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By Terry Kovel and Kim Kovel

his strange piece of art pottery is a cornucopia vase, popular in the
Collecting Tip:
1930s. It was made by the Roseville Pottery Company. The
Tpattern name is White Rose. Make your furniture friendly. Chairs should be
about 42 to 120 inches apart in a room meant
Roseville Pottery Company started in Roseville, Ohio, in 1890. for conversation, like a living room or den. Too
A second plant was opened in Zanesville, Ohio, in 1898. White Rose close and personal space is threatened; farther
pattern was introduced in the 1940s. White Rose cornucopia vases were away and it’s bad for hearing or eye contact. Terry Kovel
made in two sizes, 6 inch (143-6) and 8 inch (144-8). By the late 1940s,
there were over 50 shapes in the White Rose pattern glazed in different Q: I have two boxes with 50 matchbooks. Are they worth more individually or as a
colors such as sea blue, coral, or autumn set in the box? Are the covers worth more with the matches or without them? If I
brown. Reproductions of Roseville pottery want to sell them, are there restrictions on shipping matches?
have been made in China and sold since the A: Book matches were invented and patented by Joshua Pusey in 1892. He
1980s. The fakes are a different size, so they sold the patent to the Diamond Match Co. of America in 1894. Matchbook
can be identified. A real, blue Cornucopia collectors are called “phillumenists.” There are local, regional, national, and
White Rose vase that is 8 inches tall sells for international clubs for collectors. The Rathkamp Matchcover Society is the
$100 to $125. world’s oldest phillumenic organization. The Society’s website, matchcover.org,
lists swap meets and conventions. Collectors look for unused matchbooks with
The White Rose cornucopia vase by Roseville Pottery old ads, travel themes and other subjects. If there is a swap meet near you, you
has been reproduced. Authentic vases like this one can see what covers are selling for and you might be able to find a buyer. Don’t
can sell for $100 to $125 let someone pick out the best ones and leave you with a bunch that are not
worth much and will be hard to sell. If you plan to ship your collection to a
his 1894 poster could have been made for an Olympic event in the buyer, remove the matches before shipping.

early 1900s or well into the 20th century. Tandem bicycling was ***
Ta Summer Olympics event in 1908 and then again from 1920 to Q: Can you tell me the value of a child’s rolltop desk made by Eastman Mfg. Co. in
1972. Two-rider teams raced for 2,000 meters on tandem bicycles. Union City, Pennsylvania? It’s 33 inches high and 21 inches wide. A sticker on the
In 1908, 34 riders from seven countries took part. France won the back has the manufacturer’s name and Sears Roebuck Co. as the “ship to” address.
gold medal. In 1972, the last year before it was dropped, the event The desk has been in my family for 70 years.
included 28 riders from 14 nations. Tandem bicycle races are still part of
the Paralympics. A: Union City was the heart of the furniture industry in Pennsylvania at one
This antique bicycle advertising poster sold for $6,600 at Poster time. Eastman Mfg. Co. was one of at least nine furniture companies located
Auctions International. It pictures a pair of riders on a tandem bike racing in the city, which was known as “The Chair Center of the World.” Eastman
from Earth toward the stars. The prophetic poster was created by rolltop desks for children sell for $50 to $100; those with a matching chair go
Ferdinand Lunel (1857-1933), known best for his humorous drawings. for $150 to $175 or more.

***
Q: I have a Victorian cast-iron parlor stove that belonged to my grandparents. It’s
impressed “S.H. Ransom & Co., Albany.” It has four short legs and is decorated
with ornate raised designs. The top decorative piece is broken. Can you give me any
information about this stove, the maker and possible value? Is there anyone who
restores cast-iron stoves?

A: Albany, NY, was the heart of the stove industry in the United States from
about 1820 to 1870. At one time, there were about 350 stove manufacturers
in Albany and nearby Troy, NY. Samuel H. Ransom and John F. Rathbone
established a foundry in Albany in 1840. They parted ways in 1844, and S.H.
Ransom & Co. was started in 1845. The company made wood, oil, coal, and
gas stoves. It also made cookware. The company was in business until at least
1887. Style, rarity, and condition determine price. An S.H. Ransom & Co.
cast-iron parlor stove patented in 1847 and elaborately embossed with pictures
of royalty on the front and warriors on the sides, in perfect condition, was
offered for sale for $2,450. Other S.H. Ransom & Co. parlor stoves have sold
Advertising posters often had fanciful illustrations to attract attention. for $375 to $400. A source for information and repair of old stoves is Good
This one with tandem bicyclists sold for $6,600 at Poster Auctions International.
Times Stove Co. (goodtimestove.com).
Current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States.
Prices vary in different locations because of local economic conditions.
CURRENT PRICES
Nautical, ship’s model, schooner yacht Atlantic in Toy, Godzilla, Shogun Warriors, green, yellow Chrome cocktail shaker, Gaiety, cylindrical, inset
1903, hull, planked deck, three masts with rigging and finger- and toenails, claw launches, tongue flashes to black enameled bands on bottom and lid, flared finial,
cloth sails, on stand with plaque, 32 x 37 1/2 x pretend flame, original box, Mattel, 1977, 21 x fitted strainer, Chase Brass & Copper Co., 1930s,
7 1/2 inches, $185. 8 3/4 inches, $900. 11 1/4 inches, $50.
Jewelry, cufflinks, muses’ heads, flower-form head- Furniture, chest, tiger maple, bow front, top with Steuben glass basket, Aurene, amber iridescent,
dresses, carved 14K yellow gold, art nouveau, molded edge, four graduated drawers, block feet, oval flared form, flared and ruffled edge, arched handle,
3/4 x 1/2 inches, $220. brass pulls, 1800s, 37 1/2 x 39 1/2 x 17 inches, $2,160. etched “Aurene 455” on base, c. 1915, 17 x 11 x
7 1/2 inches, $625.
Lamp, airplane, two propellers, blue glass, white Shaker basket, maple, ash and pine, yellow paint,
painted stripes, curved chrome base, c. 1940, four-finger seam, copper tacks, flattened arched Trap, mouse, wire, die-pressed tin, oval, open end,
12 inches, 13-inch wingspan, $530. stationary handle, late 1800s, 7 x 11 x 8 inches, $1,125. spring trap, Maine, c. 1900, 4 1/2 x 8 x 6 inches, $240.
Terry Kovel and Kim Kovel answer questions sent to the column. By sending a letter with a question and a picture, you give full permission for use in the column or any other Kovel forum. Names,
addresses or email addresses will not be published. We cannot guarantee the return of photographs, but if a stamped envelope is included, we will try. The amount of mail makes personal answers or
appraisals impossible. Write to Kovels, (Journal of Antiques & Collectibles), Kovels.com P.O. Box 23192, Beachwood, Ohio 44122.
44 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles