Clock value higher if it’s prime
Dear Collector,
I acquired this clock when my father died in 1956. The cabinet is in great condition. However, the clock face isn’t. Could you tell me the value?
One of a series named after great rivers (Danube, Oder, Oxus, Vistula, etc.) your 1880s shelf clock has a value of about $250, but only in prime condition.
Dear Collector,
I found this 1905 issue of The Saturday Evening Post that belonged to my mother. It has a coffee “splatch” on the bottom of the cover; is it worth anything?
I was intrigued by the word splatch, which I’d never heard or seen before, so I tracked it down to a Scots word describing a spill, blot or splash. Well, that satisfies my curiosity. As to the value of your antique magazine, which originally sold for 5 cents, I’d say it’s worth $10 because the cover was done by Guernsey Moore, the illustrator who developed the cover lettering used by the magazine until its demise in 1969.
Dear Collector,
How much is a 1900 silver dollar worth?
Upon its minting, this coin would have bought a gallon of milk, 9 loaves of bread, about 5 gallons of gas and 2 movie tickets. Today it is worth $15, enough to pay for the movie tickets.
Dear Collector,
I vaguely recall getting this “Samantha” doll for my sixth birthday in 1967. What do you think she’s worth now?
Modeled after Elizabeth Montgomery, the lead on television’s “Bewitched,” your Ideal doll is worth almost $200.
Dear Collector,
Enclosed are photos and a sketch of the markings on the back of a plate that was used as a wall decoration. It has been in the family since 1915 and was given by a relative who was born in Prussia.
This plate bears a mark that causes confusion when it’s researched. The word “Prussia” appears over a crown containing the letter “B,” under which are the words “Royal Rudolstadt.” Since this underglaze backstamp for the porcelain factory of Beyer & Bock first appeared around 1905, it’s very possible that your great-such-and-such brought it from the Old World. Value on this hand-painted plate is between $25 and $35.
Dear Collector,
We have a Praktica FX-3 camera but do not know how old it is. Can you tell us when it was made?
Your circa 1950s single lens reflex camera comes from a German maker no longer in business. Sturdy and simple to use, it’s worth maybe $50.
Dear Collector,
I have a Hermes 3000 typewriter. It is mint green with a snap on lid. I got it over 40 years ago as a teenager, and it’s still in excellent condition. I was told that Stephen King uses this type of machine. Is this typewriter my way of getting out of debt?
It is, if you write like Mr. King (or Larry McMurtry, author of “Lonesome Dove,” who also uses a Hermes 3000). Research shows your Swiss-made portable has a market value of $30 to $50. Time to start tapping those keys!