Author: Donna Welch

Dear Donna,

Can you tell me if this small pot is old? As you can see, it says Nashua on it and a small home. It measures 1½ inches by 1 inch. Very sweet little piece of pottery.

Thank you.

Tammi

Dear Tammi,

It is a nice miniature crock. Although it’s not too old, it does have an interesting history. It was done by Sid and Eileen Vernon from Virginia.

Your little crock was created by Sid and then decorated by his wife. Eileen. They created much more as well, lots of miniature pieces made with love. After the loss of her husband, Eileen continued making and decorating pieces herself.

Even though your crock was made in the past 30 years, it’s made and slip decorated (the cobalt painting) to represent an older one. It’s a wonderful piece of miniature pottery and if you have time, Tammi, do research on the artist who made yours and many more.

Values run between $20 and $40 as long as there’s no damage. Thanks for sharing and I enjoyed the personal story of the artist.

Dear Donna,

I have a kitty that belonged to my mom and was passed to me. It’s been very loved and worn over the years. Now it’s time to share it again with my granddaughter.

I’m wondering if there is any danger in the contents of kitty. He has torn areas and worn spots. I lived through it, but am checking before I pass him on again.

Kimberly

Dear Kimberly,

I love the history of your cat (a.k.a. kitty). With all the loving it’s had it looks to be in good shape other than the tail tip. In the antique world we consider these well used and loved animals in a collectible market of their own.

As far as safety, Kimberly, I would make sure there is no stuffing exposed, the ribbon isn’t loose, there are no wires poking out, and it’s not shedding surface fur — no loose ends.Then I’m thinking if it made it this far you should be OK.

Just for information, Kimberly, the value on your loved kitty would be in the $60 range. Judging by your photos it looks to be from the early 1900s.

Thanks for sharing and passing it on, Kimberly.

Good afternoon, Donna.

I’m wondering if you could help me in determining the worth of a Noritake tea service for six that I picked up at an estate sale a few weeks ago (in excellent condition). After contacting Noritake I was able to find one picture online but no price. I’ve included a few pictures for you to see, including the one naming the pattern that I found online. I would appreciate any assistance you could provide.

Thank you so much.

Tanya

Dear Tanya,

Your Noritake lusterware luncheon set was a very popular item during World War II. There were many mass-produced and some ended up here in the U.S. There are many patterns and different lusters as well, from blue like yours to peach and other colors. Some more unusual patterns can bring a higher value. Because so many ended up in china cabinets, the lusterware survived till today. Complete sets will have more value, as will odd matching pieces.

The desirability of the sets now is a matter of which ones, colors, patterns and condition. A set like yours would run in the range of $100 and up to the collector.

I’m not sure if they still provide research and price guide books in bookstores any longer. If not and you need more information, you should be able to search online for Noritake lusterware and come up with lots of information.

Thanks for sharing with us.

Dear Donna,

My mom passed along a newspaper article from the Hippo with your contact information. She is looking to see if the Hummel collection is worth anything and how to sell them if they are worth something. She doesn’t have social media so that is off the table.

Thank you,

Karen

Dear Karen,

M.J Hummel figurines have quite a history and are still being made today.

The first thing you want to do is verify that all of them are true Hummels. They all should have the name imprinted into the porcelain. Then each will have a stamp of a V with a bee on the bottom. This will help give you the age with the help of a book or your help online. This is a process, but each one carries a different value, and beware — many reproductions were made.

The only reason for doing research is to determine if she has any rare ones. Common mass-produced ones are worth today around $10 to $20 each, even if you see they are in a price guide for much more. This is due to the fact that so many were made. People collected them thinking they would be an investment. Too many made it through time so now only the rare hold value. People do still collect them because they are sweet and still done well.

One last tip, Karen: Any of them that have any damage have no value. I guess for selling them I might try a more retail environment, like a consignment store at the holiday time.

I hope this was helpful and thanks for sharing with us.

Dear Donna,

I just got this sweet lot of old seed sleeves. I thought I might be able to do something creative with them.

I paid $10 for the bunch . Can you tell me if I got a good deal?

Thanks ahead, Donna.

Laura

Dear Laura,

I think you did find a little treasure!

All old garden pieces have a collectible and decorative value today. Seed packets are usually in the range of $2 to $15 each . This depends on the age (the older, the better), graphics producer, rarity and, as always, condition. So if you have more than a dozen, Laura, you got a good deal.

As far as decorating with them I say yes. No matter what you decide to do with them, they will bring color and conversation into your home!

Thanks for sharing your treasure with us.

Dear Donna,

Can you give me any information on the necklace/pin? It’s marked Jerusalem 900 on the back.

Thanks.

Betty

Dear Betty,

Your cross pendant brooch is called a Five Fold Cross. It was made in Jerusalem to represent five crosses, the main one in the center and one smaller one on each corner.

This design made up the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. They’ve been made since the 1280s. The 900 mark means it is almost all sterling. The stone in the center is purple glass that looks like amethyst but is not a real gemstone. Still the presentation of the piece looks substantial and beautiful.

Your piece, Betty, is in the $125 range and a nice piece of religious memorabilia. Thanks for sharing with us. I hope this was helpful.

Donna

Note: When you own an older piece of jewelry it’s better to leave it in the original condition that you found it in rather than polish it. The piece through age earned that finish!