Author: Donna Welch

Dear Donna,

Can you give me any information on this box of metal puzzles? I believe they are all in the original box and with instructions. Just wondering if they have value.

Jim

Dear Jim,

Your box of metal puzzles is from the 1960s and I remember struggling to figure them out myself in the 1970s — a lot of fun, but some were very difficult to figure out!

They were manufactured in England and have several versions and various amounts of stainless steel puzzles in each box. Having the original box is always a plus. With so many made and still around today, the values on some are low. I found the set you have to be in the $15 range.

I personally would like to try to do them again today to see if they seem easier. Enjoy your puzzles.

Dear Donna,

These brass buttons were from my grandfather’s military jacket. Where he was in his career at the time, I don’t know, but he eventually became a colonel, then a general.

I’m curious as to whether there’s any value. — Pam

Dear Pam,

I think your buttons are great pieces of your family history. Although they have sentimental value, military coat buttons were mass produced. These were done by the Waterbury Button Co. in Connecticut. They are from World War II. The value on them is in the $20 range for the lot.

Some buttons can have a much higher value so it’s always good to check with someone who might have expertise in this area. Also, military medals have collectibility depending on what they are and when they are from.

Dear Donna,

Can you help identify this piece? It’s 14 inches long and marked US Standard. It also has measurements from top to bottom.

Brittney from Salem

Dear Brittney,

What you have is an older ring sizer. If you slide your ring on it you will be able to tell your accurate size.

Most of these were and still are used by jewelers in determining a person’s ring size. They are not uncommon. Most people like yourself don’t recognize what they are for, so they go unnoticed.

The value is in the $30 range. Not a high value for something so useful, right?

Dear Donna,

I was wondering if you could help me. I have a vanity that was my great-grandmother’s, but I just don’t have room to store it anymore. Do you have an idea of what it may be worth and where I could sell it?

Cheryl

Dear Cheryl,

Your walnut vanity was part of a bedroom set at one time. It is from the 1920s to the 1940s. It looks to be in great shape.

Furniture of this age can be a tough sell, even though you have the most desirable piece from a set. Nowadays people will buy them to paint, re-decorate, etc. The value would be in the $100 range. My suggestion for selling would be a local pick-up marketplace, or a consignment store, but then you would have to bring it there. Sometimes that’s not easy to do.

I hope this was helpful and you find a new home for your vanity. Or, if it was painted a new color, it might still fit in your home. It has family history.

Dear Donna,

I know this isn’t worth a dime, but any idea who made this? I found it last week while digging in my basement. It was probably buried some time in the 1920s. Had hoped to find more pieces, but this was it. Must have been pretty.

Benoît from Concord

Dear Benoît,

Your ironstone shard is very pretty. It’s not uncommon to find pottery shards (fragments of broken pieces) in older homes, mostly outside. That is where people would dispose of items from the home. There are collectors today who love digging for bottles and such on older properties.

Your fragment of ironstone is a transferware shard. This means the patterns were transferred onto the pieces. It’s tough to tell the maker by the prong marks; there were so many at the time. But it doesn’t particularly matter; you are right that there isn’t a value because it is just a piece. But it is a piece of the home’s history, and that is priceless!

Dear Donna,

I found all these pins in my parents’ junk drawers. They kept everything — not sure why! Do these have any value to anyone?

Lisa

Dear Lisa,

I was smiling when I read your email — my husband says I save everything as well. I call that collecting!

Your pin back buttons have been around for many years. They were used as advertisements and souvenirs and in political campaigns, and some were meant to be collected, featuring states, birds, comic characters and more.

There used to be several reference books with pricing and history, but I’m thinking your best information now would be online. In general the values are under $5 each. But complete sets and some rarer ones can be much higher, so research on each is worth doing.

Dear Donna,

Can you provide me with any information on this pair of earrings? Are they gold?

Karen

Dear Karen,

Your set of earrings was put out in 1997 by the United States Postal Service, representing 32-cent stamps and characters from Warner Bros. They are not real gold but have a beautiful golden color to them. The top has Tweety Bird and the stamps have Bugs Bunny.

Yours appear to be in great shape, but the value of the ones I found is not very high, maybe because so many were made. It is possible that time might increase the values. For now, though, they are under $10. I would wrap them with this information and check on them in another 10 years, or pass them to someone who will.

Dear Donna,

If you could help me identify what this piece of furniture is, I’d appreciate it. I thought it might be something to store sewing items as there’s a dowel missing from the top, although the picture doesn’t clearly show it. I would like to sell it but don’t know the value of such a piece.

NH resident

Dear NH resident,

Even though some sewing cabinets could be the same size, what you have is a smoking stand. This is why the inside is lined with copper — to prevent the scent of tobacco from being absorbed into the wood, and as a fire deterrent.

Smoking stands were placed on the side of a chair or sofa, or anywhere one would relax and smoke. Yours looks to be from the 1940s era. The bar across the top could have been used to hang a towel for your hands.

The value in complete original condition would be in the $50 range. Without the original bar, it could be a lot less, and smoking paraphernalia seems not to be of interest to collectors these days, so it may be hard to find a buyer.

Dear Donna,

I was given this many years ago. I love it but have never been able to figure out what it actually is or what it was originally used for! There are no markings on it, but I think it’s brass. It’s 9 inches long, 6 1/2 inches high and 3 1/2 inches wide. I’d really appreciate your thoughts on my little catch-all.

Diane

Dear Diane,

At first glance from the photo I thought maybe it was a gravy boat, but after looking more it really couldn’t be. It is definitely silver-plated (silver over a mixed metal). You can see wear inside the dish, down to base metal (possibly brass).

It’s Victorian style (mid to late 1800s) with the north wind face on the side, goose, bird footed and design work. It may have even had a beautiful glass bowl insert at one time.

It is a very sweet catch-all. I think the original with or without a glass insert was a decorative basket. The value would be in the range of $40.

Without marks it is tough to tell when it was made and by whom. So we just have to look at the piece for what it is now to evaluate it.

Dear Donna,

Can you provide me any information on this item? It’s a wood church bank with a slot on the side to insert coins. The bottom has paper that has been torn to reveal a spot to remove the coins. It’s 4 inches by 5 inches and appears to be in great shape. Wouldn’t hold much, though.

Edith

Dear Edith,

You kind of answered all your own questions. I’m just going to wrap things up for you.

Your sweet wooden church bank looks to be in great shape. You are right; it wouldn’t hold too much.

Some of these were made in Germany and others in Japan. The age frame is after the 1920s through the 1940s. They fall into a couple collectible categories: one for miniatures and one for banks, and it’s a miniature bank as well.

They were manufactured and have several different printings on them. So there could be more to collect if you’re looking for a fun collection. The value on one like yours in great condition would be in the $30 range.