Category: Treasure Hunt

Dear Donna,
Attached are two photos of a lovely old print (the print part is 6” x 14”) and a closeup of the signature, which I can’t quite read. The frame, I suspect, is original. Any thoughts?
Phil

Dear Phil,
I have to start off by saying that I too tried to figure out the signature but didn’t have any luck either. It’s a tough one! But I think you are right that it’s in the original frame, and it is a pleasant subject. It looks to be around the 1900s, so that is something to start with. The value of a print is affected by whether it is signed, numbered and made by a specific company or attributed to an artist.

I think it is fair to say that content is very important and has to be pleasing for buyers to want to purchase it. I think the frame is important too. Yours appears to be a faux tortoise with a gold wood trim, clean and in good shape. I think even if it is just a mass-produced print the value would be in the $60 range just from appearance, and sometimes that is all we have to base it on.

Dear Donna,
This is a piece of wall art, I think. Can you tell me anything about this? I was told it was possibly used to decorate cakes. Is it worth anything?
Janet

Dear Janet,
OK, you got me! I have never seen a piece like this referred to as a cake decorating piece. The wood and carving have a foreign appearance. I would also say yes it’s for a wall hanging by seeing the hook in back.

I think what you have is a decorative wooden plaque. It’s most likely not too old but still a nice-looking piece. Things don’t always have to be of high value to be enjoyed. I do think the value of yours would be under $25.

Dear Donna,
This table once belonged to my husband’s grandparents. The table has a marble top and looks like Art Deco style. I would appreciate a visual appraisal from my photo.
Tina

Dear Tina,
Very pretty marble top hallway table. It could have been from the 1920s or even earlier. It has a sweet Victorian style metal (iron) base.

The value of it is in the $250 range, but the hard part is to get that price! These days it is tough to fit this style into many modern-style homes. Keep that marble top safe and not cracked or broken or the value would be much less, or expensive to replace.

Dear Donna,

This is a hanging ceramic plaque that belonged to my grandmother and I have always loved looking at it, especially when I was a little girl growing up in Texas. Can you tell me anything about this art? I have been to antique stores and can’t find one as pretty or similar to this one.
Crystal

Dear Crystal,
From your photo, it looks more like earthenware than ceramic. You can almost see the clay from the broken chip. This leads me to think it was a piece of majolica.

Majolica was pottery in Italy, Spain and Mexico. Some of the work is crude and some very detailed. Later stuff from Mexico seems to be less detailed and the glazes not so cleanly done.

It’s tough because not all pieces are marked by the makers. In some cases the piece is signed but the artist is not known. To give a value I think you have to look at the fine detailing and quality of this piece; if it is majolica it would help, but that’s not the total picture. I recommend you have someone look at it in person. For now, I think we are safe to say it is most likely in the $40 range just for the subject and quality of the plaque.

Hi, Donna,
I recently came across this item in a box that belonged to a deceased family member. While he was not a member of any police force, he had a few friends who were. My boyfriend and I cannot agree on what this is. He thinks it is a grave marker and I think it is an automobile badge. Who is right? We believe it is brass. Any idea on its age or what it may be worth? Any info you may be able to give me would be most appreciated.
Sandy

Dear Sandy,
You are right! It is a license plate topper.

License plate toppers were around from the 1930s to 1980s. There were lots of them, too. The value now depends on rarity and condition.

Yours being from a police department makes it a collectible in two areas: one for license plate topper collectors and then for police memorabilia collectors as well. So I think the value would be in the range of $125. Now because it is semi-local being from Massachusetts, I would maybe do more research by checking with the station to see when exactly they used this one, and for how long. And what was the official purpose?

After all the work is done you then might find the value to change. Maybe there were only so many made for the town.

Tell your boyfriend that some grave markers can be very similar, so it was an easy mistake.

Dear Donna,
Can you help with an approximate value on old 1930s to 1940s Christmas cards? I just don’t want to put them in the trash. Could you give me some advice and possibly let me know of someone who would want them?
Cecile

Dear Cecile,
I understand why you wouldn’t want to throw them away. So many have such sweet graphic designs.

Some holiday cards can bring a value for age, designs, content (like antique Valentine’s Day pop-up cards, for example). The ones that are worth the most would be from before the 1900s, so the earlier the better, and condition is very important. People kept cards over the years so they are not as uncommon to find, especially from after the 1900s.

I have seen many cards from the same era as yours. They usually are in a shoe box or small bags for around $20. If the cards were unused it would be a bit more (they are not as common).

No matter what they are worth they are such a fun piece of nostalgia and can be fun for framing, repurposing, etc., so no, they are not trash.