#MiddleburyCT #Antiques #Bird-shapedWhistles #Typewriters
People have been captivated by bird songs for centuries. At some point, clever artisans realized that whistles could not only imitate birds, but they could also be made to look like birds.
People have made ceramic whistles shaped like birds for hundreds of years. This one is a piece of American redware made in the 1800s. (Kovels.com)
Ceramic bird-shaped whistles have been made for hundreds of years all over the world. Examples dating to about 1000 A.D. have been found in Central America. Were they made as bird calls? Musical instruments? Toys?
The pictured whistle, which sold for $2,006 at Conestoga Auction Co., was made in 19th-century Pennsylvania of redware clay. Today, inexpensive mass-produced bird-shaped whistles are made of ceramics, metal or plastic. The 20th century Italian company Alessi put a red whistling bird on the spout of a stainless steel tea kettle, creating an icon of modern design.
Q: My father was a writer, and I just was tempted to buy a light blue Sears “Tutor” typewriter in its original case for $35 that reminded me of his typewriter. Are typewriters collectible?
A: Yes, they are very popular collectibles right now. People love the “retro” way of writing and maybe seeing a typewriter reminds them of their parents or grandparents. Christopher Sholes, an American mechanical engineer born in 1819, is credited with inventing the first practical modern typewriter in 1866. Five years later, after dozens of experiments, Sholes and his associates produced a model like today’s typewriters. The Sholes’ typewriter keys jammed easily. To solve the problem, he and an associate split up keys for letters commonly used together to slow down typing. This became today’s standard “QWERTY” keyboard. I hope you bought that Sears typewriter. I have seen exact same ones being sold for $180 and higher.
TIP: Clean aluminum pans with silver polishing cream. It’s good for the new aluminum wheels on your car, too.
Current Prices
Roseville vase, Futura, thistle, embossed, mauve ground, pillow top, tapered six-sided foot, two buttressed handles, art deco, 4 1/4 x 6 1/2 x 2 3/8 inches, $325.
Furniture, chest, neoclassical style, wood, shaded and stippled blue paint, five graduated drawers with painted scroll borders, brass bail pulls, tapering reeded legs, 54 x 34 inches, $465.
Toy, sports car, Jaguar XK 120, convertible, metal, cream color, rubber tires with yellow hubcaps, friction mechanism, original box, Bandai, Japan, 9 1/2 inches, $520.
Cameo glass vase, stylized birds flying over grasses, mottled brown over mottled yellow, bulbous, slightly pinched waist, flared rim, art deco, Halbrans, Le Verre Francais, 9 1/4 x 9 3/4 inches, $775.
Coin-operated machine, vending, Pulver Chewing Gum, One Cent Delivers A Tasty Chew, porcelain enamel, red, white letters, metal lattice window shows product, key, 1920s, 20 1/2 x 8 1/2 x 4 inches, $1,140.
Looking to declutter, downsize or settle an estate? Kovels’ Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide 2022 by Terry and Kim Kovel has the resources you’re looking for.
© 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.
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