Author: Donna Welch

Dear Donna,

Can you help with a current value on this set of Matchbox cars? As you can see, they are in good condition in the box.

Mindy

Dear Mindy,

Matchbox cars are a very collectible market. It all depends on age, rarity and condition.

Your Circus Comes to Town set was from the 1990s, but Matchbox goes back further than that, and you still can find many untouched and in unused condition. With Matchbox cars that’s the important key to value. The higher prices come with mint condition, in-the-original-box cars.

Your set value ranges from $30 to $60 in the original box and complete, so keeping it as you found it is important.

Dear Donna,

I have collected these cows over the years. Please don’t ask me why! I just picked one up whenever I saw one. I am turning 70 this year and it’s time to start house cleaning.

Do you think there is a collector out there that would be interested in these plastic cows? Or do I just put them out in a yard sale?

Carol from Manchester

Dear Carol,

I’m still chuckling over your email. Thanks for sharing and for the smile.

Your cows are sweet, and I can understand how collecting one item leads to more and more and more!

Plastic cows were, and still are, mass produced, so they probably aren’t too hard to find, and each cow individually would be inexpensive to pick up. But a collection like you have should be in the $30 range. You have done all the hard work for an easy collection for someone.

I hope your collection finds a good home.

Dear Donna,
I have this basket that is probably 100 years old from my mother; I think it was for a baby. I would love to know if it has value and am also looking for ideas for places that might like this, or to find out if there is no real value other than as a family item.
Martha

Dear Martha,
I’m not sure if your basket is for a baby; it could be a gathering basket as well. It doesn’t show any signs of interior wear or of any cloth or liner.
I also can say I have never seen one made out of grapevine. Maybe it’s not American. I don’t have any expertise in this area. I’m giving you my gut feeling after doing a bit of research as well.
My advice is to bring it to an antique shop and have someone look at it directly. That sometimes can help.
I’m sorry to not be much help to you and hope you do find out more. Please share with me if you do, as I am always looking to learn more myself.

Dear Donna,
I am interested in finding out what this piece might be. Can you identify it?

RJ

Dear RJ,
What you have is a Victorian (middle to late 1800s) infant or invalid feeder. They were very common, used mostly to feed sick children or adults. There were ceramic ones, silver ones and many with a wooden handle and a silver-plated or sterling feeder like yours.

The value on one like yours would be in the range of $30 to $50. Finding a buyer might be tough, but I am sure there are collectors out there somewhere.

Dear Donna,
My husband inherited two very large wooden plaques that hung in his father’s bar in Philadelphia, circa 1948-1955. They are both 8 feet long and 22 inches (each a solid single piece of wood).

Thank you for any information you can give us, or a direction to point us in.

Norma from Concord

Dear Norma,
The carvings are sweet!

It can be tough to figure out who made these or exactly when they were done without any signatures. That means the values for them have to come from just the quality of the work, like the detailing and craftsmanship.

I love the size of them too. I can see why you had them hanging in your home. I think the value would be in the $200 to $400 range for each one. I would try to keep them together.

Dear Donna,

I have no idea what these are. They look like they were attached to something at one time. They are bronze and about 3 inches. Can you identify what they are? Thanks for your help and expertise.
Judy

Dear Judy,
Sometimes things can be difficult to appraise from just photos. I think they should be seen by an appraiser in person for an accurate value. But for now, let’s get you to work.

You’ll want to look for any unusual markings, signatures, etc. To determine whether they are bronze, they should be heavy and noticeably so. It could be a spelter metal (a mix of metals with a bronze finish), They should be solid, not hollow, as well. And you also need to figure out what they were attached to. Were they bookends? Were they screwed to the thing they were attached to or was there an epoxy of some sort?

Now that you know what you need to figure out, I can give you some information that may help. They have faces like foo dogs (common Asian figures). They are crude (which means not a lot of intricate detailing). I do think they could have been some kind of bookends. If they are bronze it would carry a higher value, and even more so if they are signed as well. I think, though, that you have just a piece and not the whole pie, so determining a value will be tough. But take them to someone to see and they should be able to answer all of those questions.

Dear Donna,
I just acquired this antique toy game and was wondering if you could tell me anything about it. Personally I just enjoyed all the colors of the clowns. Was it a treasure at $5 for the set?
Brooke from Pelham

Dear Brooke,
I can see why you liked the game. The clowns are great!

Bill Ding has been around since the 1930s, made right here in the U.S. After doing some research, I found that the game consists of not just the clowns but rings and dowels as well. There also should be 15 clowns. The Bill Ding game has been called one of the best educational toys of its time, great for eye and hand coordination for children as well as adults.

I think you did find a piece of a treasure. Just balancing the colorful clowns without the full game would be fun and a challenge. And the colors are so fun even just for a decorative purpose. I would say the price for the clowns without the full game would be in the $20 range; a complete game is best for a higher value, with all parts and pieces and the original box all in good condition.

I hope you have fun with the clowns just as they are.

Dear Donna,

I hope you can help me out. Perhaps 25 years ago, when my aunt died, her daughter told my mom she could choose something from my aunt’s home. My mom chose this piece, which she had long admired. She thought it was beautiful but I have never liked it a bit. Still, though my mom died a dozen years ago I have kept it as she thought it was valuable. Please tell me otherwise so I can finally give it to somebody, anybody, without feeling guilty.
Harvey from Manchester

Dear Harvey,
First let’s say there shouldn’t be any guilt if you find this piece a new home with someone who will cherish it again. What you have is a piece of flashed ruby glass. Most likely it had two other smaller candle holders, one on either side of the center bowl. It was meant to be placed on a mantel or in the middle of a table.

Flashed glass was very popular during the late 1880s and early 1900s. It was done by a specific method that applied a film-like covering over a clear glass (this is a very simplified explanation). The design was then etched to appear through the ruby or cranberry coloring to expose the clear glass. It looks beautiful but most didn’t hold up well in time. Scratching was an issue.

The deer design was a common one and very eye-pleasing. Now with that all taken into account, the value of a piece like yours would be in the $85 range to a new buyer. It’s a tougher market these days because it’s harder to fit into a modern decor. Still a beautiful piece, but it may be tough to sell. I hope you do find a new admirer for it.

Dear Donna,
Can you give me any information on this metal piece? I thought it was interesting and decorative. My husband believes it’s old. Can you tell me anything?
Tina from Merrimack

Dear Tina,
Let’s start off by saying there are definitely lots and lots of reproductions out there, mostly for decorative purposes. When something is reproduced it can be hard to tell. Some things to look for are multiples. If you see them around in shops, flea markets, etc., you can be sure they are mass produced. Also, sometimes when the original was iron, the reproductions would be tin, for example. Where you got it could be telling.

I would suggest having someone look at it. From the photos, I think you found a real outdoor fountain sign. If so, I’d say it’s in the $100+ range. It could have fallen off or been removed and ended up in the secondary market. You were right in saying it’s a decorative piece and a treasure too.

Dear Donna,

I have accumulated several hundred marbles. I display them in jars but think it’s time to move them on. I haven’t purchased them in ages, so I’m wondering what the value might be today. Most are like the ones in the photos, with a few of what I call “fancy” ones.
Dan

Dear Dan,
Marbles were and are a very common collection to have. They bring such fond memories and are decorative (in jars like you have them).

Because there were so many machine-made marbles, most are very common and can be found in jars (canning size). You can pick them up at antique shops, flea markets, etc., most for around $15 to $30 a jar.

If you have been collecting for a while and haven’t had them seen by someone, my suggestion is to either have someone look at them or get a marble reference price guide. It’s important to just make sure some are not more rare, because then the values can rise up quickly. This isn’t tough to do when there are so many places to get the information today and great photos as well.

Let’s just say they are all common aside from what you think are fancy ones. You still have a treasure that should be easy to find a new home for.