RINKER ON COLLECTIBLES — Column #1737

Copyright © Harry Rinker, LLC 2020

Questions and Answers

QUESTION: I have a wooden shaft putter with a rawhide grip that measures 35-inches long. On the top of the putter body is a circular label with a dark brown background and on which is “THE / Duke (in an elaborate script) / HAND MADE” in gold letters. On the bottom of the putter is “Handmade in St. Andrews by and a lead insert that says “Golf Classics.” “HAND MADE / IN / SCOTLAND” is printed on the shaft just below the grip. I have no idea what value this putter has or whether I should sell or keep it. I am 81. My back is no longer fit for playing golf. Thanks for your help. – RH, Rome City, IN, Letter

ANSWER: When one is an antiques and collectibles researcher, the phrase “learn something new every day” becomes a truism. It is fun when I receive a question from a reader, put it aside because I dread researching it, but continue to encounter it in my “Questions To Be Researched” file until I decide: “Okay, I will take five minutes to see what I can find.”

RH’s question was one of those five-minute queries. I did a Google search putting “The Duke” (in quotes) followed by golf club. Borrowing a phrase from the narrator in Clement Moore’s poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” “When what to my wondering eyes did appear” as the first listing but the very golf putter I was seeking. The sale tag line read “The Duke Handmade in St. Andrews Scotland Hickory Putter.”

When teaching authentication techniques, one of my rules is: “if an object looks new, chances are it is new.” I used HR’s description as a checklist. The result was a 100 percent match. The seller was asking $69.99 plus shipping. The cost also indicated the club was of recent origin. The seller’s description contained no information about the manufacturer.

Like a fish tasting the bait on a hook, a nibble is not enough. I continued to research the putter. Eventually, I found a listing for “‘The Duke’ Abercrombie & Fitch Made in Scotland Mallet Putter – Reproduction” that was sold at July 2019 Golf memorabilia auction for $59.93.

Your reproduction putter was designed for display and not play. In the open secondary resale market, its value is around $25.00. In the golf memorabilia market, its value is between $40.00 and $45.00.

QUESTION: I have a matching set of lamps. Each is approximately 12 inches high. The cast iron base supports an orange painted glass cylinder with a stepped, round glass top. The orange cylinder features a black silhouette design of women frolicking in the woods. The only manufacturer’s information I see is Leviton on the lamp socket. The lamps were rewired years ago. The lamps belonged to my great grandmother who died in 1963. I am curious about their age and origin. – WJ, Berlin Center, OH, Email Question

ANSWER: The matched pair of Art Deco, boudoir lamps date from the late 1920s or early 1930s. Art Deco is famous for contrasting color schemes, in this instance black against orange. The free-flowing whimsical design also is typical of Art Deco. The date period is further confirmed by the decorative motif on the rectangular base with its chamfered corners.

The bases are not cast iron. They are a slush metal with a bronze/copper plated surface.

The rewiring does not impact value or enhance the lamps value, albeit it will help in closing a sale because the lamps are “room ready.”

The value of your pair of lamps depends heavily on the market in which they are sold. In the countryside, their value is between $40.00 and $50.00. In a large urban area, especially in an area where Art Deco still is popular, the value doubles.

QUESTION: My father Joe O’Brien served as a petty officer aboard the USS. Dixie for three tours during the Vietnam War. My father has three uniforms (jumper top and pants), a peacoat, and hat. He also has a picture of him sitting in a chair and wearing his uniform. Although my dad is keeping these items for the moment, he would like to know what the secondary market is for items such as these. – SB, Altoona, PA, Email Question

ANSWER: The USS Dixie (AD-14) was a destroyer tender. The USS Dixie was launched on May 27, 1939 by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation in Camden, New Jersey. The USS Dixie served in World War II and the Korean War. From the early 1960s until decommissioned in 1982, the USS Dixie was homeported at Subic Bay in the Philippines. The ship served as a support ship for destroyers in the 7th Fleet. She was in Vietnam water in 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968. 1969, and 1970.

Militaria collectors are beginning to focus on Vietnam era material. Your father’s uniform collection has a secondary market value between $225.00 and $275.00.

QUESTION: I am in the process of cleaning out my father’s house. He passed away in January 2020. Recently, I cleared off a shelf in a closet in my sister’s bedroom leading up to the upper attic. I found a Cabbage Patch Baby that was a gag gift from friends between the time my sister was 18 to 22. I am reluctant to donate it to a charity without checking its value. In 1983, I worked at B. Altman’s, a high-end department store, in Saint David’s Pennsylvania. During my time there, I took a Cabbage Patch doll from the storeroom down to the toy department. I said to the clerk, “Here’s the Cabbage Patch Kid thing for you.” She replied quickly and sternly: “Don’t say that too loud! I’ll get mobbed by hordes of people for it! It’s a special order; and, I do not want to get run over.” I left snickering and thought to myself “what’s the big deal over this ugly doll thing?” What should I do with my sister’s Cabbage Patch doll? It still is in its period box but the cellophane is falling off. – HS, West Chester, PA, Email Question

ANSWER: I lived through the 1983 Cabbage patch doll craze. My daughter Paulanne was 14 at the time and living with her mother. If she owned a Cabbage Patch Doll, I am unaware of it. I certainly did not stand in line to buy her one.

In the “do I really need to know this” class, you can date Coleco’s Cabbage Patch babies by the color of Xavier Roberts signature on their butts – Black (1983), Green (1984), blue (1985), Red (1986), Aqua (1987), Lavender (1988), and Rose (1989). Unfortunately, there was no butt picture in the wealth of images that accompanied your email.

The box also provides a dating clue. The 1983 Coleco boxes have no date banner on them, the 1984 boxes have a banner, the 1985 box banner has “1985” on it, the 1986 box has “Official” in place of the date, and 1987 and 1988 box colors changed.

After examining your box, it appears you have a 1983 Coleco Cabbage patch doll in its period box. The Gimbels’ price sticker is $24.95.

WorthPoint lists a 1983-1984 Cabbage Patch doll near mint in the box that sold through on eBay on January 22, 2020 for $100.00. The secondary Cabbage Patch doll market has declined significantly over the past five years. As always, my advice is to think conservatively. A reasonable secondary market value for your sister’s dolls is between $60.00 and $75.00.

READER'S RESPONSE: Several months ago, I answered a question from Kathy Touchtone of Winter Haven, Florida, asking for help identifying a “Made in Japan” item comprised of an oval melon base and a lid featuring a female face with spout at the top of her hair. Kathy speculated that it was a neti pot or inhaler. I ask my readers if they could help. I received a March 9, 2020 email from Zendelle Bouchard who questioned if the lid and base actually go together. Kathy and I noted the lid did not fit tightly. Zendelle also thought the colors did not match properly. Is it possible, this is a mismatched piece? Absolutely!

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.