Toy Motorcycles in Great Demand
Toy cars and trucks of all sizes have always fascinated collectors, but in the past five years the toys appreciating the most are motorcycles.
The first motorcycle was made in 1885 by Daimler in Germany. The idea spread worldwide. One of the earliest motorcycles in the United States was the Indian Cycle made by Hedstrom and Hendee in 1901. Toy makers quickly realized the appeal of the new machines, and lithographed tin and iron toys appeared. The earlier the toy and the better the condition, the higher the price today.
Original paint is especially prized. Crossover motorcycle toys, including the one with Mickey and Minnie Mouse riding a cycle, sell for even higher prices. Last fall, the two mice on a motorcycle and in the original box sold for $118,000. Other toys with Popeye, Mickey or other cartoon characters have sold for thousands of dollars. The most ordinary of iron motorcycle toys made before the 1960s sells for more than $100.
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Question: I am a European living in the United States. A tall, one-door French Provincial cabinet shown in a recent column was labeled an armoire. We would call this kind of narrow cabinet a bonnetiere. It was used in a front hall to hold coats, scarves and caps rather than in a bedroom for dresses and underwear.
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Answer: Most French armoires have two doors, not one. However, the French word armoire has been adopted into the English language, while the word bonnetiere has not. So you will find that in the United States, people use the word armoire to describe any large clothing press or cabinet, whether it has one door or two.
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QI have a set of dishes called California Ivy. When was it made?
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A Metlox Potteries of Manhattan Beach, Calif., made the California Ivy pattern. It was introduced in 1946.
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Q My china tea set is marked “EPIAG.” Could it have belonged to my grandparents in Czechoslovakia in the 1930s?
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A In 1918, an association of Bohemian porcelain factories formed under the name Osterreichische Porzellan Industrie AG or OPIAG, meaning Austrian Porcelain Industry. It was used with the factory marks until 1920. Then it became Erste Porzellan Industrie AG, meaning First Porcelain Industry AG. The name was used until 1945. From 1920 to 1945, several factories used the EPIAG mark with their own marks.
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Q My wooden cash register was once used to ring up ice sales for a company in Pontiac, Ill. The maximum amount that can be rung up is $1. Under the drawer is a sticker that reads “Ohmer Register Co., Factory at Dayton, Ohio.” Can you tell me the age and value?
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A M. Ohmer & Sons was an office-furniture maker in Dayton. The company made wooden cases for machines made by National Cash Register Co. from 1884 until about 1887. Two earlier Dayton cash-register makers might also have used Ohmer cases. Your register is certainly more than 110 years old. If it is in excellent condition, it is worth up to $500.
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Q Could you give me information on soapstone carvings? I have a large vase and a small ashtray. Both are decorated with carved vines. The vase has no mark, but the ashtray is marked “San Diego 1916.”
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A Soapstone is a mineral composed mostly of talc and chlorite. It is smooth and greasy, so it feels a little like soap. Because it retains heat, it was used centuries ago to make foot warmers, cooking utensils and griddles.
Beginning in the 19th century, soapstone was also carved into figurines, bowls, bookends, vases, pots and candlesticks. Most of these carvings were done in China or Japan. The ashtray marked San Diego is a souvenir. Most old soapstone carvings sell for $50 to $200, but some elaborate ones sell for $1,000 or more. They are still being made.
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Q Years ago, my grandmother bought an elaborate silver-plated centerpiece at a church sale. It has a central vase and two suspended side dishes. The bottom is marked “Quadruple Plate, Wilcox Plate Co.” Did I save a treasure?
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A Wilcox Silver Plate Co. worked in Meriden, Conn., from about 1865 to 1898, when it became part of the International Silver Co.
Your tiered centerpiece is called an epergne. It was used in the center of the dining table. The vase held flowers, and the side plates were filled with pastries or fruit. Elaborate Victorian plated silver has come back into fashion and is selling well. Your epergne is worth about $650.
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 antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States. Prices vary because of local economic conditions.
* “Charlie’s Angels” board game, Milton Bradley, 1977, $10.
* Playtex girdle, white, “Mold ‘N Hold” zipper, in original blue metallic tube, 1950s, size medium, $55.
* Ice-cream scoop, No-Pak 31, Pat. No. 1861655, metal with wooden handle, 10 inches, $110.
* Baseball card, 1911 T201 Mecca double-folder, Frank Chance & John Evers, card No. 13, $175.
* Felix doll, Schoenhut, round wooden head, black eyes, white muzzle, leather ears, wooden torso, jointed, copyright 1922, 8 inches, $200.
* Weaving Loom toy, metal, adjustable, bubble-cut Barbie on lid, 1963, Pressman Toy Corp., 11 1/4 by 11 1/4 inches, $225.
* Sterling-silver tray, serpentine rim, floral and foliate repoussi, marked “Gorham for Grogan Co.,” dated 1924, 14 inches, $400.
* Hermes black baby-alligator handbag, three inner compartments, gold-plated hardware, black-leather lining, stamped, 1960, 10 by 8 inches, $1,800.
* Mahogany marble-top linen press, two doors, gothic panels, four sliding trays, curved legs, scrolled feet, 42 by 48 by 24 1/2 inches, $2,400.
