This Little Piggy Is Probably From the ‘30s

Question: I have a glass bank shaped like a pig standing on its hind legs. It is 5 inches tall, with a gold-colored metal cover. The red letters on the cover read, “Brother, can you spare a dime?” The mark on the bottom is an H with a small A under the bar of the H. Can you tell me who made the bank and when it was made?

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Answer: The mark on your bank was used by the Hazel Atlas Glass Co. They worked from 1902 to 1956 and had factories in Washington, Pa.; Zanesville, Ohio; and Clarksburg and Wheeling, W.Va. The famous Depression-era phrase, “Brother, can you spare a dime?” was the title of a 1932 song from the Broadway musical “Americana.” Your bank was probably made during the 1930s.

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Q: My friend collects records and record players. He was just given a small doll that attaches to the phonograph and is moved by the record turning round and round. Do you know when toys like this were made?

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A: The most famous phonograph or talking machine toy that danced was Siam Soo. The turning record moved her head and her body while she bounced up and down, waving her arms. The toy was made in 1921 by Morton E. Converse & Son Co. of Winchendon, Mass. There was even a record about Siam Soo. Similar toys were made in England, Boston and Cleveland.

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Q: I have been curious about the origin of cuckoo clocks ever since my grandfather gave me his old one. I think it was made in Europe at least 100 years ago. I hung it in my kitchen, and it still keeps good time.

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A: Small wall clocks that tick loudly and have a carved cuckoo bird that pops out and sings on the hour were first made in the 1730s in the Black Forest area of southwest Germany. The wooden cases were first shaped like simple tombstones. By the early 1800s, however, clockmakers switched to fancy, carved wooden cases.

The popularity of the clocks led to their export, then later to copies and variations made in England and the United States. If your clock was made in Germany between 1840 and 1875, when the cuckoo-clock craft was at its peak, it could be worth thousands of dollars. More recently made clocks sell for $100 to $500.

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Q: My daughter was given a Jantzen red wool woman’s one-piece bathing suit with a label that reads, “Made in USA, Jantzen Pat. Sept. 6, 1921, Swimming Suit, Silver Lingerie Shops, Brooklyn and New York.”

It has one button on the upper left shoulder and a woman swimmer insignia at the left front hemline.

Could the suit be valuable?

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A: Jantzen was founded in 1910 in Portland, Ore.

At first the company made wool sweaters, socks and gloves. But when a Portland rowing club ordered warm swim trunks in 1913, Jantzen started making stretchy, wool bathing suits for men and women. Jantzen’s “Diving Girl” logo, trademarked in 1921, was America’s first memorable apparel logo. Her design changed over the years, but the logo on your daughter’s suit was the earliest.

Jantzen’s 1920s women’s suits were modern and practical, without stockings or bloomers. Today they sell for $25 to $35.

For a listing of helpful books and publications, include a self-addressed, stamped (55 cents) envelope to Kovels, Los Angeles Times, King Features Syndicate, 235 E. 45th St., New York, NY 10017.

Current Prices

Current prices are recorded from antique shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States. Prices vary in different locations because of local economic conditions.

* Whirlpool ashtray, October 1954, aluminum, 11 inches, $10.

* Daguerreotype portrait of young boy standing by table, case, c. 1860, 2 by 2 1/2 inches, $65.

* Bobby Sherman lunch box, metal, 1972, $75.

* Coca-Cola bowling-ball bag, red vinyl, zipper closure, 1950s, 13 by 7 inches, $110.

* Zipees Sidewalk Surfboard-Skateboard, Manning Mfg. Corp., 1960s, 19 by 5 inches, $125.

* Wallace silver cream pitcher, Antique pattern, 1926, 5 inches, $190.

* American patchwork buggy quilt, corduroy, velvet, merino and wool, blue, red, cream and yellow, c. 890, 68 1/2 by 56 inches, $210.

* Simon & Halbig doll, No. 1039, walking, kissing, flirting, brown eyes and wig, 22 inches, $855.

* Victorian hanging lamp, cranberry hobnail shade, Miller Lamp Co., 1912, $1,155.

* Satinwood cabinet, bronze-mounted, marquetry, two cupboard doors, 1940, 58 inches, $3,160.