Happy New Year! When the clock strikes midnight on Jan. 1, it’s time to open your new calendar and look ahead. Or maybe you have a clock like this one, with a built-in calendar.

Calendar clocks were developed about 1850. That’s about when this one, which sold for $5,100 at Cottone Auctions, was made. Its rear movement plate is marked for Constantin-Louis Detouche (1810-1889), a famous Paris clockmaker in the 19th century. He worked for his father’s clockmaking business until 1830, when he started his own. He was later appointed official clockmaker to Napoleon III, who was crowned emperor in 1852.

Detouche sold clocks and scientific instruments, and he was known for the precision and craftsmanship of his creations. This clock’s perpetual calendar dial is said to automatically correct for the days of each month, even in leap years. It was Detouche’s own design.

Q: I am wondering if you can help us with finding any information about a bear fur coat and a possible value? I have been unable to locate any background information. The coat belonged to my grandfather who lived in North Dakota. He did work in Alaska for a time in the late 1920s. The coat is in excellent condition with no obvious wear marks. Its tag reads “Made by Boultier Redmond Limited Montreal Winnipeg.”

A: Boultier Redmond was a Canadian clothing manufacturer and wholesaler. The name was used by the 1920s, but the company may have been operating under different names as early as the 1870s. The company liquidated about 1930. This aligns with the time your grandfather would have been in Alaska. We have seen similar bear fur coats sell for about $300 to $500 in excellent condition and between $100 and $200 with signs of wear. If you are planning to sell yours, check your state laws first. Some states have very strict laws about what kinds of fur can be sold.

Q: I purchased this train at a tag sale 10 years ago. My grandsons have outgrown it. I have looked several places and cannot find anything on this train as to a value. The train tracks are mounted to plywood and can easily be carried. The train is made of wood and not painted. The top of the box reads “Eichhorn Holz-Gartenbahn.”

A: Your train was made by Eichhorn, a German company founded by Hermann Eichhorn in Bavaria in 1949. The company made wooden toys, starting with puzzle blocks. They were making wooden railway toys by 1950 and made their first train and track sets in 1961. Their early train sets were painted, but in the 1970s, they started making unpainted trains from natural wood. Around this time, they also started using synthetic material for their tracks and replaced their hook-and-eye train couplers with magnets. In the 1980s, they returned to painted trains and real wood tracks. The company became part of the Simba-Dickie Toy Group in 1998 and is still in business today. They appeal to today’s customers by promoting wood as a safe, sustainable material for toys. Vintage Eichhorn toys tend to sell online, in shops or at auctions for under $50.

Q: I have a metal lawn ornament that is in excellent condition for an antique. I am looking for information on how to sell this piece at auction or to a collector.

A: Antique metal lawn ornaments and similar household decorations can sell for high prices if they are in good condition with their original paint intact. They are collected as folk art or garden furnishings. Check antique shops or shows in your area, or search auction results online, to see if they sell items like yours.

Q: Could you please tell me what the value might be for a painting by Roman Loza?

A: Roman Loza was born in Poland in 1913. He joined the army during World War II and was taken prisoner in France, then later transferred to a POW camp in Germany. During his imprisonment, he made portraits of guards and fellow inmates. He traded paintings for extra food and supplies. After he was released, he studied art in Paris. He and his wife immigrated to the United States, where he worked for an advertising firm in Chicago. He died in 1988. During his life, he exhibited in art shows and participated in artists’ associations in Europe and the United States. His works included oil paintings, watercolors, drawings, woodcuts, tempera paintings and scratchboard. It takes an expert to evaluate a painting. If there is an auction gallery or art gallery in your area that deals in vintage paintings, they may be able to help. Some hold appraisal days that are open to the public. Check to see if your library has access to online resources like Artnet (www.artnet.com) or MutualArt (www.mutualart.com) that you can use to look up art prices.

TIP: Brush fur in the direction it grows. If brushed the other way, the hairs will break off.

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.

Paper, book, English Rustic Pictures, woodblock prints, black and white, India Proof paper, coated parchment binding, Walker & Pinwell, Brothers Dalziel, $60.

Advertising, sign, Crosset Shoe, Makes Life’s Walk Easy, fretwork trim, tin, early 1900s, 7 by 28 inches, $95.

Rug, hooked, pictorial, two dogs, spaniels, standing, facing each other, bone on ground, red ground, wool, 20th century, 21½ by 33 inches, $160.

Wedgwood, vase, jasperware, blue, urn shape, two handles, square base, white figures, tree, leafy trim, wreaths, 12 inches, $175.

Toy, fire truck, sit and ride, painted, red, yellow seat and steering wheel, two ladders, bell, Wyandotte, circa 1940, 31 inches, $180.

Bronze, vase, glass body, ribbed, round, flared neck and foot, gilt mounts, leafy handles, square base, inset corners, France, 28 inches, pair, $630.

Brass, urn, tea, stepped lid, finial, two scroll handles, spigot, three cabriole legs, warming stand, cover, Continental, circa 1750, 20 inches, $675.

Furniture, frame, gilt, scooped molding, arrow corner splines, scrolls, scallops, label, Newcomb-Macklin, 20th century, overall 31½ by 27½ inches, $705.

Wristwatch, Massey, 14K gold, diamond bezel, four diamond indicators, rubies, quartz movement, chain strap, folding clasp, women’s, 7¼ inches, $1,720.

Silver-American, tankard, hinged lid, armorial engraving, monogram, horizontal ridges around base, pseudo hallmarks, late 1700s, 8 by 8½ inches, $2,560.