Home schooling and extra time spent with family because of coronavirus health rules have created a demand for maps, globes and more information about other countries.
It is not difficult to figure out the probable age of a globe. The older the globe, the higher the price might be. The first terrestrial globe known to historians was probably made in 1492, a globe showing what the land mass looked like on a sphere. It was created in Germany.
A terrestrial globe you might buy today at a flea market or house sale is probably less than 100 years old. Look for the name of the manufacturer. You can research when the company made globes. Early makers are listed online and in schoolbooks. You can note the country names on a globe and make a list to guide your search for a date. There have been many name changes and they overlap in time, so a list helps.
Russia became the Soviet Union in 1922. There is a song that reminds us, “Now it’s Istanbul not Constantinople,” dating the change in 1930. And Persia became Iran in 1935. Siam changed its name to Thailand in 1939. There have been many more changes, but these should help spot a globe made before the 1930s. Israel was created in 1948. The Gold Coast became Ghana in 1957. Ceylon became Sri Lanka in 1972. Czechoslovakia split into two countries in 1993 and a new map or globe now calls them the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
The first celestial globes showing the positions of stars were created in the second century and they are also made today. Probably the most expensive new globe available is one sold by Hammacher Schlemmer for $14,000. A new school globe can sell for as little as $70.
Q: I have quite a collection of this stuff I think is called “hammered aluminum.” I have drink coasters, small trays and large serving pieces, some with a china bowl inset.
A: Hammered aluminum was popular from the 1930s to the 1950s and became collectible in the 1990s. Collectors look for pieces made by Wendell August Forge, Arthur Armour, Rodney Kent Silver Co., Farberware and Kensington. Serving pieces often have an inset glass or pottery dish to hold food. Hammered aluminum coasters sell for under $5. Prices for serving pieces and trays depend on size, decoration and maker. Coasters usually sell in sets of six for $15 to $25; trays sell online for $10 to $15.
Q: Are old newspapers reporting the assassination of President John F. Kennedy worth anything? I have two full Wall Street Journal newspapers dated Nov. 22, 1963, and Nov. 25, 1963.
A: The value of old newspapers is based on rarity as well as the historical significance of the event it’s reporting. A newspaper from the city where the event happened, published when it happened, is worth more than newspapers from other areas. The assassination of President John F. Kennedy, while he was riding in a motorcade in Dallas, made headlines in newspapers all over the United States and beyond. Many people saved the newspapers, thinking they might be valuable someday, but there are so many copies around that most have no value. However, the Nov. 23 edition of the Dallas Morning News in good condition is worth $200 or more.
Q: I’d like to know something about the artist Fritz Muller Landeck. I have a painting by him called “Munchen.” It’s a snow scene of a road, trees and an old shed.
A: Fritz Muller Landeck was a German artist who lived from 1865 to 1942. The word “Munchen” is German for Munich. He taught at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich and was known for his landscape paintings. Your painting might be “A Spring Day.” The original oil painting, 24 by 35 inches, sold at auction for $2,113 in 2019. His paintings have been reproduced, however, and reproductions sell for about $100.
Q: I have quite a few pieces of Currier & Ives Early Winter dishes that belonged to my mother. I would like to know if there is any value to them before I take the time and effort to sell them.
A: Royal China Co. of Sebring, Ohio, made dinnerware with transfer patterns based on Currier & Ives prints from 1949 to about 1983. The dishes were made in blue, black, brown, green, pink and multicolor. Blue and white designs are the most common. The dishes were given out as premiums in grocery stores and were sold in department stores and through mail order catalogs. Harker Pottery made some Currier & Ives dinnerware with decal decorations. Sets of dinnerware are hard to sell. A five-piece place setting of blue and white Royal China Currier & Ives is offered for $38 online; dinner plates go for $10 to $20. Shops that sell the china might be interested in buying it, but you would have to pack, insure and ship it, and they would only pay about ⅓ to ½ of retail. It’s easier to donate the dishes to a charity and take the tax deduction. Currier & Ives Dinnerware Collectors Club is a club for collectors of Royal China’s Currier & Ives dinnerware and has a website (www.currierandivesdinnerware.com) with more information.
Tip: Swish some vinegar in a stained coffee or tea cup. Then wash and dry the cup. The stains will disappear.
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.
Cut Glass, rose bowl, Persian pattern, round, closely notched rim, rayed base, American Brilliant Period, 2 by 3 inches, $95.
Jewelry, earrings, koi fish, Sea Shimmer, gold tone, blue rhinestone eyes, white and aqua bead accents, clip on, Elizabeth Taylor for Avon, 1994, 1½ inches, $155.
Toy guitar, Elvis Presley, 6 strings, plastic, decals, Love Me Tender, You Ain’t Nothin’ But A Hound Dog, Emenee, box, 13 by 33 inches, $255.
Rookwood vase, yellow daffodils, dark brown ground, swollen neck, marked, Elizabeth Lincoln, 1907, 7¾ inches, $355.
Mechanical bank, Monkey & Parrot, coin on monkey’s tail, rolls into parrot’s mouth, tin, Saalheimer & Strauss, 4½ by 6 inches, $460.
Furniture, rocking chair, walnut, triangular sides continue to rocker, yellow tufted upholstery, Adrian Pearsall for Craft Association, 31 by 26 inches, $805.
Doll, French Bebe, bisque head, blue paperweight eyes, brunette mohair wig, jointed wood and composition body, 1890s dress, Steiner, 25 inches, $1,090.
Coca-Cola sign, button, porcelain, script logo with bottle, red ground, mounting holes, 36 inches diameter, $1,475.
Purse, crossbody bag, quilted fuchsia snakeskin, front flap with embossed CC logo, outer crescent pocket, entwined chain and leather strap, Chanel, 6 by 7½ inches, $2,320.
Advertising sign, Drink Blatz Beer, porcelain, die cut, neon, lights up, Artcraft, Milwaukee, 32 by 72 inches, $6,000.
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