RINKER ON COLLECTIBLES — Column #1487

Copyright © Harry Rinker, LLC 2015 

Questions and Answers

QUESTION:  I have an old quilt frame that I believe dates from the late 1800s or early 1900s.  My wife, who is a quilter, received the frame from my mother’s sister-in-law.  She said it belonged to her grandmother at one time, which would put it into the time frame I indicated.  The frame is 29 inches wide and 90 inches in length.  It has two longer extensions.  On the bottom of one of the tripods is “PACKED BY GROWERS, INC.” of California, although it is hard to read.  The tripod stands could have been hand-made out of spare wood.  Do you have any idea what I should price it at a rummage sale? – JH, Janesville, WI, Email Question

ANSWER:  In researching this question, I looked at hundreds of historic and contemporary quilt frame pictures available on the internet.  I did not find a single frame with a tripod leg construction that matched the legs on your quilt frame.  I came to the same conclusion that you did.  The legs are home-made, albeit very well made.

Most individuals who own antique and collectible quilt frames use them.  Farm museums and local rural and small town historical societies often have one on exhibit.

Although the secondary collecting market is minimal; the secondary reuse market is strong.  The selling key is that the asking price for the old quilting frame is less than a contemporary quilting frame.  New quilting frames begin around $75.00 and extended in the lower hundreds.   Internet listings of older quilting frames begin at $40.00 and extend to $150.00.  The exceptions are frames from the late 18th and early 19th centuries.  These have “historic” value as well as secondary market value.

A rummage sale is not the place to sell your quilt frame.  In this venue, $25.00 is a top price.  Instead, first find a quilting group or groups in your area.  A new members might enjoy working on an older quilting frame.  This is your strongest market.

If this is not feasible, list the quilt frame on Craigslist.  A “Best Offer Over $50.00” is worth considering.  The higher you make the minimum, the more difficulty you will have attracting a buyer.

Given its relatively low value, consider approaching your local historical society or the state farm museum and donating it.  A letter of gift is not required by the IRS for donations valued below $500.00.

QUESTION:  I own a ceramic plate in the shape of a leaf.  It is 10 inches long and nine inches wide.  The body is white with red leaf veins and green edges.  The bottom is marked with a large “S” with the initials “vp” in the upper curve of the “S” (the stem of the “p” extends down through the center of the “S”) and “nt” in the bottom curve of the “S.”  There also is a faded sticker that reads “Vincent Price Presents” across the top, an image of an eagle surrounded by “National Treasures” in the center, and “Sears Roebuck and Company” across the bottom.  What can you tell me about this dish? – DB, Park Ridge, IL, Email Question

ANSWER:  The mark is easy to decipher.  The “S” stands for Sears Roebuck Company.  The “vp” is Vincent Price and the “nt” is national treasures.  Your leaf dish is one of the special pieces Price commissioned for the National Treasures series.

Although Sears Roebuck sold period art as early as 1895 in select stores, it was not until 1962 that Sears Roebuck decided to attempt to sell fine art on a national basis.  Sears approached Vincent Price, an actor who also was known internationally as a fine art collector, connoisseur, former gallery owner, and lecturer, to head the program.  Price was given carte blanche to acquire period works of art and even commission artists to create special pieces for the program.

Although concerns were raised about Sears’ ability to offer high-quality artwork of artistic merit, the program was a success.  “The Vincent Price Collection of Fine Art” was launched on October 6, 1962, at Sears’ Denver, Colorado store.  Prices ranged from $10.00 to $3,000.00 for pieces of historic and contemporary art.  Each piece was sold with a guarantee that it was authentic.  Within weeks, the program was expanded to 10 additional markets.  Continued success resulted in the program being expanded to Sears’ stores nationwide.

Sears also sold pieces from “The Vincent Price Collection of Fine Art” through special catalogs in 1963 and 1964.  In 1966, Sears opened the Sears Vincent Price Gallery in Chicago.  The gallery featured the work of lesser-known contemporary artists.  The Gallery is the likely source for your leaf dish.  Temporary exhibits were held at hundred of locations throughout the United States.  When the program ended in 1971, Sears had sold more than 50,000 pieces of historic and contemporary fine art.  [See: http://www.searsarchives.com/history/art/]

I was unable to identify the artist of your leaf bowl, a value added element if the artist went on to become famous.  I did find internet dealer sale listings for a few pieces of “SVPNT” (Sears Vincent Price National Treasures).  One was a 1967 fruit/wash bowl produced by Morton Pottery, a surprise because it was a mass-produced item.

As it stands, the secondary market resale value of your leaf dish, assuming there are no condition problems, is between $45.00 and $55.00.  If the artist or manufacturer can be identified, the value would increase.

QUESTION:  I have a 50-coin set of the Franklin Mint’s History of the American Revolution medals.  The coins are sterling silver.  What is the value of my set? – S, Reading, PA

ANSWER:  The melt value of the silver is my standard answer to this type of question is.  As of July 20, 2015, the current value of an ounce of silver is $14.93, down significantly from two years ago when the value was almost double.  The melt value is lower.

You do not indicate how much silver each of the coins contained.  This influences value.

In researching you question, I found the website www.icollectfranklinmint.com that offers to buy Franklin Mint silver.  Type “The Medallic History of the American Revolution Medals Collection” into the search line on the home page.  A page with a “GET OUR BID!  Click Here” line appears.  The page notes: “the bronze edition has little value.”

The website: http://www.iguide.net/79846_item_the_medallic_ history_of_the_american_revolution_medals_collection ___franklin_mint_1976.html   lists the set for sale at a price range from $225.19 to $280.71.  WorthPoint.com has a listing for a full set of The Medallic History of American Revolution that sold on eBay on June 12, 2010 for $680.00.  The listing stated that set contained 21 troy ounces of silver.  This was a time when silver had a far higher per ounce value than it does today.

QUESTION:  I own three White House Easter Eggs that I acquired during a White House Easter Egg Roll in 1987 or 1988.  Keith Haring, the artist, was among the guest celebrities.  After the Easter Egg Roll was concluded, I stood in the Haring autograph line.  Haring signed each of the eggs, adding one of his cartoon figures beneath his signature on each egg.  I plan to keep the eggs but am curious as to their current secondary market value. -- J

ANSWER:  The website http://www.whitehouseeaster.com/memorollbilia.htm contains detailed information on the eggs used in the While House Easter Egg Roll starting with the 1931 Roll during the Herbert Hoover Administration.  Unfortunately, the information does not include a list of guest celebrities.

Internet research revealed that Keith Haring was invited to the 1988 White House Easter Egg Roll during which he created a 16 foot by 8 foot mural, which he then donated to Children’s Hospital.  Haring generously created works of art for the wards of children’s hospitals, one of his favorite charitable organizations.

Having identified the year, information about the 1988 White House Easter Egg Roll, hosted by Vice President George Bush and Mrs. Barbara Bush, is readily available.  There were two types of eggs: (1) wooden with three different text designs in seven glossy colors and (2) real eggs.  Between 23,000 and 30,000 attended the event.  After rolling an egg, participants received a wooden egg to take home.  For those children willing to wait in line, they could receive two additional eggs – one signed by a celebrity in the hunt area and another by a sports celebrity.  Tasha Tudor did the cover art for the 16-page program.

Although the facts place Keith Haring at the 1988 White House Easter Egg Roll, you still need collaborating evidence that you were there.  Did you retain any of the program memorabilia?  Do you have a photograph of you participating in the Easter Egg Roll?  Ideally, do you have a photograph of Haring signing eggs?

Today, autograph and art collectors are highly suspicious individuals.  They should be.  Fake material is prevalent in the secondary market.  In 2012, the Keith Haring Foundation dissolved its Authentication Committee noting “the trustees came to the conclusion that the public and the Foundation’s charitable mission would be better served if the resources presently required for the operation of the authentication committee were redirected to purposes more directly related to the charitable goals designated by the Foundation’s founder, the artist Keith Haring…..”  [http://www.haring.com/kh_foundation/authentication]

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.