RINKER ON COLLECTIBLES — Column #1427

Copyright © Harry Rinker, LLC 2014 

Questions and Answers

QUESTION:  I have an old roll top desk.  The top is a quarter-circle roll.  There is a central drawer flanked on each side by a row of three drawers.  There is a typewriter pull above the top drawer on the left.  The desk was refinished and is now stained a dark cherry color.  There is a matching desk chair.  What is my desk and chair worth? -- DB, Reading, PA, Email Question

ANSWER:  There are several keys to determining the value of a roll top desk.  First, nineteenth and early twentieth century roll top desks were designed to sit in the open.  Hence, all four sides of the desk are finished.  The sides and back often have a panel motif.  Second, an “S” roll is more desirable than a quarter-circle roll.  Third, the more elaborate the interior is the more the desk is worth.  Unfortunately, the picture that accompanied your email did not show the interior.  Fourth, condition is critical.  Refinishing is acceptable.  However, the refinishing should match the period finish, which is not the case with your desk.  Fifth, size plays a role.  While there are exceptions, the best approach is bigger is better.

Judging from the design style of your desk, I date it early 20th century, circa 1900-1915.  It lacks the panache of earlier desks.

Roll top desks commanded premium prices from the 1950s through the end of the 1970s.  By the 1980s, roll top desks lost favor.  Today, the market is off by 50 to 60 percent from its high.  Roll top desks are a challenge in the age of desktop computers.

I located a roll top desk made by Standard Furniture listed for sale on eBay that is almost identical to the one you own.  The Buy-It-Now price is $429.00.  The desk measures 50 inches by 32 inches by 44 inches.  Another eBay seller is asking $1,875.00 for a similar desk.  This demonstrates the wide discrepancy of pricing found on eBay and the internet.  If selling the desk privately, my recommendation is to ask $450.00 and bargain down to $400.00.  The desk might do a little better at auction, but you will pay the auctioneer between 20 and 25 percent to sell it for you.  Try Craigslist first.  If this does not work, post a card at work, your grocery store, and/or church indicating the desk is for sale.

In mid-May 2014, a WHATCHA GOT? (my weekly syndicated radio show) caller asked how you move a roll top desk.  The desk comes apart.  Remove the drawers and then put the back of the desk on the floor.  You will find screws holding the base to the top.  Unscrew them to break the desk apart.

[A WORD OF WARNING:  Be careful reassembling the desk after you move it.  When reassembling a roll top desk, I gave the screws an extra turn or two to tighten them.  As a result, I drove them through the top of the desk.]

QUESTION:  I have a Grain Belt Beer advertising poster, which I believe dates from the 1950s.  The image is a hunting scene entitled “End of a Tough Day.”  The illustrator is J. F. Kernan.  The framed poster measures 20 inches wide by 30 inches high.  What is its value? – J, Bozeman, MT

ANSWER:  In July 1890, the Minneapolis Brewing and Malting Company was formed through the consolidation of the Cermania Brewing Association, Heinrich Brewing Association, F. D. Norenberg Brewery and Malt House, and Orth Brewing Company.  Grain Belt quickly become the company’s leading brand.  Grain Belt Golden, a typical German-style lager, was introduced in 1893 and Grain Belt Premium in 1947.  Today, August Schell Brewing Company produces the brand.  [For more information, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grain_Belt_%28beer%29]

Grain Belt advertising signage featured the Midwest countryside, especially fields of barley, corn, and other grains.  Hunting images also were popular.

J. F. Kernan (1878-1958), a graduate of the Eric Pape School of Art in Boston, was known as the poor man’s Norman Rockwell.  He specialized in nostalgic generic scenes, many of which feature dogs.  Kernan did covers for “Collier’s Liberty,” “Outdoor Life,” “Saturday Evening Post,” and “The Country Gentleman.”   His advertising clients included Falstaff beer and Fisk tires.

The information you provided did not indicate if the frame is period.  Did it surround the picture when Grain Belt distributed it as advertising or was it added later?  An internet search failed to find examples of Grain Belt posters that appeared to have period frames.

If the frame is period, your Grain Belt poster has a value between $125.00 and $150.00.  If the frame was added later, its value decreases to $75.00 to $100.00

QUESTION:  I recently acquired a Laser Light He-Man action figure.  This figure was not sold in the United States.  The figure has the sword, but the blister pack is missing.  What are your thoughts about the value of the figure in the United States? – W, Bristol, TN

ANSWER:  The origin of the proverb “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” dates back to the eighteenth century. [See: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/imitation-is-the-sincerest-form-of-flattery.html]  It applies to the creation of He-Man.

After refusing to pay $750,000 for an action figure toy line based on “Star Wars” characters, Ray Wagner, CEO of Mattel, sought to create a similar line of action figures based on characters with superhuman strength.  In late 1980, Robert Sweet, a member of Mattel’s Preliminary Design Department, created three wax prototype figures—a barbarian, soldier, and spaceman.  Wagner chose the barbarian.  He-Man and the Masters of the Universe were born.

In July 1981, Mattel signed a licensing agreement with Conan Licensing Company to produce a line of Conan figures based on Universal’s 1982 movie “Conan the Barbarian.”  The subject matter of the film caused Mattel to have second thoughts.  Mattel terminated the licensing agreement in April 1982.   Mattel launched its He-Man and Masters of the Universe material in February 1983.  Conan Licensing Company sued, claiming that He-Man was a Conan knockoff.  Conan Licensing Company lost.

He-Man, whose alter ego is Prince Adam, and his allies defend the realm of Eternia from evil forces led by Skeletor.  Castle Grayskull contains advanced machinery and weapons that Skeletor desires to obtain.

The initial Masters of the Universe figures were issued with mini-comic books.  The 1983 animated cartoon series “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe” was launched in support of the action figures. “Masters of the Universe,” a full length movie, followed in 1987.  The movie flopped.  Mattel temporarily abandoned the toy line.  Revivals occurred in 1990, 2002, 2008, and 2012, all meeting with only modest success.

[For more information, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/He-Man and Robert Sweet’s “Mastering the Universe: He-man and The Rise and Fall of a Billion Dollar Idea,” published in 2005 by Clerisy Press/Emmis Books.]

Collecting in the twenty-first century is global.  The American marketplace is not always the best or the most active market.  According to www.He-Man.org, Laser Power He-Man was made in Italy, marketed in Europe, and distributed by Mattel in 1988.  Accessories included a sword, arm armor, and backpack.  The battery operated backpack powers the sword.

eBay.com lists a number of examples offered for sale.  A German seller is offering the figure complete with all accessories but outside the blister pack for a Buy-It-Now price of $394.62.   A French seller is asking $150.00 or best offer for the sword alone.  An example on its period blister pack is listed at $499.00 or best offer.

Remembering that eBay.com is American eBay, search eBay.co.uk, eBay.de, and eBay.fr to check other pricing sources.  Since the figure was issued in Europe, survival chances are greater there than in the United States.

1980s toys are a hot commodity.  Internet and field prices indicate this.  The secondary market for these toys is reaching or is at its peak.  While 2014 prices still may seem reasonable in 2019, they will be extravagant in 2029.  The Laser Power He-Man was mass produced.  Comparative shopping is the order of the day.

QUESTION:  I own a yarn shop in Everett, PA.  A customer came in yesterday with a needle gauge that she found in her mother’s attic following her mother’s death.  It features a map of England and is marked on the bottom: “ALL PROCEEDS TO / BRITISH WAR RELIEF SOCIETY, INC.”  Beneath the inch marking is “BRITAIN INCHES UP.”  There is no printing on the back.  It is in nice condition.  I am not certain it has antique value but would like to know more about it. – RC, Everett, PA, Email Question

ANSWER:  In “Rinker on Collectibles” Column #1417, I answered a question about a brass Stanley sewing tape measure featuring crossed American and British flags and “Bundles for Britain” on the top surface.  “Bundles for Britain” was an independent group.

The British War Relief Society, founded in 1941, was an umbrella organization that coordinated the efforts of numerous American groups to send aid to civilians and other non-military groups in England.  Knitting groups across America made scarves, socks, sweaters, and a host of other items.  [See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_War_Relief_Society and “Collecting British War Relief Memorabilia at http://www.ww2homefront.com/junkie5.html .]

Your British War Relief needle gauge is classified as a World War II home front collectible.  Its value is between $15.00 and $20.00.

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.