WorthPoint

1950s-Era Tonka Fire Truck, Near-Mint In The Box, Realizes $1,932

WorthPoint Staff — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:37:57 +0000

This 1950s-era Tonka “Suburban Pumper” fire truck, #950-6, near-mint in the original box, hammered for $1,932 in an Internet and catalog auction hosted by Serious Toyz.

CROTON-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. – A rare, 1950s-era Tonka “Suburban Pumper” toy fire truck, in near-mint condition and still in the box, hammered for $1,932 in an Internet and catalog auction hosted by Serious Toyz.The auction went online last December and ended Jan. 6-7, 2012. It was the 54th auction for Serious Toyz, a firm that has become synonymous with vintage toy auctions.

The Tonka fire truck—Model #950-6, bright fire engine red, with a “No. 5” emblazoned on the doors and complete with a toy red fire hydrant—was the top achiever of the more than 800 lots that crossed the block. Many of the toys were near-mint or mint-in-the-box-examples, and all lots were sold without reserve (although each carried a modest minimum opening bid).

“We saw a lot of interest overall in this auction, with strong bidding in many categories,” said Tom Miano, owner of Serious Toyz. “In some cases, bids exceeded three-to-four times the existing book values on items, with solid prices for most other lots. I’m excited because this is the first auction in about two years that has shown signs of things finally starting to turn around.

“Many of our bidders are regular people who were greatly impacted by the recession,” Miano added. “But this auction saw strong bidding from a number of long-time customers who told us they were unable to participate in other previous sales. That had a lot to do with it, but we also had a great line-up of merchandise. This wasn’t our biggest sale, but it was one of our best.”

Nearly 80 percent of all lots were sold (they met or exceeded the minimum opening bid). There were 243 active bidders, who placed about 2,800 bids.

“Another thing that made me smile,” Miano said, “was the number of bidders who took the time to thank us for hanging in and continuing to offer one of the best toy auctions in the market. Their spirit was contagious.”

This 1954 Marx “Fire House” play set in the original box was the sale’s second top lot, selling for $1,634.

Following are additional highlights from the auction (all prices quoted include a 12-percent buyer’s premium):

• Three other lots topped the $1,000 mark. A rare 1954 Marx “Fire House” play set, still in the box, hit $1,634; an equally rare 1955 “Big League Stars American League, Team B” nine-piece figure set, mint on the card and featuring Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle and others, brought $1,125; and a 1950s Dopeke “Aerial Ladder (Fire) Truck” #2014, near mint in the box, garnered $1,090.

This 1955 “Big League Stars American League, Team B” figure set, mint on the card, ralized $1,126.

• A 1950s “Superior Space Port” play set, with factory-sealed contents and original brown paper packaging, climbed to $955; a 1954 Marx “Military Academy” (West Point) play set (“Complete with 6 Generals”) went to a determined bidder for $836; and rare 1960s Volkswagen bus lunch box and Thermos, showing the iconic VW microbus in red and white, rose to $808.

• A 1950s Gilbert “All-Electric Erector” set #8 ½ (a giant Ferris wheel), mint store stock, complete with instruction booklet, commanded $633; a scale model 1960 Chevrolet station wagon promotional toy car (“With Flywheel Motor!”), in the original box, fetched $538; and a 1930s Marx tin wind-up “Turnover Tank,” near mint in the box, with vivid colors, made $523.

• A scarce and large circa-1870s German-made “Bing Steinbaukasten” stone building block set in a box with an artistic rendering on the outside, breezed to $522; a 1950s Japanese-made “SSS Super Fire King Ladder Trailer” friction fire truck in the box demanded $470; and a 1960s Japanese-made battery-operated tin “Patrol Auto Tricycle,” still in the box, realized $451.

A 1950s-era Dopeke “Aerial Ladder (Fire) Truck,” Model #2014, near-mint in the box rounded out the big firefighting toys trio, finding a new home with a $1,090 price.

• A 1967 Matchbox “Mini Gift Set With Catalog” #GG-2, consisting of five Matchbox cars “and a free catalog,” topped out at $459; a 1950s Tootsietoy “Interchangeable Truck Set” #4900 machinery hauler, mint in the box and boasting colorful toy pieces, breezed to $414; and a 1950s set of eight Marx “Prehistoric Monsters and Mammals” figures, mint on the card, brought $370.

• A sharp-looking 1957 Matchbox Ford Zodiac #33 orange and silver toy car, with the original box and in great condition, sped off for $339; an actual 1960s coin-operated bathroom condom dispenser (Health Gards, “For Your Protection”), changed hands for $459; and a 1920s German Guntherman tin wind-up figure of a wild, bespectacled cat in formal wear brought $451.

• A 1957 Kenner’s “Girder & Panel Building Set” #2, store stock (“Build the Way Real Modern Buildings Are Built”), hammered for $249; a 1965 “The Munsters” coloring book, unused, with a colorful cover showing photos of all the actors from the TV show, hit $306; and a 1960 Matchbox Triumph motorcycle and sidecar #4, in the original box, zoomed away for $302.

For more information about this auction, call 866.653.8699 or 914.271.4272, e-mail to auctions [at] SeriousToyz [dot] com or visit the Serious Toyz website.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Wide Variety of Collectibles to be had at Fontaine’s Exceptional Antique Auction Feb. 11

WorthPoint Staff — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:38:21 +0000

This double-seated figure garden sculpture by William Edmonson, 26 inches tall, could be the top lot at the Exceptional Antique Auction scheduled for Feb. 11 at Fontaine’s Auction Gallery. It is expected to realize between $40,000-$60,000.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. – Fontaine’s Auction Gallery’s second event of the New Year will be an aptly named Exceptional Antique Auction, with 400 quality cataloged lots slated to cross the block on Saturday, Feb. 11, in the firm’s gallery located at 1485 West Housatonic Street in Pittsfield. Previews will be held Friday, Feb. 10, from 10-5, and on auction day from 8-11 a.m.

“We had a good, solid year in 2011, but signs point to an even better year in 2012,” said John Fontaine, CEO of Fontaine’s Auction Gallery. “For this sale we were fortunate to have secured quality, fresh-to-the-market consignments not just from Massachusetts, but from across the country—Illinois, Michigan, Texas, California and Washington. I’m expecting a great sale.”

The first gavel will come down at 11 a.m. (EST). Offered will be period furniture pieces by such renowned makers as John H. Belter, J.& J.W. Meeks, Alexander Roux, R.J. Horner, Thomas Brooks, Herter Brothers, Wooten Desk Company and others. Also sold will be a clock collection, fine lighting, artwork, art glass, cameo glass, Lalique, porcelain plaques and cut glass.

In addition, there will be music boxes, pottery, bronzes, firearms, a collection of fine sterling, antique slot machines, jewelry and hundreds of related and decorative accessories. Online bidding will be facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.com, and phone and absentee bids will also be accepted. Details and a full catalog may be viewed on the Fontaine’s website.

The day’s top-selling lot could very well be a folk-carved stone sculpture of two people seated side-by-side, by Tennessee artist William Edmonson. The 26-inch tall garden sculpture is expected to bring $40,000-$60,000. Also sold will be a relief molded Art Nouveau bronze urn with female figures in the forest, signed by French artist Alexander Vibert (est. $8,000-$12,000).

The lamps and lighting category will feature an 18-inch Handel reverse painted floral poppy table lamp boasting a conical shade and reverse painted with vibrant clusters of red and orange poppy flowers (est. $30,000-$50,000); and a 26-inch Duffner & Kimberly Renaissance hanging dome with bell-shaped shade decorated with lovely striated glass (est. $7,000-$9,000).

Fine art will include an original oil on ledger paper Impressionist landscape painting by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot (Fr., 1796-1875), rendered from a hilltop near Lannion, France and showing two women enjoying the view (est. $20,000-$40,000); and a splendid autumn landscape with cows by Massachusetts artist William Lester Stevens (1888-1969), (est. $5,000-$7,000).

Furniture lots by R.J. Horner are certain to get bidders buzzing. They include a nine-piece figural oak dining room set featuring a large sideboard with deep figural carved panels (est. $15,000-$25,000); a mahogany winged griffin desk with rectangular top (est. $5,000-$7,000); and a massive oak griffin sideboard with beveled mirrors on the back (est. $5,000-$7,000).

Other furniture pieces of note will include a walnut extra-grade carved Renaissance Wooton desk having a fancy carved gallery with ebony trim and stylish corner pieces, 76 inches tall (est. $15,000-$25,000); and a pair of left and right rosewood meridiennes (sofas in which one arm is higher than the other), by John H. Belter in the “Henry Clay” pattern (est. $5,000-$7,000).

This 18-inch Handel reverse-painted floral poppy table lamp with conical shade is estimated to bring between $30,000-$50,000.

From the slot machines and firearms categories come a Caile Eclipse upright 25-cent oak slot machine made by Caile Brothers of Detroit, refinished and in very good working condition (est. $15,000-$25,000); and a cased Colt Model 1849 revolver (circa 1853) presented to John L. Miller, a Confederate colonel who died from battle wounds May 6, 1864 (est. $10,000-$15,000).

Music, anyone? Set to cross the block are a Regina Style 35 mahogany 12-tune disc changer that plays 15 ½ inch discs on a double comb (circa 1900) in fine working order and with 25 extra play discs (est. $15,000-$17,000); and a mahogany Steinway music room grand piano, Model B, 6-feet, 10-inches long, featuring classic style and heavy graining (est. $8,000-$12,000).

Rounding out just some of the day’s expected top lots are an impressive mahogany figural carved grandfather clock, 103 inches tall, with gilt dial and a silvered chapter ring with applied Arabic numerals (est. $8,000-$12,000); and a museum-quality model American steam yacht, titled “Corsair” (based on the original, owned by J.P. Morgan), in a mahogany display case.

With more than 40 years in the auction business, Fontaine’s Auction Gallery has earned the trust of collectors, investors and gallery owners worldwide. Cataloged lots receive nationwide exposure to the firm’s expansive database of several thousand qualified buyers. Seven times Fontaine’s Auction Gallery has been voted “Best Antique Auction Gallery” by the public.

For more information about this auction, call 413.448.8922, e-mail to info [at] fontaineauction [dot] com or visit the Fontaine’s Auction Gallery website.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

The Retrophile Files: A Conversation with Jimmy DiResta, the ‘Lord of the Fleas’

DeDe Sullivan — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 21:41:46 +0000

A now-bearded Jimmy DiResta showing us a sign that he made. “Lord of the Fleas” is the original title for his show “Dirty Money.”

At it’s worst, reality television can be considered the lowest form of entertainment. Thankfully, Jimmy DiResta, an inventor, designer, builder and trailblazer in do-it-yourself reality TV, has never been interested in joining the D-list crowd. He is an educator, creator and third-generation trash picker, and it is these characteristics that shine in his TV projects. His latest show, “Dirty Money” features Jimmy and his brother John DiResta. Shown on the Discovery Channel, “Dirty Money” had a one-season run in the states and is now in syndication in countries including Vietnam, England, Switzerland and Germany.

We met with Jimmy DiResta recently in his lower East Side studio (and yes it is the same location where “Dirty Money” was shot). He gave us the skinny on how he broke into the world of do-it-yourself reality TV.

DeDe Sullivan: On the show “Dirty Money,” you repurpose found stuff, a.k.a. “junk.” How were you introduced to the world of junk?

Jimmy DiResta: My grandfather was a trash picker and so was my dad. My dad has been going to flea markets since I can remember. He always took my brothers and me. Everything we ever owned was from the flea market.

DeDe: When did you start developing your skills as a builder?

Jimmy: Ever since I can remember, dad was always giving me things to make stuff with, starting with LEGOs and blocks, and later with tools.

DeDe: What were you doing prior to television?

Jimmy: I went to art school and in 1990 I began designing toys for a manufacture at the same time. I designed toys up until my second TV show, “Hammered.” After that I was heavily into building furniture and custom woodwork. Now I can I build anything for anyone in pretty much any material.

DeDe: Did you design any toys that we might remember?

Jimmy: I was a part of the team that created a toy called Sky Dancer that was pretty popular in the ’90s. I am also one of the inventors of a squeezable toy called, Gurglin’ Guts. I share the patent with two other people, one being my brother Joseph. There is a chance the toy will be re-issued.

DeDe: You are highly motivated when it comes to putting yourself and your work out in the world and on the small screen. Can you tell us how you landed on TV?

Jimmy: The very first show we did was called “Trash to Cash.” John was in-between gigs as a comedian/actor so he had an idea. He was always finding junk and making it into tables. He still does this and sells them. So in 2000 he said let’s shoot a video of me making a table with found wood and during the process I will make jokes. So that is exactly what we did, we made a seven-minute video and called it “Trash to Cash.” At the time, Barry Katz was John’s manager. So Barry took our video to Fox FX to see if they were interested, which they were, so we had a meeting.

This is the area in his studio that often appeared in the show Dirty Money. You can learn how to make that giant vintage rope ball on Jimmy's YouTube page

It was my first TV meeting ever, so I showed up overly prepared. Originally, only John was going to be on camera and I was going to make the stuff behind the scenes. So, I came to the meeting with 12 episodes mapped out and I was telling the folks at Fox all the things I can do behind the scenes. The producer we met with asked if I had problem being on camera and I said no. The producer then decided that we would both be on camera. I would make stuff and my brother would crack jokes. So they ordered a pilot and we ended up shooting seven episodes of “Trash to Cash.”

When “Trash to Cash” ended, John and I decided to shoot another pilot on our own. This show idea later became “Dirty Money,” but at the time we were calling it “Lord of the Fleas.” This was nine years ago. We showed our video around and it received a lot of interest but no buyers. So we created another pilot called, “Making It.” I have the video on my YouTube page if you want to see it.

DeDe: Why did you always shoot your own pilots?

Jimmy: To me it seemed like a better idea than just going to networks and pitching a concept. Plus, I don’t like pitching. I would rather just show TV executives what we can do.

DeDe: What happened with “Making It”?

Jimmy: “Making It” became our second show, but the name changed to, “Hammered.” Home and Garden TV picked up the show. The introduction to the channel came from friend who is a hairdresser. One of her clients is an executive for the network so our friend mentioned us. We shot 28 episodes. Afterwards, there were a few more projects with Home & Garden and DIY Network through 2007 and 2008

DeDe: Tell us about your most recent project, “Dirty Money.”

Jimmy: In 2010, a production company called Vidiots was looking for a project. I shared a YouTube link to the “Lord of The Fleas” pilot John and I made nine years ago. Vidiots liked it. They re-edited the pilot we shot and showed it around and Discovery Channel picked the show up.

DeDe: OK, so you have a TV career. You are also a brand ambassador for 3M and a teacher at The School for Visual Arts in addition to being a builder and designer. What best represents who you are?

Jimmy showing us an antique machine part he found.

Jimmy: The core of my business is making stuff for homes, restaurants and stores. I am good at solving problems and I work quickly. I will make anything. This sometimes gets me into trouble. But I always come out wiser. Right now, it appears that “Dirty Money” is over. So I am trying to post a video each week on YouTube for the curious fans of the show and new comers to my work. Each video features me making something new in a new way. This keeps me thinking.

DeDe: Alright. If you had to pick another career, what would it be?

Jimmy: Abstract artist. All sculpture. I am part-way there.

DeDe: Before we wrap this interview, drop a few words of wisdom on us.

Jimmy: This is what I tell my students:

“It is only hard because you have not truly learned how yet” (about anything).

“Never build anything you can’t move alone.”

“Always learn from the mistakes and remember the good one will be the fifth one you make, never the first.”

And finally, “Your brain needs exercise too; challenge it for a workout”

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Interested in seeing Dirty Money come back? Click here to submit a letter to revive the show.

You can also follow Jimmy DiResta online on YouTube, Facebook & Twitter.

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DeDe Sullivan is a retrophile with a particular fondness for junktiques; discarded vintage treasures whose aesthetic worth far exceeds its monetary value. Her blog, VintageandFlea.com, documents her junking and antiquing adventures. This includes sharing her favorite places to score unique items, the history behind unusually finds, along with display and upcycling ideas. Have a question or story to tell? Shoot her an e-mail at dede [at] vintageandflea [dot] com!

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Rinker on Collectibles: Top Ten Changes in the Last Five Years – Part I

Harry Rinker — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:55:37 +0000

In “Rinker on Collectibles: Twenty-Five Years and Counting”— the 25th anniversary column—I informed readers that I planned to share with them a Top 10 list of changes in the antiques and collectibles field in the last five years. Before doing so, I asked readers to e-mail their suggestions as to what changes should be included on my list and asked Dana Morykan, a friend and colleague, to post on www.harryrinker.com the two December 2007 “Rinker on Collectibles” 20th anniversary columns in which I identified and analyzed the Top 10 changes in the field since this column’s birth. Sufficient time having past, and the 20th anniversary columns being posted, it is time to reveal my Top Ten list. Like David Letterman, I will start at the bottom of the list and work my way up to my Number 1 pick.

10. The Accelerating Loss of Friends

I interpret friends in its broadest meaning. My friends include people, periodicals and institutions. The same applies to loss. Loss is more than death or demise. Loss also involves departure and absence.

Early today, I opened my travel address list for Portland, Ore. Jeff Hill, the publisher of a West Coast trade newspaper who passed away on Sept. 17, 2002, was still included. It seems like only yesterday when Jeff and I were sitting in his living room discussing developments within the trade. Except for Chris and Chuck Palmer and a few close friends, I wonder who else remembers Jeff, one of the most brilliant analyzers of trend the trade has known.

The loss of individuals one knows is a consequence of growing old. Keeping a list, even thinking about it, can lead to depression. Names such as Susan Bagdade, Ralph Kovel, Norman Martinus and Sam Pennington come immediately to mind. What does not come easy is a list of individuals who have replaced them. How many giants can the antiques and collectibles trade lose before the impact is measurable?

[Author’s Aside: My short list is the proverbial tip of the iceberg. A full list would include many more than 100 names.]

Consolidation reduced the number of publishers specializing in antiques and collectibles titles by more than two-thirds in the 1990s and early 2000s. Hence, the demise of any consolidator or survivor has serious consequences. When Random House reduced its House of Collectibles title line—especially price guide titles—little concern was raised. It was assumed other trade publishers would pick up the slack.

The loss of Collector Books was a major blow. Collector Books served the middle portion of the collecting marketplace. Several of its ceramic and glass titles were the bibles for their respective collecting categories. Authors, such as Gene Florence, exited gracefully. The Schroeder family has my admiration and respect for the contributions they made to the antiques and collectibles field’s knowledge base and for staying the course as long as possible. Collector Books will be missed.

“Antiques and Collecting Magazine, formerly Hobbies, has merged with Collectors News, re-emerging as Treasures. The Graham family—Dale (who passed away in February 2010), his wife Francis, and his son Gregory—were an integral part of the trade for more than half a century. It is hard to imagine the trade without them.

Connie Swaim just announced her retirement as a full-time editor at AntiqueWeek. Kyle Husfloen, who served as editor for The Antique Trader when it was under the capable ownership of Ed Babka, and later Landmark and KP Publications (F+W Media, Inc.), now lives in California and contributes only occasionally.

There is a fine line between waxing nostalgic and becoming maudlin. Concerned that I am crossing this line, it is time to move on.

9. Changes in the Price Divides within Collecting Categories

Pricing within an antiques and collectibles category has never been linear. Prices divide into levels or plateaus. In a new collecting category, the number of levels between the bottom and top are few. As a collecting category grows in sophistication, the number of pricing levels within it increase. A major collecting category, where the high-end unit price is in excess of $100,000, can have more than a dozen pricing levels.

Price levels enable buyers (collectors) to enter the marketplace at affordable price points—“something familiar, something peculiar, something for everyone,” borrowing the opening lines from lyrics for “A Comedy Tonight.” The number of buyers involved is one of the measures of a collecting category’s strengths.

The concepts of scarcity and rarity were redefined in the past five years. Many items once consider scarce by collectors proved to be extremely common. In some cases, the number of pieces entering the secondary market flooded it, especially at the bottom and in the middle.

Collecting involves bragging rights. Collectors want to own examples their counterparts do not. When everyone owns the same things, the fun and collector interest vanishes. When a collecting category is thus impacted, the collector exodus is greater at the bottom and middle than the top. The wealth divide between the wealthiest Americans and the middle and lower classes is a perfect analogy, especially when one factors in the declining number of middle class Americans.

The middle price levels in collecting categories are shrinking. In some instances, they have or are disappearing. The possibility exists that in the future, there will be some collecting categories where the only collectors are those focusing on the top one to three percent of the objects in the category. Since the number of buyers for middle and low end material will be minimal, prices will plummet in order to attract buyers.

8. Consolidation Counter Revolution

The antiques and collectibles trade witnessed consolidation throughout the industry in the 1990s and early 2000s. Large media corporations bought trade publications and publishing companies. Several added show venues to their holdings. The vertical holdings company seeking to capitalize on the savings consolidation offered appeared to be the trade’s future. While Landmark and Krause were American corporations, DMB World Media was British based. Foreign invasion does not always have to be military.

Consolidation also occurred within the auction community. Sotheby’s went on a buying spree. Even Bonham’s entered the arena. Individual and regional auction companies fell prey to the lure of quick and easy cash. Who can blame them?

What all these buyers failed to recognize is the personal, individual nature of the antiques and collectibles business. Antiques and collectibles is an industry where individuals want to deal face to face, not with a phone bank of callers based in “God knows where.”

A counter revolution is underway. AntiqueWeek and its sister publications are back in the hands of Gary Thoe and his wife. The field breathed a collective sigh of relief when the news was announced. Ted Hake, Dan Morphy and others regained control of the auction firms they helped create. DMG World Media has sold some of its consumer shows and is in the process of selling others.

Consolidation still rears its ugly head, albeit now in the form of alliances rather than outright purchase. Greg Martin, who broke away from Butterfield & Butterfield to create Greg Martin Auctions, is now aligned with Heritage Auctions. The jury is out on whether the maxim of “there is strength in numbers” will apply.

When I assembled my Top 10 list, I pledged to myself to hold the series to two columns. It will not happen. The series will be three columns in length. I never feel the need to justify my actions, although I offer an occasional explanation. Since no general history of the antiques and collectibles trade exists (there are several high-end histories) nor am I aware of anyone writing such a history, I view “Rinker on Collectibles” as a chronicler of the trade’s journey through the latter half of the 20th century and first part of the 21st. Hence, I favor length over brevity.

Finally, now that readers see where I am heading, I want them to have more time to send their recommendations for the top portion of my Top 10 list. E-mail me at harrylriker [at] aol [dot] com.

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Rinker Enterprises and Harry L. Rinker are on the Internet. Check out Harry’s Web site..

You can listen and participate in Harry’s antiques-and-collectibles radio call-in show “Whatcha Got?” on Sunday mornings between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Eastern Time. It streams live on the Genesis Communications Network.

“Sell, Keep Or Toss? How To Downsize A Home, Settle An Estate, And Appraise Personal Property” (House of Collectibles, an imprint of the Random House Information Group), Harry’s latest book, is available at your favorite bookstore and via Harry’s Web site..

Harry L. Rinker welcomes questions from readers about collectibles, those mass-produced items from the 20th century. Selected queries will be answered on this site. Harry cannot provide personal answers. Send your questions to: Rinker on Collectibles, 5955 Mill Pond Court SE, Kentwood, MI 49512. You can e-mail your questions to harrylrinker [at] aol [dot] com. Only e-mails containing a full name and mailing address will be considered. Please indicate that these are questions for WorthPoint.

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

The Comic Speculator – New Comics Roundup 02/01/2012

Matt Baum — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:45:32 +0000

Stitched #1 (Mike Wolfer New York Comic Con Exclusive Edition)

The Comic Speculator is a blog written by WorthPoint Comic Book “Worthologist” Matt Baum that takes a look at each week’s hot new comics and back issues and the comic market place in general. Prices discussed here are taken from the Overstreet Guide to Comics (OVST), Comicspriceguide.com (CPG) and current online auction sales. Sales numbers and rankings are courtesy of ICV2.com. The codes under the prices of new titles discussed are Diamond Comics order codes that can be used to help your local comic retailer in ordering the issues discussed. If you want to hear what this nerd sounds like you can catch him on his podcast, the Two-Headed Nerd Comicast, where he and his friend Joe discuss the latest comic news, review some new comics, and answer your questions.

New Comics Roundup

Below you will find all the info you could possibly need on the hot, new comics shipping this Wednesday, Feb. 2. For a full list of comics shipping this week, click here. To find a comic shop near you, click here.

Variant Watch

Here’s a list of all the variants shipping from Diamond this week and some info on the hot ones. The variant Ratios (i.e.; 1:10) represent how many of the regular issues the retailer has to order to receive one of the variants. If a ratio is not included it’s because I couldn’t get the information or because the variant is a new printing. The prices I post here are suggested, reasonable prices based on the ratios and may be higher or lower at your comic shop. Click here for this week’s complete shipping list.

ASPEN:

Fathom Volume 4 #4 (Cover C Alex Konat Sketch Incentive). Retailers could order three sketch covers for every 12 regular covers ordered.

Haunted City #2 (Cover C Beastly Incentive). Retailers could order three sketch covers for every 12 regular covers ordered.

AVATAR PRESS

Crossed Psychopath #5 (of 7)(Matt Martin Wizard Austin Con Shark Attack Cover), $5.99. Limited to 850 copies and pretty ridiculous.

Crossed Psychopath #7 (of 7)(Gianluca Pagliarani Auxiliary Edition), $3.99. Limited to 1,500 copies and laughably violent.

Stitched #1 (Mike Wolfer New York Comic Con Exclusive Edition), $3.99. Limited to 1,000 copies and I can’t tell what the hell is going on with this one. What am I looking at and where is that hand coming from?

BOOM!

Cliver Barker’s Hellraiser #10 (Cover C Tim Bradstreet), 1:10
Valen The Outcast #3 (Cover C Matteo Scalera), 1:10
Valen The Outcast #3 (Cover D Liam Sharp Negative Variant), 1:20
Valen The Outcast #3 (Cover E Ale Garza Sketch Variant), 1:25

Valen The Outcast #3 (Cover F Joe Jusko 9.8 CBC Variant)

Valen The Outcast #3 (Cover F Joe Jusko 9.8 CBC Variant), 1:50. The CGC Census isn’t listing how many of these were graded, but if we look at the last two issues, that number should be 75 copies. The 9.8 CGC graded issues of #1 and #2 are both selling for at least $200 and don’t look to be slowing down. I couldn’t get numbers on issue #2, but only 26 stores in the U.S. qualified for the graded Jusko variant of #1 and I would expect that number to continue to drop with each issue. That will make each of these 1:50 variants harder to find going forward. Watch these, but also, keep in mind that paying $200 upfront on this variant might not get you any kind of return in the future. Don’t go nuts here. Watch for a $100 price tag, but that could be very hard to find.

BOUNDLESS COMICS

Lady Death #10 (Rafa Lopez Auxiliary Cover), $3.99. Limited to 1,250 copies.
Lady Death #7 (Gabriel Andrade Baltimore Comic Con Cover), $9.99. Limited to 750 copies.
Lady Death #9 (Matt Martin Detroit Comic Con Fanfare Cover), $9.99. Limited to 750 copies. All three of these are not incentive variants; these are extra covers and covers left over from last year’s various comic conventions, so don’t pay more than MSRP if you need any of these covers.

DC:

Action Comics #6 (Andy Kubert Black & White Variant Cover)

Action Comics #6 (Andy Kubert Black & White Variant Cover) 1:200. And we’re back to the original look for the DC 1:200 sketch variants. Because, you know, these weren’t confusing enough when it made the switch to look like the 1:25 variants. Regardless, like every week, I’m going to warn you not to go nuts here. Copies of the 1:200 variant of Action #5 are selling as low as $50. So once again, if you can, watch for a $50-$60 price tag or just wait a couple of weeks and snag one off eBay for that price.

Action Comics #6 (Rags Morales Variant Cover)

Action Comics #6 (Rags Morales Variant Cover). Retailers could order this issue based on the number of the lowest-ordered DC New 52 #6 issue shipping this week (my guess is Men of War). These are not incentive variants so don’t pay much over cover price for this variant; you will be able to find it for cover or close to it somewhere. Side note: Do we know if Superman spent time with the Legion of Superheroes in post relaunch continuity?

Detective Comics #6 (Tony S. Daniel Wraparound Variant Cover)

Detective Comics #6 (Tony S. Daniel Wraparound Variant Cover), 1:25. This one is actually a sketch variant. Watch for a $7-$9 price tag and when your retailer tells you, “That’s insane. Where the heck did you get that price?” You tell them that according to Matt at the Comic Speculator™—a well respected comic book blog brought to you by the good people at WorthPoint—sketch variants of Detective #5 are now selling for less than $10 and haven’t hit the $20 mark since the beginning of January. Then you do a bicep-slap-flip-off gesture for added effect. Unless, that is, you plan on shopping with said retailer again.

Stormwatch #6 (Miguel Sepulveda Wraparound Variant Cover)

Stormwatch #6 (Miguel Sepulveda Wraparound Variant Cover), 1:25. DC just announced a creator shift on Stormwatch this week and it’s not because the title is a rollicking success. This one could be hard to find on the basis that most shops aren’t ordering the 25 copies needed to qualify for this variant, but that doesn’t mean you need to drop the $25 some retailers are asking. Wait and you can probably get this one for less than $10.

Swamp Thing #6 (Yanick Paquette Wraparound Variant Cover)

Swamp Thing #6 (Yanick Paquette Wraparound Variant Cover), 1:25. Again, this one is a sketch variant, not a wraparound. I’m just throwing this out there, but if DC needs a copywriter/editor/fact-checker-whateva, I’m available [suppressed laughter – Editor]. This is the third error I’ve seen this week. Just sayin’. Yanick Paquette is an amazing artist and I would guess prices on this cover will be a little higher than the other sketch variants shipping this week. Watch for a $12-$15 price tag.

DYNAMIC FORCES

George R.R. Martin’s A Game Of Thrones #1(Alex Ross Signed Exclusive Cover), $29.99. Limited to 150 copies.

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

Kirby Genesis Captain Victory #3 (Alex Ross Negative Variant Cover), 1:10
Kirby Genesis Captain Victory #3 (Alex Ross Virgin Variant Cover), 1:25
Kirby Genesis Captain Victory #3 (Michael Avon Oeming Sketch Variant Cover), 1:15
Kirby Genesis Captain Victory #3 (Michael Avon Oeming Variant Cover), approx 1:10
Warriors Of Mars #1 (Joe Jusko Black & White Variant Cover), 1:10
Warriors Of Mars #1 (Joe Jusko Negative Variant Cover), 1:15

IDW:

Anne Rice’s Servant Of The Bones #6 (of 6)(Jenny Frison Variant Cover), 1:10
Doctor Who #14 (Matthew Dow Smith Variant Cover), 1:10
G.I. JOE #10 (Tom Whalen Vertically Inter-Connected Variant Cover), 1:10
G.I. JOE A Real American Hero #175 (Larry Hama Sketch Variant Cover),
Infestation 2 Transformers #1 (of 2)(Livio Ramondelli Inter-Connected Tentacle Attack), 1:10
Locke And Key Clockworks #4 (of 6)(Gabriel Rodriguez Variant Cover), 1:10
Locke And Key The Guide To The Known Keys (One Shot)(Gabriel Rodriguez 2nd Printing Variant), $3.99

Locke And Key Volume 1 Welcome To Lovecraft HC (Special Edition), $100.
Limited to approximately 500 copies. Apparently this one is mysterious.

Magic The Gathering #1 (of 4)(Christopher Moeller Variant Cover), 1:20

Magic The Gathering #1 (of 4)(Eric Deschamps Variant Cover), 1:10. It’s funny, and I’ll have more about this in my Speculator Picks below, but the big draw here for most Magic fans is the free, exclusive card that only comes with the regular cover of the comic. Not the variants. Weird, right?

IMAGE

Fatale #1 (Sean Phillips 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $3.50

MARVEL

Avengers X-Sanction #3 (of 4)(Ian Churchill Variant Cover)

Avengers X-Sanction #3 (of 4)(Ian Churchill Variant Cover), 1:50. I always hate it when the Hulk has a gun. Even the Red Hulk. It’s just dumb. Hulk is strongest there is. He doesn’t need a gun. Even if it is a big one. Regardless of Hulks with guns, this is a nice cover and for some reason, it seems a little restrained for Churchill. I could get into this Churchill. I also don’t buy that Cable can just stick a knife into his arm, but that’s a different nerd-rant altogether. We now have two previous X-Sanction 1:50 variants and both are selling for under $25 so watch for a $20-$25 price tag.

Avengers X-Sanction #3 (of 4)(Leinil Francis Yu Variant Cover)

Avengers X-Sanction #3 (of 4)(Leinil Francis Yu Variant Cover), 1:25. The X-Sanction 1:25 variants are part of a four-piece, inter-connected variant that will make a really cool set when the series is complete. That said, people aren’t scrambling to buy these. Copies of the #1 and #2 variant are selling for $10 and sometimes a little less. Watch for a $10-$12 price tag and don’t be afraid to pluck these off eBay if you need them.

Defenders #3 (Adam Kubert Variant Cover)

Defenders #3 (Adam Kubert Variant Cover), 1:25. I love this one. I’m a big Kubert guy (all three of them) and have a serious soft spot for the Silver Surfer, so this one is probably coming home in the new pile. Watch for a $10-$12 price tag.

Defenders #3 (I Am A Defender Variant Cover)

Defenders #3 (I Am A Defender Variant Cover). Retailers had to exceed their orders of Ultimate Spider-Man #3 on this issue and they could order as many I Am A Defender variants as needed. Which, of course, always ends up in mystery pricing. None of these variants are selling for more than $5 online, so try to stick close to that. You might even be able to grab this one for cover price.

Carnage U.S.A. #1 (of 5)(Clayton Crain 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $3.99

Venom #13 (Walt Simonson Variant Cover), 1:50. I know this says Walt Simonson, but I’m not seeing it. I love the guy, but this is unrecognizable. Not bad; just not the Simonson I love. Watch for a $25-$30 price tag and be prepared to pay for this one. All these characters have either seen their sales numbers dropping or, in the case of X-23 and Ghost Rider, their titles canceled. Retailers might be hesitant to order the 50 needed to get this variant, let alone the 100 for the sketch variant.

Venom #13 (Walt Simonson Variant Cover)

Venom #13 (Walt Simonson Sketch Variant Cover), 1:100

Winter Soldier #1 (Gabriele Dell'Otto Variant Cover)

Winter Soldier #1 (Gabriele Dell’Otto Variant Cover), 1:50. Watch for a $20-$25 price tag

Winter Soldier #1 (Joe Kubert Classic Artist Variant Cover)

Winter Soldier #1 (Joe Kubert Classic Artist Variant Cover), 1:25. Nicely executed Silver-Age-war-comic-feel for this one by Kubert senior. Watch for a $10-$12 price tag.

Winter Soldier #1 (Lee Bermejo Sketch Variant Cover)

Winter Soldier #1 (Lee Bermejo Sketch Variant Cover), 1:100. All you need to do to know how amazing Bremejo is at his job is to look at one of his sketch covers. The guy can do this with a pencil. Amazing. Watch for a $45-$50 price tag.

Wolverine And The X-Men #3 (Chris Bachalo 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $3.99

Speculator Picks of the Week

These are comics that could sell out very quickly due to conservative ordering, popular demand, shipping errors or even a complete shutdown of the Eastern Seaboard as New England and New York fans square off in a pre-Super Bowl smack talk-off the likes of which this world has never seen. Pick them up while you can or pay too much for them later . . .

Magic the Gathering #1

IDW
Written by MATT FORBECK
Art by MARTIN COCCOLO

Solicitation: Get ready, Magic: The Gathering fans, there’s a new Planeswalker in town! In search of greater magical knowledge and on the hunt for the people who destroyed his town, Dack Fayden is the greatest thief in the Multiverse. When he gets his hands on his latest prize, though, he has no idea where it will lead him—or to who!

32 pages
$3.99
Sold Out

Why it’ll go fast: Back in the 1990s, you couldn’t wave a light saber in a comic shop without hitting a poly-bagged comic with a collectible card inside. It’s a tried and true practice by publishers and it’s never been more effective than with the new Magic series from IDW. Magic is a playable card game that’s been around for as long as I can remember and continues to be very popular. Whether the fans want to read a comic about their favorite game remains to be seen, but I’m betting the exclusive card drives sales here. #1 is already sold out and the true test will be what ends up on eBay—unopened bagged comics or just the card. IDW has done a fantastic job with their Dungeons and Dragons comics and Magic looks to be of the same quality, so maybe this is another hit. Or maybe it’s a good way for Wizards and IDW to make $3.99 on one card.

Fatale #2

IMAGE
Written by ED BRUBAKER
Art by SEAN PHILLIPS

Solicitation: The second issue of the hottest new series of 2012 is here! In modern times, Nicholas Lash searches for answers about the mysterious woman who ruined his life, while in the mid-1950s, reporter Dominic Raines is drawn down that same murderous path . . . The award-winning team of Brubaker and Phillips keeps the heat on high in this epic horror noir.

32 pages
$3.50
Sold Out!

Why it’ll go fast: Everyone has finally figured out that when Brubaker and Phillips work together, amazing things happen. That means you better have this series on your pull file or you’re not going to find a copy. #1 also sold out before shipping and is already selling for $15 and up for first-printings. Watch for the same to happen here. If you missed #1 and don’t want to shell out 15 bucks, there’s a second printing also shipping this week and it’s definitely worth a read.

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Matt Baum is WorthPoint’s comic book Worthologist. If you have any questions about these books or anything else in the comic book world feel free to contact Matt or post your question below in the Comic Book Forum in the WorthPoint Forums, located in the Community tab. You can also reply to this article in the “leave a reply box below. If you need more comic-nerd in your life, you can follow Matt on Twitter, where he’s always screaming about something nerd-related. Thanks to all Matt’s new followers and keep the comments coming!

Want to know what your comics are worth? Join WorthPoint to search its database or use its “Ask A Worthologist” feature. Remember to post the title, issue number and cover price.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Grand Rapids Furniture: Is it Always Grand?

Fred Taylor — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:18:54 +0000

This is the trademark adopted by the Furniture Manufacturers Association of Grand Rapids in 1899. From the time of the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in1876 to the beginning of the American Depression in the late 1920s, the Grand Rapids furniture community considered itself to be the center of the furniture universe. And in many respects it was.

Common wisdom in the furniture trade says that anything made in Grand Rapids is “good stuff.” Is that true? Perhaps, but like so many other things, there is always a “but.”

In this case, the “but” is “made when and by whom in Grand Rapids?” There was a time when the term “Grand Rapids” associated with any piece of furniture implied the top-of-the-line merchandise, where quality was assured. Is that always the case?

In 1913, the publication “The Grand Rapids Furniture Record,” the trade publication for the Furniture Manufacturers Association (FMA) in Grand Rapids, Mich., ran a feature article exposing the fraud of a Spokane, Wash., retail furniture company. The fraud? Calling itself the “Grand Rapids Cash Furniture Company,” implying that its furniture was actually made in Grand Rapids. In 1919, the FMA successfully sued a number of retail outlets in the Cleveland area for using the name “Grand Rapids” even though it didn’t sell Grand Rapids-made items.

What was so important about safeguarding the use of the name of a geographic location? Because from the time of the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in1876 to the beginning of the American Depression in the late 1920s, the Grand Rapids furniture community considered itself to be the center of the furniture universe. And in many respects it was.

How an obscure fur trading post of the early 19th century, located in the wilds of southwestern Michigan, became one of the premier furniture manufacturing centers of all time is an interesting story of hard work, determination and luck.

This was one of the most famous labels to come out of Grand Rapids.

Here is the crown label for the Imperial Furniture Co of Grand Rapids along with the Mahogany Association label that shows the Imperial membership number of 123.

This label was used by the Fred Macey Co after Otto Wernicke returned to Grand Rapids after leaving Globe-Wernicke in Cincinnati. Wernicke acquired Macey and continued to make elastic bookcases based on his original patents, in competition with Globe-Wernicke.

The first business to produce the furniture that Grand Rapids would become famous for—factory produced pieces using power machinery and marketed in distant locales—was a factory started in 1849 by Ebenezer Ball. Ball shipped lumber and chairs down the Erie Canal into upstate New York. By 1850, he had a contract to furnish 10,000 Windsor chairs to single buyer in Chicago! That’s a long ways from Haldane’s one-of-a-kind chairs from only a few years earlier.The first cabinet shop in Grand Rapids was opened in 1836 by an Ohio woodworker, supplying local needs for chairs and beds, working for cash or barter. But the woodworker, a man named Haldane, was not the precursor of the industry that evolved. Haldane made furniture the old fashioned way—one piece at a time, completely by hand. But big change was on the way. By that time, Lambert Hitchcock had been running his machine-driven assembly line chair factory in Connecticut for nearly 20 years and the process was widely understood and accepted in the industry.

In 1857 the first member of a soon-to-be-famous furniture family moved to Grand Rapids. Unlike many cabinetmakers of this transitional period in American furniture history, he was quite amenable to the power-machine factory idea. His name was Widdicomb and the John Widdicomb Co. still survives in Grand Rapids.

In addition to enterprising factory owners and ingenious machine-makers like Charles Buss, who made power planers for the factories, Grand Rapids was blessed with a rare combination of natural assets. It was surrounded by millions of acres of both softwood and hardwood forests and the nearby Grand River provided the route for transporting it all. Timber was felled in the forests and floated down river to the saw mills, which turned out lumber for houses, wagons and furniture. Extra finished lumber was floated further downstream for sale.

This brass tag identified a piece of furniture with its unique serial number as having been made by a member of the Grand Rapids Furniture Makers Guild.

Attracted by the combination of resources a pair of brothers arrived in Grand Rapids to establish themselves. Julius and William Berkey were responsible for a number of important furniture companies that bore their name. The first was the William A. Berkey Co., which was later purchased by Widdicomb. Then Julius had a number of partnerships, including Berkey & Hamm and Berkey & Matter (another famous name) before joining his brother in a new venture simply called Berkey Bros. & Co. When George Gay joined the firm, it became Berkey Bros. & Gay and later was incorporated as just the famous Berkey & Gay, which dominated the Philadelphia Exposition with its Renaissance Revival battleship-size hotel bedroom furniture. By the 1870s, the three leading companies in Grand Rapids were Berkey & Gay, Phoenix, and Nelson, Matter.

Berkey & Gay and Nelson, Matter gradually eliminated the lower levels of their furniture and concentrated on the high-end of factory made furniture. Phoenix maintained a low-cost line for many years.

The Fine Arts Furniture Co worked in Grand Rapids from 1925 to 1977 making occasional tables and chairs.

Around the turn of the 20th century, other famous names began to show up in Grand Rapids. Among them were Stickley Brothers, started in 1891 by Albert and John George Stickley—two of Gustav’s younger brothers. Arts & Crafts powerhouse Charles Limbert established his company in 1894. Stuart Foote started Imperial Furniture Co. in 1903 and Robert W. Irwin acquired Royal Furniture, then Phoenix and merged them into the Robert W. Irwin Co.

Around this time, the term “Grand Rapids” became solidly associated with high-quality furniture, and that’s when the FMA began to feel the need to protect itself and the reputation of the city against impostors trying to take advantage of the name. The first effort to positively identify Grand Rapids furniture as the genuine article began in 1899, when the FMA developed the red triangular trademark known as the “Grand Rapids Made” logo. This mark appeared on every piece of furniture made by FMA members from 1899 to 1913. This was followed in 1931 by the formation of the Grand Rapids Furniture Makers Guild. The Guild cooperatively marketed members’ products to a selected number of retailers, assuring them a constant supply of guaranteed Grand Rapids Furniture. To each piece of Guild furniture was affixed a brass tag certifying it as a product of “True Grand Rapids Cabinet Making” and each piece was individually registered with the Guild.

The cover of Christian Carron’s book mentioned above shows the type of “battleship” furniture made by Berkey & Gay about the time of the 1876 Centennial Exposition

After the Second World War, Grand Rapids declined in importance as the major furniture center of America, but it continues today to produce a smaller quantity of high-end goods.

So, is Grand Rapids origination a guarantee of high quality? Probably, but, like I said, you still need to know when it was made and by whom in Grand Rapids to know for sure.

For detailed information on the history of Grand Rapids and the companies that made it great, see “Grand Rapids Furniture: The Story of America’s Furniture City” by Christian Carron, published by the Public Museum of Grand Rapids.

Fred Taylor is a antique furniture Worthologist who specializes in American furniture from the Late Classicism period (1830-1850).

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Send your comments, questions and pictures to me at PO Box 215, Crystal River, FL 34423 or info [at] furnituredetective [dot] com.

Visit Fred’s website at www.furnituredetective.com. His book “How To Be A Furniture Detective” is now available for $18.95 plus $3 shipping. Send check or money order for $21.95 to Fred Taylor, PO Box 215, Crystal River, FL 34423.

Fred and Gail Taylor’s DVD, “Identification of Older & Antique Furniture,” ($17 + $3 S&H) and a bound compilation of the first 60 columns of “Common Sense Antiques,” by Fred Taylor ($25 + $3 S&H) are also available at the same address. For more information call 800-387-6377, fax 352-563-2916, or e-mail info [at] furnituredetective [dot] com.

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Tangential Circus Collectible: Champion Imagination Series Paper Sample Book

Larry Kellogg — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 23:00:53 +0000

The cover was plain black with a tipped-on picture.

Searching for cross-collectibles can uncover interesting items for your circus collection. In my last article titled “Advertisers, Just Like the American Public, Loved the Circus,” I highlighted circus-themed advertising by General Electric, Ivory Soap, Kodak Film and other major American companies. It brought to mind an item in my own circus collection that is unknown to many collectors.

In 1963 the Champion Paper Company began producing a series of paper sample books in their Imagination Series. Paper companies provided paper sample books to printers, advertising agencies and others to demonstrate the various uses for their products. The Champion Imagination Series continued until 1986 with a total of 26 different books. Each book had a different theme—“The West,” “Fire,” “Boats,” “The Man in the Moon,” “Safari” . . . themes that would spark the imagination. Book No. 11 was titled “Circus” and contained many classic circus images.

Each spread in the booklet had words describing paper and printing techniques. As an example, the text inside the cover said: “The cover of Imagination 11 has a photographic album look that suggests the nostalgia of circus days past. It consists of Champion Papers Colorcast® Drum Finished Litho, Black-on-black, laminated to Champion Papers Carnival® Cover, Antique Finish, White/ 90lb. The tipped-on photograph is reproduced in two colors on Champion Papers Carnival® Cover, Antique Finish, White/65 lb.” Similar descriptions were on each spread.

The tiger image was taken from an early Ringling Bros. World’s Greatest Shows poster. The art was later used by the combined Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. The black bars on the left were die-cut and folded open to reveal text that described the circus coming to town.

Text on this page told about the wide-eyed child in all of us and our love of the circus. The ticket reproduced on this page was for the Great National Circus which toured America in the mid to late 1800s.

This painting by Robert Weaver was titled “Madison Square Garden, 1967.” It was accompanied James Whitcomb Riley’s poem, “The Circus-Day Parade.”

The next two spreads were titled “It All Began With Barnum,” and in just a few paragraphs explained the metamorphosis from Barnum to Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey.

Posters, artwork and photos of various attractions were included with the text.

Clowns were the subject of the next section. The first spread was die-cut on the right page with a laughing mouth in the opening. When the page was turned it revealed the mouth belonged to a laughing woman.

Opposite the woman were brief bios of four clowns—The Great Grimaldi, Dan Rice, Tom Belling and Emmett Kelly.

Circus motion pictures were in the next section. Two double-sided inserts slid up and down with still frames from circus films being revealed in the die-cut opening.

Circus artwork by Calder, Lautrec, Renoir and Chagall was in the next section.

A beautiful sunburst wagon wheel from a circus parade wagon dominated the left page. A circus toy was on the right.

Stunning images by famed photographer Richard Avedon were on the last two spreads.

The final blue page gave descriptions and credits for the images shown.

So how do you find a copy of the Champion Paper Imagination 11 book? It’s not easy, but if you are able to find one, the price isn’t unreasonable. In February 201,1 a set of eight different Champion Papers Imagination books, which included the Circus book, sold on eBay for $32.99. As I am writing this article, a single copy of the Circus book is being offered on Amazon for $35.

Larry Kellogg is a Worthologist specializing in circus memorabilia.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

The Ever-Evolving Red Wing Potteries’ Dinnerware Marks

Larry Roschen — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:40:31 +0000

The Star ink stamp was initially used to mark Red Wing art pottery.

Red Wing Potteries used a variety of methods to mark their dinnerware, including ink stamps, paper labels or marks imparted to the item during the molding process. There are also many Red Wing dinnerware items that were not marked in any way, and some items marked “Red Wing” were not made by Red Wing Potteries.

Red Wing began producing dinnerware in the mid-1930s. The colorful Gypsy Trail line, which includes four distinct patterns, was introduced June 1935. Gypsy Trail items can be found with a wide variety of marking styles.

The Star ink stamp (right) was initially used to mark Red Wing art pottery. It was applied to only a few dinnerware items. It can be found on the earliest Gypsy Trail coffee servers and on some Wreath creamers and sugar bowls. Wreath is an undocumented pattern that we believe was Red Wing’s first attempt at dinnerware and thus predates Gypsy Trail.

Most Gypsy Trail items produced during the 1930s were not marked (below,next two photographs).

Some had “RED WING” pressed into the bottom during the molding process (below, next two photos).

Around 1940, “USA” was added to the mark (below, next four photos).

Later in the early 1940s, the catalog number was included on the bottom of most newly introduced Gypsy Trail items (below, next two photos).

Fondoso, one of the four Gypsy Trail patterns, had marks unique to that pattern (below, next two photos).

The mark directly below has the words “RED WING” within a wing-shaped mark. It is rare and has been found only on a few Chevron and Reed oval platters. The Gypsy Trail paper label (further below) is also rarely seen.

The Provincial Cooking Ware line of baking dishes was produced during the early to mid 1940s. This line had bisque (unglazed) exteriors (below). Most pieces were marked by impressing “RED WING PROVINCIAL WARE” on the side along with the item’s catalog number.

In the early 1960s a revival of Provincial Cooking Ware was introduced. This line was named Provincial Bakeware and it had glazed exteriors with a similar bisque color. However this 1960s line was marked on the bottom rather than the side (below).

Red Wing’s first hand painted dinnerware line was introduced in 1941. The ink stamp directly below was used from 1941 until the late 1940s. This mark is usually found in black, but green and blue inks were also early on. The ink stamp further below was used for only a couple of years in the late 1940s.

Town & Country was introduced in 1947 and is one of Red Wing’s more celebrated dinnerware patterns. It was designed by Eva Zeisel and features soft, rounded surfaces. The plates and bowls have a slight tilt. All Town & Country items were unmarked, but there is at least one known exception. Below is a chartreuse Town & Country teapot that is bottom marked with the late 1940s ink stamp.

Red Wing’s most well-known dinnerware mark was introduced in 1950 and was used until 1957 or early 1958. The name RED WING in seen in the “feathers” of this pinkish-red wing-shaped mark (directly below). A number is often found along with the wing; this number does not indicate the pattern but is simply a stock or lot number used in the manufacturing process. This stock number is found with most ink stamps from this point on. The greenish-black ink stamp further below is rarely seen and is a transition from the late ’40s stamp to the new wing stamp.

The Tweed Tex pattern, which was entirely white with no hand painted decoration, had its own unique variation of the pinkish wing stamp. A stamp without the words “HAND PAINTED” was used for this pattern (below).

In 1958, the pinkish wing was replaced with a rather drab black ink stamp that consists of only text that states the product is HAND PAINTED and OVENPROOF (below). It continued to be used to mark items in most patterns until Red Wing Potteries closed in 1967. But there were exceptions.

The True China line was introduced in 1959 and consisted of eight patterns. The following ink stamp was used to mark True China flatware items (below). The unique triangular stamp (further below) was used exclusively to mark individual ashtrays in the True China line.

Red Wing also introduced pattern-specific ink stamps for a number of patterns. Items from the patterns named in the following ink stamps can be found with either this pattern-specific stamp or the drab text stamp (next 12 photos).

Unlike Gypsy Trail’s mold-imparted marks shown earlier, Red Wing did not use this method for any of its hand painted-dinnerware when it was introduced in 1941. Patterns of the 1940s were either ink-stamped or not marked at all. This changed in 1952 when Village Green was introduced. The use of molds to mark items with “RED WING USA” resumed for accessory items such as pitchers, teapots, casseroles, salad bowls, gravy boats, etc. In any given pattern, the bowls and plates are often found marked with an ink stamp while accessory items used the mold to impart the mark (below, three photos).

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Ernest Sohn Creations contracted with Red Wing Potteries to produce two lines of dinnerware items. Butter Mold is the better known line. Butter Mold items feature fern and leaves artwork borrowed from a vintage butter mold, usually with the letters “E.S. U.S.A.” This design can be found on the bottom, side or top of a given item (below, next two photos).

Red Wing also made Village Green-shaped items for Sohn glazed entirely in dark brown. These pieces had foil labels to identify them, but in many cases the label is now missing. All-brown Village Green shaped items marked simply “USA” were most likely made for Sohn (below, next two photos).

In the mid 1960s, an upright wing ink stamp was introduced to be used on the new Hotel or Restaurant dinnerware line, which was sold exclusively to the hotel and restaurant trade. This ink stamp is usually seen in black but green ink stamps can also be found. When the Potteries closed in 1967, the staff decorated the remaining greenware with whatever glazes remained, resulting in some unusual color combinations. Many of these post-production pieces were marked with this ink stamp (below, next two photos).

Finally, there are numerous pieces out there that are marked “RED WING USA” on the bottom but were not made by Red Wing Potteries. When the business closed for good in 1967, the assets of the company were sold to the public, including the molds used to form dinnerware and art pottery pieces. Since the company was out of business, there was no attempt to obliterate the RED WING USA lettering found on the bottom of the molds. Many of them were purchased by art schools and hobby potters. The users of these old molds often scratched their name or initials and a date into the wet clay when forming a piece. Red Wing workers did not scratch marks into the wet clay, even when making “lunch hour” items for their personal use. They used ink. Thus, any “Red Wing USA” item that has markings scratched into the bottom was almost certainly produced in an art school or hobby shop and has no real collector value.

The glaze can be another clue that an item is not an authentic piece of Red Wing pottery. Items glazed in garish colors or colors that were not uses by Red Wing Potteries at the time the mold would have been used are most likely hobby shop pieces. Experience always helps to discern such pieces, and even seasoned collectors can be fooled occasionally.

Larry Roschen and his wife Kathy have collected Red Wing pottery since 1980. In recent years Larry and his friend Terry Moe have sought out vintage Red Wing documents to research and expand our knowledge of Red Wing dinnerware. Larry currently serves as the dinnerware advisor for the “Ask the Experts” section of the Red Wing Collectors Society website and is a member of the RWCS Foundation board.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Unloved Antiques: Those Stacks of Old Books

Mike Wilcox — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:55:04 +0000

How can one get an idea of what granddad’s books are worth? Is it even worth researching or having an appraiser examine them? Just like every category of antiques and collectibles, there are some basic guidelines.

In today’s example of an Unloved Antiques, let’s look at something nearly everyone has, almost never throws out and are often thought to be quite valuable. Old books. I’m as guilty as anyone, as my home is filled with books I’ve bought, borrowed or inherited over the years. Hundreds of pounds of them stashed in book cases, on coffee tables, under the furniture, in boxes and large plastic bins in the basement.

Most, to be perfectly honest, I’ve not looked at in years, except when looking for more room for yet more books that have taken over the living room, bedroom and kitchen (cookbooks seem to reproduce in the kitchen).

To most of us, books are a bit of a mystery as far a value goes. We all see and hear media reports of some rare book selling for the price of a villa in France, after lying undiscovered in Aunt Winifred’s bedside table drawer since 1947. But the truth is, even books that are more than a 100 years old often sell for less than the cost of coffee and donut. Yes, you read that right; the majority of old books are often only worth a couple of dollars apiece. At auction today, most 19th- to early 20th-century hardcover books are regularly by the boxed lot for $20.

This “Decorum & Dress Etiquette Book” from 1880 sold for $58 on eBay in 2010. The value of this book is more for the content than as a book.

So, how can one get an idea of what granddad’s books are worth? Is it even worth researching or having an appraiser examine them? Well, in the case of anything you are not sure is valuable or not, one really should call in the experts, but there are some basic guidelines. There are many ways that publishers identify books as a first edition, the examples that appear most often are as follows and can be found in most books on the publishing and copyright page, generally found on the first few pages of the book. One should look for the following:

• First if the rule of “firsts”—look for words such as “First Printing,” “First Published,” “First Impression” or “First Edition.”
• A line of numbers like this: “9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1” (the number one missing would indicates a second edition).
• There is no listing of later printings on the copyright page.

If you find something similar to what’s listed above on the copyright pages, it could indicate it is a first edition and is worth looking into its value. Even with first editions, there are basic guidelines for value. With books value, the next indicators are just about always “author, inscription and condition*,” meaning that values for signed, first editions of a book in very good condition by a famous author trump most other factors. The only other factor that would best the first edition guideline for a book, regardless of the printing or edition, would be a provenance to a very famous person. A good example would a family bible belonging to the family of famous outlaw Jesse James. With a genuine provenance to his family, the value of what would normally be an $80 common, mass-printed 19th-century bible can go to more than $3,000.

A modern example of the first edition “author, inscription and condition” guidelines in action would be, say a signed, first edition of Stephen King’s “Carrie,” published in 1974. In today’s market, many antiquarian book sellers list this one at as much as $7,500, but in comparison, an unsigned 1983 printing in “as new” condition often lists for less than $75. Further down the chain, a “book club” or very late reprint of the same book in good condition can sell for as little as a couple of dollars.

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* The various conditions normally used by book sellers to describe books are listed as can be seen below:

• As New: Means just that; flawless right from the store.
• Fine: Close to the condition “As New,” but not as crisp. Still, there must also be no defects.
• Very Good: Describes a used book with some small signs of wear but no rips or tears on either binding or paper. Any defects will be noted in the description.
• Good: An average used and worn book that still has all pages or leaves. Any defects will be noted in the description.
• Fair: Describes a worn book that has complete text pages including maps or plates, but may be missing end papers. The binding will generally be worn in spots, and any defects will be noted in the description.
• Poor: A book that is so worn that its only rates as a reading copy with a complete text, but it could have missing maps or plates, exhibit loose joints or bindings. These examples also tend to be scuffed or stained, and any defects will be noted in the description.
• Ex-Library: Former library books must always be listed as such no matter what the condition of the book. Any defects will be noted in the description.
• Binding Copy: Is a book in which the pages are perfect, but there could be damage to the binding or the binding could be missing
• Book Club Editions are always listed as such regardless of the condition of the book.

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Previous “Unloved Antiques” articles:

Mike Wilcox, of Wilcox & Hall Appraisers, is a Worthologist who specializes in Art Nouveau and the Arts and Craft movement.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

The Comic Speculator – New Comics Roundup 01/25/2012

Matt Baum — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:15:18 +0000

King Conan The Phoenix On The Sword #1 (of 4)(Gerald Parel Variant Cover)

New Comics Roundup

Below you will find all the info you could possibly need on the hot, new comics shipping this Wednesday, Jan.25. For a full list of comics shipping this week, click here. To find a comic shop near you, click here.

Variant Watch

BOOM!

Incorruptible #26 (Cover B Matteo Scalera), 1:10

DARK HORSE:

King Conan The Phoenix On The Sword #1 (of 4)(Gerald Parel Variant Cover), 1:5. Geral Parel has been coming up through the ranks of comic painters for the last couple of years and with this new Conan variant, it might be safe to say he’s arrived. This is textbook fantasy comic painting, cheesy sunset and all. I love it. Watch for a $6-$8 price tag.

DC:

Aquaman #5 (Ivan Reis & Joe Prado Variant Cover), 1:25. Another of the 1:25 sketch variants from DC and I’m still digging on the layouts on these. Sales on the back issue market seem to have flattened out on these variants between $10-$14. Watch for a $10-$12 price tag here but they could go lower in the coming weeks.

Batman The Dark Knight #5 (David Finch & Richard Friend Variant Cover), 1:25. Same deal here as the Aquaman sketch cover, but I will say the Batman sketch covers seem to be selling for more than those of the other DC titles. Probably due to the popularity of the artists drawing them. I would guess this one will perform much like the Tony Daniel Sketch Variant of Detective Comics, which is selling for between $15-$18. Watch for a $12-$15 price tag initially.

Aquaman #5 (Ivan Reis & Joe Prado Variant Cover)

Batman The Dark Knight #5 (David Finch & Richard Friend Variant Cover)

Flash #5 (Francis Manapul Black & White Variant Cover), 1:200. You may notice that unlike the other DC New 52 1:200 sketch variants, this variant looks just like the 1:25 sketch variants. But it’s still a 1:200 variant, which could be upsetting for those collecting the 1:25 sketch variants. I’m getting dizzy just writing this. The point is, I don’t get it. Why switch now? It just don’t make no sense. Regardless, I’m sticking to my “don’t pay the suggested $200 retail price” diatribe because you can get it for at least $100 less.

Flash #5 (Gary Frank Variant Cover)

Flash #5 (Gary Frank Variant Cover). Retailers could order this cover based on their lowest-ordered DC New 52 title for this week. I’m guessing Blackhawks is this week’s big loser (it’s canceled with issue #7). Again, these variants are typically selling for cover price, so DO NOT PAY MORE THAN COVER! Just because your retailer only ordered one copy of Blackhawks #5 does not mean this variant was one per store.

Green Lantern New Guardians #5 (Tyler Kirkham & Batt Variant Cover)

Green Lantern New Guardians #5 (Tyler Kirkham & Batt Variant Cover), 1:25. Like I said, I’ve been digging these variants but is it just me or did they pick a weird part of the cover to focus on?

Justice League #5 (Eric Basaldua Variant Cover)

Justice League #5 (Eric Basaldua Variant Cover), 1:25. Nope, not a sketch variant. This is a different 1:25 variant by Eric Basluda, who is being referred to as E-Bas in some solicitations which makes him sound like a rapper. Basaluda got his start at Image Top Cow working on Witchblade back in the late 1990s. Since then, he’s continued to work with Top Cow and Zenescope and only recently has started working on covers for Marvel and DC. Watch for more from eBay in the future for a $15-$17 price tag.

Justice League #5 (Jim Lee Black & White Variant Cover), 1:200. Yep, two 1:200 sketch variants in one week. This should push the price of both down even more. Like the Flash 1:200 variant, this one has the same look as the 1:25 sketch variants and also leaves me scratching my head wondering why. Again, watch for a $90-$100 price tag.

Superman #5 (George Perez Variant Cover), 1:25
Teen Titans #5 (Brett Booth & Norm Rapmund Variant Cover), 1:25

DYNAMIC FORCES

Uncanny X-Men #544 (Dynamic Forces)(Greg Land Signed Edition) , $19.63. If ordered after FOC (final order cutoff) of Jan. 4, the price goes up to $39.95

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

Garth Ennis’ Jennifer Blood #8 (Ale Garza Variant Cover), 1:15
Garth Ennis’ Jennifer Blood #8 (Tim Bradstreet Black & White Variant Cover), 1:10
Garth Ennis’ Jennifer Blood #8 (Tim Bradstreet Virgin Variant Cover), 1:10
George R.R. Martin’s A Game Of Thrones #5 (Mike Miller Black & White Variant), 1:10
George R.R. Martin’s A Game Of Thrones #5 (Mike Miller Virgin Variant Cover), 1:15
Kirby Genesis #5 (Alex Ross Marvelous Acetate Variant Cover), 1:20
Kirby Genesis #5 (Alex Ross Sketch Variant Cover), 1:25
Kirby Genesis #5 (Ryan Sook Black & White Variant Cover), 1:15
Kirby Genesis #5 (Ryan Sook Variant Cover), 1:10
Last Phantom #11 (Jonathan Lau Variant Cover), 1:15
Last Phantom #11 (Stephen Sadowski Variant Cover), 1:10
Robocop Road Trip #2 (Fabiano Neves Black & White Variant Cover), 1:10
Vampirella #13 (Paul Renaud Blood Red Variant Cover), 1:15
Vampirella #13 (Wagner Reis Black & White Variant Cover), 1:25
Warlord Of Mars Fall Of Barsoom #5 (Francesco Francavilla Variant Cover), 1:10
Warlord Of Mars Fall Of Barsoom #5 (Francesco Francavilla Virgin Variant Cover), 1:20
Warlord Of Mars Fall Of Barsoom #5 (Joe Jusko Black & White Variant Cover), 1:10

FLESK PRODUCTIONS

Naughty And Nice The Good Girl Art Of Bruce Timm HC (Limited Signed Edition), $100. Limited to 1,000 copies.

IDW:

30 Days Of Night #4 (Kieron Dwyer Variant Cover), 1:10
Dead Rising Road To Fortune #3 (of 4)(Dead Rising Game Concept Art Team Variant), 1:10
Godzilla Kingdom Of Monsters #11 (Matt Frank Titanosaurus Variant Cover),1:10
Infestation 2 #1 (of 2)(David Messina Variant Cover), 1:10
Infestation 2 #1 (of 2)(Duane Swierczynski Signed Edition), 1:25
Infestation 2 #1 (of 2)(Joe Phillips Licensed-Character Sketch Variant Cover), 1:50
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #6 (Rob Guillory Enter The Dragon Spoof Variant), 1:10
Transformers Robots In Disguise #1 (Dan Khanna Autobot Sketch Variant Cover), 1:50
Transformers Robots In Disguise #1 (Marcelo Matere Wraparound Variant Cover), 1:10

MARVEL:

Alpha Flight #8 (Leinil Francis Yu Variant Cover)

Alpha Flight #8 (Leinil Francis Yu Variant Cover), 1:15. This one could be tough to find, seeing as Alpha Flight has been a pretty big sales disappointment for Marvel, again. And I have to say, I love Yu’s art and Sasquatch is one of my favorite Marvel characters. But I do not love Yu’s Sasquatch. Watch for a $5-$6 price tag.

Avengers Solo #4 (of 5)(Movie Variant Cover), 1:15
Fantastic Four #602 (Kalman Andrasofszky Venom Variant Cover), 1:50

FF #14 (Michael Ryan Venom Variant Cover)

FF #14 (Michael Ryan Venom Variant Cover), 1:50. Not a bad cover but, happy Venom kids? Weird, right? But I love the Venom-Dragon Man. Watch for a $30-$35 price tag.

Mighty Thor #10 (Gerald Parel Venom Variant Cover)

X-Men Legacy #261 (Mirco Pierfederici Venom Variant Cover)

Mighty Thor #10 (Gerald Parel Venom Variant Cover), 1:50. This is another painted Geral Parel variant and, just like the Conan cover he also did this week, it’s amazing. Parel is definitely going to be one to watch this year. Watch for a $30-$35 price tag.

X-Men Legacy #261 (Mirco Pierfederici Venom Variant Cover), 1:50. And one more Venom variant from another of the very talented stable of artists Marvel has been recruiting from Italy. Watch for a $30-$35 price tag.

Speculator Picks of the Week

These are comics that could sell out very quickly due to conservative ordering, popular demand, shipping errors or even registered Republican UPS drivers staying home to try to figure out which one of the two GOP candidates is richer and lying more about the other while trying to cover their own past. Pick them up while you can or pay too much for them later . . .

Grimm Fairy Tales: Alice in Wonderland #1

ZENESCOPE
Written by RAVEN GREGORY
Art by ROBERT GILL

Solicitation: Decades ago, a girl named Alice was sacrificed into the horror-filled realm of Wonderland, but her terrifying and awe-inspiring experiences there have been shrouded in mystery. The one thing known is that her time spent in a world full of insanity left her a broken adult. However, her courageous will to survive is what ultimately saved humanity. Now, the story of Alice’s visit into Wonderland is fully revealed and the truth of the terror will be told in full! From Raven Gregory, Ralph Tedesco and Joe Brusha, the same minds behind Grimm Fairy Tales and Return To Wonderland comes the newest series that Zenescope fans have been waiting for. What every Zenescope fan has been waiting for is finally here! Follow Zenescope back down the rabbit hole and find a world of madness like you have never seen before!

$2.99
Sold Out

Why it’ll go fast: I’m not a big Zenescope reader, due to the cheesecake factor (cheesecake is a term to refer to scantily-clad women in compromising positions), but I can’t deny they have a ravenous fan base that seems to push all its new titles into sellouts. As of writing this, two of the tree covers offered have already sold out and I’m sure the other is soon to go. The early Zenescope Grimm Fairy Tales first printings are starting to sell for alarming prices, with complete runs selling anywhere from $300-$2,875 (1-65 with all variants). Alice is yet another Zenescope title that will be hard to find and sought after later on.

Transformers: Robots in Disguise #1

Written by JOHN BARBER
Art by ANDREW GRIFFITH

Solicitation: The war for Cybertron is over-now the hard part begins! This first of two new ongoing Transformers series offers an excellent jumping-on point and all-new direction as Bumblebee and his fellow Autobots struggle to maintain control of a world without Optimus Prime!

32 pages
$3.99
Sold Out!

Why it’ll go fast: I was as surprised as anyone after reading Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #1 for my Podcast and loving it. Who knew IDW was writing a socio-political drama starring transforming robots from my youth? And no, the storyline has nothing to do with the atrocious summer blockbuster movies. Like More Than Meets the Eye, this new series #1 also sold out before shipping and is going to be hard to find very soon. Already the other series is selling for $5 and up on eBay and I’m guessing this one will be a similar situation. Seriously, IDW’s Transformers series is great. Pick this one up if you can find it.

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Want to know what your comics are worth? Join WorthPoint to search its database or use its “Ask A Worthologist” feature. Remember to post the title, issue number and cover price.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Real World Worthopedia Applications: Calls from WorthPoint Customers

Gregory Watkins — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 21:38:53 +0000

Bruce from Virginia called us recently, telling of his experience at a local garage sale. He paid $25 for an old walnut-cased shelf clock a gilt Statue of Liberty and the word “Liberty” on the glass front. Checking the Worthopedia, he found the exact same clock that sold at Cowan’s Auctions in Cincinnati for $747.50 in 2005.

The fact that WorthPoint is an Internet company will not come as a surprise to you; it is my guess that you are reading this on a computer or tablet or, maybe—if your eyes are strong—a smart phone. As such, most of our communication with our members is through the computer. But we do sometimes receive phone calls from WorthPoint users, often because they wanted to tell us, first-hand, how we were able to help them identify and value their items.

John, from Ohio, called to tell us the story of his great find. He and his brother- in-law were cleaning out an old warehouse office and about to throw out a bunch of old junk. But there was an old, hand-operated printing press that caught his eye, so instead of heaping it into the Dumpster with the rest of the garbage, John decided there might be some value to it, so they loaded it up and took it home. He said the thing wasn’t granted a permanent reprieve; if he couldn’t figure out what it was, it would make its way to the Dumpster to join the rest of the office flotsam and jetsam.

Later, after looking up in the Worthopedia, John was able to identify the piece as a Chandler Price Pilot Off-Set Printing Press, and even better than just recognizing the piece, an example just like the one he and his brother-in-law saved had sold earlier last year for $3,000 on eBay.

John said he just wanted to call thank us for helping him figure out what he had.

A Statue of Liberty Garage Sale Steal

Bruce from Virginia also called us recently, telling us of his experience at a local garage sale. He spotted an old walnut-cased shelf clock a gilt Statue of Liberty and the word “Liberty” on the glass front. He liked the look of the clock, so he dropped $25 for it.

Later, after logging into his account and checking the Worthopedia, he found the exact same clock that sold at Cowan’s Auctions in Cincinnati for $747.50 in 2005.

The Lost Secret of the Osmond Brothers’ Mother’s Meat Loaf

Finally, Beth from Florida told us about how she had an “Osmond Brothers’ Mother’s Cookbook” Her mother had passed the book down to her and she loved the recipes in the book. But the cook book went missing after she moved into a new house and was distraught at the loss. Later, she couldn’t believe her luck when she actually found another one at a thrift store.

The recipes were collected by Olive Osmond, the matriarch of the Osmond family, and each recipe was “hand-written” inspirational sayings written on the other side. Having secured a replacement cook book, Beth looked it up in the Worthopedia to see what, if anything it might be worth. To her amazement, a third copy of the cookbook brought $105 when it sold on eBay in 2008.

Beth from Florida told us about how she had an “Osmond Brothers Mothers Cookbook” but lost it in a move.

After she found a replacement in a thrift store, Beth found that a third example of the cookbook sold for more than $100.

Even better than knowing the cookbook has a certain monetary value, what she really called to tell us was that in her original cookbook, the page with the recipe for the Osmond meatloaf was partially missing, so she always had to free-style that one a bit. Now she had the complete recipe.

While she was excited that she only paid a few dollars for the replacement cookbook, and knowing she might be able to secure up to $100 if she tried to sell it, Beth said she would never part with it again.

When you make a purchase or find something hidden in your attic, you are successfully able to identify it and it turns out that it’s a really good find, it’s only natural to want to crow about it. So if you need to give us a call to brag on yourself, well, we understand.

Happy hunting.

Gregory Watkins is the editor of WorthPoint.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Q & A with Harry Rinker: Yearbook Featuring Charlton Heston & Rock Hudson

Harry Rinker — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:56:48 +0000

QUESTION: I am seeking the value of a 1941 New Trier High School yearbook that contains Charlton Heston’s senior picture, along with his photograph as a member of the Dramatics Club and other senior activities, such as the Rifle Club. The same yearbook includes a sophomore class photo of R. Fitzgerald, who later became Rock Hudson. Unfortunately, Heston did not sign the yearbook. I have tried to find comparable values on the internet but have not been successful. Can you help?

– S.F., Chicago Area, Ill., via e-mail

ANSWER: Entertainment websites and periodicals love running “guess who” yearbook celebrity pictures. The collecting of celebrity yearbooks began in earnest in the 1990s. In 2002, Southeastern Antiquing and Collecting Magazine published Brandon Ross’s “Celebrity Yearbook Values.”

New Trier Township High School was founded in 1901. It has two campuses, one located in Winnetka (Ill.) and the other in New Trier West near Northfield (Ill.). In addition to Charlton Heston and Rock Hudson, other actors and actresses who graduated from New Trier include Ralph Bellamy, Bruce Dern, Virginia Madsen, Hugh O’Brien, Charlotte Ross, Hall Sparks and Rainn Wilson.

Michele Alice’s article “Collector’s Corner: Yearbooks as Collectibles” published in ecommerceBytes.com on June 15, 2006,] notes: “Recently, a Kurt Cobain (Nirvana) fan was willing to spend $661.55 for a 1980 (Montesano, Wash.) high school yearbook bearing Cobain’s image. And for $432.50, someone really wanted a 1941 New Trier (IL) Yearbook with photos of Rock Hudson and Charlton Heston. (All prices mentioned in this article were taken from online auctions completed between June 01 and June 22, 2006).”

I found a dealer listing a 1943 New Trier yearbook featuring an unsigned senior picture of R. Fitzgerald (Rock Hudson) for sale at $90. The picture was unsigned.

First, does a signature add value and, if so, how much? The answer is yes. Add an additional 25 to 35 percent, if the famous personality signed his photograph in his/her yearbook.

Second, time affects value. Interest in Charlton Heston and Rock Hudson memorabilia is declining with each passing year. The late 1990s and early 2000s were the peak years, as $432.50 is too high for a 2012 value. A realistic price is between $200 and $250.

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QUESTION: In the early 1940s, my father, a doctor, bought an Eversharp “Command Performance” pen and pencil set. The set remains in its period box. The pen and pencil are housed in individual leather cases. The box contains a folded “Guaranteed Forever” document and a price card that reads: “EVERSHARP / Command Performance (script lettering) / Fourteen Karat Gold Throughout / $125.00.” What is my set worth?

– F.B.K, Roanoke, Va.

ANSWER: Prior to 1940, Parker, Shaeffer and Wahl were among the largest fountain pen manufacturers in the United States. When Wahl experienced financial difficulties in 1940, the company reorganized as Eversharp, capitalizing on the sales strength of its Eversharp repeater pencil, introduced in 1936.

Realizing a new line of pens was necessary if Eversharp was to recapture market share, Eversharp hired industrial designer Henry Dreyfuss (1904-1972). Dreyfuss developed a Streamlined Modernist design that was a distinct departure from Wahl’s previous Art Deco designs.

Eversharp introduced Dreyfuss’s “Skyliner” design in the spring of 1941. The design captured the streamlined design associated with period aircraft. Initial advertising noted: “Magic Feed prevents ink flooding or leaking high in a plane . . . so of course at ground level too.” Design historians see linkages between Dreyfuss’s Skyliner design and his design for the New York Central 20th Century Limited locomotive.

Skyliner pens came in a wide variety of styles, most of which contain no markings. There were three basic models—Demi (Lady), Standard and Executive. All designs had a matching pencil. Pen and pencil set prices ranged from $3.50 (all plastic) to $125 (14 karat gold). A double checkmark on the clip signified an Eversharp lifetime warranty. Because of the Skyliner’s over-the-top clip design, it was a favorite among military users.

[TRIVIA QUIZ: The Skyliner design also worked well with another popular Dreyfuss-designed object. What was it?]

Although the Skyliner was the most popular pen sold in America in 1945, Eversharp decreased its Skyliner advertising in favor of the Fifth Avenue model and, after 1948, the Symphony model.

Introduced in the early 1940s, Eversharp’s Command Performance pen and the pen and pencil set were advertised as the “gift of a lifetime.” The model was made only in the Standard size. Although advertisements picture only a pen and pencil with a smooth body, collectors believe pens and pencils with engraved or machined pattern cases exist. The pen (Model 78SY) sold for $75 and the matching pencil (Model 178SY) for $50. Although expensive at the time, sales were brisk. Collectors classify the pen and pencil set as common.

[Author’s Aside: Eversharp also made a pen and pencil set featuring a solid cap and barrel in platinum. The set sold for $200 in 1941. Collectors considered it to be very scarce.]

David Nishimura’s Vintage Pens website lists a Command Performance “wartime lever-filler, 13.3 cm long, with matching 1.l mm injector pencil…” at $1,200, noting that the “Asking price is less than $100 over current gold value.” I found several internet sales for the pen alone with prices realized ranging between $300 and $600.

The pen and pencil set has multiple values in today’s marketplace. A Modernist collector with an emphasis on industrial designer pieces might pay between $700 and $900. Given the current melt value of gold, this price is considerably below the melt value found in the pen and pencil cases. While I cringe when I recommend melt value, it may be easier to dispose of the pen and pencil set in this fashion than taking the time and making the effort to find a collector who would pay top dollar.

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QUESTION: I have a copy of Volume No. 1 of “ELVIRA Mistress of the Dark” magazine issued by Marvel on Oct. 1, 1988. What is its value?

– T, Madisonburg, Pa.

ANSWER: The “Elvira, Mistress of the Dark” movie was directed by James Signorelli. Cassandra Peterson, who played Elvira, John Paragon and Sam Egan wrote the script. The movie was released on Sept. 30, 1988. In 1989, Peterson received a nomination for a Razzie as Worst Actress, but lost to Liza Minnelli for roles in “Arthur 2: On the Rocks” and “Rent-A-Cop.”

Peterson (born Sept. 17, 1951) began her role as Elvira on Los Angeles’s KHJ as host of “Movie Macabre” in 1981. Her sexy/punk vampire look featured a tight-fitting, low-cut black grown that showed her ample cleavage, heavily-applied pancake-horror makeup and a towering black beehive wig. Her movie introductions include risqué double entendres.

Elvira became a frequent guest on “The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson.” She also was featured in television advertisements for Coors-Light Beer and Mug Root Beer. TV guest appearances included “CHiPs” and “Fantasy Island.” In 1982, Knott’s Theme Park hired Elvira to host its annual Halloween Haunt.

Do not confuse the comic book promoting the movie with the comic book series from DC Comics, Eclipse Comics and Claypool Comics. The Eclipse/Claypool series consists of 166 issues.

Copies of the movie promotion comic are common. I found numerous sale listings on the Internet with prices at or below $10.

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QUESTION: I have a VHS Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles tape that was a 1990s Burger King premium. Does it have any value?

– J, Reading, Pa.

ANSWER: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arrived on the scene in 1984 in a comic book format published by Mirage Studios of Dover, N.H. The four teenage anthropomorphic turtles, trained by an anthropomorphic rat sensei in ninjutsu, evolved from the imagination of Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird.

In 1986, Dark Horse miniatures produced a set of 15mm lead figures. Playmates Toys, Inc., followed with a line of action figures a years later. Playmates produced a mini-series to promote its toy line. After repeating the series three times with limited success, Group W provided funding to create additional episodes. CBS picked up the show. By the late 1980s, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles craze was in full swing. Turtles images were everywhere, from breakfast cereal and PEZ containers to cameras and video games.

In 1990, Burger King offered four VHS Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle videos as promotional giveaways through its Kids’ Club: “April Foolish,” “Invasion of the Turtle Snatchers,” “The Great Boldini,” and “Sky Turtles.” Although some internet sellers are asking as high as $13 plus shipping, the sell-through average on eBay is between $3 and $4, with shipping ranging from $2.50 to $4. The survival rate for all four videos is high.

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TRIVIA QUIZ ANSWER: In 1937, Dreyfuss designed the rotary telephone. The blunt end of the Skyliner pen doubled as a telephone dialer.

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Rinker Enterprises and Harry L. Rinker are on the Internet. Check out Harry’s Web site.

You can listen and participate in Harry’s antiques-and-collectibles radio call-in show “Whatcha Got?” on Sunday mornings between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Eastern Time. It streams live on the Genesis Communications Network.

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Making it Work: Mike’s Unique Collectible & Antique Flea Market

Michelle Staley — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:18:54 +0000

Repurposed glass dishware makes a nice vase of flowers. Whimsical items such as these, as well as tradition antiques and collectibles, can be found at Mike’s Unique Collectible & Antique Flea Market in Springfield, Mo.

I recently took a short trip to Springfield, Mo., to meet Mike Cook, the co-founder and co-owner of Mike’s Unique Collectible & Antique Flea Market. Mike has a very unique story about how he got into the antique and collectible business—one that is a prime example of doing what you have to do to survive these days.

The store was busy with shoppers strolling the aisles and dealers stocking their booths when I dropped in on Mike’s store the week between Christmas and New Year’s. I had the opportunity to look around while he assisted a few customers and I was very pleased at how clean everything looked, the width of the aisles and the overall spaciousness of the store. There is even a separate room for furniture and other large items, which makes the individual booths easier to see. Even though Mike and his business partner, Richard Green, have approximately 300 booths and showcases, the store did not look crowded and cramped.

When Mike and I finally had an opportunity to sit down and visit, my first question was how did this all come about? He took a slow look around the store and told his story:

After he did his time with Uncle Sam in the military, Mike spent the next 30 years of his life in the construction industry. As with many folks these days, his regional management position was eliminated and he was transferred to the corporate office in Colorado. A month in the Rockies was more than enough for Mike and he was ready to return home to Springfield, but the company had no open positions for him there. So what is a guy to do? Stay in a place and position he dislikes, go on welfare or find a way to create his own job?

Mike Cook (right), the co-founder and co-owner of Mike’s Unique Collectible & Antique Flea Market, with his business partner, Richard “Red” Green. Two years ago, these two out-of-work construction workers with no experience in retail and no experience in the antique, collectible or flea market business created their own now-profitable jobs.

When Mike was in the military, he had a friend who talked often about opening the largest flea market in the United States. Mike thought the idea sounded a little daft at the time, but he listened just the same. All these years later, he found himself recalling those conversations and thinking that opening a flea market might just be a viable solution to his predicament. So he set out on a mission to visit all the antique shops and flea markets he could find and began creating a list of the things he liked and disliked about each of them. He quit his corporate job, moved back to Springfield and was able to get a business loan to turn his vision in to reality. Along the way, he phoned a buddy of his, Richard Green, who he had just laid off from the job a year previous and filled him in on his idea. Richard thought Mike was nuts, but still kind of liked the sound of the project and got on board.

That is how two years ago, two construction workers with no experience in retail and no experience in the antique, collectible or flea market business created their own now-profitable jobs. I asked Mike if he had been in contact with his military buddy who had the original idea. He said that yes, and in fact, his friend has a very successful business putting on large flea markets around the Midwest.

Mike said it has certainly been a “learn on the job” experience, but added that he has been able to surround himself with people who are familiar with antiques, collectibles and memorabilia. Mike is also a subscriber to WorthPoint and says he utilizes the site’s Worthopedia Price Guide quite often when searching for information for himself and for his customers. When he buys out estates and storage units, her turns to WorthPoint iPhone app a great deal when he is in the field and needs answers quickly.

Depending on which booth you approach, your eyes will be hit with all kinds of unexpected treasures.

I asked how business has been for them since they opened the store and he said they are “keeping their heads above water.” They are looking to expand the business and open another location and Mike owns 10 percent of a similar store in my neck of the woods, Nellie & Nicos; An Antique Boutique, in Shawnee, Kansas. He calls this their sister store. It is located in what used to be a large grocery store and, while I have visited it, I have yet to make it all the way through the store. Mike’s Missouri is large, but this store is massive. I hope to do a story on them in the near future.

As far as inventory goes, Mike’s vendors have a little bit of everything, from flea-market finds to wonderful 1950s furniture, collectibles and a few antiques. I certainly spied a few things that I would like to have, but I am to the point that something has to go before I bring something else home.

I had the pleasure of visiting with one of the dealers, Bea Land, who has been a dealer for many years and stays busy with not only a booth in Mike’s store, but also a booth in a nearby town. Bea has a nice assortment of smalls (small decorative items), glassware, dolls, porcelain and other goodies and her prices are very reasonable. She said that she had not seen the market this depressed in all her years in the business. I assured her that it was hitting all of us hard but, hopefully, we would see things start to turn around soon.

Each proprietor at Mike’s Unique Collectible & Antique Flea Market sets up their booth to match their personality.

Mike thinks that if there were greater cooperation between the antique shops and flea market stores in the area, things might work out better for everyone. He might be right. The day I came into Springfield—the day before I visited with Mike—I noticed an abundance of antique stores and indoor flea markets in town, but many of the stores had signs out front looking for dealers to rent space. Mike, meanwhile, has a waiting list of 600 dealers. I think Mike is right. It would serve them all well to work as a more cohesive unit. But, as I can attest, there are often territorial issues among antique shops in many towns, as everyone wants to keep to themselves instead of working together as a group with similar interests and a common goal: drawing more customers and selling more antiques and collectibles.

It was a real pleasure to meet Mike. Good luck, and I’ll be back.

Looking for something new, used or almost antique? Visit Mike’s Unique Collectible and Antique Flea Market at 3335 W. Sunshine St., Springfield, Mo. Store hours are: Monday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. To phone, call 417.869.5400.

Michelle Staley, who insists that collectors are the happiest people, is an antique collector and dealer. Her shop, My Granny’s Attic Antiques, Collectibles and Memorabilia, is in Lenexa, Kansas.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

A Mysterious, Uncataloged Black, Begging Steiff Poodle

Rebekah Kaufman — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:13:46 +0000

Steiff’s “article number 4328,” also known as Snobby Poodle, has become one of Worthologist and Steiff collector Rebekah Kaufman’s greatest treasures.

Every enthusiast has extra-special items in their collections—a certain piece that just take a Gold Medal for its rarity, design or simply the story behind the piece. Here is one of those treasures from my hug of more than 700 vintage Steiff collectibles.

The item:
One thing that all enthusiasts share—regardless of specific passion—is the utter and sheer delight of coming across something incredibly rare and unexpected. Something so out of this world that once it lands with you, it just brings your collection, and your enthusiasm for collecting, to the next level. Such is the case with the most boringly named Steiff “article number 4328,” also known as Snobby Poodle.

What we have here, besides a series of numbers, is Steiff’s 28-centimeter, three-ways jointed (head and arms) black mohair poodle named Snobby. She is in the “begging” position, meaning that she is looking at you in such a way to suggest that you should share whatever you are eating with her. This poodle has longish mohair on her legs, arms, ears and muzzle, and short mohair on her body trunk and head. Her face is detailed with lovely, hand-blown tri-colored (white, brown and black) almond-shaped glass eyes, a black hand-embroidered nose, an open peach felt-lined mouth, and a dark pink felt tongue.

Her history and design legacy:
Very little is known about this particular poodle design, as she does not appear in any standard reference books. Clearly, she is based somewhat on Steiff’s classic “Snobby Poodle” design that was introduced in 1953 and appeared in the line through 1974 in 10, 14, 22, 35 and 43 cm. Classic Snobby was produced in gray, black or white mohair, was five-ways jointed, and had a little, round red felt tongue. Her coat was cut in what Steiff refers to as the “modern trim,” meaning that her limbs, face, tail tip and head crown were long mohair, while her body and neck were short mohair. Classic Snobby proved so popular that she was soon being produced in as a riding toy, a puppet and as a soft, curled up resting animal. However, “Classic” Snobby did not have a distinctive, open mouth or a long, protruding tongue.

Why she’s so special to me:
Back in the summer of 2005, I had the wonderful opportunity of attending the 9th annual Festival of Steiff Auction, an event that is held annually in Giengen, Germany—the hometown for the Steiff Company. This auction—a paradise for vintage Steiff enthusiasts—features rare and sometimes never-before- seen Steiff treasures from around the world; all for sale to the highest bidder. One of the lots, #035, was particularly appealing to me, as I had never seen this Steiff dog before. The catalog read:

“Snobby Poodle (1956-57) Item no. 4328, this begging poodle is 28 cm tall. It was manufactured for only two years as an exclusive item and this is the first and only sample we know of. Head and forelegs are jointed, open mouth with felt tongue. Very good, unplayed with condition, with button, minimal remains of the ear tag, and chest tag “Snobby.”

Of course, it was love at first sight and I thought with her €250 estimate, I might have a shot at bringing her home without having to declare bankruptcy. I guess a few other people felt the same way, as this superb Snobby sold for close to €1,700 that evening! I left the auction a little heartbroken but determined to add this blue-ribbon beauty to my collection at some point, someday.

Fast-forward six years. I was browsing an online sales portal and looking for unusual Steiff treasures when I came across a listing for a black, sitting “Steiff looking” poodle with an open mouth and almond eyes. Could this be the elusive Snobby from the auction? After a few e-mail exchanges with a photo or two—my deepest hopes were realized! Here was another one of Steiff’s Snobby 4328 models, albeit in somewhat less pristine condition. I made an offer, it was accepted, and I was on cloud nine! When she arrived, I noticed that she was missing her original red leather collar, didn’t have any ID, and both ears needed to be restitched to her head. But no worries, dog-gonnit, I had indeed scored this most unusual Steiff rarity from the 1950s!

A close-up of Snobby Poodle’s hand-blown tri-colored (white, brown and black) almond-shaped glass eyes, a black hand-embroidered nose, an open peach felt-lined mouth, and a dark pink felt tongue.

Her value:
It is most challenging to value items that have limited comparisons or are rarely seen on the collector’s marketplace. So many things go into the actual “value” of an item: general global economic conditions; the number of people vying for the item at any given time; the condition of the item relative to others like it; what else is on the market at the same time; where it is being offered for sale, etc. Clearly, a Steiff auction in Germany during robust economic times calls for high prices. On the other side of the coin, one of these standing Steiff Snobby poodles was offered as part of a lot of four Steiff dogs at the 2010 Steiff Christie’s Auction. Including the buyer’s premium, the quartet brought in a relatively modest $1,286.

That all being said, something is worth what someone will pay for it. Steiff rarities will always generate interest and will without a doubt appreciate over time. It is my best guestimate that this dog today values in the $400 to $600 range.

Rebekah Kaufman is a Worthologist who specializes in vintage Steiff and other European plush collectibles.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Comics Auction Watch – Silver-Age Captain America, Amazing Spider-Man & X-Men

Matt Baum — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:19:23 +0000

UPDATED Wed., Jan 25, 2011 – 4:10 p.m.

The Comic Speculator is a blog written by WorthPoint Comic Book “Worthologist” Matt Baum that takes a look at each week’s hot new comics and back issues and the comic market place in general. Prices discussed here are taken from the Overstreet Guide to Comics (OVST), Comicspriceguide.com (CPG) and current online auction sales. Sales numbers and rankings are courtesy of ICV2.com. The codes under the prices of new titles discussed are Diamond Comics order codes that can be used to help your local comic retailer in ordering the issues discussed

The Back Issue Report

Welcome back true believers. It’s time again to set sail for the treacherous, icy waters of comic book back-issue marketplace in search of the catch of the month. (Today’s writing soundtrack was The Whole Love by Wilco)

Auction Watch!

Comic Link’s January Focused Auction begins closing this week, starting Tuesday, Jan. 24, and there are some amazing Marvel Silver-Age comics up for bid. Here’s a look at some of the most notable Comics up for Auction:

Avengers #4 (Marvel, 1964) CGC 9.4

• Avengers #4 (Marvel, 1964) CGC 9.6: This was the first appearance of Cap with the Avengers and the first Silver-Age retelling of his origin. Cap first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 (Timely, 1941) but fell into obscurity in the mid 1950s. This Avengers issue not only reinvigorated Cap’s popularity but set him as one of Marvel’s most important characters. Last summer’s “Captain America: The First Avenger” movie was a huge hit, and with the buzz around the upcoming Avengers movie, you can bet prices on this first Silver-Age Cap appearance will continue to rise. Currently, this auction is sitting at $50,000 with 39 bids, but I’d expect that price to go up considerably before the auction ends Tuesday night just after 9 p.m. EST.

UPDATE: Avengers #4 CGC 9.6 – Sold for $50,000. I was a little shocked with this one but, after checking the CGC census, there is 12 other copies in this same condition. Still, this seems like a steal to me.

Amazing Spider-Man #8 (Marvel, 1964) CGC 9.8

• Amazing Spider-Man #8 (Marvel, 1964) CGC 9.8: This is the highest-graded example of Amazing Spider-Man #8 with only five other copies graded in the same condition (one of which sold for $72,000 on Comic Link in January of 2010. This issue features the Fantastic Four, the Living Brain and Peter Parker’s first fight with his high-school nemesis, Flash Thompson. Currently, this issue is sitting at $20,250 with 40 bids. I’d expect this issue to go for at least $25,000 before the auction ends Tuesday at 7:45 p.m.

UPDATE: Amazing Spider-Man #8 – Sold for $21,250. This was well below where I thought this one would sell but, when talking about early Spidey issues, I guess #8 isn’t a landmark issue (no first appearances or deaths) and 21 grand is nothing to laugh at.

X-Men #1 (Marvel, 1963) CGC 8.0

• X-Men #1 (Marvel, 1963) CGC 8.0: If there’s such thing as an affordable copy of the first appearance of Marvel’s Mutants, The X-Men, this might be it. With 41 copies of X-Men #1 in CGC graded condition, this issue isn’t exactly a white whale, but high-grade copies of X-Men #1, slabbed and un-slabbed—like this one—are continuing to rise in price. Currently, this copy is sitting at $8,510 with 24 bids, but I would be surprised if it sells for less than $12,000 when the auction ends Wednesday night at just after 11 p.m. EST.

Incredible Hulk #181 (Marvel, 1974) CGC 9.8

• Incredible Hulk #181 (Marvel, 1974) CGC 9.8: And if there’s such thing as a comic most of us will never be able to afford, this copy of the Incredible Hulk #181, the first appearance of Wolverine, in CGC 9.8 condition has to be it. An amazing 50 copies of this issue in CGC 9.8 condition are counted in the CGC census, but that doesn’t stop it from routinely selling as the most expensive Bronze-Age Marvel comic in the world. There was one copy in CGC 9.9 condition—the only in existence—that sold for $150,000 on Comic Link in March of 2011 and since then prices on all high-grade Hulk #181s have been rising. Last December, a copy sold on eBay for $13,499 and previous copies in the same condition have sold for upwards of $15,000. Currently, this issue is sitting at the very low price of $8,096 with 38 bids. I would almost guarantee that price will double before the auction ends just before 8 p.m. EST on Wednesday, Jan. 25.

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Want to know what your comics are worth? Join WorthPoint to search its database or use its “Ask A Worthologist” feature. Remember to post the title, issue number and cover price.

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What Is It? What’s It Worth? Art Nouveau-Style Trinket Box

Mike Wilcox — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:51:27 +0000

WorthPoint member Isabel R. wished to know more about this trinket box she inherited from her mother, so she engaged WorthPoint’s “Ask a Worthologist” service. The report back states that the piece originated in Limoges, France, and is painted in a floral Art Nouveau-style popular during the turn of the 19th century.

Isabel R. inherited a porcelain trinket box that appears to be hand-painted. There are no markings on it other than “Jenny Miles- 97” on the bottom, and had originally belonged to her mother. It was used in a sewing cabinet for needles and thread, and no one could recall where it came from originally. Isabel has no plans on selling it, as it’s already found use on her vanity, for rings and costume jewelry, but she is interested in finding all she can about it, particularly the artist who painted it. She contacted WorthPoint’s “Ask a Worthologist” service to inquire about this piece, its origins and value. Her inquiry was forwarded to me. here’s her question:

“I inherited this box from my mother, she’s always used it for pins, needles and thread, and it has sat in her sewing cabinet for years. Nobody in the family can recall where it came from, as my mother tended to pick things up at church bazaars and yard sales over the years just because she had a use for it or liked the look of it. The only marking on it is on the bottom, it’s signed “Jenny Miles- 97.” I think the number 97 might be for 1897. Could Jenny Miles be the name of the artist who painted this piece? I tried to look up her name on the Internet, but could not find any other porcelain trinket boxes signed by her, but found similar pieces with other names and dates on them. I’m not going to sell this piece, as I already use it on the vanity for small bits of costume jewelry, but I’m really interested if you anything can find out about the artist, and of course what the piece is worth.”

Here’s my response:

Based on your images and the marking, your trinket box originated in Limoges, France, and is in the floral Art Nouveau-style popular during the turn of the 19th century. The number “97” in our opinion is, indeed, for the year 1897. Limoges was the home of many porcelain companies during the last quarter of the 19th century. Most of these companies were producing fine decorative china for the export market, mainly to the USA.

A good deal of this ware came as “white ware” blanks and were hand-decorated by hobbyists and pottery studio’s in both Europe and North America. “China painting,” as porcelain decorating was called at the time, was a popular pastime from the last quarter of the 19th century until the First World War. Unfortunately, the work of many of these studios and the signatures of the artists who decorated them are either undocumented or little reference material for them is still available. This trinket box is one of these pieces.

This piece was most likely decorated in North America but, sadly, we have no listing for the artist “Jenny Miles” in any of the standard reference material or databases used to identify markings and signatures for porcelain decorators. The majority of the amateur American china painters were women either by occupation, or as a hobby. But then these Studio pieces were not generally mass produced, nor is much research material available.

While not mass produced, such pieces were made in large numbers, so values are still modest for them. In the current market, comparable hand-painted Limoges based trinket boxes of this period and style often sell at auction for less than $75.

Mike Wilcox, of Wilcox & Hall Appraisers, is a Worthologist who specializes in Art Nouveau and the Arts and Craft movement.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

We Need Your Feedback on Our WorthPoint iPhone & iPad Apps!

WorthPoint Staff — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:00:15 +0000

We’ve received lots of great suggestions already, but it’s time to start planning our next release for the WorthPoint iPhone/iPad app and other mobile devices. To do so, we have created this brief survey about the application to make sure we get all the input possible. So, if you’ve already had a chance to use the app, we are asking for your help. Please click on the link and take a few moments to let us know what you think about it. If you haven’t had a chance to use the app, you can get it for free from the iTunes Store. Then check out the app and take the survey. As always, we appreciate your help in making our products better.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Tom’s Auctions to Sell Merchandise from Three Prominent Virginia Estates Feb. 4

WorthPoint Staff — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:01:44 +0000

This 1927 diorama with squirrels, 48 inches wide, by the taxidermy artist Herman Grieb (1869-1928) is sure to have some paddles wagging at a three-estate sale hosted by Tom’s Auctions & Appraisals on Feb. 4.

IVOR, Va. – Hundreds of select, handpicked items from three prominent Virginia estates in Franklin, Virginia Beach and Norfolk—including a woodlands diorama by renowned American taxidermy artist Herman Grieb—will be sold at auction Saturday, Feb. 4, by Tom’s Auctions & Appraisals, at the former Ivor High School building in Ivor. The action will begin promptly at 10 a.m. (EST). Doors will open at 8:30 a.m.

At press time, more than 600 lots of merchandise had been counted, but items were still being inventoried and the final tally could easily top the 700 mark. Offered will be items in a wide range of categories, including period furniture, stoneware and pottery, duck decoys, stamps and coins, glassware, hand-made baskets, fountain pens, ephemera, decorative accessories and collectibles.

“We’ve pulled choice items out of these outstanding estates and will offer them for sale to the highest bidder,” said Tom Perry of Tom’s Auctions & Appraisals, based in Suffolk, Va. “We are expecting a healthy crowd of up to 200 people. Bring your cash, folks—these items are high quality and will get snapped up quickly.” There will be no Internet bidding for this auction.

One lot certain to pique bidder interest is a 1927 diorama with squirrels, executed by the renowned American taxidermy artist Herman Grieb (Buffalo, N.Y., 1869-1928), about 48 inches wide and signed by the artist. Grieb’s production was both prodigious and endearing. His natural creations are still actively sought out by collectors, more than 80 years after his death.

Another lot sure to draw attention is this 19th-century Carlsbad fish set, comprising an oval platter and 12 plates, all hand-painted.

Headlining the period furniture category will be an early blue-painted dovetailed blanket chest, probably made in Pennsylvania in the early-to-mid 1800s; a burled mahogany, eight-drawer highboy (circa 1780-1800) with ball-and-claw feet and arched shell carved into the center of the base; and a mid-1700s mahogany bachelor’s chest with bracket feet and four graduated drawers.

Other furniture pieces will include a diminutive and unusual eastern North Carolina cupboard, not much larger that a child’s piece and made circa mid-1800s; a period drop-leaf Pembroke dining table (possibly European); a huge Victorian-era wardrobe; and Empire pieces.

Another lot sure to get paddles wagging is a 19th century Carlsbad fish set, comprising a scalloped oval platter and 12 plates, all hand-painted and in perfect condition. All pieces carry the Carlsbad mark, ensuring their authenticity. Carlsbad is the Austrian-based china firm renowned for its hand-painted fish platter and plate sets. They are highly coveted by collectors.

Decorative accessories will feature a gorgeous green Northwood Carnival glass epergne (marked Northwood), around 20 pieces of stoneware (some of it beautifully decorated and highly sought after pieces from South Carolina, plus examples from New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey), Roseville pottery, oil lamps, doorstops, sterling silver and a nice group of picture frames.

Also sold will be a circa 1880-1900 six-tune music box, probably Swiss, with damper and brass cylinder that plays six songs, a hand-illustrated cloth book of the classic “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (circa 1880-1920), original paperwork from a washing machine made in 1900 (that cost just $10 new!) and a Virginia document transferring a slave from father to son.

This rare, circa 1880-1920 six-tune music box, probably Swiss, with damper and brass cylinder, will find a new home on Feb. 4.

The duck decoys are mostly unsigned, except for one signed “A. Wood,” and the group of hand-made baskets includes a desirable miniature example. Stamps and coins will also cross the block (although none of the coins are gold). Other lots will include a Gem Roller organ that plays 16-inch cylinder rolls (cylinders included) and a rare sportsman’s yearbook from 1940.

Previews will be held on Friday, Feb. 3, from 3-6 p.m., and Saturday, Feb. 4, the date of sale, from 8 a.m. until 10 a.m., when the first gavel comes down. Phone and absentee bids will be accepted. A 10-percent buyer’s premium will be applied to all purchases. Terms will be cash and good checks only. No credit card purchases will be allowed. Refreshments will be served.

For more information about this auction, call 757.539.2498 or 757.617.9647, e-mail to tombuys [at] tomsauction [dot] com or visit the Tom’s Auctions & Appraisals.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

The Comic Speculator – New Comics Roundup 01/18/2012

Matt Baum — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 21:21:23 +0000

Batman #5 (Andy Kubert Variant Cover)

New Comics Roundup

Below you will find all the info you could possibly need on the hot, new comics shipping this Wednesday, Jan. 18. For a full list of comics shipping this week, click here. To find a comic shop near you, click here.

Variant Watch

AVATAR

Caligula #6 (of 6)(Jacen Burrows Golden Age Of Rome Variant Cover), 1:3

Crossed Psychopath #7 (of 7)(Jacen Burrows Black & White Retailer Bonus Edition). Retailers had to exceed their orders on Crossed Psychopath #6 and they could order one Black and White variant.

Crossed Psychopath #7 (of 7)(Jacen Burrows Red Crossed Cover), 1:3

BOOM!

Peanuts Happiness Is Warm Blanket Charlie Brown HC (SDCC 2011 Variant), $39.99. Limited to 100 copies.
Planet Of The Apes #10 (Cover C Mitch Gerads), 1:10
Steed And Mrs. Peel #1 (of 6)(Cover B Ian Gibson), 1:10

BROADSWORD COMICS

Tarot Witch Of The Black Rose #71 (Deluxe Edition), $19.99. Limited to 500 copies.

DARK HORSE

Mass Effect Invasion #4 (of 4)(Paul Renaud Variant Cover), 1:5

Animal Man #2 (Travel Foreman 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $2.99

Batman #5 (Andy Kubert Variant Cover). Retailers could order this variant based on their lowest-ordered DCU New 52 relaunch title for this week. I’m guessing this week it’s Blue Beetle. Here’s the thing: the only Image I can find for this cover does not look like an Andy Kubert cover. It’s great but, I’m not sure this is Kubert.

Batman #5 (Greg Capullo Black & White Variant Cover)

Batman #5 (Greg Capullo Black & White Variant Cover), 1:200. Once again retailers all over the net, and possibly at your local comic shop, are trying to sell these variants for $200. But you won’t do it. Why? Because you read this blog and you know you can get this 1:200 variant for half that; because you’re smart and good looking and, dammit, you’re the king of your world. So, of course, you’ll do the right thing and wait patiently until you can snatch one of these off eBay for $100 or even less.

Batman Odyssey Volume 2 #4 (Of 7)(Neal Adams Variant Cover), 1:10
Wonder Woman #5 (Cliff Chiang Variant Cover), 1:25

DYNAMIC FORCES

Wolverine And The X-Men #1 (Dynamic Forces)(Matching Signed Set), $349.99. If ordered after Dec. 20, 2011, this set goes up to $449. Set is two copies: one signed by Stan Lee and one signed by John Romita Sr.

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

Kirby Genesis Dragonsbane #1 (Alex Ross Negative Art Variant Cover), 1:25
Kirby Genesis Dragonsbane #1 (Alex Ross Sketch Variant Cover), 1:15
Kirby Genesis Dragonsbane #1 (Jack Herbert Black & White Variant Cover), 1:10
Kirby Genesis Dragonsbane #1 (Jack Herbert Variant Cover), 1:10
Lord Of The Jungle #1 (Alex Ross Negative Variant Cover), 1:10
Lord Of The Jungle #1 (Alex Ross Sketch Variant Cover), 1:100
Lord Of The Jungle #1 (Lucio Parrillo Virgin Variant Cover), 1:50
Lord Of The Jungle #1 (Ryan Sook Black & White Variant Cover), 1:75
Voltron #2 (Alex Ross /bNegative Variant Cover), 1:25
Voltron #2 (Alex Ross Virgin Variant Cover), 1:10
Voltron #2 (Sean Chen Red Variant Cover), 1:15

IDW

Cobra #9 (Nick Runge Variant Cover), 1:10
Danger Girl Revolver #1 (of 4)(J. Scott Campbell Sketch Variant Cover) 1:25
Ghostbusters #5 (Jose Holder Variant Cover), 1:10
Memorial #2 (of 6)(Michael WM Kaluta Black & White Variant Cover), 1:10

Star Trek #5 (Photo Variant Cover)

Star Trek #5 (Photo Variant Cover), 1:20. The photo variants for this new Star Trek series started out a little slow, but recently seems to be gaining some steam in the back-issue market. Photo variants of #1 and #2 are both selling for $25 and up and #3 and #4 are right behind, selling at the $15-$20 price range. Watch for a $10-$12 price tag.

Star Trek #5 (Sharp Brothers Be A Redshirt Variant Cover)

Star Trek #5 (Sharp Brothers Be A Redshirt Variant Cover), 1:25. This variant was part of contest that fans could enter to have their faces on the cover as a redshirt, (the joke among Trekkies is that the no-name characters that always get killed on away missions wore redshirts). It was a fun idea; the winner gets their face rendered on a redshirt taking a phaser blast for their retailer. Three-hundred copies were printed originally, but 100 went to the winning fan and his or her retailer, and another 100 were given to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, which will sell them to keep representing retailers in legal trouble free of charge. That only leaves 100 variants out there for other retailers to fight over. This one could be worth watching. Expect a $12-$15 price tag.

Star Trek #5 (Tim Bradstreet Sketch Variant Cover),
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (Global Conquest Edition), $3.99
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #2 (Global Conquest Edition), $3.99
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #3 (Global Conquest Edition), $3.99
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #4 (Global Conquest Edition), $3.99
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #5 (Global Conquest Edition), $3.99

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Micro-Series #1 (Raphael)(Global Conquest Edition), $3.99. I couldn’t get much info as to what these Global Conquest Edition reprints were other than they are reprints with very low print runs. Treat them as such, I guess.

MARVEL:

Amazing Spider-Man #678 (Humberto Ramos Venom Variant Cover)

Amazing Spider-Man #678 (Humberto Ramos Venom Variant Cover), 1:50. I’m being told this one is by Ramos, but the cover I found sure doesn’t look like Ramos to me. It’s a fun take on the classic quote from Amazing Spidey #42, but I don’t think this is Ramos. Regardless, watch for a $30-$35 price tag and unlike, the 1:200 variants I yell about so often, expect that price to stay around there or go up slightly in months to come. A few are still selling for less than $30 but seem to be creeping up from there.

Avengers #21 (Carlo Barberi Venom Variant Cover), 1:50

Avenging Spider-Man #3 (Humberto Ramos Amazing Spider-Man 50th Ann Variant)

Avenging Spider-Man #3 (Humberto Ramos Amazing Spider-Man 50th Ann Variant), 1:50. The Amazing Spider-Man 50th Anniversary variants start here with a great one from Humberto Ramos. Watch for a $35-$40 price tag.

Daredevil #8 (Lee Bermejo Variant Cover)

Daredevil #8 (Lee Bermejo Variant Cover), 1:25. This is the second Lee Bremejo variant for the DD/Spidey crossover and I still think his Spider-Man looks weird. Maybe I’m just used to his covers being so much darker. Watch for a $12-$15 price tag.

Invincible Iron Man #512 (Larry Stroman Venom Variant Cover)

Invincible Iron Man #512 (Larry Stroman Venom Variant Cover), 1:50. Love this one! This is a great Venom variant by Stroman. I love the way the symbiote is coming out of the armor rather than making the armor look scary. Watch for a $25-$30 price tag.

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #6 (Mark Bagley Variant Cover)

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #6 (Mark Bagley Variant Cover), 1:50. This is a fantastic variant by Bagley in memory of Ultimate Peter Parker. The doves are a nice touch (*sniff, sniff*). Watch for a $25-$30 price tag.

Uncanny X-Force #20 (Paul Renaud Venom Variant Cover)

Uncanny X-Force #20 (Paul Renaud Venom Variant Cover), 1:50. This is another nice one but, is it just me, or does it look like these three are transforming into Venom outside Superman’s Fortress of Solitude? Watch for a $25-$30 price tag.

Uncanny X-Men #5 (Greg Horn Venom Variant Cover), 1:50
Venom #12 (Mike Del Mundo Venom Variant Cover), 1:50
Wolverine And The X-Men #2 (Chris Bachalo 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $3.99

Speculator Picks of the Week

These are comics that could sell out very quickly due to conservative ordering, popular demand, shipping errors or even the Occupy Diamond Comics movement amping up its protests and forming human chains to block UPS pick-ups. Pick them up while you can or pay too much for them later . . .

Prophet #21

IMAGE
Written by BRANDON GRAHAM
Art by SIMON ROY
Covers by MARION CHURCHLAND and ROB LIEFELD

Solicitation: The distant future Earth is inhabited by alien settlers that feed off of the ape-men mankind has devolved into. John Prophet awakes from cryosleep on a mission to restart the human empire.

32 pages
$2.99
Sold Out

Why it’ll go fast: There’s huge buzz on the net about this one. Prophet was originally the creation of Rob Liefeld during the early days of Image Comics and Liefeld’s Extreme Comics imprint. The original story wasn’t very good, or even very clear for that matter. Prophet was similar to Cable, also created by Liefeld but lost to Marvel when he left for Image, a time-traveling solider with huge guns and lots of bandoliers and pouches. Unlike Cable Prophet was a far more violent and had a penchant for quoting the book of revelation. Other than that there wasn’t much story to catch up on. Prophet #21 picks up the numbering where the last series left off but looks to be an entirely new take on the character with a Sci-Fi-via-1980s-Heavy Metal-comics vibe. Rich Johnston over at Bleeding Cool.com (staple reading for comic fanboys) called this new take on the character “Terminator meets Twelve Monkeys” and “What Avatar could have been.” The new series finds John Prophet in the far future battling for the remnants of humanity in a strange world and it looks very cool. This one sold out before shipping so grab what you can find.

Daredevil #8

MARVEL
Written by MARK WAID
Art by PAOLO RIVERA

Solicitation:

• Spider-Man and Daredevil Team Up part two!
• Picks up where Amazing Spider-Man #677 left off.
• The next great love triangle of the Marvel U continues here.

32 pages
$2.99
Sold out

Why it’ll go fast: First of all, Marvel, the bullet-point solicitations have got to go. They make you look lazy. If you need a guy to write copy, I’m available and cheap, (just ask my WorthPoint masters) [He’s right; Matt works for a pittance. — WorthPoint Master]. Now back to our story. Mark Waid’s Daredevil was one of the most critically acclaimed comics of 2011 and for good reason. It’s some of the best DD stuff that’s ever been printed. This one sold out before shipping—which hasn’t happened to DD since its #1 relaunch issue—on the weight of the Amazing Spider-Man readers who want to see what happens next. More people read Spidey than DD so, boom! Instant sellout. Now, hopefully, that translates into even higher sales for DD, but that remains to be seen. For now, this could be a tough issue to find and really is a must-buy even if it never sells for more than cover price.

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Rinker on Collectibles: How Behavioral Economics Effect Our Purchases

Harry Rinker — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:08:22 +0000

The antiques and collectibles business does not operate in isolation in respect to economic, marketing, scientific and sociological principles that govern other business practices. Since there is no formal “theory of the trade,” I searched other business and scientific operating theories seeking possible connections to the antiques and collectibles trade.

The June 1, 2000 issue of “Science Daily” contained an article that discussed how the brain “fills in blanks” to help us see and interact with objects by inserting missing information. The scientific concept involved is perception theory.

Perception theory principles apply to the antiques and collectibles trade in numerous ways. I hear countless stories from individuals who tell me about examining and purchasing an object only to get it home and discover a crack, chip or defect they overlooked during the initial inspection. When buying jigsaw puzzles, I have to exercise care if the puzzle is assembled, placed on a dark cardboard, and shrink wrapped. If I look straight at the puzzle, I occasionally overlooked one or more missing pieces. Correcting what my eyes see, my brain fills in any missing pieces. Nature abhors a vacuum. So does the human mind.

Holding and examining the object at an odd angle or against an unfamiliar background is the method used to avoid seeing missing defects. The mind only corrects defects and missing information when the eyes view objects in the traditional/standard mode.

I keep ample reading material in the room where I usually find myself on a daily basis with time for reflection. AARP The Magazine is one of these resources. The May/June 2011 issue contained an article by David Kestenbaum entitled “Why We Fall for This.” It is worth reading.

The article focuses on behavioral economics, “which explores how money plays tricks with our heads.” The website Investopedia defines behavioral economics as: “The study of psychology as it relates to the economic decision-making process of individuals and institutions. The two most important questions in this field are: 1. Are economists’ assumptions of utility or profit maximization good approximations of real people’s behavior? 2. Do individuals maximize subjective expected utility?” Investopedia goes on to explain: “Behavioral economics explores why people sometimes make irrational decisions and why and how their behavior does not follow the predications of economic models . . .”

Is this scientific fact or hooey when applied to the antiques and collectibles field? The answer is fact.

[Author’s Aside: I debated for months whether or not to write this column. I was a strong supporter of Mark Chervenka’s efforts in providing the trade with authentication information that informed us how to differentiate between period pieces and reproductions (exact copies), copycat (stylistic copies), fantasy pieces and fakes. At the same time, Mark’s efforts also provide information to manufacturers and fakers about how to correct the faults in subsequent production, thus making the authentication process more difficult. It is the perfect example of damned if you do and damned if you do not.

The same applies to what follows. By identifying and discussing several marketing traps and pricing tricks that fake out the brain, I am providing a methodology that unscrupulous dealers and others in the trade can employ. Since caveat emptor (let the buyer beware) governs the antiques and collectibles industry, I decided that to beware, one must be aware.]

Kestenbaum utilizes a cause and effect approach in his “Why We Fall for This” article. He notes: “Companies exploit . . . brain scrambling effects to get us to buy things we don’t need. The good news: If you see them coming, you can use the same tricks to save money—and make money.”

Using a high price to make a lower price seem reasonable even if it is not is one of the traps Kestenbaun identifies. He cites the example of a restaurant wine list that contains a $200 bottle of wine, which no one is likely to order, so that bottles of wine priced around $100 seem reasonable.

Applying this concept to the antiques and collectible field, especially at antiques malls and antiques shows, is easy. When examining merchandise in a booth or showcase, the first thing I check out is the merchandise pricing. Is it what I expect? If not, is it high or low? How do prices on one object relate to the others?

Aware of the above example, I recall numerous booths and showcases where there were one or two high (also read “over”) priced objects that made the values on the other objects in the booth or showcase appear more reasonable than they were. Whether the sellers deliberately utilized the above behavioral strategy is open to question. My friend David Lindquist of Whitehall at the Villa Antiques always advises me “to give a dealer the benefit of the doubt.” I prefer to consider dealers far smarter than David would like me to believe.

I was victimized by a variation of this trap early in my buying career. While attending a show, I saw numerous objects that I would have liked to own priced at or slightly more than $100—at the time, a challenging sum. When I encountered objects I desired priced between $35 and $45, I bought eagerly. At the end of the day, I had spent more than $400 on my “reasonably priced” purchases. I learned to add up my purchases as I made them to maintain a firm grasp of how much money I was spending.

There are two methods to avoid this trap. First, do market research before buying. Understand the scarcity level and the price-point spread of the collecting category and object. Second, know what you are willing to pay and do not pay more. Kestenbaum suggest that you pick an object at a set value—a concept known as a price anchor—and use it as a reference point. Compare what you are buying to the price anchor. Is paying more worth “the show” value?

Another behavioral trap is loss aversion. Once we own something, our concept of its value increases. “The pain of losing outweighs the joy of winning.” Every month I receive letters and e-mails from individuals telling me they purchased an object at venues ranging from an auction to an antiques show to Goodwill and asking me to tell them what it is worth. Since they just bought it, they obviously know what it is worth. However, once they own it, they become obsessed with the concept that it has to be worth more than they paid for it. Everyone loves a bargain. I have lost track of the number of times that I have had to tell a person that he/she paid too much rather than too little.

The same applies to my use of the phrase “you should have kissed the hand and taken the money” at appraisal clinics. It is not difficult to tell when I provide a disappointing value. The owner’s eyes are a giveaway. When I ask what the problem is, the owner says, “I was offered three times that amount five years ago.” “Why did you not sell?” I ask. The owner’s response ranges from “if that person thought it was worth that much, I knew it had to be worth more” to “since it is now five years later, the object has to be worth more.”

Kestenbaum notes that in the stock market, “we tend to hold losers too long and sell winners too early.” The same applies in the antiques and collectibles field.

What was just described also relates to another behavioral trap. The lure of a huge payoff overshadows low-odds situations. Everyone in the trade, from collectors to dealers, is out for the kill, the cheap purchase that sells for hundreds of thousands. Dreams, not reality, is one of the primary commodities sold in the antiques and collectibles industry.

Behavioral science most certainly has more to offer in terms of understanding how the antiques and collectibles trade operates than those examples offered above. I welcome any additional connections from readers who are behavioral anthropologists, economists, psychologists, or sociologists. Send your observations to harrylrinker [at] aol [dot] com.

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Rinker Enterprises and Harry L. Rinker are on the Internet. Check out Harry’s Web site..

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