Dear Connie Sue,
I purchased this dresser from an antique store. Inside a drawer, it’s stamped “Northern Furniture Company (can’t make out the next word),” then “WIS.” The store owner said it’s from the 1930s. He thinks the wood is maple or walnut. It does have a number on the back. Could you tell me its current value?
Sharon, Madisonville
Dear Sharon,
“Northern Furniture Company” was first used to mark furniture in 1904 in Sheboygan, Wisc. I agree with the store owner. Your dresser with art deco motif, parquet veneer drawer fronts and Bakelite teardrop pulls was made around 1930. It was part of a nine-piece bedroom suite. The dresser, like the other case pieces, has ball feet and is framed in green. A cloverleaf pattern crowns the detachable mirror.
Your dresser appears to be in original, very good condition. Fortunately, no one has felt inclined to clean or — horrors — refinish it. An exact nine-piece bedroom set sold at auction for $500 in 2011. Similar sets are offered online today for $1,500 to more than $4,000. In locally advertised shops and tag sales, a similar dresser might be bought for less than $300. Purchase prices often depend on where you play this game.
Hello, Connie Sue,
I enjoy your articles. I don’t know much about this piece. I hope maybe you will.
Iana, Humboldt
Iana,
Thank you for sending pictures of your black enamel compact with an oval medallion decorated with roses. It was made in the mid-1900s and might sell for $12 to $35. The higher price would be realized if the compact is sterling. I don’t think it is. But you can check with a magnifying glass by examining the rim just outside the incised powder holder for the word “sterling.”
In shops, especially in tourist areas, small items like this are a favorite purchase for shoppers. I’ve seen sizeable collections of compacts in homes. The hobby often starts with an inherited piece.
Deanna asks:
I have three Hardy Boys mystery books, copyrights 1943, 1927 and 1941. Also, I have a Bobbsey Twins book, copyright 1933. What would be the monetary value of these books in today’s world?
Thanks for your assistance.
Deanna,
Today’s world seems to have moved beyond these young reader adventure books. Both Bobbsey Twins and Hardy Boys books sell for just less than $5 each.
Don and Dot ask:
Can you tell us something about this pot?
Don and Dot,
Your plated silver pot is for shaking, not stirring, cocktails. It was made circa-1940 and might sell for around $45. It appears to be dented and may need to be re-silvered.
A similarly shaped sterling silver shaker, made by Tiffany & Co. in the 1920s, recently sold for $2,750. It was in pristine condition.
Dear Connie Sue,
A friend found this in the main room of an old house. Do you have any idea what this may be or information about it?
Thanks.
Amber
Amber,
It’s a nutcracker. Insert a walnut or pecan, then tighten the wooden treads to squeeze and crack the shell. I sold them from the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store gift shops in the 1970s. Today, you might be able to sell it at a yard sale for $1. Use it; it’s a handy little device to have around.
