Author: Donna Welch

Dear Donna,

I’m looking for an opinion on how to preserve the painting on this old cabinet. It was poorly stored for many years and I don’t think it’s worth a lot of money, but I’d like to preserve the painting. Could I do so by spray lacquer? Or is there something more appropriate? It is an old glass-shelved curio cabinet.

Clare

Dear Clare,

I want to start off by saying the cabinet looks lovely. Sad to see the wear and tear that things made over 100 years ago can go through along the way.

My advice would be to contact a specialist furniture refinisher. They should be able to do the task and possibly even have painters on hand to replace parts of the missing areas.

The downside to this is that the cost could exceed the value of the cabinet, so you have to decide whether it’s worth it.

As far as attempting the work yourself, it could be tough and the end result is the painting is gone. I feel most of the original varnish would have to be removed. That job would scare me!

I hope this was helpful and you’re successful in restoring your cabinet.

Dear Donna,

We thought you would enjoy this set of Goffstown history books. They are in good condition and full of some very interesting facts from Goffstown, N.H. Could you possibly give us an approximate value and is this something you might be in need of?

Betty

Dear Betty,

Your books look to be in great shape! Tougher to find the set, so that’s a plus. I want to say thank you for sharing with us and thinking of me for a home. I happily say I have my own set from when I lived in Goffstown. You’re right, there is so much interesting history in them.

Your books’ value comes from age, having both and condition — if the pages are all there and there are no tears, fading, wrinkles, etc. The value of town history books vary depending on rarity as well. These would be in the range of $50+.

I do hope you find a new home for your set. I still enjoy mine!

Donna

Dear Donna,

Do postcards from the 1950s have value?

Joann

Dear Joann,

I always think everything antique or collectible has a value — the question is how much.

Postcards are a market within the field that has many collectors for several reasons. Basically when looking at postcards the value is in age, rarity, condition and subject. Postcards from 1940s and 1950s that are comical mass-produced ones I’m sure have collectors for them. The value tends to run in the couple-dollar range for most. But I feel finding someone who will enjoy them again is worth it.

I am hoping you can guide me. I have this wedding band that belonged to my sister. I have no use for it and am wondering what I should do with it. It’s marked 14KT with no other markings. If I had to guess, I’d say it was from the 1970s.

Can you help by telling me what would be the best way to find it a new home, maybe with a jeweler or a gold buyer?

Karen

Dear Karen,

I think the first thing you need to do is confirm it is gold. It’s tough to really tell these days when there are so many fake marks out there.

Step 2 is find someone you can trust to do business with. The markup on jewelry is so high, returning it for a wedding band to sell again might not give you the best value.

I would see what the secondary buyback value is and then what the gold value is, assuming it is gold. That’s why dealing with someone you can trust is important. I can give you a couple names of who I always dealt with for gold and silver if needed. They can determine gold, weight and best value.

Dear Donna,

Can you provide me any information on this kitchen cabinet? Age and possible value?

Jacob

Dear Jacob,

Your Hoosier cabinet was produced in the early 1900s to 1940s by the Sellers company of Indiana. Their first cabinet was done in the late 1800s, but painted versions were later.

They were made to hold all your baking needs in one cabinet. Some had built-in flour bins, sugar jars, spice jars, bread boards, and many more useful items at arm’s reach. Also the wonderful enamel top on yours was perfect for a working surface.

Complete ones in original factory paint and condition are tough to find because they were so heavily used in the time and then repainted over and transformed into just a storage cabinet. There are many people who still decorate with them today.

Jacob, the history of Hoosiers is an interesting one to read about. Even how the cabinets got their name.

The value on them can range from $200 to $3,000. This depends on age, original condition, contents, etc. Repainted ones usually are in the range of $200 to $400.

I hope this was helpful and thank you for sharing your sweet useful cabinet.

Donna

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.