RINKER ON COLLECTIBLES — Column #1513

Copyright © Harry Rinker, LLC 2016 

Questions and Answers

QUESTION:  I have a western style toy cap gun marked “KUSAN, INC. NASHVILLE, TENN. #280.”  It is in excellent shape and completely functional.  I am interested in knowing more about it. – JH, Brownwood, TX, Email Question

ANSWER:  Kunsan acquired Nichols Industries, Inc., in 1965.  Nichols Industries along with Hubley, Kenton, Kilgore, Schmidt, and Wyandotte were among the leading manufacturers of die-cast cap guns during the late 1940s through the mid-1960s.  The cap gun craze was fueled by the TV cowboy era of Hopalong Cassidy (William Boyd) and Roy Rogers to “Gunsmoke” and “Bonanza.”

Talley W. and Lewis W. Nichols founded Nichols Industries in 1946.  Initially located in Pasadena, Texas, the company moved to Jacksonville, Texas, in 1954/1955.  The company specialized in guns that resembled the Colt Peacemaker.  Nichols’ “Stallion 45” was declared the “Toy of the Year” in 1950.  The decline of the child-based TV cowboy era in the early 1960s led to a major decline in cap gun sales.  Growing opposition to the Vietnam War and guns of any kind by young parents also aided the decline.

When Kusan acquired Nichols Industries, Inc., Kusan continued the use of the Nichols dies.  Many pieces had a double-name, Nichols/Kusan.  The Nichols name slowly disappeared.  The website www.nicholscapguns.com contain detailed information on the history of the die cast cap gun, especially those made by Nichols Industries and Kusan.

The pictures on the Kusan – Kusan/Nichols URL suggest Kusan cap guns were manufactured for the peg board market found in Big Box and discount stores.  The Kusan “Nicols Lil’ Scout” and “Nichols Ranger” blister pack unit sold for 79 cents.

The #280 is a model number.   On November 20, 2015, an example sold on eBay for $10.00 with only one bid made.  A Model #280 with holster brought $0.99 plus $7.00 shipping on December 24, 2015.  A realistic secondary market price for your cap gun is between $7.50 and $10.00.

eBay prices are far below prices asked by specialist cap gun dealers such as www.billsvintagecapguns.com and vintagetoycapguns.com.   These specialized dealers supply advanced collectors and individuals who want to buy back their favorite childhood cap gun and do not care what they have to pay to acquire it.  It is fair to ask how long this secondary market will sustain itself.  The last ten years has witnessed a major decline in secondary market prices as the generations of individuals who played with and/or collected cap guns make their way to the great shootout in the sky.  When I began writing about antiques and collectibles in the early 1980s, the pre-World War II single shot, cast iron cap gun was highly desirable.  In 2016, collector interest in single shot, cast iron cap guns is minimal.

QUESTION:  I have a 10” high bronze statue of a young boy walking home from school.  The boy appears to be whistling.  It has been in my family since the 1940s.  I would appreciate any help in dating the statue, identifying the artist, and determining the secondary market value. – AC, Boca Raton, FL, Email Question

ANSWER:  You statue is a copy of Marcel Debut’s sculpture L’Ecolier (Schoolboy).  Marcel Debut (1865-1933) is the son of Dider Début, a French sculpture.  Marcel studied at the Ecole des Beaux Arts and was a pupil of Thomas and Chapu.  He exhibited paintings and sculptures at the Salon des Artistes Français in the 1890s.  The majority of his work was done in the early twentieth century.

In researching L’Ecolier, I found listings for 10/11 inch, 15 inch, and 21/22 inch versions of the sculpture.  Based on asking and realized prices, the 15 inch version is the sculpture cast from Marcel Debut’s period molds.

In the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, it was a common practice to authorize inexpensive copies of sculptures so the work could be made available to the general public.  These copies are characterized by one or more of the following: (1) lacks the detail of the artist’s sculpture, (2) varies in size, (3) made from a base (white) metal and bronze plated, and (4) unsigned or has the artist’s name and/or signature cast into the statue or included on a plaque attached to the base.

An eBay seller listed the 22 inch example for $2,999.00 in April 2015.  It did not sell.  The previous owner had purchased the statue from DuMouchelles in Detroit.  Auctionflex.com listed an identical example with a sale estimate of $200.00 to $400.00.  It sold for $143.75.  Arthur James Galleries in Delray Beach, Florida, offered an 11 inch version with a presale estimate of $400.00 to $500.00.  It was bought in.

The website www.1stdibs.com has a listing for the 15 inch version for $850.00.  An English eBay seller has an identical 11 inch version listed for $715.00.

Assuming I am correct that your statue is a mass-produced version, its secondary market value is between $125.00 and $175.00.

QUESTION:  I have three beer trays from the greater Pittsburgh area.  The first features a head and shoulder image of a young woman holding a glass of beer beneath which is “THE ORIGINAL CUMBERLAND OLD GERMAN BEER.”  The second features a banner with “FORT PITT” beneath which is “SPECIAL BEER.”  ‘The third has a head and shoulder image of a young man in a band or military outfit holding a glass of beer in his raised right hand beneath which is a banner reading “DUQUESNE PILSENER.”  The first two are in rough condition, pitted and dirty.  The third is in better condition although not pristine.  Do they have any value? – D, Greater Pittsburgh Area, Email Question

ANSWER:  The website www.trayman.net is an excellent site for information about beer trays.

Old German Beer is a product of the Queen City Brewery in Cumberland, Maryland.  The brewery was founded in 1901 as the German Brewing Company.  The company changed its name to the Liberty Brewing Company during the First World War.  During Prohibition, the company became Queento Brewing.  When Prohibition ended, the company once again became the German Brewing Company, only to change its name again during World War II to the Queen City Brewing Company.  Queen City Brewing produced Old German Beer Premium Lager and other brands.  Much to my surprise, I did not find this tray listed on www.trayman.net nor did I find illustrations of the tray on the internet.  A possible conclusion is that this is a hard to find tray and has value even in damaged condition.  My head says think twice before drawing this conclusion.  Taking a middle position, the value of your tray is in the $15.00 to $20.00 range.

The Fort Pitt Special Beer tray dates from the late 1940s to early 1950s.  The Fort Pitt Brewing Company was located in Sharpsburg (Pittsburgh) from 1906-1957.  The American Can Company made the tray.  In mint condition, the tray is worth between $30.00 and $35.00.  Given this low price for a mint example, you tray has little value.

The Duquesne Pilsener, “The Finest Beer in Town,” tray dates from the 1940s.  The Duquesne Brewing Company was located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and operated from 1899 and dissolved in 1972.  The maker of the tray is unknown.  Its mint value is around $100.00.  Examples of this tray in a condition similar to your example list between $25.00 and $35.00.

QUESTION:  I have a Jacob Bloom Company cedar blanket chest that I want to sell.  The label inside the lid contains the image of a medallion from The Sesqui-Centennial of American Independence.   The rectangular chest has ball feet.  The varnish is badly crackled.  What advice can you provide? – BS, Dresher, PA, Email Question

ANSWER:  I was not able to locate a history of the Jacob Bloom Company of Philadelphia.  The Sesquicentennial medallion indicated the company was in business in the mid-1920s, a period when red cedar blanket chests were the rage.

1920s and 1930s cedar chests were in demand at the dawn of the 21st century.  Room ready examples sold in excess of $200.00.  The secondary market quickly flooded.  Demand is minimal in 2016.

Your chest is a basic box-like cedar chest.  It has minimal design-style elements.  For those who love Country, this is a plus.  For those preferring a more formal look, it is a deterrent.

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.