vending and Arcade Machines by Ken and Fran Rubin (Crown, New York, 1979). The Coin-Op Collectors Association, CoinOpClub.org, publishes a newsletter for collectors.

Atlas-Bantam candy vending machine, cast aluminum, 5 cents, no key. Atlas Manufacturing & Sales Co., Cleveland, 1947,
11 in. h., $210.

PICTURED ON COVER

Free-blown figural seahorse scent bottle, probably American, 1770-1830. Sapphire blue with twisted opaque white canes, slender body, two applied colorless glass ribbons. Sheared mouth, (roughness at lower end of ribbon), 2 3/4 in., $392.

Free-blown figural seahorse scent bottle, probably eastern U.S., 1770-1830. Colorless with twisted alternating white and dark puce canes, two applied glass ribbons, tightly curled tail. Sheared mouth, (flake on mouth and loss at base), 2 1/4 in., $162.

Figural pinwheel scent bottle, American, possibly Boston area or Dyottville Glass Works, Philadelphia, 1815-30. Aquamarine, flattened wafer-form body blown in full-size two-piece mold. Large center bead and pinwheel design on flattened sides, corrugated edges, tooled and inward-rolled mouth, pontil scar, 2 in., $274.

Figural clamshell scent bottle, probably Continental but possibly American, 1824-45. Golden yellow with topaz tone, blown in full-size two-piece mold. Rough blow-over type lip finish, smooth base, (interior residue), 2 1/4 in., $336.

Sunburst scent bottle, American, probably New England, 1815-35. Clear medium amethyst, shield form, 12-ray sunburst pattern, center bead at convergence of rays, nine beads along each side panel edge. Sheared mouth, pontil scar,
2 3/4 in., $1,344.

Pressed glass scent bottle, probably American, 1770-1830. Yellow with citron tone, 20 vertical ribs, sheared mouth, pontil scar,
2 3/4 in., $1,344.

Antique Scent Bottles

Step back in time a couple centuries and consider how awful the air could smell, with horse dung in the roadways and people walking around without a daily bath or deodorant. Then imagine you’re a woman tied up in a corset under a pile of petticoats on a hot summer day. You might want a little bottle of smelling salts—a liquid ammonia solution—you could pull out of your purse to give you a quick pick-me-up.

“Scent bottles,” the term commonly used for the small lay-down bottles designed to hold smelling salts, were made in both Europe and the United States. They show up at bottle auctions once in a while and attract a lot of attention.

More than a dozen scent bottles from the late 18th and early 19th centuries sold at a fall American Glass Gallery auction. Prices ranged from $118 for a clear glass seahorse bottle to $1,344 each for an amethyst sunburst bottle and a yellow pressed glass egg-shaped bottle. All three shapes—seahorse, sunburst and egg—are traditional scent bottle forms, and all were made in a variety of colors. In general, colored bottles are more expensive than clear ones.

Smelling salts were also recommended as a treatment for whooping cough, heartburn and headaches. The solution was usually dispensed in plain bottles at a drugstore, then poured by customers into smaller, more attractive bottles. Early bottles had cork stoppers; later ones came with glass stoppers or metal caps.

Photos are courtesy of American Glass Gallery, P.O. Box 227, New Hudson, MI 48165. The Nov. 15, 2010, auction catalog can be viewed on the auction’s website, AntiqueBottleandGlassCollector.com. For more information, see Perfume and Scent Bottle Collecting, 2nd ed., by Jean Sloan (Wallace-Homestead, Radnor, Pa., 1989).

A myth-buster: The creator of iced tea was said to be Richard Blechynden, the Commissioner of Tea for India and the director of the East India Pavilion at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. It was hot and no one wanted the sample of hot tea he was offering, so he added ice. The tea was a hit and the idea of cold tea spread across the country. But iced tea had been served in the 19th century. Often it was served as “tea punch”: tea, sugar, heavy cream and champagne. “Iced tea glasses” were being made and sold by 1915.

While doing research, we found an auction offering a 1920s record player made by the “Kovell Talking Machine Co.” We can’t find any reference anywhere to that company. Could it be that the owner attached a note to the record player simply saying it was listed in one of our books? Has anyone heard of the Kovell Talking Machine Co.?

Vintage jewelry, especially very expensive jewelry owned by famous people, has turned out to be a great investment. Value doesn’t disappear—it just moves to someone else—so there’s always a buyer for the best. Prices are not just for the value of the gold, diamonds and workmanship, but also for unique designs and the romantic or important history of past owners.

About 650 different children’s metal lunch box designs have been made in the United States. The first, a Hopalong Cassidy lunch box, dates from 1951; the last, a Rambo box, came out in 1985. Now children’s lunch boxes are plastic or fabric.

Peachblow glass has dropped in price since 2005.

Federal chest of drawers, cherry. Four drawers, bracket feet, early 1800s, 35 in. h.
by 42 in. w. by
18 1/4 in. d., $1,125.

Federal Pembroke table, inlaid mahogany. Bowed ends, D-shape leaves, single drawer, square tapering legs each headed by a fluted frieze, New York, early 1800s,
28 1/4 in. h. by 28 1/4 in. w. by
20 in. d., $1,875.

PICTURED ON COVER

Federal bow-front chest of drawers, mahogany and figured maple. Four drawers, raised splayed bracket feet, 39 in. h. by 42 in. w. by 22 1/2 in. d., $8,125.

Federal-style fold-over card table, inlaid mahogany. D-shape top above conforming apron, square tapering legs,
30 in. h. by 35 in. w. by
18 in. d., $594.

Federal secretary-bookcase, mahogany, two parts. Upper section with scrolled pediment above two glazed doors and two small drawers. Lower section with foldout writing surface over three drawers, raised splayed bracket feet, early 1800s, 73 in. h. by 35 in. w. by 16 1/2 in. d., $688.

Federal sewing table, bird’s-eye maple. Rectangular top above two drawers and sliding basket, circular tapering legs, 1800s,
28 1/2 in. h. by 20 in. w.
by 14 in. d., $594.

Finding Federal Furniture

 

 

When you see a piece of furniture described as “Federal” or “Federal style,” it means the piece is in the neoclassical style U.S. cabinetmakers turned to immediately following the American Revolution (1775-1883).

To honor the country’s new independent status, cabinetmakers here called the style Federal instead of Neoclassical or Classical, the terms used in Europe, where the style was already entrenched. Federal furniture, in general, has light and delicate rectangular lines and inlaid rather than carved decorations. The style remained popular in the United States until about 1820.

You can find examples of Federal or later Federal-style furniture at nearly every auction of antique American furniture. The pictured examples sold at a Doyle New York auction, where prices ranged from $281 for a small Federal-style mahogany chest of drawers to $8,125 for a mahogany and figured maple full-size bow-front chest of drawers (pictured on cover).

Photos are courtesy of Doyle New York, 175 E. 87th St., New York, NY 10128. Doyle’s American Furniture and Decorative Arts auction catalog, Nov. 18, 2010, can be viewed in the archives at DoyleNewYork.com.

Federal mirror, inlaid mahogany. Frame with shaped crest and apron, 1800s, 42 in. h. by 22 1/2 in. w., $313.

Federal dining table, mahogany. Top with reeded edge, circular
tapering reeded legs, three leaves, 1800-25, 29 1/2 in. h. by
10 ft. 5 3/4 in. w. (with leaves) by 53 3/4 in. d., $5,000.

Federal bow-front chest of drawers, mahogany. Four graduated cock-beaded drawers flanked by molded stiles, bracket feet, early 1800s,
39 in. h. by 41 in. w. by 23 in. d., $1,625.

Federal sideboard, mahogany. Central frieze drawer above a pair of serpentine cupboard doors with two curved drawers on each side, Mid-Atlantic states, early 1800s, 42 1/4 in. h. by 73 in. w. by 29 in. d., $1,500.

The largest art show in the United States is the Art Basel show held in Miami Beach every December. The Design Miami show goes on at the same time. We went to both shows, and what did we see? All sorts of unusual designs—and outrageous ones, too. Many artists are directing their talents toward design as well as fine art. New furniture and sculptures were selling for very high prices. Because I’m attracted to “the old,” I’m always looking for new designs based on old ideas.

We saw a white wall-hung chest of drawers with tiny “tin soldiers” attached to the top and sides. An artist had painted black “shadows” of the soldiers on the chest. The result was a cabinet that looked both vintage and current. But like everything at these shows, it was very expensive: over $8,500.

There was a lamp (pictured) by Studio Job, a group known for its cutting-edge designs, that should appeal to those who read Kovels newsletter. Called “Wrecking Ball Lamp,” it looks like a toy crane with a wrecking ball—the ball holds a light bulb. Price: $36,000. Six of these lamps were made and four sold at the show.

Displayed in the same booth was an eye-catching ceiling fixture called “Swarm Light.” Strings of LED lights hanging from the ceiling were programmed to make a pattern of lights like bees swarming out of a hive. If you made a noise, the lights (bees) rushed back into the hive. Price: $180,000. Ten chandeliers were made, and six sold the first day.

Two other designs fascinated us. One was a large wood and metal chest of drawers designed by artist Ingrid Donat. At first glance, it looked like an 18th-century piece. But when you opened a drawer, iron gears attached to the outside of the chest started turning. Price: $135,000. Our other favorite was in a fantasy jewelry booth. A string of what looked like five hotdogs was really a necklace with five wooden carvings made from pieces of Thonet chairs. Price: $27,000. I tried the necklace on, but it looked silly on me.

Business was good at the Design Show, where millions of dollars exchanged hands. Sales were even better at the Art Basel show, where there were an estimated 46,000 visitors. The crowds at Art Basel were so large, fire marshals had to intermittently close access to the convention hall.

Collectors with big money were eager to buy, even at big prices. We don’t buy at these shows. We go so we can explain to collectors like you how the newest designs evolved. We always spot new pieces based on old designs you can find at antique shops and shows.

Art Basel & Design Miami

Wrecking Ball Lamp, Studio Job, $36,000. (Photo courtesy of Carpenters Workshop Gallery)

Hubley toy Alaska icebox, cast iron, painted green with gold highlights. Embossed “Alaska,” doors open,
6 1/8 in. h., $201.

Arcade toy Crane kitchen sink, cast iron, painted white, nickel faucet. Stenciled “Crane” on front, (chip to top), box with original corrugated liner (flap torn off but present), 4 3/4 in. h. by 6 3/4 in. w., $633.

Arcade toy Roper gas stove, cast iron, painted white with gray trim. Embossed “Roper,” doors open, nickel gas burners, (unplayed with, age chips), box, 6 1/2 in. h., $633.

Arcade complete toy kitchen set, heavy cardboard backdrop with windows and dining alcove. Cast-iron furnishings include refrigerator, stove, hutch, sink and table with two chairs, all painted beige with green trim, stenciled, (chips), $2,588.

Arcade toy Boone kitchen cabinet, cast iron, sheet-metal back, painted white with gray trim. Stenciled “Boone” and small clock, doors open, pullout breadboard, (paint chips), box (missing interior flaps), 8 in. h., $920.

Arcade toy Curtis breakfast nook, table and two backed benches, cast iron, painted white. Each piece embossed “Arcade” on base, (corrosion), box (flaps torn), table 4 3/4 in. l., benches
4 1/2 in. h., $144.

Hubley toy GE Monitor-Top refrigerator, cast iron, painted red. Hubley and GE decals intact, door opens, nickel ice tray, (flaking), 7 1/4 in. h., $288.

Arcade toy Gurney refrigerator, cast iron, painted white with gray trim. Stenciled “Gurney” on front, (unplayed with, age cracks), original wax paper, box, 5 1/2 in. h., $1,495.

Furnishing a Toy Kitchen

Kenton toy Kent gas range, cast iron, painted blue. Embossed “Kent,” nickel doors, largest of 1927 line, 10 in. w., $115.

PICTURED ON COVER

Hubley toy Eagle gas range, cast iron, painted white with blue highlights. Embossed “Eagle,” front door opens, imitation gas flames, 6 1/4 in. w., $58.

 

The Toymakers

Arcade Manufacturing Co., Freeport, Ill., 1885-1946. Started making toys in 1893 and by 1920 was a major manufacturer of cast-iron toys. It was sold to Rockwell Manufacturing Co. in 1946.

Hubley Manufacturing Co., Lancaster, Pa., 1892-1965. Made cast-iron toys until World War II, then turned to die-cast and plastic toys. Hubley was acquired by Gabriel Industries in 1965 and the brand name disappeared.

Kenton Lock Manufacturing Co., Kenton, Ohio, 1890-1952. Renamed Kenton Hardware Co. in 1894, when it started making toys.

 

 

During the 1920s and ’30s—before World War II’s metal shortages and the introduction of plastic dollhouse furniture after the war—children could outfit their doll-size kitchens with little stoves, refrigerators, sinks, cabinets and dinette sets made out of indestructible cast iron.

Today those sturdy toy kitchen appliances and furnishings are collector favorites. At a recent Bertoia auction, prices for the toys went from $58 to $1,495 for single pieces. A complete Arcade kitchen set with a cardboard backdrop sold for $2,588.

An Arcade refrigerator, just 5 1/2 inches tall, attracted the $1,495 bid. It had never been played with, so it was nearly mint, and came in its original wax paper and box. Other Arcade refrigerators sold for $230 and $431. Three GE Monitor-Top refrigerators, one red, one green and one cream, brought $288 each.

Ranges are probably the most collectible of toy kitchen appliances. The best were made by manufacturers of real stoves and can sell for thousands (see Kovels newsletter, April 2003). The priciest range at Bertoia was an Arcade Roper model that auctioned for $633.

Kitchen cabinets similar to full-size Hoosier cabinets attracted bids of $58, $201 and $920. The $920 cabinet, with a pullout breadboard, was an Arcade Boone model. It came with its original box. A kitchen sink by Arcade sold for $633, and Arcade dinette sets went for $144, $345 and $460.

The Toys for the Mantle Sale catalog, Nov. 12-14, 2010, is available from Bertoia Auctions, 2141 DeMarco Drive, Vineland, NJ 08360, BertoiaAuctions.com. Photos are courtesy of Bertoia Auctions. For more information, see American Dollhouses and Furniture from the 20th Century by Dian Zillner (Schiffer, Atglen, Pa., 1995). Magazines for collectors include Dollhouse Miniatures, DHMiniatures.com; and Miniature Gazette, published by the National Association of Miniature Enthusiasts, Miniatures.org.

 

 

Blanch-ette, Inc.

Chicago

1949-1980s

Founded by Blanche Viano and her husband, Aldo Viano, Blanch-ette is better known by its trademark, Judy-Lee Jewels. In 1959 the company issued stock to raise money to expand. Its jewelry and lingerie were sold through home parties from the 1950s into the ’70s. Judy-Lee Jewels later became a division of Con-Stan Industries and was still in business in the 1980s

Modeart Jewelry Creations

New York City

1940s-1980

Modeart was founded by Arthur Pepper. The company specialized in making copies of 19th-century, Victorian and Art Deco jewelry.

Rice-Weiner Co.

Providence, R.I.

1938-c.1950

The company is known for its Thief of Bagdad jewelry, inspired by the movie of the same name produced by Alexander Korda in 1940. Alvin and Robert Rice left Rice-Weiner in 1946 to start Barclay Jewelry Co., but Rice-Weiner continued in business for a few more years under the original name.

Felch & Co.

Providence, R.I.

1934-present

Felch & Co. was founded by Victor Primavera and James Felch. The company made jewelry marked “Danecraft” and specialized in creating Scandinavian-type designs. Primavera bought out Felch in 1945. The Primavera family still operates the business under the name Danecraft.

We spotted a seven-page spread of cast-iron mermaid figurines in a 2010 wholesale catalog. The company that puts out the catalog specializes in nautical collectibles and giftware. The mermaids, which range in size from about 5 to 25 inches long, look old. But they’re brand new. The figurines come in different finishes, including antique white, cream, green, red and “rust.”

Do you love old teacup sets? Two different Royal Albert “100-year commemorative teacup sets” are being offered in giftware catalogs. Each set retails for $150 and includes five different china cups and matching saucers. One set copies designs from 1900-1940; the other, designs from 1950-90. Old cups and saucers can be found in antique shops for about the same price.

Hargo Creations

New York City

1955-1968

Founded by Joseph Heilbronner and Edith Levitt, Hargo made jewelry in unusual designs that included dragons, cobras, Buddhas, genies and other exotic forms.

B. Steinberg-Kaslo Co.

New York City

c.1948-c.1983

There is some confusion about the dates this company was in business. Its earliest possible start date is 1948, but it may not have opened until about 1950. When it was involved in a copyright infringement lawsuit with Trifari in 1956, the owners were listed as Julius Steinberg, Morris Kimmelman, Hyman Slovitt, Abraham J. Slovitt, Samuel Friedman and Arke, Inc. Kaslo was a principal of Arke. The company’s My Fair Lady series, based on the 1964 movie starring Audrey Hepburn, is well known today..

 

Costume jewelry, designed to look like the expensive jewelry made for the wealthy, has been around since the 17th century. It became a popular fashion accessory in the 1920s and has remained popular ever since. New designs as well as copies of expensive jewelry are made using glass stones and rhinestones instead of precious stones. Inexpensive gold- or silver-tone metal is used instead of the real thing. Rhinestones set in costume jewelry are usually cut glass backed with gold or silver foil.

Be careful when you’re cleaning costume jewelry. Don’t dip rhinestone jewelry in liquid jewelry cleaner. If the stones get wet, their backing can loosen. Clean the stones carefully by rubbing gently with a soft cloth dipped in alcohol.

Green-colored corrosion on metal will spread if not removed. Clean the metal with a mixture of a tablespoon of vinegar, a tablespoon of salt and a cup of hot water. Corrosion can also be removed with ketchup. Rub the ketchup in with an old toothbrush or a nylon scouring pad. Dry completely with a towel and a hair dryer set on cool.

Marks shown are from Kovels’ Buyers’ Guide to Costume Jewelry, Part Two, a new special report from the Kovels. If you would like a copy, mail $19.95 plus $4.95 to Kovels, P.O. Box 22900, Beachwood, OH 44122. You can also order via the Store link at Kovels.com.

“When the stopper of a glass decanter becomes too tight, a cloth wet with hot water and applied to the neck will cause the glass to expand so that the stopper may be easily removed.” (The American Frugal Housewife by Lydia M.F. Child, 1828)

To be safe, hang large pictures on two hooks, not just one.

Antique mirrors can be cleaned with a piece of newspaper dipped in a solution of equal parts white vinegar and water.

Use a soft-bristle paintbrush to dust lampshades.

Royal Bayreuth Kangaroo creamer,
5 in. h., $1,416.

PICTURED ON COVER

Royal Bayreuth Rooster water pitcher,
6 in. h. by 8 in. l., $472.

Royal Bayreuth Animal Pitchers

You’re looking at some of Germany’s most famous—and fun—antique porcelain. All of the figural animal pitchers and creamers shown were made more than 100 years ago at the Royal Bayreuth porcelain factory in Bavaria. They all sold at a fall DuMouchelles auction.

The value of a Royal Bayreuth animal pitcher depends on its quality, rarity and condition. The priciest by far at the auction was a Squirrel milk pitcher (pictured) that sold for $2,360. It was the only pitcher that topped $2,000—and is among the rarest.

Prices of other rarities included $1,770 for a Fox-head creamer, $1,652 for a Horse-head creamer, $1,416 for a Kangaroo creamer, $1,298 for a Standing Trout pitcher and $649 for a Mouse creamer. Other rare pitchers were not available at the auction—they include the Leopard, Tiger and Rabbit. Keep your eyes open for them at house sales and flea markets.

Common pitchers cost a lot less. You could buy a robin creamer for just $47, the same bid that won a water buffalo creamer. A red frog creamer sold for $83, as did a chick creamer. Others went for prices between $100 and $1,000.

“Royal Bayreuth” is the name Americans use for porcelain that has been made since 1794 at the Royal Privileged Porcelain Factory in Tettau, Germany. The oldest porcelain factory in Bavaria still in operation, it has produced hard-paste porcelain pitchers as well as dinnerware sets, vases and decorative plates and bowls.

The Nov. 12-14, 2010, auction catalog is available from DuMouchelles, 409 E. Jefferson Ave., Detroit, MI 48226, DuMouchelles.com. Photos are courtesy of DuMouchelles. For more information, see Royal Bayreuth: A Collector’s Guide by Mary J. McCaslin (Antique Publications, Marietta, Ohio, 1994). The Royal Bayreuth Collectors Club publishes a quarterly newsletter
for collectors; visit RoyalBayreuth.org.

Royal Bayreuth Fox-head creamer, 4 in. h. by 5 in. w., $1,770.

Royal Bayreuth Lobster water pitcher, 7 1/2 in. h. by 9 in. w., $384.

Royal Bayreuth Standing Trout pitcher, 7 in. h. by 5 in. w., $1,298.

Royal Bayreuth Saint Bernard water pitcher, 5 in. h. by 8 in. l., $266.

Royal Bayreuth Ladybug creamer,
4 in. h., $354.

Royal Bayreuth Squirrel milk pitcher,
5 in. h. by 5 in. l., $2,360.

Q I bought a set of dinnerware about 10 years ago that is marked “Leigh Ware.” I was told it may have been designed by Lillian Wilhelm Smith for the Goldwater Store in Phoenix, Ariz., but I’ve never been able to verify this. I would love to know more about the set.

A Lillian Wilhelm Smith (1882-1971) was born in New York City and started studying art when she was 12. She is best known for her paintings of Indian children and Western landscapes. She first visited Arizona in 1913 to work on illustrations for one of Zane Grey’s books (her cousin was married to Grey). In 1924 she married an Arizona cowboy and moved to the state permanently. In the late 1920s and early ’30s, Smith designed Indian-themed decal dinnerware patterns for Leigh Potters of Alliance, Ohio. Your dishes are decorated in the “She-Kay-Ah” Navajo-motif pattern introduced at the 1928 Arizona State Fair. Leigh Potters was in business from 1926 to 1931. Goldwater’s, a chain of department stores founded in 1860 by former U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater’s grandfather, sold Smith’s Leigh Potters dinnerware and later commissioned Smith to design other patterns that were manufactured by another company.

Q Your October 2010 issue was particularly interesting because of the article on vintage silver flatware. I inherited a set of Whiting Lily flatware, but the design of my pieces looks a little different than the pieces pictured in your article. Did Whiting vary the design? I think my set dates from the late 1800s.

A No wonder you’re confused. Your silver flatware is not Whiting’s Lily pattern. It’s Alvin’s Orange Blossom pattern. The patterns are similar, which is not surprising. Silver companies often copied each other—sometimes so closely that lawsuits resulted. Whiting Manufacturing Co. patented its Lily pattern in 1902. Alvin introduced its original Orange Blossom pattern—the pattern you own—in 1905. Both Whiting and Alvin were purchased by Gorham Manufacturing Co. in the early 1900s, but Gorham operated the companies as separate divisions and maintained use of their trade names. Lily and Orange Blossom are out of production now, but they continue to be popular patterns. An Orange Blossom fork sells at Replacements.com for $160. Your large salad serving spoon, second from the right, with a flower-bowl shell, retails for $550.

Illustrations of hundreds of patterns are shown in Sterling Flatware: An Identification and Value Guide by Tere Hagan (L-W Book Sales, Gas City, Ind., 1999).

Q I bought this Roseville cookie jar at an estate sale and was wondering if it’s worth keeping. It’s marked “Roseville, U.S.A., 1-8” on the bottom. What can you tell me about it?

A Your cookie jar is in Rose-ville’s Water Lily pattern, introduced in 1943. Over 50 different pieces were made in the pattern. Background colors were blue, brown or pink (yours is pink). The number “8” in the mark refers to the jar’s height, 8 inches. Pieces in Water Lily are easy to find, but cookie jars are one of the items collectors look for. Value: $300 to $350.

Q I have a 1919 pocket calendar card with a color picture of a Cunard Line oceanliner on the front. The address under the picture is for the Metropolitan Life building in Minneapolis. The card measures 4 by 2 inches. Can you give me some information about it?

A Samuel Cunard founded the British and North American Royal Mail Steam Packet Co. in 1840. The name was soon changed to the Cunard Line. The steamship company was the first to provide regular transatlantic service, with a route from Liverpool, England, to Boston. Your calendar with the Minneapolis address was issued by a Cunard’s agent or sales office located at that address. It will be attractive to collectors of calendars and of Cunard Line and other steamship memorabilia. The Cunard Steamship Society is a club for collectors of Cunard Line memorabilia. Visit its website at CunardSteamshipSociety.com. Value of your pocket calendar: about $20-$30.