#Middlebury
The 16-inch-high turkey made in 1907 (see photo) is not a toy, but a “package” that held game parts. It is made of a composition material and has glass eyes and metal wheels. Stored inside the turkey are parts for a skittles game, a variety of bowling. Skittles is popular in many European countries and is played indoors or out; in England and Ireland it is played indoors in a pub. The game uses nine or 10 pins and, of course, a ball.
No, the large turkey was not made as a Thanksgiving decoration. It is an antique part for a game of skittles that auctioned for over $2,000. But, it would look great on the holiday dinner table.
The painted wooden pins often were made in fancy shapes. Soldiers, sailors, spelling blocks, clowns, penguins, vegetables, frogs, ducks and other figures were made. The figural “packages” online this year include a large frog, parrot, rabbit, vegetables, pumpkin, clown and many hens with chicks. There is even an airplane that held pilots. Modern skittles games often are made of plastic instead of wood. This turkey sold for $2,124 at a Bertoia auction in New Jersey.
Q: I have some old 10-inch Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman records from the 1940s that I would like to sell. I know there are collector books for old stamps and coins, but are there any resources to help value old records?
A: People collect all kinds of old records because of their interest in a particular type of music, a particular artist or a particular music label. Most old best-selling records were pressed by the millions and are worth very little unless they are notable for some reason – an autographed jacket, a short run pressing, or an obscure title or artist.
Buyers usually look for records made before 1950 and after 1970 in new or nearly new condition, with the original paper sleeves or jackets. Your old 10-inch records probably are “78s,” with one song that lasts about three minutes on each side. They are shellac, made before the era of long-playing vinyl records, and are not very desirable to collectors.
There are websites that buy records and have very specific lists for what they want and what they don’t want. Big Band music is popular, but those records still sell for only about $2. Your local library also might have price guides for old records, such as Standard Catalog of American Records 1950-1990, 9th edition, or Goldmine Record Album Price Guide, 9th edition, both by Dave Thompson.
Current Prices
Relish dish, Carnival glass, deviled eggs, pink and gold iridescent, 15 sections, ribbed circle center, c. 1910, 11 1/2 inches, diameter, $80.
Bank, turkey shape, tail feathers up, cast iron, red paint, patina, A.C. Williams, c. 1910, 3 1/2 x 3 inches, $160.
Toaster, porcelain, two pop-up bread slots, white and gilt, reeded handles, scroll and dot design, settings, Porcelier, 1930s, $500.
Compact, goldtone ormolu, guilloche enamel flowers, pearls, beveled mirror, silk embroidered powder puff, c. 1880, 2 x 3 inches, $1,025.
TIP: Always remove a book from the shelf to dust. All sides need cleaning.
For more collecting news, tips and resources, visit www.Kovels.com.
© 2018 King Features Synd. Inc.
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