Twentieth-century iron toys and tin toys have been collected for generations and many books and articles have been written about the toys and their makers.
But celluloid toys, which date from the late 1800s into the 1950s (when plastic became popular), were made in many European countries, Japan and the United States.
Although celluloid is flammable and dents, cracks and splits easily, it was used to make dolls and other toys because it was inexpensive but could be decorated with bright colors and molded into complicated shapes.
One of the most popular celluloid toys in the United States was the “boopie,” also called a “carnival doll.” She had a pot-belly, large, round eyes and wavy hair, and looked a little like a kewpie and a little like Betty Boop.
These dolls, made in Japan, originally sold for a few cents apiece. They often were given as prizes at amusement parks, carnivals and fairs. Today, a single doll can sell for $10 to $50.
Collectors prefer rare, odd-looking dolls — dolls that look like cartoon characters, exotic animals or Santa Claus. These sell for $100 or more if in very good condition. Repairs are difficult if not impossible.
Q: I have a matte-green pitcher with an impressed mark that says “J.S.T. &Co., Keene, N.H.” Who is the maker?
A: The mark on your pitcher is among those used by Hampshire Pottery. The pottery was founded in Keene, N.H., by James Scollay Taft in 1871. Pieces are marked with a printed or impressed mark that includes the founder’s initials or the name “Hampshire Pottery.” In 1916, Taft sold the pottery to George Morton, who had worked at Grueby Pottery in Boston. Hampshire Pottery closed in 1917, reopened a couple of years later and closed permanently in 1923.
Q: Could you tell me when the practice of using metal staples to repair china was discontinued?
A: Most repairers today use modern glues and cements, but — believe it or not — there still are repairers who use metal rivets (they’re not really staples) to repair ceramics. A hole is drilled in each broken part, and a rivet is inserted and then cemented in place to hold the parts together. The practice was in general use in China by the 17th century, but most riveted pieces collectors come across today were repaired in Europe or the United States during the Victorian era. Making rivet repairs takes a lot of skill. While most collectors consider the repairs unsightly and unnecessary, some collect riveted pieces as oddities.
Q: I have a chifforobe made by the Joseph Peters Furniture Co. of St. Louis. What can you tell me about this company?
A: Joseph Peters, an immigrant from Prussia, founded his furniture company in St. Louis in 1855. At first he specialized in making bureaus and cabinets, but the business thrived, and by 1908 the company was operating 50 factories and employed more than 7,000 people. It remained in business at least into the 1930s.
Write to Kovels, The Herald, King Features Syndicate, 888 Seventh Ave., New York, NY 10019.
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On the block
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.
“Porgy &Bess” sheet music, “I Got Plenty o’ Nuttin,” Dorothy Dandridge, Sidney Poitier and Sammy Davis Jr. on cover, 1959, 12 by 9 inches, $40.
Missouri state highway sign, figural, die-cut enameled steel, white ground, black letters and border, 14 by 14 inches, $110.
Overshot coverlet, Lover’s Knot design, wool and linen, light green, mauve and dark brown, three panels, Georgia, 19th century, 90 by 71 inches, $300.
1901 Dr. Daniels’ Veterinary Medicines souvenir calendar, bands top and bottom, scene of fashionable ladies and gentlemen, 20 by 14 inches, $390.
Weller Pottery pillow vase, Dresden Ware, four stubby legs, turquoise-and-blue scene of Holland on both sides, 10 inches, $510.
Carnival glass vase, Boggy Bayou pattern, squatty, lime-green opalescent, 6 inches, $625.
Ash burl bowl, single-reeded edge, c. 1800, 12 by 41/4 inches, $950.
Walnut bed, scalloped headboard, geometrically carved footboard, turned posts and feet, Georgia, c. 1840, 551/2 inches, $1,130.
Martin Brothers double-face stoneware jug, brown glaze, inscribed “A peace that had never been broken, and he trusted and believed, never would be,” 9 inches, $4,955.
French Bru Jne doll, No. 6, bisque head and shoulders, brown paperweight eyes, pierced ears, closed mouth, human hair, kid body, silk dress, c. 1880, 19 inches, $7,475.
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