RINKER ON COLLECTIBLES — Column #1417

Copyright © Harry Rinker, LLC 2014 

Questions and Answers

QUESTION:  I have a Hannibal and St. Joseph railroad lantern.  The railroad marking is on the frame.  The globe is missing.  What is its value? – T, Janesville, WI

ANSWER:  The Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad, the first railroad to cross the Missouri, connected Hannibal and St. Joseph.  Construction began from both cities in 1851.  Construction proceeded slowly.  Congress awarded 600,000 acres to the railroad to encourage construction.  The two lines met in Chillicothe, Missouri in February 1859.  William A. Davis is credited with creating the first “post office on wheels” in 1862.  Col. Ulysses S. Grant’s first Civil War assignment was guarding the railroad.  In 1883, the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad acquired the line.  When the Burlington reorganized in 1904, the Hannibal and St. Joseph name became obsolete.  In March 1970, the line became part of Burlington Northern.

The information you provided left several key points unanswered.   First, who made the lantern?  Are there any other marks besides the railroad marking?  Second, did the period globe have a railroad mark or was it plain?  If the globe did have a railroad marking, its loss is a major value consideration.  Third, even though Burlington dropped the Hannibal and St. Joseph name in 1904, Hannibal and St. Joseph equipment remained in continued use for several years.  It was an era when if something served a function, it was used until that function ceased.

I am going to assume that your lantern dates from the 1890 to 1905 period and that the missing globe did not have railroad markings.  If the lantern is in very good or better condition (no visible rust or other damage), the value of the lantern without the globe is between $35.00 and $50.00.  Fully restored, the lantern’s value would exceed $100.00.


Homer Laughlin toilet setQUESTION:  I have a Homer Laughlin toilet set consisting of the bowl, cold water pitcher, and toothbrush holder.  The pitcher has a scalloped spout and an elaborate “c” scroll handle.  The toothbrush holder also has a scalloped top.  All three pieces are decorated in a gilt rose decal pattern.  The wash bowl measures 16 inches in diameter and is 7 inches high.  The pitcher is 13 inches high, and the toothbrush holder is 5 inches high.  What can you tell me about them?  -- SK, Email Question.

ANSWER:  Homer and Shakespeare Laughlin, two brothers who lived in East Liverpool, Ohio, began their career as pottery wholesalers.  In 1873, the Laughlin brothers built a two-kiln plant to produce white ware as opposed to the traditional yellow ware.  The Laughlin brothers’ white graniteware won a prize at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition.  In 1877, Shakespeare Laughlin chose to pursue other interests.  The firm continued as Homer Laughlin China Works.  By the 1880s, Homer Laughlin was one of the leading manufacturers of dinnerware and toilet ware.

In December 1897, Homer Laughlin sold the business to William Edwin Well and Louis I. Aaron.  The new owners built a second plant in East Liverpool.  Homer Laughlin opened its Plant #4 in Newell, West Virginia, in 1906, moving the company headquarters to Newell in 1907.

Homer Laughlin expanded in the 1920s, incorporating a tunnel kiln in its Plant #6 in 1924.  The intermittent kilns at Plants #4 and #5 were replaced by tunnel kilns in the same year.  Plant #7 opened in 1927, and Plant #8 followed in 1929.  The company reached its peak of production in 1948 when the company employed over 3,000 workers and manufactured over 10 million dozen pieces of ceramics.  The firm remains in the hands of the Wells family.  Its products include its popular Fiesta dinnerware and foodservice china.  [See: www.hlchina.com/company.htm]

Homer Laughlin markAccording to Lois Lehner’s “Lehner’s Encyclopedia of U.S. Marks on Pottery, Porcelain & Clay (Collector Books, 1988), Homer Laughlin China Company applied for the trademark that appears on the bottom of the wash bowl on “February 27, 1912, and again on April 3, 1956, claiming use on or before December 31, 1879 on earthenware table service.”  The body shape and pattern on your toilet set pieces suggest a date between 1890 and 1915.

While collectors have focused primarily on the wash bowl and cold water pitcher from Victorian era toilet sets, a full toilet set of the era consisted of over a half-dozen separate forms – wash bowl, cold water pitcher, hot water pitcher, vase (often confused for a toothbrush holder), shaving mug (often confused for a drinking cup), soap dish (up to four pieces – dish, inside bottom plate, strainer, lid), chamber pot and lid, slop jar (up to three pieces – pot, strainer, and lid).   An 1891 magazine advertisement for a Homer Laughlin China Works Cabinet pictures a wooden wash stand/cabinet, wash bowl, cold water picture, hot water pitcher, soap dish, vase, and slop jar.  The advertisement reads: “A complete toilet set is represented [in the vignette], the bailed Combinet (sic.) supplanting the pieces notably absent…Most good crockery dealers carry them in stock.  If yours does not, we shall be glad to ship you one direct from factory for $1.65, you paying the charges of transportation; or we will deliver them by express, charges prepaid, within a radius of 400 miles, for $2.00 each.”

[Author’s Aside: Although H. N. Wadsworth secured the first United States patent for a toothbrush in 1857, mass production did not begin until 1885.  Early toothbrushes retained bacteria, did not dry well, and the bristles often fell out.  The daily brushing of teeth did not become routine until World War II.]

Assuming your three pieces have no damage (hairline cracks, chips, or nicks) and crazing is minimal, the secondary market value for your wash bowl, cold water pitcher, and vase is around $100.00.


QUESTION:  I own a Stanley sewing tape measure.  The body is brass.  The top contains an America and British flag over a banner labeled “Bundles for Britain.”  What is its history and value? – J, Florence, MO

ANSWER:  In the period prior to America’s involvement in World War II, various United States charitable and humanitarian organizations collected clothing, food, medical supplies, and money to aid the civilian population in Britain.  In 1941, the British War Relief Society (BWRS) was incorporated and tasked with overseeing the work of most of these agencies.

Bundles for Britain, founded by Natalie Wales Latham in 1940, operated independently from the BWRS.  A New York knitting circle of which Latham was a member made knitted goods, such as gloves, hats, scarves, socks, and sweaters, and sent them to Britain.  Within less than a year and one-half, the movement had over 975 branches and almost a million contributors.  As 1941 progressed, Bundles for Britain also supplied ambulances, blankets, cots, field kitchen units, medicines, and operating tables, the result of raising over $1M dollars in cash.

Bundles for Britain and the BWRS worked together to issue memorabilia that was sold to raise funds.  Products included brooches, cigarette cases, compacts, pins, plates, and more.  Stanley adapted its brass tape measure No 3766 to support the Bundles for Britain campaign.

WorthPoint reports an example selling on eBay on April 25, 2007, for $19.99.  Martin J. Donnelly Auctions’ Tool List #1450 notes: “This rare measure is printed with the slogan ‘Bundles for Britain’ and would have been produced by Stanley at their plant in New Britain, Connecticut in the years 1939 to 1941…”  The estimated value is $125.00 to $250.00.  Friedas Attic, an estay.com seller, has an example listed at $36.00.  The listing notes the tape measure is 1 5/8 inches in diameter and extends to a length of 72 inches.

As often happens in the secondary collectibles marketplace, values can differ significantly in the general versus specialized marketplace.  I favor the lower values—a secondary market retail value of $30.00 to $40.00.


QUESTION:  I am looking for a good source of information about carnival glass.  I go to a lot of auctions.  There is always carnival glass for sale. – MN, Email Question

ANSWER:  First, obtain a copy of Bill Edwards and Mike Carwile’s “Standard Encyclopedia of Carnival Glass, 9th Edition,” published by Collector Books in 2004.  While out-of-print, used copies are available on amazon.com and other websites.  The book is an essential checklist of patterns and colors for anyone interested in carnival glass.  It also provides information on re-strikes (contemporary pieces made from period molds), reproductions (exact copies), copycats (stylist copies), and fantasy items (forms, shapes, and patterns never made during the period of initial production).

Second, become a member of the International Carnival Glass Association (http://www.internationalcarnivalglass.com/). The club has a number of regional chapters.  If there is one in your area, consider attending some of its meetings and shows.  Also check www.carnivalglass.org, the website of the Woodsland World Wide Carnival Glass Association.

Third, there are two issues with which you need to be concerned.  The first is post-World War II carnival glass made by a host of companies such as Fenton and Imperial.  The second is re-strikes and reproductions.  Spend time on www.realorrepro.com and read every article that deals with carnival glass.

Fourth, beware of dealer websites that appear to be collectors’ club sites.  While these sites contain useful information, the information is designed to create a level of confidence in the seller that may not be justified.

Fifth, get out in the field and handle as much carnival glass as you can.  Study the weight, feel, and texture.  Pay attention to color and the quality of iridescence.  Memorize period forms, shapes, and patterns.  Do not trust what anyone tells you.  Make each piece prove to you that it is what you think it is.  Finally, learn which pieces are common and which are scarce before you start buying.

Harry L. Rinker welcomes questions from readers about collectibles, those mass-produced items from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.  Selected letters will be answered in this column.  Harry cannot provide personal answers.  Photos and other material submitted cannot be returned.  Send your questions to: Rinker on Collectibles, 5955 Mill Point Court SE, Kentwood, MI 49512.  You also can e-mail your questions to harrylrinker@aol.com. Only e-mails containing a full name and mailing address will be considered.

You can listen and participate in WHATCHA GOT?, Harry’s antiques and collectibles radio call-in show, on Sunday mornings between 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM Eastern Time.  If you cannot find it on a station in your area, WHATCHA GOT? streams live on the Internet at www.gcnlive.com.

SELL, KEEP OR TOSS?: HOW TO DOWNSIZE A HOME, SETTLE AN ESTATE, AND APPRAISE PERSONAL PROPERTY (House of Collectibles, an imprint of Random House Information Group, $17.99), Harry’s latest book, is available at your favorite bookstore and via www.harryrinker.com.

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