Page 32 - joa-jan-23-NEW

on Antiques & Collectibles

By Terry Kovel and Kim Kovel

o you have fond childhood (or more recent!) memories of spending a
Collecting Tip:
winter day sliding down a snowy hill? Sledding is a pastime that has
Dbeen around for a long time. Silver jewelry should be kept in an anti-tarnish
Archaeologists have evidence that the earliest sleds were used not in cold, bag, often the bag it came in, when you are not
snowy climates, but in ancient Egypt. Heavy loads like stone for construction wearing it. Terry Kovel
or monuments were loaded onto platforms with runners and pushed along Q: I’d like to know the possible value of a Florence Ceramics three-section
tracks to their destination. With snow on the ground, tracks aren’t necessary. bonbon dish. It’s light pink with two applied pink roses and one rose bud in the
Over time, sleds took the form of sleighs or sledges and could be drawn center where the three parts come together. It has irregularly shaped ruffled and
from the front or pushed from behind. Sleds have been in use for so long that fluted edges and is about 9 inches by 9 inches.
it’s uncertain when they went from being practical vehicles to children’s toys.
The first steerable sled for children, the Flexible Flyer, was patented in 1889. A: Florence Ward started Florence Ceramics Co. in Pasadena, California, in
Before then, children played with homemade sleds that are now collected as 1942. She worked out of her garage until moving to larger quarters in 1946.
folk art. The company was in business until 1964, when it was sold to Scripto Corp.,
This sled, painted blue with yellow stripes and a spray of which closed in 1977. The company is best known for its figurines depicting
flowers, with metal swan’s head handles, was made in the 19th historical or fictional characters. Boxes, bud vases, candleholders, candy dishes
century and sold for $328 at an auction by Pook & Pook, Inc. and other decorative items were also made. Several different pieces were made
If you have an antique sled that you want to use, yet keep in with delicate applied roses. A dish similar to yours was listed online for $50.
the best possible condition as a collectible, coat it with liquid ***
furniture wax, then buff it. A few days later, coat it with paste Q: My wife acquired about 150 pieces of Craftsman stemware brought back from
furniture wax. Even the metal can be waxed after you remove Japan by someone who was in the Occupation Force. I believe the etching design is
any rust, and the waxing should make the sled slide even faster. “Wisteria.” Most of the glasses still have the gold foil “Craftsman Stemware, Japan”
sticker on them. We have no idea what to do with them or what price to ask. Can
A painted and decorated sled makes a snowy day even more festive.
Like many homemade toys, this one doubles as a piece of folk art. It you help us?
sold for $380 including the buyers’ premium. A: American troops and some British troops occupied the main islands of Japan
from 1945 to 1952, while the Soviet Union and China occupied other Japanese
territories. Many soldiers and sailors brought Japanese goods home when they
oys have been used as advertising premiums for more than 100 returned to the States. Glasses made by Craftsman Stemware sell for about $7
years, from the cloth dolls that first appeared in the 19th century to $10 each. It is hard to sell a large set of stemware. You can look online for
Tand baseball cards initially issued by tobacco companies to Cracker shops that sell Craftsman Stemware and see if they will buy it, but you will have
Jack prizes and more recent toys in cereal boxes or kids’ fast-food meals. to pack it securely and ship it. They will give you about half what they can sell
This “Log Cabin Express” toy, which sold for $150 at an online them for since they have to make a profit. It’s easier to try a local consignment
auction on AntiqueAdvertising.com, is an unusual case: the tin can of shop or donate the glasses to a charity and take the tax deduction.
Log Cabin syrup didn’t come with a toy, it became the toy! The rolling ***
platform was the premium. It attaches to the empty tin to turn it into a Q: I have a 16-ounce teapot marked “Ellgreave” and “A Div. of Wood & Sons,
pull toy. The tin was already eye-catching with its cabin shape and colorful England.” The mark also includes a shield with a lion on it and “Ralph 1750 Moses
lithographs. One side is marked as “Table Size,” suggesting consumers 1751 Enoch 1784.” Can you tell me how old it is and if it has any value?
“Serve From The Can.” Long before today’s envi- A: Several members of the Wood family made pottery. Wood & Son was
ronmental concerns and zero-waste movements, founded in Burslem, England, in 1865 by a descendant of Moses Wood, one
this company encouraged reusing its packaging. of the three brothers listed on the mark on your teapot. The name of the com-
After all, why make a brightly colored figural tin if pany became Wood & Sons about 1907. Ellgreave Pottery was founded in
it’s only going to be thrown away? Burslem in 1921 by Harry Wood, the chairman of Wood & Sons. In 1967,
Ellgreave was voluntarily liquidated (as a separate company), and Wood pottery
There’s finding a toy in your food packaging, and then
there’s making a toy from the packaging. Towle’s Log Cabin took over production using the Ellgreave name until 1978. Wood & Sons was
brand provided a rolling platform to turn their iconic syrup sold in 1982 and closed in 2005. Your teapot was made after Ellgreave became
tin into a pull toy. a division of Wood & Sons in 1967. Most Ellgreave teapots sell for $20 to $30.
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
Toy, tractor, John Deere No. 4520, gunmetal gray Daum cameo glass bowl, scenic landscape, river, Wedgwood porcelain dinnerware set, green Chinese
metal, 1/16 scale, Columbus Ohio Collector distant village, white shaded to green, acid etched, tigers, white ground, gold trim, dinner, salad and
Edition, original box, $345. gilt ginkgo leaves, round, four-sided undulating rim bread plates, tea and demitasse cups and saucers,
with band of enamel flowers, marked, “Daum Williamsburg Ware Commemorative pattern, 56
Furniture, bench, walnut, 10 slats, chrome base, Nancy,” Cross of Lorraine, 4 x 5 x 6 inches, $3,600. pieces, $1,020.
George Nelson for Herman Miller, 14 x 48 x 18
inches, $680. Jewelry, stickpin, dog’s head, West Highland White Furniture, cupboard, hanging, yellow fir, flat molded
Terrier, reverse painted glass, Essex crystal, 14K top, wood peg construction, single paneled
Krischer Nachfolger of Dusseldorf, early 1900s, yellow gold rope twist mount and pin, glass 3/4 door opens to two shelves and three small over wide
teapot 6 1/4 x 10 1/2 inches, three pieces, $420. inches wide, $310. drawers, hand-forged hinges and lock, 28 x 23 x 10

Bronze sculpture, Two Pointers, dogs, standing on Doll, Lenci, Christiana, felt, pressed and painted, inches, $750.
naturalistic base, brown patina, oval ebonized wood side-glancing eyes, green dress, white apron with World War II poster, Give War Bonds, The Present
base, signed, Pierre-Jules Mene, c.1900, 10 x 19 x 9 holly trim, special edition for Christmas 1982, tags, With A Future, pictures Christmas tree with a few
inches, $1,440.
original box, 13 inches, $120. gifts, red stars, frame, 1943, $210.
Terry Kovel and Kim Kovel answer readers’ questions sent to the column. Send a letter with one question describing the size, material (glass, pottery), and what you know about the item. Include
only two pictures, the object and a closeup of any marks or damage. Be sure your name and return address are included. By sending a question, you give full permission for use in any Kovel product.
Names, addresses, or email addresses will not be published. We do not guarantee the return of photographs, but if a stamped envelope is included, we will try. Questions that are answered will appear
in Kovels Publications. Write to Kovels, Journal of Antiques and Collectibles, King Features Syndicate, 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803, or email us at collectorsgallery@kovels.com.
30 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles