Many dream of finding valuable antique treasure in Grandma's attic. For some it has come true, for other's it's only a dream.
A man cleaning out his garage in Austin, Texas, recently found an old Atari video game called "Air Raid" and got $31,600 for it on eBay. Turns out it was the 13th known copy to exist today.
A Washington, D.C., couple recently found $20,000 in cash hidden in the back of an antique armoire chair they purchased at an estate sale.
A Buffalo, N.Y., couple, attending a local yard sale, recently purchased a book titled, "The Infamous Hemp Diaries," and sold them on eBay for $10,000.
A Goodwill worker in North Carolina recently found $5,365 cash in a sock while sorting through donated items.
Letters from readers:
Question: We recently purchased an old farm house in Little Hocking. In the basement we came across an old antique cook stove made by the Champion Stove Company of Cleveland, Ohio. The stove is 49 inches high, 46 inches wide by 27 inches deep. It still works. Can you tell me what it is worth and where to sell it? - J.R., Little Hocking.
Answer: Your Champion cookstove dates from the 1930s. There is a market for vintage stoves like yours, especially if they are in good working condition. If it works it could sell for $1,000 or more. Several websites today are devoted to buying and selling old stoves, and other appliances. One is www.antiquestoves.com. Good luck in selling your stove,
Q.: Can you tell me anything about my 29-piece set of children's dishes in its original box marked Akro Agate? I have had them since I was a child. - D.E., Marietta
A.: The Akro Gate Company started out in Clarksburg, W.Va, in 1911, manufacturing glass marbles. When sales fell in the early 1930s, the company started manufacturing glass ashtrays, vases, and children's dishes. The children sets were first introduced in 1935, and were still being made in 1948. Your 29-piece service for six in opaque color in its original box is worth $350 to a collector,
Q.: I have an old shoe-horn marked W.VA National Shoe Company,Wheeling. W.Va. Can you tell me what it is worth? - S.R., Lowell
A.: Your advertising shoe-horn, buttonhook combination, is worth about $10 to a collector.
Q.: My grandmother has an old tea cart that was made in Marietta by Brickwede Brothers. Can you tell me anything about it? - E.N., Marietta.
A.: Brickwede Brothers started out in Marietta making wood mantels that can be found in many older homes around Washington County today. They were most famous for making living room suites and bedroom suites, including tea wagons that were sold through Marietta Furniture Company in the early 1940s. These tea wagons, in excellent condition, can sell from $300 up to $750 today depending on condition.
Larry Koon is the author of several price guide books on antiques and collectibles. His column appears every Monday on Life. Send letters to Treasure in the Attic, c/o The Marietta Times, 700 Channel Lane, Marietta 45750; or e-mail him at koon-antiques@yahoo.com. When writing, send a complete description of the item, along with size, color, any markings on the item along with condition the item is in, and how the item was obtained, and any other information. If possible, send a photograph. Letters will be answered through this column.
