Category: Family Fun

Treasure Hunt 24/10/17

Dear Donna,

Can you help me age this Mickey Mouse eraser? Is there any value to it?

Thank you.

Christine

Dear Christine,

I have seen many of these so I think I can help.

Your Mickey Mouse pencil top eraser was manufactured by the Diener Co. The owner was a good friend of Walt Disney. In the late 1950s he produced a line of Disney character erasers from his company. Along with Mickey there were many other Disney characters —Pinocchio, Goofy, Dumbo, Donald Duck etc. I believe yours, in the style it is, was from the late 1950s or 1960s. The value is in the range of $15 in good condition.

Christine, I hope this was helpful and thanks for a smile. How can you not when you see a Disney item?

Kiddie Pool 24/10/17

Family fun for whenever

Season of fun

Windham Recreation Department will hold its annual Harvest Fest on Saturday, Oct. 19, from 1 to 4 p.m. in Griffin Park. A Doggie Costume Parade will take place at 11 a.m. (check in at 10 a.m.) with judging in several categories, according to sarlnh.org, where you can register your pup in advance. The Fest itself will feature DJ Greg; Wildlife Encounters from 1 to 3 p.m.; a bubble performer from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.; a Kids’ Horrible Costume Parade with a 2:45 p.m. line-up, and Mr. Aaron’s Halloween show at 3:30 p.m. as well as games, crafts, pumpkin decorating and Halloween treats, according to windhamnh.gov.

It’s Touch A Tractor day at the Coppal House Farm (118 N. River Road in Lee; nhcornmaze.com) on Saturday, Oct. 19, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Get photo ops with large farm implements before exploring the corn maze, which is open on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to the website. (The maze is also open Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays from noon to 5 p.m. — last admission is 4:30 p.m.) On Sunday, Oct. 20, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., catch Wildlife Encounters, which will bring their animals to the farm (see weecocenter.com), the website said. Admission to the corn maze costs $10 per person for ages 13+ and $8 for ages 5 to 12; kids age 4 and under get in for free, the website said.

On stage

Alice in Wonderland Jr. will be presented by the Peacock Players at Janice B. Streeter Theatre (14 Court St., Nashua) Friday, Oct. 18, through Sunday, Oct. 27. Shows are 7 p.m. on Fridays, 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. TIckets cost $15 and $18 for adults; $12 and $15 for students and seniors.

Disney’s The Little Mermaid will be performed by the Manchester Community Theatre Players at The MCTP Theatre at North End Montessori School (698 Beech St., Manchester) Friday, Oct. 18, through Sunday, Oct. 27. Showtimes are at 7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays. According to a press release from the Players, The Little Mermaid is musically directed by Christie Conticcio and directed by Trysran Stoffel who said, “Our production of The Little Mermaid is full of life, color and laughter.” Tickets to this family musical comedy cost $20 for adults, $18 for seniors and $10 for ages 18 and under. See mcpt.info.

Treasure Hunt 24/10/10

Hi, Donna,

My parents got this from my dad’s aunt about 20 years ago, not sure how long she had it. We are just wondering how much it would be worth to sell. It also comes with a dining table and four or six chairs. Not in perfect condition — there are some dings.

Thanks.

Carol

Dear Carol,

Your black lacquered dining room set is in an Asian decor style. Looks to me like it was a high-quality set when purchased.

The issue for me is it’s really not considered an antique. It looks like it could be from the 1960s-ish. To put a value on it I think first it has to be in good clean condition. Any damage or areas needing work will take away from the value.

I would try retail consignment or marketing it yourself. If you bring it to a consignment store they should be able to help in pricing it. I also think photos of all of the set will help too.

Carol, I’m sorry to not give you more than advice. Tough for me to give you a proper value for it. Good luck and I hope you find a new home for it.

Kiddie Pool 24/10/10

Family fun for whenever

Fun in the dark

• The Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live Glow Party comes to SNHU Arena (555 Elm St. in Manchester; snhuarena.com) on Saturday, Oct. 12, with shows at 12:30 and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 13, at 2:30 p.m. “Fans of all ages will experience the thrill of watching their favorite Hot Wheels Monster Trucks in the dark!” according to the arena website. Tickets cost $35.50 to $57.

• The Coppal House Farm (118 N. River Road, Route 155, in Lee; nhcornmaze.com) will hold one of its two remaining Flashlight Night Mazes this weekend on Saturday, Oct. 12, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. (The final Flashlight Night Maze is slated for Saturday, Oct. 26.) Tickets cost $15 each for ages 5+ (free for ages 4 and under), according to the website, where you can buy tickets in advance. Kids age 15 and under must be accompanied by an adult, the website said. BYO flashlight.

Movie time

• Chunky’s (707 Huse Road in Manchester; chunkys.com) will offer a sensory-friendly screening of The Wild Robot (PG, 2024) on Tuesday, Oct. 15, at 11:30 a.m. For these screenings, “Chunky’s will keep the theater lights up, the sound of the film turned down,” according to the website. Tickets cost $6.99 plus service charge.

Kids in the Carol

• The Palace Theatre will hold auditions for grades 2 to 12 for the Youth Ensemble of its Professional Production of A Christmas Carol on Sunday, Oct. 13, at 5, 6 or 7 p.m. The show will run Nov. 29 through Dec. 29 at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org). Auditions will take place at the Forever Emma Studios (516 Pine St. in Manchester). To schedule an audition time and find out more of the audition requirements, contact [email protected] with performer’s name, age and preferred time, the email said.

Treasure Hunt 24/10/03

Dear Donna,

I just purchased my first in what I hope will be a small collection of pig cutting boards. How can I tell which ones are the best to collect? I don’t intend on using them but could I use older ones still?

Thank you, Donna.

Danielle

Dear Danielle,

I want to start off by saying what a nice collection it will be! Cutting boards have been around for centuries. Pig-shaped ones were popular during the 1930s and 1940s.

I think if I were collecting them I would go for clean ones with no damage. Some cutting marks on the surface wouldn’t bother me. Being that old, some might have been overused or have become oily or discolored or have edge damage. Even though they have come from the 1930s you still can find them in clean condition.

As far as using them, there are all kinds of cleaning agents for wood out there, including food-safe conditioning oils. After cleaning them I would feel comfortable using them for serving on. I think, though, if I wanted to use one for cutting I would mix in a new one to my collection. That’s just my preference.

Remember collecting is an investment as well. The values on pig cutting boards run from $10 to $100.

Danielle, I’m happy to share with readers people collecting items from the past. It always puts a smile on my face being an antique enthusiast. Thanks for sharing.

Note: Pig shapes are considered good luck!

Kiddie Pool 24/10/03

Family fun for whenever

Fall fun

• Joppa Hill Educational Farm (174 Joppa Hill Road, Bedford, 472-4724, theeducationalfarm.org) will hold a Fall Fair on Saturday, Oct. 5, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The day will feature artisan booths, food trucks, vendors, tractor rides, apples, pumpkin decorating, live music, kids’ activities and farm fun. Tickets cost $15 (plus fees) per person or $30 (plus fees) per family.

• Charmingfare Farm (774 High St., Candia, visitthefarm.com, 483-5623) holds its Pumpkin Festival Saturday, Oct. 5, and Sunday, Oct. 6, as well as Saturday, Oct. 14, through Monday, Oct. 16. Admission costs $29 per person (23 months and younger get in free). Pick a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch, take a tractor- or horse-drawn wagon ride, enjoy live music and more. The festival also features a cow milking contest (not involving a real cow), pumpkin art, costumed characters and a visit with the farm’s animals. Charmingfare’s Halloween events include children’s trick-or-treat (the last three weekends in October) for families and younger kids and Harvest of Haunts (Oct. 19, Oct. 20, Oct. 26 and Oct. 27 in the early evening) for families and ages 12 and under (but who are old enough for some spookiness).

• Applecrest Farm Orchards (133 Exeter Road, Hampton Falls, 926-3721, applecrest. com) continue their weekend celebrations with the Fall Festival this week, which will feature live music from Reunion Hill Band on Saturday, Oct. 5, and Unsung Heroes on Sunday, Oct. 6, from 1 to 5 p.m. Look for activities including the corn maze, tractor rides, visits with barnyard animals, lawn games and a traditional corn roast, according to the website.

Science Fiesta!

SEE Science Center (200 Bedford St., Manchester, see-sciencecenter.org) is holding a Science Fiesta on Friday, Oct. 4, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. to celebrate the Latino contributions to STEM, according to the website. This family event will feature food from Don Quijote, science demonstrations, music and more and is sponsored by SEE, Centro Latino de New Hampshire and Nashua Family Network, the website said. Entry is free with registration on the website, where you can also find information on bus transportation to the event for those living in Manchester.

For the little guys

• The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (6 Washington St., Dover, childrens-museum.org) wraps up its annual celebration of the youngest museumgoers — Toddlerfest continues through Sunday, Oct. 6, with daily activities for little kids. Some of the events planned for this week include princess storytime on Saturday, Oct. 5, at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.; parachute play at 10 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 4; Hispanic Heritage Month crafts on Thursday, Oct. 3, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.; Science Friday experiment at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., and more. Admission costs $12.50 for everyone over 12 months; $10.50 for 65+. The museum has sessions Wednesday through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon or 1 to 4 p.m. and Tuesdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to noon.

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