If a piece of furniture is described as having paw or claw feet, it usually means they were carved or molded. For some pieces, like this table, furniture “legs” and “feet” can be taken literally. The table, made of zebra hide, complete with zebra legs and hoof feet, sold for $500 at a Hindman auction.
Buying, selling and collecting pics made of animal hides or other taxidermy requires care. It’s always a good idea to check federal and state laws on selling animal parts before a sale or purchase. And once you have your piece, it takes careful cleaning and storage. Don’t keep taxidermy in bright sunlight; do dust it at least every other week and keep watch for moths and other insects.
Q: Crown Distillers suggested I contact you to see if an unopened bottle from 1968 is worth anything.
A: Crown Royal is a blended Canadian whiskey that was first made in 1939 and first sold in the United States in 1964. Twentieth-century mass-produced bottles do not sell for as high of prices as 19th-century bottles, and serious bottle collectors, the ones who dig up antique bottles from old dumps, will not be interested in them. Unopened whiskey bottles from the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s tend to sell at house sales and estate auctions, not at specialized bottle auctions or shows. They may also sell at sales of whiskey or liquor bottles held by national auction houses. We have seen vintage unopened Crown Royal bottles sell for about $150 to $200 recently. If the original box and bag are included, the price will be higher. Empty bottles sell for much less, about $20 to $50. If you intend to sell your Crown Royal bottle with its contents, check state and federal laws for selling alcohol.
Q: I have acquired an entire set of Seltmann Weidman Vienna White dishware and would love to use it every day, but I need to know if it contains any lead, cadmium or arsenic in its manufacturing.
A: Historically, lead was added to glazes to keep dishes durable and colors bright. Cadmium is another heavy metal used in colored glazes, especially colors like orange and yellow. They are generally considered safe if they are bound in the glaze and the piece has been fired properly. However, leaching can be a concern if the dishes are chipped or cracked, or if they are used for acidic foods. Arsenic is more likely to leach from unglazed ceramics or aluminum cookware than glazed ceramic dishes. Seltmann is still in business in Germany and, according to their website, its current products are “lead- and cadmium-free.” However, the site does not say when this started. If you contact the company, they may be able to tell you. We cannot say for sure if your dishes contain heavy metals. According to the pattern-matching service Replacements.com, Seltmann made Vienna White from 1980 to 2002. The Council of the European Committees set limits for the amounts of lead and cadmium used in dishes in 1984. As of 2020, the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment proposed lowering these limits. You can buy a lead testing kit at a hardware store, but you would have to send your dishes to a laboratory to test for cadmium.
Q: We’re getting ready for a sale and wonder if an old windup toy airplane is worth anything. It’s red and yellow with black trim and has two propeller engines and an 18-inch wingspan. “Flying Fortress 2095” is printed on one wing and “Army” on the other. It’s marked “Marx Toys.” What do you think it’s worth?
A: The Flying Fortress was a B-17 bomber made by Boeing and used by the United States Army Air Corps during World War II. Louis Marx & Co. made several versions of the toy Flying Fortress aeroplane (their spelling) with sparking machine guns. The first, made about 1940, was red and silver and had four engines with metal propellers. The second version had red celluloid propellers. The red and yellow version with two engines, like yours, was made about 1941. One in good condition sold for $130 a few years ago. The price you can get at a sale will depend on the condition. If it has dents or paint loss or if the engines don’t spark, it will sell for less.
TIP: Don’t store antique furniture in the attic, near a fireplace or near a heat duct. Basements can be damp or hot and are not a good place for furniture.
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.
Waterford, letter opener, Lismore, glass handle, box, 8 ½ inches, $25.
Nautical, chart, mariner’s, four boat diagrams, world map, star charts, portraits of historical navigators, circa 1940, 24 by 43 inches, $40.
Match holder, two hunters, deer head crest, rabbit, game bird, cast iron, wall mount, 11 by 5 inches, $70.
Purse, beaded, pink roses, green leaves, yellow ground, multicolor geometrics around base, drawstring top, 6 by 5 inches, $110.
Folk art, dovecote, pine, slatted door and walls, painted blue, yellow frame, brown roof, 1800s, 20 inches, $345.
Clock, Howard Miller, Triad, round, black dial, three circles in center, red, green, light blue, red frame, 622-414, enameled acrylic, Irving Harper, 1975, 9 inches, $525.
Photograph, Gitanes, black and white, street scene, group of children in shadow, two on bicycles, Arles, France, frame, 25 ½ by 21 inches, $705.
Rug, Keshan, red field, central medallion and pendants, flowering vines, navy blue main border, ivory and light-blue guard borders, late 20th century, 13 feet by 10 feet 2 inches, $1,260.
Tool, chest, top handle, hinged side, folds open, fitted interior, drawers, door, compartments, painted brown, with tools, 1800s, 29 ½ by 17 inches, $2,520.
Pottery, midcentury, plate, Motifs No. 17, brushed glaze, red, white, yellow and blue shapes, black trim, marked, Madoura, Pablo Picasso, 1963, 10 inches, $4,410.
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