Connie,
I got this (Charlie Chaplin book) after my dad passed. It has eight pages and is about 1 foot high and 18 inches long.
Ray
Ray,
I have good news and bad. On eBay, this Charlie Chaplin coloring book, dated 1917 and published by M.A. Donohue Co. in Chicago, is offered for $50 to $410. The condition of the lower-priced books is similar to the one you have. The edges are tattered and paper brittle, but it’s complete. The higher-priced pieces are more pristine.
The bad news is, only one has sold on eBay recently. There was only one bidder, and he snagged the Comic Capers coloring book for $10. Elsewhere online, a seller is offering a coloring book from this series for $700. Unless Charlie Chaplin is reintroduced in pop culture, I’d predict the fair market value will remain low for this readily available coloring book.
Dear Connie,
I found eight little tea plates in a box 40 years ago outside of a dumpster. They are pastel pink, blue and yellow. They have no chips. The stamp on back has a crown with “union” printed inside and “Czechoslovakia” at the bottom of the crown and stamped with “Musterschutz no. 4716.” Would you know anything about them?
Thank you,
Becky
Dear Becky,
Musterschutz produced these porcelain sandwich plates in Czechoslovakia in the early 1900s. There was a matching cup that fit into the round space near the handle. The company made tea sets, dessert plates, sugar-and-creamer sets and cups with saucers in pink, blue and yellow like your sandwich plates. Recent sales of similar medallion-decorated pieces only brought around $4 each.
Ms. Davenport,
My best recollection is that this table was imported from Taiwan in the late ’70s or early ’80s. The carving is very unique on the tabletop, legs and stools. The table is 20 inches high, 30 inches wide and 52 inches long. It also has a fitted glass top.
I would appreciate any information you could provide.
John, Spring Hill
John,
I see a variation of this deeply relief-carved table numerous times a year. Often, my clients have only the table, and the glass top has been broken or lost. I price these at around $175. You’re fortunate to have the solid-top stools that tuck underneath the carved table. They can serve as a table for a cup and book if your chairs are low enough to utilize them. Similar complete sets, made in Asia by hand but with some power tools, sell for $350 to $700.
Connie Sue,
I have an antique bed that is more than 100 years old. It is mahogany with walnut engraving. I saw your article in The Tennessee Magazine and was wondering if you could provide info or selling assistance.
Hayse
Hayse,
Your standard-sized oak bed with applied ornament on the sides of the horizontal panels was made around 1900. It may have been sold through the Sears catalog and shipped to the buyer by train. Today, the bed might sell in an antique mall for well less than $400. Standard-size beds are often used in children’s rooms because the oak is sturdy and homey. I think in my lifetime it will be difficult to find sheets in a retail store for a bed of this size.
Although I don’t buy, sell or broker items, being in this column will give you visibility for selling.
Want to learn more about your antiques?
Send your inquiry with photos to the mailing address or email below. Only published appraisals are free. Private appraisals are available for a fee. Call 615-672-1992 for an appointment. No appraisals are given over the phone.
Connie Sue Davenport
P.O. Box 343
White House, TN 37188
615-672-1992 • email: [email protected]
Connie Sue Davenport, ISA AM, offers antique appraisal events, private appraisals and estate sale consulting services to individuals, businesses and organizations. Sign up for “IT’S JUST STUFF,” her FREE quarterly newsletter, at www.ConnieSue.com.
