Finding Breweriana Among the Trash

Beer bottles, cans, signs, labels, advertising figures and just about anything else related to beer is collected. Clubs for breweriana collectors are nationwide.

Part of the fun is the search. Bottles can be dug from dumps, and sometimes even cans can be found. Signs are found in bars, old buildings or at advertising antique shows.

We heard about a 1930s tin beer sign that was found in a barn: It had been nailed to the ceiling to seal a leak. A 4-foot-long stained-glass window advertising beer was purchased at a garage sale. It had been stored along a wall, and the owners of the house left it when they moved.

Cans, labels and coasters are often traded through the breweriana publications and the Internet. If you start collecting beer-related items, try to specialize, because it is an almost endless hobby. Buy items from your city or state, or specialize in bottles. With microbreweries in almost every area, there are many new companies and labels.

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Question: My black padded-leather swivel chair has a metal frame. The seat sits on a pole with a four-pronged base. The frame is marked “Herman Miller.” What can you tell me about it?

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Answer: Your side chair is from Herman Miller Inc.’s famous “Aluminum Group” of chairs, designed by Charles and Ray Eames. The company, in Zeeland, Mich., has produced the chairs continuously since 1958. The group also includes armchairs and shorter lounge chairs with footstools. The Eameses, a married couple who owned a California design firm, created the chairs for indoor and outdoor home use, but they are most commonly used as office furniture.

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Q I have tried for years to trace the history of an oval glass dish my mother found in an antique shop. It is pressed glass, with crossed spoons at each end and a portrait of a woman in the center. At the base of the bust I can read the word “Claxton.” Large words on the two sides of the bowl read, “Love’s Request Is Pickles.” Can you help?

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A Your pickle dish dates from the late 1870s or early 1880s. It is part of a set of Actress-pattern pressed glass. The woman pictured is Kate Claxton (1848-1924), an American actress famous for her portrayal of Louise, a blind girl, in “The Two Orphans.” The play opened in New York in 1874. The “spoons” at each end are actually seashells extending from bands of laurel leaves and flowers, a design found on all Actress-pattern pieces. The Actress pattern has been attributed to three manufacturers: Crystal Glass Co. or LaBelle Glass Co., both of Bridgeport, Ohio; or Riverside Glass Works of Brilliant, Ohio. Your pickle dish sells for about $50.

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Q I have a set of 12 Victorian dishes made by Hautin & Boulenger in France. One plate broke, and I repaired it rather crudely with glue. My husband just broke another, and I am trying to decide if it is worthwhile to have it repaired by an expert who will charge $450 a plate.

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A Unless there is great sentimental value to your set of plates, it would not pay to fix the plates. The maker is not well known, and the set is not worth over $900. Why not search for some similar plates to fill in the dozen? Mix-and-match is very stylish now.

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Q My old American Indian turquoise-and-silver necklace seems to have changed color. The turquoise is becoming more green. I keep it in a dresser drawer wrapped in tissue. Is that OK?

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A Natural turquoise ranges from green to blue. Some pieces mined in the United States have black veining, while Persian turquoise is almost without blemishes. Turquoise is a porous stone; oil from your skin, perspiration, perfume, cosmetics, soap, and silver polish will cause a change in color. So will too much light or heat. If the stone becomes very dry, it may also turn slightly green.

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Q When my husband was doing some house repairs, he tore down a wall and found a perfect copy of the Aug. 27, 1949, issue of the Saturday Evening Post. The color cover pictures campers at the beach. Is the magazine worth anything?

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A Most old magazines, even in the best condition, do not command big prices. There are dealers who specialize in them, so you may be able to find a buyer. Some issues of the Saturday Evening Post with famous covers by Norman Rockwell sell for more than $20. Your issue is worth about $5.

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.

* Vernon Kilns plate, Tam O’Shanter, 9 1/2 inches, $12.

* Depression glass punch set, Forest Green, 12 cups, 14-piece, $95.

* Irish Belleek cup and saucer, Shamrock pattern, harp handle, 3rd mark, black, $110.

* Fritz & Floyd cookie jar, Ernie the Keebler Elf’s head, $125.

* Dover clipper No. 20 ice cream scoop, manufactured by Dover Mfg. Co., sickle-shaped lever, Pat’d. Feb. 1924, 11 inches, $230.

* Royal Doulton figurine, Irish Setter, HN 1054, 7 1/2 inches, $700.

* Toy, Whoopie car, lithographed, model No. 150, 1930s, Marx, original box, 7 inches, $750.

* Sterling silver cigarette case, raised caddy carrying a bag of clubs, made by Unger Bros., ca. 1900, 3 1/4 by 3 1/4 inches, $775.

* Chad Valley doll, pirate, felt body, glass eyes, painted features, original clothing, 20 inches, $1,410.

* Bakelite vegetable pin, carved green leaves, charms of two asparagus, a squash, tomato and carrot, 4 inches, $1,600.