Author: Donna Welch

Dear Donna,

I’m hoping you can provide me some help. I have three of these antique cast iron brackets. I would like to use them but would need to have a fourth. Can you shed any light on where to find a match?

Charles

Dear Charles,

Your Victorian-era shelf brackets look to be in great condition. The design is sweet! Finding a match could be tough but you might get lucky.

I think there are several ways to search. Today with the internet right at our fingertips, some difficult finds can be easier. I would start there looking for Victorian-era cast iron brackets. You know the measurements, so look carefully and see if you come up with one or even several.

Next I would look in antique shops, flea markets, thrift stores, etc. The hunt can be fun. It just depends on what you feel comfortable with. All of it could be necessary to find that exact one you are looking for. Good luck in your hunt, and I too will keep my eyes open if you can send me dimensions. Who knows, maybe even a reader has one or another pair.

As far as what you might expect to pay, a single one would be around $10. A pair is tougher to find so expect to pay $30 to $40 depending on size.

Dear Donna,

We have been using this weight for a door stop. It’s super heavy and has a 4K on it. I think it is brass but I’m not sure.

Can you give us any information on it? We know it’s old because it belonged to my husband’s father. That’s all we know other than it works for a door stop.

Stacey from Tilton

Dear Stacey,

It took me a minute and some research to figure out your door stop, so thanks for the opportunity to learn something new!

What you have is a piece of sports memorabilia. It’s called a shot put and the 4K is the weight of it. That translates into about 8 pounds. It’s meant to be thrown. Then the distance is measured in field competition.

The value of older brass ones is in the range of $100, so you have a treasure for a door stop. I’m glad you have a new use for your shot put.

Dear Donna,

I was wondering if you could give me some background on these two pieces of jewelry. They were given to me about 55 years ago. The one on the left has a little knob on the top and I was told that if you unscrew it you can put perfume inside. The one on the right is a pencil and it has a chain. It will extend, and you can use it to write.

J

Dear J,

What you have here are two useful pieces of costume jewelry. Both are gold-filled/plated (gold wash over a base metal). And both are mid 1900s in age. The styles and usefulness go back much further than that, though. If you do some research on chatelaines, you will find similar pieces and how they were worn and used during the Victorian era.

If you were going to a dance then you might have on your chatelaine a dance card holder, perfume, a comb etc. Most back in that period of time were sterling silver, gold, etc.

Either then or in a more modern version, they are ingenious pieces for a bracelet or pin. The value on either would be about $20 each. For usefulness, priceless!

Dear Donna,

We use this pitcher every Christmas, as my mother did as well while I was growing up. I’m wondering if you could tell me anything about it. I’m not looking to sell because of family memories, but it’s always good to know more information.

Diane

Dear Diane,

I have a smile on my face reading your note. Glad to see your pitcher still being used and creating more memories.

Your pitcher has a very interesting history — good reading if you want to pursue it. What your mother has passed down is a piece of Heisey glass. It’s been around since the early 1900s and as I said has a long and interesting story.

Diane, Heisey glass has several patterns and even colors. Yours is called the Greek key pattern. You should be able to flip it over and on the bottom in the center you will see the trademark. It’s a diamond with an H in the center.

As long as it is in good condition with no damage, chips, cracks, fogging in the glass, etc., the value would be in the range of $50. The real value, though, is that you still use and cherish it.

Diane, I do think you would enjoy the history of Heisey if you get the time.

Dear Donna,

This lamp appears to be bronze and is 3 feet tall. It belonged to my grandmother and she passed away so I don’t have any detail on when or where it was purchased. It was in her home since I could remember (1970s). She loved anything with crystals!

Laura

Dear Laura,

That is a big lamp! I can see why she liked it.

The style of it looks to be from the 1970s from the pictures but could be a lot older. But let’s determine some things first. If the lamp is bronze it should weigh a lot. It could also be a mixed metal with a bronze look on the surface (usually you can see spots of a gray metal from underneath). If you see any signs of a different metal coloring that can help determine a value.

While you’re looking at the bottom, check for any markings, a maker, etc. (though that information could be elsewhere on the lamp so give it a good look all over).

From the pictures I’m thinking it’s not a bronze metal, and the crystals have a watermelon sheen to them that are applied to give a glimmer. The chains are a later style like the 1970s. It’s still a very interesting-looking lamp. I think the value would be in the range of $200, but with more information that estimate could be higher.

Dear Donna,

Can you answer a couple questions on this bracelet for me? Like could it be real gold? Age?

What are the stones?

Catherine

Dear Catherine,

I can try to answer your questions but to be 100 percent certain you should have it looked at.

Jewelry can be tough to determine age on sometimes, but whether it’s gold or not should be easy. Somewhere on the bracelet there should be a mark or marks that would say, for example, 10kt. If it says just that then you could be safe thinking it is real gold. If it’s followed by anything like GF or gold plated then it just has a coat of gold over another metal. It could be over sterling silver, brass, etc.

If it were real gold you can also assume the stones would be more than a colored glass. Value would be in the range of $200. If it’s not gold and just considered a piece of costume jewelry

the value would be in the range of $20, though depending on the maker the values of some costume jewelry can be high. This is why you should always take it to someone you can trust to tell you the value!

Dear Donna,

I came across these in my parents’ basement. Not sure what they are but they seem to be in good unused condition. Any information would be appreciated.

— Marsha

Dear Marsha,

What you have are marking tacks from the George B Graff Co. They produced these racks in the early 1900s along with other products in Cambridge, Mass.

Your celluloid plastic-covered ones could have been used for map markings or anything that needs number tracking. It’s nice to see them in such good condition.

The value for the lot would be in the range of $40. It would be interesting to see what you could use them for today.

Dear Donna,

Looking to find out a value on this footstool.

Cathy

Dear Cathy,

Your stool looks sweet. At one time it was probably used every day.

It looks like this stool would have been from the Victorian era (late 1800s). It has what are called cabriole style legs with a hand-done needlepoint seat. Strawberries are always a pleasing design.

Antique stools have always been helpful, used for foot lifts, gout, providing extra height, etc. So your stool probably has many stories to tell. The value would be in the range of $70, because it looks to be in good clean condition.

Thanks for sharing and hope your stool stays home with you.

Dear Donna,

I’m wondering if you can provide any information on this Pansy’s Stories for Boys and Girls book. It’s dated 1882. I’ve often thought the cover was frame-worthy. I don’t want to destroy the book if it’s valuable, so thought I would check.

Edith T.

Dear Edith,

A rule always is to find out what an item is worth before changing anything, so good idea to ask.

Books are a specific market but I might be able to give you basic information. The value on them is based on age, subject, what edition, how many were printed and condition.

Most books, including children’s, were mass-produced. Many made it through time and today can easily be found.

I did find a value for your book in the range of $20 in good condition. So if you’re thinking of framing the cover, try encasing the whole book in glass. This way you’re not destroying the book and it can easily be passed down to the next generation for future reading.

Dear Donna,

I am sending you pictures of a bracelet that my mom has given to me. My dad gave her this bracelet when he returned home from World War II. He said the service men were given them to bring back home to their wives. My mom, who is 96, has passed it on to me. The bracelet is sterling silver.

Nancy

Dear Nancy,

The bracelet with an American coin of 1922 could have been married together with a sterling cuff at any point in time. The coin itself is silver as well so they make a nice combination. Sometimes there are other marks on the bracelet itself to indicate the maker of the cuff.

Not knowing where your dad was stationed during World War II could just make it a souvenir in general that he liked for your mom.

The bracelet together with the coin would be in the $100 range, because it appears to be in good condition and is silver. I wish I could add more to your story for you. I think the fact he brought it home to your mom and now it’s yours is a happy story!