RINKER ON COLLECTIBLES — Column #1509

Copyright © Harry Rinker, LLC 2015 

Questions and Answers

QUESTION:  I have a charm bracelet and more than fifteen individual charms, some of which are duplicates and triplicates.  None of the charms have a maker’s mark.  I think the charms date from the 1930s or 1940s.  One charm on the charm bracelet reads:  “Don’t Fence Me In,”  the song written in 1934 with music by Cole Porter and lyrics by Robert Fletcher and Cole Porter.  I would like your opinion about the value of my charm bracelet and charms.  Am I close with my dating?  -- SK, Richmond, CA, Email Question

ANSWER:  Charms designed to ward off evil spirits date back to pre-historic times.  The Egyptians created individual charm arrangements so that the gods would recognize them in the afterlife.  The first charm bracelets appeared between 600 and 400 BC.

Queen Victoria introduced the modern charm bracelet.  She wore bracelets that contained pieces symbolic of members of the Royal family.  Queen Victorian also gave charm bracelets as presents.  Tiffany introduced its first charm bracelet in 1889.  During the Great Depression, the wealthy who survived the crash wore bracelets with charms featuring diamonds.

America experienced a charm bracelet craze in the 1950s and early 1960s.  Adults and teenagers created bracelets with charms that represented important events in their lives.  The craze abated by the end of the 1960s, albeit it continues in a more limited form. [Pandora is a contemporary spinoff of the charm bracelet concept.]  Around 2000, a collecting craze began for mid-twentieth century charms and charm bracelets.  Although the collecting craze has cooled, there are enough dedicated charm collectors to keep secondary market prices stable.   See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charm_bracelet.

Your charm bracelet dates circa late 1940s to mid-1950s.  First, the strong western theme of the charms on the bracelet suggests an early to mid-1950s date.  The television western reigned supreme in the 1950s, thanks to the pioneering efforts of Hoppy (William Boyd as Hopalong Cassidy), Gene (Gene Autry), and Roy (Roy Rogers).  Rogers sang “Don’t Fence Me In” in 1944 for the move “Hollywood Canteen.”  Additional recordings by singers such as the Andrews Sisters, Bing Crosby, and Ella Fitzgerald quickly followed.

I am not concerned that your charms have no maker’s marks.  Most charms did not.  Charm bracelets often contained a mixture of sterling and base metal (pewter) charms.  Since you made no mention of any charms being marked “Sterling” or “925,” I assume the charms and those on the bracelet are made from a base metal.  Some appear to be plated.

The charms on the bracelet appear to be a much higher quality than the individual charms.  Although I can provide no direct proof, the quality of the loose charms suggest they were prizes from a gum ball machine.  If I am correct, the loose charms have a value between fifty cents and a dollar each.

Given the number of charms on the bracelet and their higher quality appearance, I value the bracelet between $85.00 and $100.00.  If some charms are marked “925” or “Sterling,” the value will be higher.

QUESTION:  I have a desk set (inkwell, blotter, and box) that was given to me as a wedding gift more than 50 years ago.  The marking on the bottom of the inkwell is” JB 117.”  The pieces are bronze in color and have a floral motif.  I would appreciate more information about this set. – DL, Drampton, Ontario, E-mail Question

ANSWER:  The “JB” indicates your desk set was made by Jennings Brothers Manufacturing Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut.  The company was founded in 1890.  It made a wide range of cast decorative and office accessories including bookends, boxes, clock cases, figurines, and statues.  In addition to bronzing, Jennings Brothers also produced some silver-plated items.  A talented group of artists and sculptors created designs that were aesthetic and matched the fashionable tastes of the times.  Jennings Brothers Manufacturing Company ceased operations in the early 1950s.  A Philadelphia firm purchased the Jennings Brothers molds and produced less expensive versions of the period pieces, many of which were sold at auction to unsuspecting buyers believing they were acquiring period pieces.

Your desk set has an Art Nouveau design motif, meaning it was initially manufactured in the 1910s.  Jennings kept the items in its catalog for more than a decade.   The value for your three-piece set is between $40.00 and $55.00.

QUESTION:  I recently found my Wolverine Supply and Manufacturing Company, No. 31, Merry-Go-Round.  It still works but is missing one of the airplanes.  What is its value? – M, Reading, PA

ANSWER:  Benjamin F. Bain founded the Wolverine Supply & Manufacturing Company in 1903.  The company was incorporated in 1906.  Initially, the company manufactured household hardware and utensils.  The first plant was located in the Phillips Power Building, Stanwix Street and Duquesne Boulevard in Pittsburgh.

When the company moved to a new plant on Fontella Street between Page and Western Avenues in Manchester (Allegheny County), the company began manufacturing sand-operated, mechanical, lithograph tin construction toys.  Toys operated by agate marbles and steel balls followed.  An example of Wolverine’s Panama Pile driver is in my collection.

Wolverine continued to expand its product lines.  Additions included manual and mechanical game boards, kitchen furniture and other accessories for girls, a wealth of vehicles, and novelty toys, such as the drumming soldier.

In 1968, Sprang Industries, located in Butler, Pennsylvania, bought the Wolverine Toy Company.  Production moved to Booneville, Arkansas, in 1971.  The Wolverine brand became “Today’s Kids” in 1986.   See: http://www.alleghenycity.org/index.php?ARTICLE=11.

Your lithograph tin merry go round toy dates from the early 1950s.  There are three variations.  Each model features children riding horses in the center, airplanes extending from the carousel’s canopy, and a handwork clockwork mechanism.  The difference between models rests with the paint theme.  Model 30 has yellow drapes with red line highlights on a blue ground for the carousel’s canopy and base.  Model 31A has a circus theme on the base and a knight and shield motif on the drop of the carousel canopy.  Model No. 70 has a theatrical theme on the base and alternating red, blue, and yellow stripes on the canopy.

Asking values vary widely among sellers.  Examples without the box range from $150.00 to $225.00.  The box adds an extra $100.00.  I found examples being offered for sale with higher prices.  A person paying these high prices is a lazy shopper given that comparison shopping will result in savings of more than one hundred dollars.

Although it seems minor, the missing plane diminishes the value of your example by a minimum of 25 percent.  My recommendation is to replace the plane.  Contact Joe Freeman at Tin Toy Works, 1313 North 15th Street, Allentown, PA  18102.  Freeman is one of the finest tin toy restorers in America.  He may have a replacement piece on hand.  If this fails, you have two additional replacement options.  First, buy a badly damaged example on eBay and switch out the missing part.  Make certain you purchase an example with a base identical to the one you own.  Second, visit the toy show in Macungie (August) or Allentown (November) and see if you can find a replacement piece there.

This is a fun toy.  Take the time to play with it.

QUESTION:  Years ago, I purchased a Jenny Lind cast iron trivet that I found in a barn in New Hampshire.  What is its value? – R, Reading, PA

ANSWER:  While old, the trivet may not be as old as its source of discovery suggests.  In my research, I found several sources that indicate 1945 as the date of manufacture.  Look carefully.  There should be a marking that reads “J. Z.N. 1945 E.”

Price research resulted in a variety of prices ranging from $12.00 plus shipping to $69.99 plus shipping.  An enterprising seller listed the trivet as “Rare 1945 Nude Jenny Lind Cast Iron JZH Trivet.”  The nudity claim aside, the seller only wanted $25.00.  I examined a number of images to see if I agreed with the “nude” attribution.  The results were inconclusive.  If dressed, Jenny was diaphanously clad. 

The trivet is common.  I found more than a dozen examples offered for sale on the internet.  One example had a bronze finish.  Another showed remains of a bronze coating.

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.