#Middlebury #Antiques
Can an antique bed be used in a modern home without difficulties? Yes and no. The beds used before about 1900 are shorter and narrower than the standard sizes used today. That means that to use the beds, the fitted sheets, blankets, box springs and mattresses may have to be custom made. It might be possible to use toppers or foam rubber instead of springs. But then the top of the bed will be lower than normal.
This unusual bed with decorative bright paint sold recently for $12,500. It was made about 1830. There are pegs to use for “sacking” to hold the mattress, not side holes for roping the bed. It can be converted to hold a modern mattress.
Until the late 1800s, the mattress was held in the bed frame with wooden slats or rope. An old rope bed will have holes in the side rails to “rope the bed.” Some old beds have pegs in the side rails. These hold a mattress with “sacking,” a piece of sailcloth with eyelets that match the positions of the pegs. It is strung into place in the center of the frame to hold the mattress. Ask a local antique dealer, historical house curator or search online for “roping a bed” for instructions.
An antique bed is shorter than a new one. Sometimes it is best to use just the head- and footboards and buy a modern metal frame. A colorfully painted antique Empire bed made in New England was auctioned by Nye & Co. recently for $12,500.
Q: I’d like to know a reasonable value of an old portable record player, a Califone Model 1430K. I’d like to buy one and this model reminds me of the one I used in school when I was younger. Can you help?
A: The Califone Model 1430K phonograph was made in the 1970s and ’80s and was popular with schools, libraries and churches. It was a solid-state phonograph with a built-in speaker and a 4-speed turntable that played 45, 33, 16 and 78 RPM records. It had some useful features, including a built-in 45 adapter and an on/off knob with a Pause position. Older models were blue or gray and had a metal turntable platter. Newer ones were made in gray with a plastic platter. But while considered “portable” in a case with a removable lid, it weighs almost 20 pounds. A working Califone Model 1430K sells for $50 to $75.
Current Prices
Oil lamp, glass, emerald green font, beaded heart pattern, clear tapered base, 11 inches, $70.
Advertising poster, Drink Orange Crush, woman floating on lake in inner tube, paper, frame, 19 1/2 x 15 1/2 inches, $150.
Folk art cane, Eagle’s head handle, black paint remnants, shaft with carved feathers, metal ferrule, American, 1800s, 35 1/2 inches, $210.
Fraktur picture, house blessing inside heart, flowers & vines, watercolor details, grain painted frame, 1800s, 7 x 6 inches, $370.
TIP: Felt-tip markers in shades of brown and black can be used to camouflage a small nick in furniture. You can use several markers and blend the color.
For more collecting news, tips and resources, visit www.Kovels.com.
© 2020 King Features Synd., Inc.
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