Rabbit doorstop was made in Connecticut

#Middlebury #Antiques

Where did the Easter bunny come from? There is no suggestion of an egg-laying rabbit or hare in the Bible’s scriptures. There were stories about decorated eggs at Easter as early as the 1300s. And children made nests for the colored eggs. In America, the bunny arrived in the early 1700s with German immigrants in Pennsylvania. The idea of eggs at Easter was universal, but instead of a bunny, countries had foxes, cuckoo birds, hares and more. The rabbit symbolizing Easter is now a fluffy, young bunny, even though it was an adult rabbit in earlier years.

Iron doorstops were made by many cast iron toy makers. This rabbit doorstop was made in Connecticut. Bertoia Auctions sold it for the high price of $5,400.

A doorstop shaped like a rabbit probably was not originally made as a symbol of Easter, but it could have been. The iron figure of a sitting rabbit was made in the early 1900s by Spencer Manufacturing Company, in Guilford, Conn. The 15-inch-high doorstop was so rare it auctioned at Bertoia in New Jersey for $5,400 – three times the estimate.

Q: I have a picture of John F. Kennedy autographed to my family. During World War II, my father was in the Navy with Pierre Salinger, President Kennedy’s press secretary. I’d like to have the picture appraised, but there are no political auctions around here. Some reports are that a signed picture stating it’s to our family could be worth thousands. I won’t send it to any online companies. How can I get the value?

A: You can contact auction houses that have political auctions to find out if there is any interest in the photo. If the auction is interested in it, take a picture of the photograph, making sure it’s clear enough to read the autograph, and send it them with the details of how your family got the picture. Don’t be disappointed. It isn’t worth thousands of dollars. A picture autographed to someone usually is worth less than a picture with an autograph that is not “to” anyone.

Q: I found an old Mountain Dew bottle and brought it home and washed it. There is a misprint on it. It reads “it’ll tickle yore nnards.” Does that make it valuable?

A: The Pepsi-Cola Company introduced Mountain Dew in 1964. “It’ll Tickle Yore Innards” was part of the slogan used on bottles and cans from 1965 to 1969. Error bottles are not rare, and the error doesn’t add to the value. Mountain Dew bottles with that slogan sell for about $5.

Current Prices
Fun House mirror, carnival, wood frame, blue, lighted marquee, 1930s, 81 x 33 inches, $1,160.
Mochaware, sugar, lid, marbleized bands, brown, blue, flower finial, 1800s, 4 1/4 inches, $2,195.
Letter box receptacle, U.S. mail, eagle and shield front, brass, Cutler Mfg. Co., 21 x 36 inches, $4,350.
Doll, automaton, dandy smoker, black, papier-mache head, marbled wood cabinet, 1935, 37 1/2 x 18 1/2 inches, $8,055.

TIP: Decorated glasses given as promotions at fast-food restaurants often fade in sunlight.

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