#Middlebury #Antiques #Advertising
Vintage advertising signs, figures, toys, printed textiles, food tins and labeled bottles are all selling at higher and higher prices. Large signs with pictures of flags, Lady Liberty, figural packages, tins, toys and almost anything with a famous company logo that is in great condition is selling over-estimate at auctions. Online bidding has made it possible to offer advertising pieces to an international market with many bidders.
Unusual advertising pieces are considered folk art or “interesting” and “decorative,” although in the 1950s ads were only used in kitchens, playrooms or lavatories. Today they are featured as art, which is why this sign sold for over $1,000.
The photo to the right shows a tin black and white sign in a wooden frame that was used to advertise a man who repaired phonographs and sewing machines in the early 1900s. A decorator or collector could hang this vintage sign in a living room or kitchen. The eye-catching, 30-by-21-inch sign auctioned for $1,080 in Massachusetts at Eldred’s Auctioneers.
Q: I’m looking for the value of Royal Albert Old Country Roses dinnerware. I have a complete set and can’t find any information about it. Can you help?
A: The Albert Works was established in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, in 1846. The pottery was granted a Royal Warrant from Queen Victoria in 1897 and the name of the company became Royal Albert in 1904. Old Country Roses was introduced in 1962. The company claims it’s the best-selling pattern in the world. Over 150 million pieces have been sold. The pattern is still being made. A five-piece place setting, previously used, sells on online for $40 to $50.
Q: I have a complete set of Uncle Wiggily books by Howard R. Garis. There are nine books, 10 stories in each one, copyright 1943 by John Sherman Bragg. They’re in good condition. Do they have any value?
A: Howard R. Garis (1873-1962), a reporter and writer for the Newark Evening News, began writing stories about a rabbit named Uncle Wiggily Longears in January 1910. A new story was published in the newspaper every day except Sunday until 1947, when Garis retired. He wrote more than 15,000 stories for the newspaper. The stories were first published in a book in 1913. Seventy-nine books of Uncle Wiggily stories were published. Garis was a prolific writer and wrote stories for several other series of books under pseudonyms. Uncle Wiggily books with 10 stories sell for about $5 to $10 each. The price depends on condition and how early it was published.
Current Prices
Tiffany trumpet vase, glass, pastel, faceted vertical opalescent bands, clear fading to green ground, footed, signed, L.C. Tiffany-Favrile 1886, 9 inches, $83.
Bone clothespins, whalebone, incised lines, wood and acrylic stand, 1800s, each pin 8 1/2 inches, set of 6, $390.
Russel Wright aluminum tea set, tea pot, sugar and creamer, tray, spun, wood handles, 4 pieces, $780.
Advertising sign, Bollinger Champagne, bottle, ship, S.S. Constitution leaving harbor, oil on canvas, frame, c. 1930, 38 x 53 inches, $1,680.
TIP: Never carry a marble tabletop flat. It can break under its own weight. Carry it in a vertical position.
For more collecting news, tips and resources, visit www.Kovels.com
© 2021 King Features Synd., Inc.
You must be logged in to post a comment.