Let's Go to the Fair

QUESTION: My uncle's dad founded Greyhound Bus, and he had this keepsake from the 1939 World's Fair.He claimed they made a ton of metal buses to give away, but never really put this tram into production. Have you seen one like this?

ANSWER: I get almost as many questions about souvenir items from the 1939 New York World’s Fair as there were items sold or given away at the Fair. Well, not really, but pretty many.

The item this person mentions–a small cast-iron Greyhound Bus tram–was one of over 25,000 different mementos made for the Fair. Fifty stands sold souvenirs–everything from postcards to guidebooks to view folders and books, as well as a myriad of novelties that gave "knick-knacks" a whole new meaning. Vendors also sold a myriad of pins. Orange and blue World’s Fair emblems graced the surfaces of every one of them.

The Fair opened on April 30 , 1939–the 150th anniversary of George Washington’s inauguration at Federal Hall in New York City. At 10:00 A.M. Mayor LaGuardia cut the ribbon at a dedication ceremony in the Temple of Religion. Trumpets heralded the procession of thousands of police officers and military men and public officials. And at 2:00 P.M. President Roosevelt dedicated the fair. Altogether, 60 nations and international organizations took part. Thirty-three states of the United States also had exhibits–and every one of them had giveaways and more deluxe souvenirs for sale.

Why is it then that the New York World’s Fair’s souvenirs seem to stand out from the Pacific Exposition in San Francisco that same year and the Century of Progress Exposition in Chicago six years earlier? For one thing, the shear numbers of items–millions of them–flooded the U.S. and the world with mementos of the Fair. Every visitor, no matter their economic status, brought home something, from small toys like the Greyhound tram to three-legged folding cane/seats so visitors could take a rest while walking the Fair. There were also wallets, bracelets, woman’s compacts, snow globes, and thousands of pins. And for stamp collectors, the Fair offered first day covers, postmarked daily at special U.S. postal stations at the Fair.

Another reason the 1939 New York World’s Fair offered so much variety was that unlike previous world’s fairs of the 20th Century, it was truly a commercial phenomenon. There, housewives first got their first look at automatic washers, cooking mixes, and small appliances of all kinds. So the corporations who sponsored the Fair went all out to promote their new products–products of science and imagination.

So to answer the question above–have I seen such an item–probably not, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t exist and can be worth some good money in the very specialized World’s Fairs’ collectible market.

For more information about 1939 New York World’s Fair memorabilia, click here.

A Case of Mistaken Identity

QUESTION: I saw a Queen Anne dining set in a shop, and it appears to be old, however the chairs are upholstered in a ‘vinyl’ material which also appears old, but is this an antique?

ANSWER: I get questions like this a lot. Most of the time, the persons asking them think that because a piece of furniture is in a particular style that it’s an antique. But they fail to realize that certain popular styles of furniture have been reproduced over and over throughout the last several centuries.

From the photo, I could tell that the dining table and chairs had been made in the Queen Anne style, but I could also tell right away that it wasn’t an antique. The giveaway was the extra leaves in the table. From the looks of it, I'd say the set might be as old as the 1930s, but I'm leaning more to the 1960s. Let’s see why.

At the time Queen Anne was popular in the 18th century, dining tables like this one with added leaves didn't come into use until the 19th century. During the 1750s, joyners–the person’s who made furniture–made Queen Anne dining tables as drop-leaf tables with large leaves or wings that could be folded up and stood against a wall until ready for use. In many cases, the owners stood them in their front hallways to allow for more space. A wealthy 18th-century family would have only used a larger table like this when dining with guests. They often ate at a smaller table by the fire, especially in winter, or had “tea”–what we call supper–in their bedrooms by the fire. When not in use as a dining table, they may have used it for other things and stood the chairs against the wall around the room.

At the end of the 19th century, a style called Colonial Revival came into popularity because of the colonial exhibits at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in 1876. Furniture makers began to make what they thought looked like colonial furniture although it was often stylized and lacked the fine details of the original.

That said, this table and chairs did seem to be well constructed of solid woods and, therefore might sell for somewhere between $1,500 and $2,000. But don’t mistake the identity of this dining set for the real thing. It isn’t.

Curator or Caretaker–Which are You?

QUESTION: I own a necklace of pure scrimshaw about 40 years old that was passed to my mother, and she gave it to me when she died. Can you tell me its value? 

ANSWER: Here’s a good example of an object that has been passed down from mother to daughter over several generations. But the person makes no mention of obtaining any more pieces of scrimshaw. Unfortunately, this often happens when people inherit an object or a collection from their relatives.

It seems that this person has taken over the job of acting caretaker for this piece of scrimshaw. While there’s nothing wrong in that, she’s missing out on the joy of collecting–the search for other pieces and buying the ones that she likes. But she shouldn’t feel bad. This is more often the case than not.

A caretaker, as the name suggests, cares for an object or a collection. This care usually consists of maintaining the condition of the object, and, of course, finding out how much the object is worth.

A curator, on the other hand, is someone who catalogs and maintains historic or artistic collections. This usually entails the maintenance of the objects and their general protection from damage. The curator also finds out as much as possible about the objects in the collection and, using a number of reliable resources, determines their value. In addition, the curator adds to the collection, refining it by selling off inferior pieces and arranging for the purchase of better ones. In essence, the curator becomes a collector.

So which are you–curator or caretaker? If you’ve been acting as a caretaker, why not change roles and actively get involved in learning all you can about and growing your inherited collection. You don’t know how much fun you’re missing.

The Quagmire of Value

QUESTION: I just inherited a lovely old armoire from my mother. As we were taking stock of her things, an antique dealer, who had come to look at some other items, told me he’d give me $1,000 for it. I really love the piece and am not considering selling it, but I would like to know its value. Can you help me?

ANSWER: While the answer to this person’s question may sound simple, in fact, it’s far from it. What type of value does she mean–retail value, insurance replacement value, fair-market value, auction value, or cash value? In the end, each of these values will be a different amount. Other factors determining value are age and condition. So where to begin.

Let’s start with retail value. This is the price for which an antiques dealer expects to sell an item after marking it up from the price the dealer paid for it in order to make a profit. This amount can  be anywhere from 20 to100 percent of the dealer’s purchase price.

The amount of money it would take to replace an item from a antiques shop or online if it were lost, stolen, or damaged is called the insurance replacement value.

The price that an item would sell for on the open market between a willing buyer and a willing seller is known as the fair-market value. This is also the value that’s used when an item is donated to a charity or is part of someone’s estate.

And when someone puts an item up for auction, the price that an appraiser feels the item should bring at auction, based on comparison of like items and recent other auction sales, is known as the auction value, but has nothing do with the actual value of the item.

However, being told something is worth a specific value is meaningless if the appraiser doing the appraisal has no knowledge of the item itself or the market for it. And auction prices, such as those eBay are not an indicator of true "worth," since many of these sales prices are inflated many times over in the heat of bidding up an item. And a verbal appraisal is worth nothing without a written one to back it up, especially in the case of settling an estate.

To learn more about how to value your antiques and collectibles, read my article, “What’s It Worth?,” on my antiques Web site, The Antiques Almanac. 

The Beauty of Christmas Kugels

QUESTION: I came across a heavy white glass ornament with what appears to be some sort of decals on the bulbs. Also each one has a colored stone–almost like birth stones–indented into the ornament. All the tops are a gold finish. I have seen a lot of ornaments but none like these. Any ideas?

ANSWER: It sounds like this person has discovered a kugel, a type of heavy glass Christmas ornament made in Germany from about 1840 until 1914. The word kugel means “ball” in German. The first ones were smooth, heavy glass balls that were too heavy to hang on anything but a stout pine in the yard, so people hung them in their windows.

Louis Greiner-Schlotfeger invented the kugel to compete with the glassblowers of neighboring Bohemia who had perfected blowing glass beads lined with lead mirroring solution with produced a brilliant shine. And though he was able to duplicate the lead mirroring solution, he couldn’t hand blow his kugels thin enough. The result was heavy pieces of glass shaped as balls in a rainbow of colors in sizes ranging from an inch in diameter to over 30 inches.

Originally, the glassblowers hung their kugels with bits of wire. After blowing a glass bubble, they snipped it from the blowing tube which resulted in a small neck with a hole leading to the inside of the kugel. They ground the neck down leaving just a hole and attached a decorative brass cap, held in place with wire arms that spread apart inside the glass sphere. Finally, they attached hanging rings to the caps and hung them with wire hooks.

It wasn’t until 1867, when Greiner-Schlotfeger’s village built a gas works that he had a steady, hot, adjustable flame, enabling him to blow thin-walled glass balls. From that point, it was a simple step to blowing glass into cookie molds shaped like fruits and pine cones. While the glassblowers still called them kugels–more specifically Biedermeierkugeln, referring to the Beidermeier Period in which they were made–they technically weren’t any longer and soon people called them Christmas ornaments.

By 1880, full-sized trees decorated with expensive imported German glass ornaments became all the rage among the wealthy. American retailer, F.W. Woolworth, saw these ornaments on a trip to Germany, but was reluctant to order any for his stores–at least at first. To his amazement, his original order sold out in two days.

For more information on kugels, read my article on antique Christmas ornaments.

Tiffany Lamps Go for Big Bucks

QUESTION: An art dealer came to our house to look at a painting and noticed the Tiffany chandelier hanging in our dining room. A year and a half later, he called back with interest to purchase it for a significant amount in cash. I did some checking and discovered that an original Tiffany back in 1977 sold for $22,000. What is the best way (if I was even to consider selling it) to get the most value for what it's worth?

ANSWER: This is just one of many questions I have received about Tiffany lamps. The recession has got everyone looking to sell items that may have some value. And with the Antiques Roadshow highlighting some valuable Tifffany lamps, people have gotten dollar signs in their eyes.

Tiffany Studios, founded by Louis Comfort Tiffany, designed and produced the only authentic Tiffany lamps. Historically, Tiffany, himself, never actually made any of the lamps, but just oversaw their production and design. He personally guided the lamps that came from his studio  between 1899-1920 through all stages of their creation. This not only included the shades, but the handmade bronze bases as well.

Tiffany’s magnificent lamps were an instant commercial success. Wherever they appeared, they received prizes and awards. He was the first to design lamps to be operated using the new electricity, then only affordable by the wealthy. But once his lamps caught on, several other American companies, including Handel, the Pairpoint Corporation and Quezal, emulated his designs.. While Handel and Pairpoint concentrated upon creating innovative lampshades, often, but not always, in the style of Tiffany, Quezal helped to satisfy the increasing demand for the iridescent glassware, called favrile, popularized by Tiffany in America.

The name "Tiffany" has become a generic term for windows, lamps, and glass of–or imitating–the period. However, there were many other firms in the U.S. and in Europe doing similar and in many cases nearly identical work. This has lead to a great deal of confusion, and much work by other companies has been sold as "Tiffany,” often with false "Tiffany" signatures added to it.

It’s important to note Louis C. Tiffany and Tiffany Studios did NOT mark or sign many of their lamps in any way. However, it’s often easy to forge Tiffany signatures on similar-looking period or reproduction items. Many genuine Tiffany pieces that weren’t signed originally have probably had forged signatures added to them to increase their worth and make them easier to sell, as well.

By his vision and energy, Louis.C. Tiffany succeeded in blending classical motifs with bold new techniques in glassmaking to create a distinctive American art form. The demand for Tiffany lamps among today's collectors attests to the lasting value of his work. The table lamp with the wisteria design pictured above recently sold for over $600,000. If that doesn’t get dollar signs in people's eyes, nothing will.

If you have what you think may be a real Tiffany and it doesn't have a signature, send a photo and description of it to Christie's Auction House to have it verified.

To read more about Tiffany lamps, go to my Web sites: Writing at Its Best and The Antiques Almanac.

Hess Toy Trucks--Everyone's Favorite Holiday Collectible

QUESTION: I have a complete collection from 1988 through 2008 including every truck (2 1996), most packs of batteries with Hess logo and several Hess truck bags. I have recently gotten married and have no room for them with my other collections. How can I sell them and where can I sell them without giving them away?

ANSWER:  It’s Thanksgiving time once again and that means Black Friday and, for the last 45 years, Hess toy trucks. And you don’t even have to get up at 2 AM to beat the crowds because the Hess Corporation has pushed back the start date to a week before Thanksgiving. For many years, people lined up at Hess Stations on Black Friday morning to get their hands on the coveted toy “truck” of that year.

Starting in 1964, the Hess Company wanted to thank their loyal customers by making small replicas of their trucks as a token of appreciation for their business throughout the year. The company was the first one to manufacture toy trucks that had working lights and sound. Hess gas stations along the East Coast sold the "B Model Mack  Tanker" in 1964 and has continued that tradition each year since. Because the company produced these trucks in limited quantities, they limited each customer to two of them. That first truck sold for $1.29, and today can sell for over $2,500. Over the last 15 years, the value of some of the older Hess trucks has doubled. But there is a catch.

More than half the value of each truck depends on the condition of its box. If the truck, itself, is also in perfect condition, then it’s considered to be “MIB” or Mint-in-Box.  Most people have trucks they bought to give to their kids for Christmas. Unfortunately, their children played with the trucks and now they’re worth a fraction of the mint ones.

Plus values of these toys tend to fluctuate, depending on who’s buying them. While dealers pay the lowest amount and then double it to sell them, some collectors will pay just about anything to get the truck they want. In fact, I heard of one guy who drove four miles to meet a woman in a rest area on an Interstate highway just to look at a truck she had for sale.But before you get dollar signs in your eyes, understand that the true value of your collection is whatever anyone is willing to pay for it or individual pieces.

Of course, values can be different, depending on which price guides or Web sites you consult. A truck listed for $300 on one site might be listed at $400 in a current guide. And since Hess Stations operate on the East coast, collectors in the West will usually pay more.

While the first trucks were tankers, succeeding ones ran the gamut from transports to fire trucks and car carriers.  In 1966, Hess deviated from its line of trucks by producing an ocean-going tanker, but it wasn’t until 1993 that the company offered a police car and in other years sold a helicopter carrier, monster truck, and this year, a race car. However, the price has gone up from that first truck selling for $1.29 to $24.99 for this year’s model race car.

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To find the retail value of your Hess Truck, check The-Collections.com

Welcome to My Antiques Blog

Welcome to my blog about antiques and collectibles. I’ve been collecting them for nearly 30 years and writing about them for the last 16. In that time, I’ve covered the gamut from Chippendale to cookie jars, Renaissance Revival to ruby glass. Visitors to my antiques Web site,The Antiques Almanac, send me questions about all sorts of items–some they’ve inherited, some they’ve had for years, and some they’re considering purchasing. All these questions have two things in common: What are they, and how much are they worth?

In this blog, I hope to answer the first question about a variety of antiques and collectibles. In this modern age of multiple-use objects, we take for granted all the different little things our forefathers used in everyday life. I hope to shed some light on these.

The second question is a bit harder to answer. Generally, I don’t give valuations. I leave that up to professional antiques appraisers. The Antiques Roadshow has made everyone aware of the value of everything around them. But as I’ll show in this blog, just because something is old doesn’t make it valuable.

If you have a question about a particular item, please send it to me by E-mail.  Who knows, you may just see the answer in this blog one of these days.