Clocks were an important part of the Victorian home. Large grandfather clocks were kept in the front hall or living room to tell time, ring chimes on the hour and even tell the phases of the moon.
The only public sources of time were the train station, city hall or church tower clocks. Smaller clocks that told time were kept on the fireplace mantle and were made to be decorative with bronze figures as part of the case in formal homes, and plain or even comic cases in others. Almost all clocks had to be wound for up to eight days.
Bradley &Hubbard, a Connecticut company that made many iron and other metal items, had an 1857 patent for a figural novelty clock that could blink its eyes. “Blinkers,” also called “winkers,” were made in many shapes. An organ grinder with a monkey, Topsey, Mammy, Sambo the Banjo Player and John Bull examples were sold in auctions during the last five years for prices from $500 to about $1,000.
John Bull is a character who was a popular symbol of England from 1712 to the 1940s. New England Auctions sold a 16-inch John Bull blinking-eye clock for $416 in 2016.
Q: I have a coffee bin that was in my grandparents’ general store in the late 1800s or early 1900s. It’s marked “Dilworth’s Prime Grade Coffee.” The markings were made with a stencil. There is a shipping label on top, but I can’t read the date. Does it have any value?
A: Dilworth’s was in business in Pittsburgh during the late 1800s and early 1900s. John Dilworth was one of the founders of a wholesale grocery company, which operated under various names until 1881, when it became Dilworth Brothers Co.
Collectors like early advertising items and if the lettering is in good condition, your bin has value. The shipping label is a plus. Large wooden coffee bins sell for $300 to $500.
Q: I have a complete collection of Frances Hook porcelain children and plates from the 1950s-1970s. They were put out by “Roman.” I have the original boxes for all of them. I’d like to sell them, but the local antiques dealers aren’t interested in them. I don’t have computer skills to sell them online. I’m willing to take them to someone if I can find someone who would enjoy them.
A: Frances Hook was a commercial artist who did work for several major corporations and appeared in magazines. She’s known for her drawings of children done for Northern Tissue in the 1950s and ’60s and sold as prints. She began making figurines, plates and prints for Roman Inc. in 1979. Frances Hook died in 1983.
Limited-edition figurines and plates were popular in the 1970s and ’80s, but are hard to sell today. Most sell for a few dollars online at sites like eBay. If you don’t want to try to sell them online, you might be able to donate them to a charity sale or store in your area.
Q: I live in the Chicago area and just recently inherited a large collection of American cut glass. How would I go about pricing and or selling the collection? Is there a source around here that I should consult? Any information would be greatly appreciated.
A: Some cut glass sells for high prices. Many pieces sell for over $100 and a few sell for over $1,000. If it’s a large collection, an auction may be the best way to sell it. Contact a dealer or auction house in your area who already is selling some cut glass. There are also a few sites devoted to glass with history, pattern identification and buy-and-sell posts.
There are serious collectors and buyers who want just a few pieces because of early memories. Are your pieces signed? Perfect? Large? All of this adds to value. Search the internet for online auctions and sales. Contact the American Cut Glass Association (www.cutglass.org) to learn more.
Q: I inherited far too much stuff after my grandparents (and then my mother) passed. One of those items is a Steuben “Stars &Stripes” prism sculpture. It’s 4 inches by 4 inches. I have the red box it came in, but one of the edges of the glass has a small chip. I’m wondering if there was there any notable value to the piece before the chip and if there might be any residual value despite the chip.
A: Peter Aldridge, a British designer and sculptor, designed this “Stars &Stripes” sculpture for Steuben. It’s part of a group of limited-edition pieces in modern shapes that are engraved or embellished with gold or silver pieces. They cost thousands of dollars when new, and perfect ones still are selling for high prices at auctions.
Other Stars &Stripes sculptures were made in the 1980s. Some new Stars &Stripes pieces currently are being made for the Corning Museum of Glass and are being sold at the gift shop. A smaller Stars &Stripes sculpture in a slightly different shape is listed as “Designed by Peter Aldridge, 2001/2015” and sells for $450.
An early 4-inch-by-4-inch Stars &Stripes prism sculpture like yours, in its original red leather case, sold at auction a few years ago for more than $1,400. The sculpture must be perfect to sell for such a high price. The chip on your sculpture lowers the value.
Tip: In snowy weather, make tracks both in and out of your door. One set of tracks leaving the house is an invitation to an intruder. Or perhaps you could walk out of the house backward.
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