Treasure Hunt 22/12/01

Dear Donna,

I Enjoy reading your articles in The Hippo. Can you give me some advice?

I just started collecting old bottles. I’m wondering how to get rid of the white cloudiness inside and outside.

Hope you can help.

Thanks.

Eric

Dear Eric,

Thank you for reading The Hippo and my column.

I learned a lot myself trying to answer your question. This is what I found.

First, bottle collecting is fun and sometimes can be very financially rewarding, with education.

Cleaning bottles to remove lime buildup and dirt can be a hard, time-consuming job. Well worth it, though, for a clean result.

Here are a few things to try at home:

Soaking them overnight in just a mild soap.

Adding a vinegar mix to the inside.

Using rice as a mild abrasive inside.

Finally — but be careful and follow instructions — using CRL liquid. It’s made to remove lime, calcium and rust.

Never use steel wool or anything abrasive, to avoid scratches to the glass.

Eric, I really enjoyed answering your question. I hope this helped and good luck with bottle collecting and cleaning.

Donna

Treasure Hunt 22/11/24

Hello, Donna,

Can you help me by telling me what this is? My wife says a wax stamp for envelopes. It’s 2 1/2 inches long and has a design only on one end.

Thanks for any information.

Eric

Dear Eric,

Thanks for the photos and question.

What I believe you have is a potter’s chop, which is basically a potter’s mark or stamp. It would be imprinted into the clay to identify who made it.

The value is the tough question. It really depends on whether the artist is well-known, the age, style of work, etc. Some can be extremely high in price on the market, but you really have to know who it is.

I did talk to a couple other people about yours and got a starting value of at least $50. Remember though, Eric, it could be much higher. It really would be like a needle in a haystack to find out, possibly trying an appraisal auction place like Skinner in Bolton, Massachusetts. That too is only a possibility. The other thing is it could just be a stamp design.

I hope this was helpful, Eric, and I will keep looking into it as well. Thanks for sharing an interesting piece.

Donna

Kiddie Pool 22/11/24

Family fun for the weekend

Getting crafty

• Head to Bookery (844 Elm St. in Manchester; bookerymht.com) on Saturday, Nov. 26, (which is also Small Business Saturday, when Bookery is planning live music and more) for a wolfy storytime and craft at 11:30 a.m. The featured book is Little Good Wolf by Susan Stevens Crummel and illustrated by Janet Stevens. It follows the son of the Big Bad Wolf, and how he is too good to be evil the way all the adults in his life want him to be. After the story, kids will learn how to make a paper bag wolf puppet. The event is free, but register at the Bookery website.

• The Addiction Recovery Coalition of New Hampshire (180 Elm St., Suite E, Milford) is starting a kids’ holiday craft series startingon Sunday, Nov. 27, at 1 p.m. The four-week series will have a new craft each session for kids, as well as cookies and juice. Parents can stay with the kids, get their own craft, or drop kids off. Price is $10 for the first child, an additional $5 for each child after. Register at the Evebrite page, or visit arcnh.org.

Library fun

• The Plaistow Public Library (85 Main St.) is hosting an outdoor activity called tinkergarten’s frozen treasures on Monday, Nov. 28, at 10 a.m. The event will have kids 18 months to 8 years old, as well as their parents, exploring outside to discover frozen nature treasures. To learn more about the event or to sign up, visit plaistowlibrary.com.

Read to a dog at the Pelham Public Library (24 Village Green) on Tuesday, Nov. 29, from 5 to 6 p.m. Blondie is a trained therapy dog who will stay with children while they read. For information about the benefits behind kids reading to a therapy dog, see the Nov. 3 issue of The Hippo, under the story called “Meet Mischka” (find the e-edition at hippopress.com). To register for this event, call the library at 635-7581 or email services@pelhamweb.com.

YMCA playtime

• Join the YMCA of Greater Londonderry (206 Rockingham Road) for a “Lounge Day” version of kids’ night at the Y for ages 4 to 12 on Friday, Nov. 25, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Y’s trained child care staff will take care of kids while parents have time to themselves to do holiday shopping or other errands. Kids will have fun activities, like art and STEM projects or active playtime, and a pizza will be served. Spots are $45 per child, $40 for each additional sibling. Visit bit.ly/ygl-kids-nights to sign up. Register by Nov. 22.

Kiddie Pool 22/11/17

Family fun for the weekend

Pancakes, hamsters & more book fun

Early childhood education author Nancy Lessard Downing will be at The Toadstool Bookshop (375 Amherst St. in Nashua; toadbooks.com, 673-1734 ) to discuss and read some of her books on Saturday, Nov. 19, at 10 a.m. Downing will discuss her book series Learning Fun, which teaches parents how to introduce shapes, colors, the alphabet and basic sign language, and read her book Whitey Comes Home For Christmas, based on a true story of a Grand Pyrenees dog from New England who went on an adventure across his community.

• Fans of Lady Pancake, Sir French Toast and their nemesis turned friend Baron Von Waffle will want to check out the Mega Storytime Event featuring children’s authors Josh Funk and Kari Allen on on Saturday, Nov. 19, at 11 a.m. atGibson’s Bookstore (45 S. Main St. in Concord; gibsonsbookstore.com, 224-0562). Funk will present his newest adventure of the refrigerator pals in The Great Caper Caper, which involves “a Las Veggies heist” according to the website. Allen will bring her latest book, Maddie and Mabel Take the Lead, the second book featuring the adventures of “best sisters” Maddie and Mabel.

• The Bookery (844 Elm St., Manchester) is hosting a rodent-themed storytime and craft on Saturday, Nov. 19, starting at 11:30 a.m. featuring the book Hamsters Make Terrible Roommates, a book by Cheryl B. Klein about two hamsters with very different personalities crammed into one cage together. After the story, kids will learn to make their own paper hamsters. The event is free, but Bookery requests people sign up for the event via Eventbrite (see the website for a link).

Turkey season

• Join the Merrimack Parks and Recreation department on Saturday, Nov. 19, for the 6th annual turkey scavenger hunt atWasserman Park (116 Naticook Road) at 10 a.m. Turkey cutouts will be hidden throughout Merrimack and clues will be provided at the start of the hunt. The first three participants who find the most cutouts and unscramble the puzzle on them will win a 17-pound turkey. Registration is free and can be completed at merrimackparksandrec.org.

• The Manchester City Library (405 Pine St. in Manchester; manchester.lib.nh.us) is hosting a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Family Party on Tuesday, Nov. 22, from 4 to 7 p.m. The drop-in event will have a Peanuts-themed trivia game, as well as activities, snacks and crafts based around the animated film. The trivia game will be at 4:15 p.m. and again at 6:15 p.m. This event does not require registration.

Museum fun

• The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road in Londonderry; aviationmuseumofnh.org, 669-4820) is hosting a limited time exhibit featuring the creations of model maker Dick Zoerb from Nashua. The exhibit, which runs through Sunday, Nov. 27, has several different aircrafts, world-famous monuments and more all made to scale by Zoerb. Admission cost $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 6 to 12, seniors, veterans and active military, and children under age 6 are free. The museum is open Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m.

• Join the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (6 Washington St. in Dover; childrens-museum.org) on Wednesday, Nov. 23, for a special turkey tie-dye craft from 10:30 to 11 a.m. and 2:30 to 3 p.m. as part of the Wacky Art Wednesday events. The craft is included with admission to the museum. Admission costs $12.50 for adults and children older than one year old, $10.50 for adults ages 65 and older. Admission is free for children under a year old and for members. Visit childrens-museum.org to purchase tickets in advance.

Get outdoors!

• The New Hampshire Audubon’s Massabesic Center (26 Audubon Way in Auburn; 668-2045, nhaudubon.org) will hold a birding walk Saturday, Nov. 19, from 8 to 9:30 a.m. The informal birding walk explores the trails with local birder Joe Mahoney, according to the website, and all ages and skill levels of birders are welcome. Registration (which is required in advance) costs $10.

• On Monday, Nov. 21, Beaver Brook Association (117 Ridge Road in Hollis; beaverbrook.org, 465-7787) will hold a free Forest Tales hour of outside storytime with kids (and their adults, but not their pets) at 10 a.m. No registration is required for the event, which meets at Maple Hill Farm, according to the website. Lindsay Shaklee, a Beaver Brook educator and master storyteller, will spin the yarns.

If you can’t make it to Monday’s event but want to check out the trails and nature of Beaver Brook, check out the “Trail Maps and Guides” section of their website for a look at the different trails including accessible trails.

Treasure Hunt 22/11/17

Hi there, Donna.

My name is Jessica, and I happened to catch your section in the Hippo.

My father-in-law, who is in his mid 70s, gave me some of these treasures. From what I understand, some belonged to his mother, grandmother, along with his great-grandmother.

Some of the cases alone are fantastic.

I’m not sure if these things are of any monetary value, but they are treasures, no matter. I hope you enjoy looking at them and I would be interested in any input or feedback you may have on them.

Jess

Dear Jess,

Nice lot of Victorian jewelry. Your father-in-law passed you some nice family pieces.

Jess, most of the items in the photos you sent are not gold (the pins, earrings and watch fob). The two rings in the jeweler’s boxes I would say are either 10kt or 14kt. They would be marked inside the bands.

Even though the pins would be gold filled (gold over metal) they still have value for being from the Victorian era (mid to late 1800s). They also look to be in good condition and that helps for values.

The Puss in Boots watch fob (holder) is also gold filled.

Jess, as far as values go, I would think all the pins are in the $40+ range each. Earring set $25. Two gold rings would depend on stones and gold level. So you should bring them to a jeweler to get an accurate value.

The watch fob would be in the $70 range.

I hope this was helpful, Jess, and thanks for sharing your treasures.

Note: Even the Victorian jewelry store boxes have value to jewelry collectors as well.

Treasure Hunt 22/11/10

Dear Donna,

Does McCoy pottery still have a collectors’ market? I have this yellow marked McCoy bowl. Just wondering if you could provide any information.

Thanks, Donna.

Bea

Dear Bea,

To answer your question, I say yes, McCoy pottery is still very collectible, depending on the piece, pattern, colors, style and, as always, condition.

Your bowl is a beehive pattern and was part of a nesting set (graduating sizes). There could have been at least four different colors in the set. It was very popular during the 1940s.

McCoy pottery has a very long history beginning in the late 1800s and continuing through the 1990s. Good reading material!

Bea, the value on your bowl, in good condition with no damage, would be in the $50 range to a collector. That’s with no cracks, crazing or chips. So as I said, yes, there is a collectors’ market for McCoy pottery.

Thanks for sharing with us.

Donna

Kiddie Pool 22/11/10

Family fun for the weekend

Family pictures

• The Bookery (844 Elm St., Manchester) is holding both scheduled and walk-in holiday family photo shoots on Sunday, Nov. 13. A local photographer will take family portraits against a holiday backdrop. Tickets cost $10 and guarantee at least one unedited photo. Edits to a single photo are an additional $5 or an additional $40 for five photos. Reserve a spot from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or walk in from 2:20 to 4 p.m. More information can be found at bookerymht.com

Library & museum fun

• Saturday, Nov. 12, is free admission second Saturday at the Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org) for New Hampshire residents. The museum is open Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Current exhibits include “Gee’s Bend Quilts,” “State of the Art 2020: Locate” and “Memoirs of a Ghost Girlhood: A Black Girl’s Window.”

• The Manchester City Library (405 Pine St., Manchester) is celebrating Sesame Street’s birthday on Tuesday, Nov. 15, with a party starting at 10 a.m. There will be stories, crafts and games based on some of the television show’s most beloved characters. This event is for children ages 2 to 5 years old and their caretakers. Registration is required and can be done at manchester.lib.nh.us.

• New Hampshire Humanities will be hosting an event called Music in My Pocket: Family Fun in Folk Music presented by Jeff Warner at the Boscawen Public Library (116 N. Main St., Boscawen) on Tuesday, Nov. 15, at 6:30 p.m. Warner will have “pocket instruments” like spoons and will tell tales through songs, passing down the stories with oral storytelling. Visit nhhumanities.org or call the library at 753-8576 for more information.

Showtime

• The University of New Hampshire will have a ballet showcase on Thursday, Nov. 10, at 7 p.m. in the Johnson Theatre, Paul Creative Arts Center (30 Academic Way, Durham). The showcase will have students from the university’s dance program performing their original dance choreography that they have worked on throughout the fall semester. Tickets cost $5 and can be purchased at unh.universitytickets.com.

• Join The Little Mermen at the Bank of New Hampshire Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord, 225-1111, ccanh.com) on Saturday, Nov. 12, featuring a family-friendly Disney sing-along event at 2 p.m., followed by an 18+ show at 8 p.m. The cover band dresses up in costume to perform all the classics and new family favorites. The band’s creator, Alexis Bambini, bills the show as an experience for Disney kids who grew up. Tickets cost $25 for adults and $15 for kids ages 12 and under, or $25 for general admission to the night show.

Treasure Hunt 22/11/03

Dear Donna,

Time to pass this carved Scottie dog bracelet to my daughter. Can you give me any information to pass with it?

Thanks, Donna

Rita

Dear Rita,

My first reaction is I’ve had one before and when it broke I was so sad! I had never seen another one before, but now I know there were more puppies out there.

Your wood carved Scottie dog bracelet is considered a clamper (it opens up to clamp on your wrist). It looks like it’s in amazing condition with original collar and glass eyes.

This style of bracelet along with Bakelite, lucite and others was very much in style from the 1930s to the present. This generation collects the unusual jewelry from the past and it can be very sought after in good condition. I would say your Scottie pup bracelet is in the $200 range to a collector.

Passing it on to your daughter is priceless, though. I hope she enjoys it as well.

Thanks for sharing with us, Rita. A nice memory for me.

Kiddie Pool 22/11/03

Family fun for the weekend

Art and science

• Learn about exoplanets at the event “Exoplanets: They’re Out of This World!” with experts Dr. Andrew Jordan, a University of New Hampshire research scientist; Dave McDonald, an astronomy educator; David Petriel, exoplanet enthusiast, and the Belmont High School Astronomy Club on Friday, Nov. 4, at 6:30 p.m. at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (2 Institute Drive in Concord; starhop.com). The event, this month’s Super Stellar Friday program, will talk about what exoplanets are, how they’re discovered and what conditions might be like on the planets, according to the website, where you can purchase tickets, which cost $12 for adults, $9 for children ages 3 to 12, $11 for seniors older than 65 and students, and are free for children under 3.

• Join the Bookery Manchester (844 Elm St. in Manchester; bookerymht.com) for a free family art walk through downtown Manchester on Sunday, Nov. 6, from 10 a.m. to noon. On the walk, there will be more than 40 pieces of public artwork to see and learn about. The walk will start at Bookery at 10 a.m. While the event is free, the Bookery requests that people register in advance on the Eventbrite page, which can be accessed from bookerymht.com/our-events.

Last bit of October-ness

• The corn maze at Elwood Orchards (54 Elwood Road in Londonderry; 434-6017) is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (with the last entrance at 5 p.m.) through Sunday, Nov. 6, when it closes for the season. Tickets can be purchased at the farm and cost $10 per person, free for children under the age of 5. According to the website, the farm still has pick-your-own apples, but call ahead to check on conditions.

• And for the teens: This is the final weekend for some of this season’s haunted attractions. Spookyworld Presents: Nightmare New England (454 Charles Bancroft Hwy. in Litchfield; nightmarenewengland.com) and Fright Kingdom (12 Simon St. in Nashua; frightkingdom.com) will close on Saturday, Nov. 5, with the last time for a fright being at 10 p.m. at both locations. Read our story about this season’s spooky settings in the Oct. 20 issue of the Hippo. Find the e-edition at hippopress.com; the story is on page 10.

Outdoor adventures

• Kids 18 months to 5 years old can be part of the Natural Wonders Fridays at the Beaver Brook Association (117 Ridge Hill Road in Hollis; beaverbrook.org) starting on Friday, Nov. 4, and running through Dec. 16. The weekly event will have kids exploring in nature and learning about the world around them. The six-week session costs $72 for an adult with one child, and there is a 25-percent discount for additional siblings.

• Join the New Hampshire Audubon for a birding walk at Massabesic Center on Saturday, Nov. 5, at 8 a.m. The walk will start at the Massabesic Center (26 Audubon Way in Auburn; nhaudubon.org) and will explore some of the trails with local birder Joe Mahoney. All ages and skill levels are welcome at the walk, which will be about 1 to 2 miles, according to the website. Registration in advance is required and costs $10 per person. Binocular rentals are included with the price of tickets.

Showtime!

You don’t have to go under the sea to see Spongebob the Musical at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org) on Tuesday, Nov. 8, and Wednesday, Nov. 9, at 7 p.m. The show, performed by the Palace Teen Company, featuring actors ages 12 to 18, follows the lovable sea sponge Spongebob and his friends as they go on an adventure together. Tickets cost $15 for adults, $12 for children.

Treasure Hunt 22/10/27

Dear Donna,

This treadmill was in my grandparents’ garage when I was a child, and since my grandparents have both passed it has been passed around to a few family members. I have had it for about eight years. I can find very little information about this company or this particular item. It seems that at one point there was a sort of pulley system to work your arms as you walked, but not sure how I would even go about trying to replace such things. A friend of mine looked it up by the patent number, but even that didn’t yield much information about this particular style of treadmill. The base is somewhat heavy, but the handle is removable and it is still usable. I would just like to see if I can get more information to pass on to family members, so we can decide what should be done with this item. Any way you can help would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely, Catherine

Dear Catherine,

I have to start off by saying what a history there is in treadmills. From prisons to health care!

What I didn’t find out was any further information on the company.

I think your piece is a neat piece but desirability would be low. Possibly a museum would like to have it, for example. This piece falls under the category of old industrial heavy items that take up a lot of room. Replacing parts for usage would have to be home done. I think you can always find make-do parts now to fix it.

Either way I don’t feel the value would be more than what you could get from someone else who likes it too. Possibly $100.

I thank you for sharing, Catherine, and now have more insight into treadmills myself. Really enjoy learning something new every day. I hope I gave you some additional help.

Donna

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