Bell toys were made after Civil War

#Middlebury

Bell toys, a type of pull toy that had moving parts that rang a bell, were made in America just after the Civil War. The Gong Bell Co. of Connecticut made the first one. It was an iron four-wheel platform, holding a bell and an animal. The animal kicked or hit the bell when the platform moved. A popular bell toy featured an elephant that stepped on the bell to make it ring. The 9-1/2-inch-long toy is made of decorated metal. It was estimated to be worth about $800 to $1,200.

This bell toy elephant has the tip of his trunk up, signaling the good luck he rings. The 19th-century toy was offered for sale at a James Julia auction a few years ago.

Later bell toys used wood, tin or other metals and added realistic hair or animal hide. The toys all were painted. The 1880s-1890s were the golden age for the bell toys, and in the 1900s, copies were made of metal and eventually plastic. Today, the bell toys are wood or plastic made by Fisher Price or Playskool.

Q: I have dishes with bowls that look like heads of lettuce and plates that are a single lettuce leaf. They are marked with the signature “Dodie Thayer.” Can you tell me anything about them?

A: Large leaves probably were one of the first “plates” used at a feast. So it is not surprising that plates were shaped like cabbage or lettuce leaves by the 1600s. Leaf-shaped European majolica plates were made by Delft, and by the 18th-century they also were crafted by English potteries Wedgwood, Longton Hall, Chelsea and Minton, and French potteries Jacob Petit and Palissy. There was Etruscan Majolica from Pennsylvania, and modern giftware items like California Dodie Thayer ceramics. This Palm Beach dishware was made during the 1960s and ’70s. Dishes were made from molds of actual cabbage or lettuce leaves, or full heads of the vegetable. Pink, red, yellow and green sets were made. They are signed with the artist’s name.

Recently, the Lettuce Ware dishes were reproduced for the Tory Burch shops in green or white. Full sets are made with cups, plates, tureens and more. A new salad plate costs $40. Leaf-shaped dishes of all ages are popular with collectors, but only those made of porcelain or after 1900 should be used to serve food.

Current Prices
Mouse trap, domed wire cage on hexagonal wood base, round opening at bottom, bail handle, France, 1940s, 5 x 5 1/2 inches, $25.
Badge, Labor Day celebration, ribbon, arm holding American flag, quote, white ground, multicolor, pinback, 1890s, 2 1/2 x 8 inches, $85.
Wall hanging, cherub, hand-carved wood, paint and gilt, wings wrap around the neck and spread out, upcast eyes, 1800s, 9 x 12 inches, $615.
Ginger jar, bright yellow ground with pink and green peaches, butterflies and flowers, porcelain with bronze lid, c. 1800, 9 inches, $4,100.

TIP: Some vintage buyers are getting a chrome blender to display like a work of art in the kitchen. And sometimes it is even used to mix drinks.

For more collecting news, tips and resources, visit www.Kovels.com.

(c) 2018 King Features Synd. Inc.