QUESTION: I'm slowly cleaning out my grandmother- in - laws home in Marietta. She has stuff in the house from generations prior, I was wondering if there is any books or web-site that can help me determine the trash from the treasure. She was a borderline hoarder in my opinion, I have found some exciting finds including a beautiful blue opal pitcher from the late 1800s. I am finding coins , jewelery, and many other items. It is going to be a long process. There are out buildings with old books, bottles, old tools. and so on. I have a friend who is helping me with some of the depression ware, and old fenton glass, I have e-bay and the internet as my other source of reference. Can you help me?
M. F. Marietta
ANSWER: Today there are several antique price guide books that give you an idea what is trash and what is treasure, along with value on what an item like yours last sold at auction for. Remember an antique or a collectibile is only worth what a buyer is willing to pay you. To get top dollar for any item today it must be up for sale on the auction block with hundreds of buyers bidding on your item. For example, a Mona Lisa painting worth thousands of dollars is worth very little at a local auction house with 25 to 40 buyers bidding on it. Today they are over 300 auction houses around the country who specialize in selling items you have mentioned in your letter such as old coins, jewelery , Books. Fenton Glass, Bottles, Tools, and hundreds of other items and setting worlds record in doing so,
QUESTION:?I have an old railroad lantern marked A.C. L. with a patent date of 1907. Can you tell me anything about it?
D.T. Lower Salem
ANSWER: You have a Atlantic Coast Lines Lantern valued at 150.00 in good condition .
QUESTION: I have a "Dasey" round label half pint glass churn. Can you tell me what it is worth?
N.E., Belpre.
ANSWER: Dasey never made round label churn in half pint size not even as salesman samples. You own a fake. Sorry
QUESTION: This Fenton Glass set has been in our family for years. Can you tell me anything about it from the photo I'm sending?
W.T. Marietta.
ANSWER: What you have is a Fenton lemonade set in rib optic pattern with cobalt blue handles in green opalescent color. That was made by fenton in 1924. Your 6 piece set is worth $500.
QUESTION: I have a set of dinnerware that is marked "West Germany." Can you tell me how old they are?
C.W., Beverly.
ANSWER: A West Germany mark indicates your dinnerware was made between 1949 and 1990.
QUESTION: I have an 11-inch aluminum waste basket marked August Wendell Forge. Can you tell me what its worth?
H.C., Cutler.
ANSWER: Your 11-inch waste basket is worth $300 to a collector.
QUESTION: I have an old dish that is enameled with the words "Merry Christmas From Ed Winters 1938." Can you tell me anything about the dish?
S.R., Marietta
ANSWER: Ed Winters was a Cleveland, Ohio, artist known for his enamels. Your dish is valued over $100.
Send questions to koonantiques@yahoo.com
