– E, Allentown, Pa.

ANSWER: James Wright Beswick formed J. W. Beswick, a pottery manufacturer in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, England in 1892. His son John joined the firm in 1894. James died in 1921 and John in 1935. John’s son, John Ewart Beswick, assumed control; and, Gilbert Beswick became sales director. The company changed its name to John Beswick, Ltd., in 1936.

Arthur Gredington, a modeler of animal figures, joined the company. In 1947, Lucy Beswick—fascinated with the illustrations of Peter Rabbit and his friends found in Beatrix Potter’s books—suggested Beswick acquire rights to create figurines based on Potter’s drawings. John Beswick licensed the rights to 10 characters from Frederick Warne & Co. in 1948. Gredington modeled Jemima Puddle Duck, the first figure to be produced. Versions of several of Beswick’s Potter figurines remain in production.

Frederick Warne & Co. published Beatrix Potter’s “Tales of Peter Rabbit” in 1902. In1905, Potter was engaged to marry Norman Warne, her editor. He died a few weeks later. His brother Harold assumed the role of Potter’s editor. Potter provided one to two new titles each year to Warne until 1913, when she married William Heelis. She assigned the rights to her books to Frederick Warne & Co. upon her death (1943).

When the last Beswick heir died in 1969, Royal Doulton bought the company. The Royal Albert DA backstamp replaced the Beswick backstamp on the Potter figurines in 1989.

Seven different backstamps—the third with three variations—have been used for Potter figurines since 1947. The backstamp determines the price. “F. Warne & Co. Ltd.” did not appear until the second backstamp (1955 to 1972). This backstamp, used on 38 figures, is known as the “Beswick Gold oval.” “BESWICK / ENGLAND” appears in gold lettering in an oval format. The third backstamp (1973 to 1988) is known as the “Beswick Brown line.” “BESWICK ENGLAND” appears as a single line with no copyright date (1973 to 1974), a copyright date (1975 to 1985), and a copyright date but no “S” in Potter (1985 to 1988). If you bought your figurines at Hess Brothers, they will have one of these four backstamps.

There are several dozen Internet websites, such as www.doult.com, offering Beswick Royal Doulton Beatrix Potter figurines for sale. Figurines with the second backstamp sell between $150 and $500, depending on the character. Figurines with the third backstamp range from $85 to $150, and those with scarce variations reach $500.

Given the limited information you provided, this is as detailed an answer as I can give. When checking Internet prices, remember these are retail (what you would pay to buy) not wholesale (what you would get if you sold your figurines to a dealer) prices. Assuming a minimum price of $50 a figurine, a conservative value—and that none of the figurines are damaged—your collection of 28 figurines is worth a minimum of $1,400.

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QUESTION: I have a barrel butter churn. The front of the barrel reads: “THE BELLE CHURN / MANUFACTURED BY / J. McDERMAID / ROCKFORD, IL.” What is it worth?

– VR, State College, Pa., via e-mail

ANSWER: Because the transportation of sweet milk and cream over long distances was difficult in the18th and 19th century, farmers separated the cream from the milk and transformed it into butter. This was taken to local markets or placed in stoneware crocks and transported to larger urban markets.

J. McDermaid of Rockford, Ill. made four different barrel butter churns: the Belle, the Boss, the Columbian, and the Favorite. It also made the Star for Sears, Roebuck, and Company. C. H. Wendel’s “Encyclopedia of American Farm Implements & Antiques, 2nd Edition” (Krause Publications, 2004 ) provides documentation that McDermaid’s used the trade names Belle (1905, 1931), Boss (1892) and Star (1892). William Dobson and H. H. Palmer were other barrel butter churn manufacturers located in Rockford, Ill.

John McDermaid was granted his first barrel butter churn patent on Oct. 24, 1876. The patent protected the design for a set of beaters inside the barrel. Time proved beaters were unnecessary. John McDermaid held three additional patents—Oct. 9, 1888; March 19, 1889; and Sept. 8, 1891—related to the lever system used to seal churns.

Oak was used to create a barrel that was housed inside a wood “U” frame. A crank handle on the side turned the churn. The barrel was half filled with cream. The speed of the rotation varied from 40 to 80 revolutions per minute depending on the size of the barrel; the smaller the barrel the faster the rotation. The cream fell as the barrel was rotated, creating churns. The barrel required a tight seal so it would not leak. The turning process had to be stopped on occasion to allow the lid to be opened to relieve pressure that built up inside.

Barrel butter churns sold in the late 19th century for as little as $2.35. The price rose as high as $6 by the 1920s/1930s. Sears, Roebuck still featured the Star churn in its 1942-43 catalog.

[Author’s Aside: See Dairy Antiques for a detailed history of barrel and other types of butter churns.]

Skinner’s in Massachusetts recently sold a Belle churn for $50. WorthPoint’s Worthopedia lists an example selling on July 13, 2008 for $75. Belle churns seen at Midwest antiques malls and shows range from $125 to $175. At the moment, these churns have more decorative than collector value.

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QUESTION: I have a black-and-white photograph of the Washington Monument that I think dates from around 1919. It was framed and sold by Veerhoff Galleries in Washington, DC. How do I go about finding out if it has value?

– RK, Hagerstown, Md., via e-mail

ANSWER: In 1871, Wilhelm H. Veerhoff opened a shop at 916 Seventh Street, NW, in Washington, DC. Veerhoff sold Victorian frames, wall decorations, wallpaper and window shades. Although a 2000 Washington Post article indicated that Margaret Veerhoff, Wilhelm’s great-granddaughter, was planning to close the shop (now located at 1054 31st Street NW), several Internet websites indicate the shop is still in business. It is touted as Washington, DC’s oldest framer and gallery.

The Washington Monument (900 Ohio Drive SW, Washington, DC 20024) is administered by the National Mall & Memorial Parks. Write a letter asking the curator if he can identify the photographer and date. I suspect your photographic image is common. If so, its value is minimal, less than $35 framed. Should the image prove scarce, value will increase.

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QUESTION: I inherited my mother’s 6 1/2 –inch-tall, tapered-body, green translucent vase featuring a relief impression of half an ear of corn with husk remains at the bottom. The body rests on a flat base impressed with husk or leaf images. My mother attached a note that states the vase is worth over $300. Is this possible?

– JB, Caledonia, Mich.

ANSWER: You own an example of Northwood’s carnival glass corn vase. Northwood was located in Wheeling, W.V. Northwood made corn vases in 1911 and 1912.

There are two pattern variations: (1) the standard version with husk around the base of the body and (2) a scarcer variation with what appear to be pulled husks. The standard version is found with two different base types: (a) plain and (b) with leaves, sometimes referred to as stalks.

David Doty’s Carnival Glass web site lists16 color variations for the standard vase with the leaves/stalk base—amethyst, aqua, aqua opal, blue, green, green (Coke bottle color), green emerald, ice blue, ice green, lime green, marigold, olive green, purple, sapphire blue, teal and white. Color impacts price. Because of the lack of quality control, color tone varied. Doty recommends holding a strong light behind an area where there is no iridescence—for example, the edge of the collar on a bowl—to determine color. There are six variations of greens in the 16 colors listed.

An ice green vase with leaves/stalk base closed on eBay on April 17, 2011 for $397.19, which included shipping. Jim Wroda Auction sold a similar ice green corn vase for $225 at his March 20, 2011 auction. WorthPoint lists a “green” corn cob vase that brought $180.26 on July 17, 2007. David Doty’s Carnival Glass web site, which is organized by pattern, object and color, provides multiple sale results for pieces.

Assuming you have a standard Northwood corn vase with a leaf/stalk base in one of the common green colors, value ranges from $300 to $400.

Collectors often confuse the Northwood corn vase with the Dugan opalescent corn vase, even though the two bear little resemblance to each other. The Dugan opalescent corn vase has an extended full corn body, curved dip at the top, and openings between twisted sections of husk. Richard Wright made reproductions of the Dugan corn vase in the 1950s and 1960s.

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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.

Copyright © Rinker Enterprises, Inc. 2011

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This 1947 Buick Woody Super 8 Roadmaster, garaged for decades and in remarkable shape, will be among the items up for bid in a weekend antique auction slated for Nov. 19-20 by Richard D. Hatch & Associates.

FLAT ROCK, N.C. – A pair of remarkable estates, plus hundreds of other fresh-to-the-market consignments—including many canine, equestrian, hunting and sporting paintings, watercolors, lithographs and etchings and hundreds of dog, horse and animal figurines—will cross the block at a weekend antique auction slated for Nov. 19-20 by Richard D. Hatch & Associates.

The sale will be conducted in the firm’s spacious gallery, located at 913 Upward Road in Flat Rock. Internet bidding will be facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.com.

One of the estates is that of Jeanne Millett, who was born in England in 1922 and moved to this country with her family at age 11. For her 16th birthday, her father gave her a field-type English Setter dog, and thus began a lifelong love affair with that dog, the breed in general and eventually all creatures great and small. Her collections reflected that love until her death in July.

An original watercolor painting of a stagecoach scene by Harold Breul, done in 1936.

An original watercolor painting of beagles and hunters, executed by H. Murray.

Millett’s estate includes many canine, equestrian, hunting and sporting paintings, watercolors, lithographs and etchings; hundreds of dog, horse and animal figurines (by makers such as Dahl Jensen, Rosenthal, Herend, Royal Doulton, Beswick, Hutschenreuther and others); and animal bronzes and books. But there is one more item, kept in the family garage for decades.

That item is a 1947 Buick Woody Super 8 Roadmaster. It had been Millett’s father’s car, and she couldn’t bear to part with it. Hatch found it after going through the house and viewing an already amazing inventory.

“After 32 years in the auction business, it takes a lot to excite me,” Hatch said, “and that Woody, all covered with dust and spider webs, excited me.”

The other major estate is that of James Blackwell, a name familiar to folks in the cut glass associations. Over the course of his lifetime, Blackwell amassed an incredible collection of American Brilliant Cut Glass, widely known as ABCG and enormously popular with collectors. Blackwell’s fine ABCG collection is mostly signed, with superb patterns, shapes and forms.

An American Brilliant Cut Glass tray, circa 1900-1910, in excellent condition.

An American Brilliant Cut Glass gourd-shaped vase, circa 1900-1910, in excellent condition.

Over the course of his lifetime, Blackwell gathered examples by the greatest names in fine cut glass: Fry, Webb, Tuthill, Clark, Dorflinger, Libbey, Hawkes, Sinclaire, Hoare, the Unger brothers, Pairpoint and more. Now, with the occasion of his passing, Blackwell’s collection will be sold to the highest bidder. Glass collectors, mark your calendars.

“Per the wishes of these two individuals, upon their deaths, each one wanted me to find new owners for their cherished possessions,” Hatch said. “I am always honored when past customers name my firm to find new homes for the items they so loved.”

Bidders will be able to preview items on Thursday and Friday, Nov. 18-19, from 1-6 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 20, from 9:30-11 a.m.

Other items from prominent estates and collections in the area that will also cross the block include lots of sterling silver and silver-plate (to include trophies, flatware, servers and more), a wonderful collection of inkwells and fountain pens, fine estate jewelry (to include diamonds, sapphires, emeralds and rubies), Art Deco, pocket watches and Rolex wristwatches.

Also sold will be pearls, many Oriental items, Persian rugs (from mats to room size), Art Deco Chinese Nichols rugs, fine furniture, china services, fine porcelains, a collection of Heisey with equestrian decor, lamps, fine clocks, steins, andirons and fireplace tools, early pistols, an Indian collection, art pottery (to include Roseville and Rookwood), coins, postcards and more.

A Royal Doulton porcelain setter, striking a point pose, one of many dog figures in the sale.

Millett’s love for dogs and horses cannot be overstated. She had many field trial wins with her first English Setter and had similar success with Beagles. But her greatest success came in the breed ring. She won countless Best of Breeds, Best of Groups and Best in Show awards. Her English Setter “Dirk” was crowned the top nationwide dog in its breed two years in a row.

The first horse Millett owned was a young Morgan that she learned how to ride by reading a book on how to break a horse. Her second horse was a saddle-bred filly she got in New Hampshire. She named the horse Charm and it followed her wherever she went, more like a dog than a horse. One day she heard about a carriage driving horse and yet another passion was born.

Collecting sporting art was more than just a hobby for Millett. After her handling days were over, she often set up lovely and fascinating sales booths at the bigger dog shows. She was known for having just the right and unique piece to complete or start a collection. Later in life, she relocated to Tryon, N.C., where she was a proud member of the Carolina Carriage Club.

A 10-percent buyer’s premium will be applied to all in-house sales, 15 percent on all Internet purchases via LiveAuctioneers.com. Phone and absentee bids will also be accepted. A full catalog, showing photos of all items to be sold, in full color, will be posted on the Richard D. Hatch & Associates Web site about one week prior to the auction.

For more information about this auction, 828.696.3440 or e-mail to hatchauctioninfo [at] yahoo [dot] com.

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This mark was used on French Quimperware pottery made by the De la Hubaudière factory from 1883 to 1895.

You might wonder when watching the appraisers at “Antiques Roadshow” just how they can determine so much information about a teacup or platter simply by turning them upside down. The fact is the markings that are stamped, painted or impressed on the underside of most ceramic items can tell a great deal about a piece other than just its maker.

What the appraiser is looking for is historical reference points that they have learned through years of research and study of pottery and porcelain items. What few people are aware of is that it’s not just the name of the company name—such as Rookwood, Weller or Royal Doulton —stamped on the piece that tells the tale, but a number of things used within the mark itself. The actual dating of a piece is much like detective work, and the company name itself only gives the appraiser a rough timeline of when the company was known to operate.

Other factors, such as the color of the mark, how it’s applied or the numbered codes within the design can often date a piece to the exact year it was produced. Famous companies such as Wedgwood, Minton’s, Derby and Worcester have all used a variety of numerical or symbol codes that, with a quick look in a reference book, will provide the exact date of production.

Even without a reference of pottery/porcelain marks there are a few “Pro Points” that you can copy or memorize to help you date pottery and porcelain:

• Small, hand-written marks tend to be pre-1800s.
• Kite-shaped marks with ” Rd.” in the center are English and were used from 1842-83.
• Printed/stamped marks in colors other than blue tend to be post-1850.
• The use of the word “Royal” before a company name tend to be used after 1850.
• The use of the term “LTD” or ” Limited” appear after 1860.
• The use of the word ” Trademark” tends to be used after 1862.
• The use of registration numbers such as “Rd No.10057” begin in 1884.
• Items marked Nippon generally date from 1891-1921.
• The name of a country with the stamp indicates where the piece was made dates from 1891.
• Company marks in gold, or the mention of “24K Gold” on gilded pottery or porcelain is generally mid 20th century.

These are not hard and fast rules, as there are some exceptions, depending on the individual company. In the case of the stamp shown at the top of the column, it’s one of these exceptions. This mark was used on French Quimperware pottery made by the De la Hubaudière factory from 1883 to 1895. It is hand-painted, whereas the “rules” would indicate it should be a pre-1800 piece.

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

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The Big Ben clock tower and the House of Parliament in London, England. Big Ben is one of the iconic images of London and has appears on thousands of collectible items over the last 150 years.

A close-up view of the Big Ben clock face.

Big Ben is probably the most famous clock in the world, and is one of London, England’s best known landmarks. Actually, Big Ben is not the name of the clock at all, but one of the bells (the 13-ton bell that strikes on the hour) housed in the tower. It is speculated that the bell was named for either the first Commissioner of Works, Sir Benjamin Hall—and a man of considerable size—or after a popular heavyweight boxer at the time, Benjamin Caunt. The name Big Ben today is commonly used to refer to the combination of the bell, the clock and the tower.

Whatever takes the name—the clock, the bell, the tower or the whole assembly—Big Ben is iconic. As one of the top symbols of London, there have been, over the last 150 years, thousands of souvenirs and collectibles cast with its image. From the simple postcards (in which the tower and the House of Parliament stayed the same; only the things in the foreground—buses, cars, boats—have changed over the years) to plates, mugs and miniature clocks, the odds are that if great grandma brought anything back from her trip to England, it’s going to have Big Ben on it.

But for as big an icon as Big Ben is, unless you’ve taken a tour of London, odds are you have no idea about the history of the clock tower and bells.

After the old Westminster Palace was destroyed by fire in 1834, Queen Victoria launched a design competition for a new palace. Architect Charles Barry won the competition for the new Palace of Westminster, and his plan had a clock incorporated in a tower. Barry invited Queen Victoria’s clockmaker, Benjamin Lewis Vulliamy, to submit a design and price for construction of a clock. The clock was to be the largest in the world with 30-foot diameters, quarter chimes to be struck on 8 bells, and the hour to be struck on a 14-ton bell. Other competing firms were unhappy about not being able to bid, and a referee was appointed to produce specifications for bids. One of the key requirements was that the clock was to strike the first blow of each hour correct to within one second. In 1852, Edward Dent was awarded the contract.

Four postcards from the last century featuring Big Ben and the House of Parliament, from (clockwise from top) 1906, circa 1900, 1964 and circa 1920.

The clock mechanism had to be altered because Barry, the architect, had forgotten to make provisions for the clock inside the tower. Dent died in 1853, and his stepson, Frederick Rippon (who changed his last name to Dent) completed the mechanism. While awaiting completion of the tower, famous horologist Edmund Denison, who was working with Dent, invented the double three-legged gravity escapement that was to eventually enable the clock to keep its extremely accurate time.

John Warner and Sons were placed under contract to cast the bells, and when the hour bell was completed, because the tower was not yet finished, the bell was mounted in the New Palace yard and struck regularly. The bell, at 16 tons—two tons heavier than planned—required a heavier ball hammer, which in 1857 cracked the huge bell irreparably. George Mears of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry was hired to recast a new bell using the metal from the old one. The new bell, completed in 1858, weighed a mere 13.5 tons, and is the one still in use today.

Big Ben is featured on this lithograph copy of a poster for the London Olympics, held in 1948.

A vintage travel poster for Pan American airlines, circa 1950, also features Big Ben.

After the bells were installed in 1858, the clockworks could then be installed in its room beneath the belfry. The hands for the clock, designed by Charles Barry, were too heavy for the mechanism to operate. The second pair he was requested to make also was too heavy. Permission was granted for Dent to make minute hands to his specifications. This was successfully accomplished, and the clock now functions with minute hands by Dent, and hour hands from Barry’s second attempt. The clock became fully functional Sept. 7, 1859.

Augustus Pugin designed the four 23-foot dials of 312 individual pieces of opal glass housed in an elaborate iron framework. The Roman numerals were each two feet high, and the surround of the dials was gilded.

Less than a month after becoming functional, the second hour bell cracked. The hammer being used was the same one used on the first bell. After a long dispute about who was to blame, the bell was eventually rotated to a position with the crack away from the hammer’s strike, and a lighter hammer was substituted. The hour striking resumed in 1862 with Big Ben soon attaining a reputation for great accuracy.

A Royal Doulton porcelain character jug featuring John Doulton with a Tower of Big Ben handle (D6656, 1980).

A bone china mug from the Dunoon, featuring Big Ben, along with the statue of Eros in Piccadilly, St Pauls Cathedral.

In 1906, the gas lighting for the dials was replaced with electric lighting, and electric winding of the clock was added in 1912 (it had previously taken two men five hours per train to wind). The mechanism of the clock was overhauled in 1934 and 1956. Radio broadcasts were begun by the BBC to welcome in the New Year of 1924, and shortly afterwards a permanent microphone was added for regular broadcasts of the chimes and the bell. The broadcasting of the bells on the BBC World Service became particularly important during WW II.

In 1976 metal fatigue led to the near complete destruction of the chiming mechanism. Replacement with an electric motor was considered, but rejected, and the chiming train reconstruction took nearly a year to complete.

Big Ben collectibles don’t always come from London or England, even. The London House was a restaurant in Cleveland, Ohio, and its 1965 menu shows Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, although in a mirror image of the way they actually appear.

With the 150th anniversary of Big Ben’s functionality coming around this fall, there will be thousands of new items bearing the clock tower’s image. In another 150 years, these new items will be in some collections as well.

— Originally published in the American Antiquities Journal

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The bad news begins in June 2008 when Goebel announces the end of production of Hummel figurines. In the mid-1990s, the “MI Hummel Club” claims to have 270,000 members, 200,000 of whom live in the United States. Goebel has distribution centers in Great Britain, France and Hong Kong plus a production facility in the United States. A decade later, the primary and secondary Hummel market is in collapse. When Goebel declared bankruptcy in 2006, investors jumped in to save the company and Hummel figures. The company was saved. The Hummel figures were not. Today, Goebel manufactures gift and household items. Remaining Hummel inventory was sold. News accounts stood silent concerning the disposition of the Hummel molds.

Pfaltzgraff closed its 39 Pfalzgraff factory stores, eight Farberware outlet stores and six clearance stores in late September 2008. Pfalzgraff’s York County (PA) distribution plant closed ealier this year. Lifetime Brands, Inc. acquired Pfalzgraff from Susquehanna Pfalzgraff in 2005.

During my tenure as executive director of the Historical Society of York County from 1ate 1972 to early 1977, Pfaltzgraff was in its golden age, supplying stoneware dinnerware in a variety of popular patterns to department and big box stores across America. I toured the plant on several occasions. Louis Appell, Jr., president of Susquehanna Pfalzgraff and a person with acute business acumen, is a member of the Society’s Board of Directors. Appell retired in 2002.

Recently I questioned whether or not I am too old to write this column. First, many of the things I used during my youth and early adulthood have become collecting categories in the antiques and collectibles price guides I edit. Some are now in museum collections. Second, many of these objects are no longer in production. The category histories in the price guides are revised to include the frightening sentence: “Ceased production in 19xx (or 20xx).”

The movie stars who appear in the black and white films shown on TMC, the Turner Movie Classic cable channel, are dead. Yet, I recognize almost all of them. My grandfather’s Hudson Hornet is one of the first cars I drove. When you mention “Hudson” to anyone under 40, they think river, if they think at all. Even poor “Henry” is forgotten.

Enough laments. What does all this mean to collectors?

Bankruptcy does not necessarily mean that a company is going out of business. Many companies, especially larger ones, emerge from bankruptcy as healthier corporate entities. The company moves forward, continuing to produce the same products it did prior to the bankruptcy. Plafzgraff is very much in business. While it no longer operates outlet stores, it has a very active online storefront.

Yorktowne, a popular pattern in the 1970s and 1980s, is still among the company’s five best-selling patterns, along with Naturewood, Napoli, Tea Rose, and Winterbury. Folk Art and Village, two other popular 1970s/80s patterns, still are available. The only change is sale location. An Internet sale Web site replaces multiple brick and mortar sale sites.

It is business as usual at Waterford Wedgwood. Deloitte, an international accounting firm serving as receiver, has the option to keep all or parts of the company operating, sell off brands, or shut down some operations. In less than a week, Deloitte announced it has a nonbinding “letter of intent” with KPS Capital Partners LP, a firm specializing in bankruptcies, employee buyouts, restructuring, turnarounds, etc., to acquire several of the brand names. Other potential buyers are likely to emerge.

Jane Kahn, a friend whose Internet savvy far exceeds mine, shares an e-mail she received from Replacements, Ltd., calling customers’ attention to the problems in the ceramics industry and suggesting that now is an excellent time to purchase pieces needed to complete dinnerware patterns before supply is exhausted. The supply, especially for popular patterns, will not run out. Popular patterns will remain in production. There is no need for panic buying.

The 21st century continues to change the how, what, when, where and why of collecting. Many axioms that governed the antiques and collectibles trade for centuries no longer hold true. An object becomes more valuable once it is no longer produced is an example. While subject to question in the 1980s and 1990s, this axiom’s death is attributable to the Beanie Baby retirement debacle at the beginning of the 21st century. Retirement means nothing if the production numbers are high. Supply exceeds demand and always will. Retirement is nothing more than an artificial sales device designed to promote the sale of current objects. Collector edition manufacturers played the mold-retirement and limited-number-of-firing-days cards numerous times in the 1970s and 1980s. Time has proven neither are true value-added factors.

When the British surrender at Yorktown in 1781, a military band is reputed to play a march entitled “The World Turned Upside Down.” Scholars have discovered this story is a myth. Musical historians have yet to discover a song with this title in the late 18th century. This aside, the title appropriately describes developments in the antiques and collectibles field in the 21st century.

Hummel figurines are a case in point. Tens of thousands of collector-speculators entered the Hummel figure market in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Collectors drove the market, a market fueled by a continuous rise in secondary market value, the creation of a collector’s club, the introduction of pseudo-limited edition pieces, and price guides whose authors supported a false view of market worth by increasing values in each edition.

The secondary market collapse of Hummel figurine prices begins in the early 1990s, almost a decade before the death knell occured. Back before I know better or understand the ramifications of what I am doing, I include a “What’s Hot” and “What’s Not” in the introductory material to “Warman’s Antiques and Their Prices.” When I place Hummel figurines in the “What’s Not” list in one edition, I receive an irate letter from a member of the Southern Iowa Hummel Collectors Club demanding I come to Iowa and explain myself.

Goebel still owns the Hummel molds. Will there be an occasional reissue? The odds are high there will be. If sales are successful, there will be others.

Goebel’s cessation of the production of Hummel figures after 74 years marks the end of an era. Not many products can boast a 74-year life span. Barbie turned 50 this year. Will she survive until she is 74? Count me among the doubters.

The cessation of the production of Hummel figures also marks the beginning of the end of remembrance. As each year passes, the number of individuals who collect and/or remember Hummel figurines diminishes. Older collectors will die far faster than new collectors can replace them. Will Hummel figurines still be in price guides, whether electronic or printed, in 25 years? The answer is maybe. Will the same be true 50 years from now? The answer is no. Hummel listings will be gone.

What does all this mean to collectors? It means that there are no guarantees of long-term collectability. Every collecting category has to prove its viability on a daily basis. Each change needs to be evaluated and interpreted. Some interpretations will please while others will disappoint. We need to be prepared to take the bad with the good.

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

You can listen and participate in “WHATCHA GOT?” Harry’s antiques-and-collectibles radio call-in show on Sunday mornings between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Eastern Time. It streams live on http://www.gcnlive.com 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: http://www.harryrinker.com

Harry L. Rinker welcomes questions from readers about collectibles, those mass-produced items from the 20th century. Selected letters will be answered on this site. Harry cannot provide personal answers. Photos and other material submitted cannot be returned. Send your questions to: Rinker on Collectibles, 5093 Vera Cruz Road, Emmaus, PA 18049. You also 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.

Copyright © Rinker Enterprises, Inc. 2009

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An example of a Toby character mug, this one a bootmaker from the “D” series.

The back of Royal Doulton the Bootmaker Toby Mug, identified as D6572.

The Royal Doulton hallmarks and production information for the bootmaker mug.

Porcelain and china firms usually take their names from the company’s founder. In 1815, John Doulton became a partner with a widow named Martha Jones—whose late husband had originally founded Lambeth Pottery—and the foreman of the pottery, John Watts. The pottery operation began its new incarnation as Jones, Watts, and Doulton, but would became best known under the Doulton name in 1853, as the business thrived by specializing in stoneware, such as bottles, sewer pipes, water filters and chimney pots.

By the mid-19th century, the company expanded into the production of decorative stoneware that rivaled the finest in the world. It was John’s son Henry Doulton who took the company through its next stage of development, expanding into a line of art pottery in 1871 with the opening of the Lambeth pottery. The Lambeth pottery offered students and designers from the local art school the opportunity to produce designs for the company. The new line was a great success, thanks to the work of artists such as Florence, Arthur and Hannah Barlow, Eliza Simmance, George Tinworth, George Butler, and Mark Marshall.

The company entered into the production of fine porcelain that it is now famous for after purchasing Pinder, Bourne & Co. of Burslem, England, in 1882. Under the direction of John Slater, Doulton moved rapidly into the production fine quality decorative porcelain, winning honors at major international exhibitions for their tremendous variety of figurines, vases, character jugs and other decorative items. This success brought Doulton to the attention of the royal family, the company then being allowed the honor of using the world ” Royal” by King Edward VII in 1901.

It was during this period that the company began production of its famous line of decorative “Series Ware,” such as the “Gibson Girl” plates, circa 1901, “Dickens ware” pottery, plates and figurines in 1911, the “Robin Hood” series in 1914, and the “Shakespeare” series in 1914. The most well-known of these pieces are the “HN” numbered figurines still in production today. The first being designated HN1 “Darling” in 1913. The “HN” stands for Harry Nixon, the head artist in charge of decorating the figurines. Other noted artists who worked on the designs and decoration were Authur Barlow, John Sparkes and George Tinworth. The popularity of Royal Doulton’s figurines brought about other lines, such as the “Nursery Rhyme” series in 1930 and the “Bunnykins” line in 1933. The company continues to issue new lines of collectibles every year and expanding existing line such as the HN figurines and the “D” series Toby Mugs.

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

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Collecting has gone global, thanks to the Internet. As a result, antiques and collectibles divide into two groups: (1) those that have a global market and (2) those with only a national or regional market. Beatles memorabilia and Royal Doulton are two examples of collecting categories that have a global market. Ceramic categories such as Hall, Hull, Roseville, Weller, etc., illustrate categories whose marketplace is limited to their country of origin.

America is the mother lode for antiques and collectibles. After World War I, during the Depression and in the two decades following World War II, American collectors and dealers raided the antiques and collectibles treasures of Africa, Asia, Europe, Central and South America, and other parts of the world.

Foreign items returning home

As the economic power of these countries increases, especially through the creation of a viable upper-middle and lower-upper class, private individuals and others are coming to American to buy back their historical heritage. Large quantities of Asian and European objects sold at auction are going back over the east or west horizon.

After World War II, the world was influenced by American movies, music and television. Licensed product associated with these three categories is collected worldwide. While some foreign licensed rights were issued, foreign collectors want the products sold in America, most of which did not appear abroad. A French Coca-Cola collector has far more American than French objects in his collection.

The trend toward investing in antiques and collectibles is increasing, thanks to the current world economic situation. Investors are moving from intangibles, such as bonds and stocks, to tangibles, such as gold and antiques and collectibles. Whereas Japanese investors played a significant role in the 1990s and early-21st-century market, today’s investors are likely to be from Arabic countries or Russia. These investors want the best of the best. They buy it wherever they find it, at home or abroad.

Online auctions broaden collectibles and antiques markets

Thanks to eBayliveauctions, no longer in business, worldwide collectors, dealers and investors want ready access to the American auction marketplace. Several firms, e.g., Artfact and Proxibid.com, have created platforms to replace eBayliveauctions. The viewing audience for these sites is smaller than for eBayliveauctions. The number will grow. Some sites will fall by the wayside; others merge. What will not change is the appetite of foreign buyers to play an active role in the American auction scene.

Some things sell better in one market than another, the result of personal preference and other considerations. When I visited antiques shops in Germany, I was astonished at the prices asked for pearl-handled fruit-knife sets, double to triple what they bring in the United States. Check out the clock and music box prices in Amsterdam’s antiques row, three to 10 times those for the same pieces in the United States market. Likewise, German collectors have little to no interest in late-19th/early-20th-century inkwells. Buy them in Germany, and sell them in the United States at triple what you paid.

Americans are jingoistic and isolationist when it comes to the antiques and collectibles marketplace. It is time to remove the blinders. The market is global. The next step is to determine the where, when and how.

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

You can listen and participate in “WHATCHA GOT?,” Harry’s antiques-and-collectibles radio call-in show on Sunday mornings between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Eastern Time. If you cannot find it on a station in your area, WHATCHA GOT?” streams live and is archived on the Internet.

“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 letters will be answered on this site. Harry cannot provide personal answers. Photos and other material submitted cannot be returned. Send your questions to: Rinker on Collectibles, 5093 Vera Cruz Road, Emmaus, PA 18049. You also 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.

Meet Harry Rinker in person at the 8th Annual Northeastern Pennsylvania Home & Garden Show, Jan. 23-25, in Wilkes-Barre. He will also be appearing at the 8th Annual Southeast Pennsylvania Home & Garden Show, March 13-15, in Reading.

WorthPoint—Get the Most from Your Antiques & Collectibles

Today’s Photo: Royal Doulton Tiger sold for $270 at Direct Auction, Chicago

In years past, I was a huge collector of the Doulton animal figurines but choose to sell them at the height of their range. Since then, I have watched as the prices of the Doulton animals have dropped, in some cases, as much as 75%. But, with the British Pound at a large premium to the dollar, now is the time to start watching those Doulton pieces again and consider buying.

Even I make mistakes on the things that I am most qualified on. This week at Direct Auction in Chicago, there was a 13” Doulton Lion that was going to be auctioned. I was thinking that I could make some money with that piece, but when Tuesday rolled around, I talked myself out of going to the sale. What a mistake that was. The piece sold for $270. I believe that on a good day, it could bring $1,000. Even after commission, the profit could have been over $600. Not bad for a Tuesday afternoon.

The story doesn’t stop there, however. Two mint condition early Hummel Umbrella Boy and Girl figurines, that in the past, sold for over $1,500, were being offered Tuesday at Direct Auction. They sold for $350 each to a dealer. They could easily have been sold for $650 apiece.

Whenever you preview an auction, always key in on at least one item that should do well for you if purchased right. When you attend that auction, and if you buy your key piece, everything else you buy just becomes a bonus. I might have every easily left $2,000 or more on the table by talking myself out of attending Direct’s auction. Shame on me. Even after all these years, I am still learning right alongside you. My only problem is that I seem to be learning some of these lessons all over again.

Like I told your several day ago, the good things are beginning to come to the market, so now is the time to really get active. Check every auction that is listed in your local paper or trade journal then the neighborhood paper if your community has one. Don’t forget to see what is appearing in on the Ruby Lane website in your area I have found great buys there. Take a look at EstateSales.net and register to be notified of sales in your area. Winter is ending and many people are in a financial bind. People are eager to make changes and this will accrue to your benefit.

This is the time to see the basic principle that we teach come into play. By the end of the year, your eyes will be wide open to the potential that these markets offer you.

31 Club Members — Watch your E-Mail for our Tips on Buying Royal Doulton. This will help you weed out the common from the more valuable.

To Learn More About Royal Doulton History and Top Artists, Shiffer’s “Royal Doulton, A Legacy of Excellence 1871-1945″ is an excellent resource. It’s discounted at Amazon and includes a price guide.

Join the 31 Club and learn how to build personal wealth through the antique, collectible and fine art markets.

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