Questions and Answers

QUESTION: I just discovered a “No. 189 Pink” Wolverine Modern Play Stove with aluminum utensils in my recently deceased mother’s attic.  The Wolverine Supply & Mfg. Co., Inc., of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, made the stove.  The oven door opens and closes.  There are four colored push buttons across the top of the stove.  Utensils include a cookie sheet, teakettle, saucepan with lid, regular serving spoon, spatula, and a slotted service spoon.  What can you tell me about my find?  --  E-mail Question, DS, Bowling Green, OH

ANSWER: Cathy Cook’s “Wolverine Toys: tin-litho stars” article which appeared in the 1997 Spring issue of Collectibles: Flea Market Finds magazine notes: “In 1903, Benjamin E. Bain established a business in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to manufacture and repair tools and dies.  He called his new venture the Wolverine Supply and Mfg. Co., after the mascot of his alma mater, the University of Michigan.  Shortly after Bain opened his doors, the Sand Toy Company of Pittsburgh asked him to make tools for their mechanical, gravity-action sand toy—the Sandy Andy.  Before long, Bain bought out the toy company and began making the complete Sandy Andy, Wolverine’s first toy.  Wolverine soon introduced other mechanical sand toys, and, by 1913, they were being sold in large department stores all over the U.S….

“Although Wolverine made the same housekeeping items from the 1920s to the ‘60s—stoves, refrigerators, kitchen sinks—they continually updated and modernized them.  Their 1942 refrigerator, with the tin-litho foods on the inside of the door, gave way, in 1955, to the ‘latest’ modern appliances: a refrigerator with separate freeze and fridge doors, complete with ice-cube trays and mini packages of frozen foods.  Two years later, the refrigerator was updated with a revolving shelf.

“The early ‘50s saw the introduction of Wolverine’s more ‘educational’ toys.  The first of these toys was the ‘Adding Machine,’ which dates to the late ‘40s.  It was followed by ‘See and Add,’ ‘See and Spell’ and ‘Arithmetic Quiz,’ which came in different colors and were made into the 1970s….”

“In 1962, the company changed its name from the Wolverine Supply and Manufacturing Company to the Wolverine Toy Company.  Six years later, Wolverine became a subsidiary of Spang Industries of Butler, Pennsylvania.  Then, in 1971, the company moved to Booneville, Arkansas, and, in 1986, changed its name to Today’s Kids.”

Wolverine kitchen appliances often were sold in sets—refrigerator, sink, and stove.  A pink set consisting of refrigerator, washer, stove, mixer, and utensils sold for $100.00 on eBay in June.  A listing for just your pink stove failed to receive an opening bid of $22.00.  A second example sold for $11.00.

In the field, i.e., at an antiques and collectibles flea market or antiques mall, your stove and its utensils would be priced between $30.00 and $35.00.  On eBay, it should sell in the $18.00 to $22.00 range.

QUESTION: My husband has in his possession a doll.  I am not certain what it is made of; it could be wood.  On the back it says: “Schoenhut / Pat. Jan. 17, 1911.”  The head, shoulders, arms, hands, knees, and feet are all movable.  What can you tell us about it?  --  DM, Allentown, PA

ANSWER: In 1872 Albert Schoenhut, a German immigrant, founded his own company to manufacture a toy piano he perfected.  The company quickly expanded its line to include a host of musical percussion instruments, military toys, novelty toys, and children’s play equipment.  Beginning in the 1890s, Schoenhut’s sons (there were six) started working for the company.

In 1902 Schoenhut purchased Fritz Meinecke’s patent right for a toy animal whose parts were held together by elastic.  The first Humpty Dumpty Circus items appeared in 1903.  In 1908 the Rolly Dolly was introduced.  Albert Schoenhut filed a patent for a swivel, spring-jointed doll in 1909.  He received it in 1911.  Walking dolls were added in 1919 and sleep-eye dolls in 1921.

In the late 1920s Schoenhut manufactured a line of comic character jointed toys for George Borgfelt & Co.  The Depression hit the company hard.  Several new games, colorful wagons and pull toys, and a line of diecut, cardboard jigsaw puzzles were introduced.  Schoenhut’s catalog dropped from eight-five (late 1920s) to thirty-nine pages (1934).

The company went into bankruptcy in 1935.  Albert F. and his son Frederick Carl created the Schoenhut Manufacturing Company to continue making toy pianos.  In 1950 Nelson Delavan purchased the manufacturing rights and reproduced several animals and personnel.

Dawn Herlocher’s 200 Years of Dolls: Identification & Price Guide, Second Edition (Krause Publications, 2002; 350 pages, $27.95) provides this information about the 1911 patented dolls: “The metal joints had springs that compressed, rather than stretched when pulled.  This added to the durability of the Schoenhut doll.  In addition to the unique spring joints, the wooden dolls were painted entirely with oil colors.  Their solid wood heads came with either mohair wigs or molded hair.  Although collectors refer to this type of molded hair as carved hair, only the very crudest features were carved, and then refined and finished by molding under pressure.  The feet are of hardwood with two holes drilled in the soles to enable the doll to be placed on its stand and posed.  One hold was drilled at an angle and one straight.  The oblique hole allows the doll to hold its foot in the tip-toe position.

Schoenhut made 14in, 16in, 19in, and 21in sizes.  Face variations include a character face with carved hair and intaglio eyes, a character face with wig and intaglio eyes, a bonnet girl (cap molded to head), Schnickel-Fritz (molded wavy hair, squinting painted eyes), Tootsie Wootsie (lightly molded short hair), and a Black (molded curly hair).

Given the information you provided in your letter, it is impossible to tell which style of doll you have, its condition, and the condition of its clothing.  My recommendation is that you obtain a copy of Dawn Herlocher’s book and identify the specific doll that you own.  Schoenhut dolls are considered to be of good quality and have a strong collector following.  Assuming the condition warrants, it is highly likely your doll will have a value in excess of $1,000.00.

QUESTION: I own the covered casserole (#74), butter dish (#72), salt and pepper shakers and six 10in plates (#68) from Shawnee Pottery’s Corn King line.  What is their approximate value?  --  E-mail Question, CB

ANSWER: Addis E. Hull, Jr., Robert C. Shilling, and a group of investors established the Shawnee Pottery Company, Zanesville, Ohio, in 1937.  It was named for an Indian tribe that lives in the area.

Shawnee manufactured inexpensive, high-quality kitchen and utilitarian earthenware.  The company perfected a bisque drying method that enabled decorating and glazing to be achieved in a single firing.  In the late 1930s and early 1940s, Shawnee supplied products to large chain stores.

Robert Ganz joined Shawnee as a designer in 1938, creating some of the company’s most popular cookie jars, e.g., Puss ‘n Boots and Smiley.  Designer Robert Heckman arrived in 1945 and was responsible for the King Corn line and numerous pieces featuring a Pennsylvania German motif.

Jim and Bev Mangus’ Shawnee Pottery: An Identification & Value Guide (Collector Books, 1994; 255 pages, $24.95) provides this additional information about Shawnee’s King Corn line: “The first seven pieces of Corn Ware were designed in 1941, and given by Proctor and Gamble as premiums.  The corn was white in color with green leaves.  The ware was oven proof, to enable the consumer to bake and serve.

“In 1946 the original White Corn Ware design was changed.  The new Corn Ware pieces were slightly larger in size, and the color was changed to yellow corn with green leaves.  The sugar shaker was dropped, and many new pieces were added, including prepackaged sets.  The new dinnerware line was called Corn King….

“By 1954 the Corn King volume of sales had dropped off substantially.  John Bonistal, president of Shawnee, decided to change the color to lighter yellow corn and darker green leaves and to add new prepackaged sets.  Rather than discontinue the line, the name was changed to Corn Queen…Once again, the Corn Ware line was a huge success.  Corn Queen remained in production until the plant closed in 1961.”

In 1994, the peak of the Shawnee Pottery collecting craze, the Manguses priced the covered casserole between $35.00 and $40.00, the covered butter between $50.00 and $55.00, the a large salt and pepper set between $35.00 and $40.00, and the 10in plate between $35.00 and $40.00.

In June 2004 Shawnee Pottery King Corn covered casseroles sold on eBay for $51.00, $40.00, $26.00, and $20.50.  A little patience goes a long way on eBay.  Butter dish prices were very strong.  Three examples sold for $52.00 each.  Ten years later, the covered casserole and butter dish have held their 1994 prices.  However, factor in inflation and it is safe to conclude the market is soft.

The market is really soft in respect to the salt and pepper set.  Sets are readily available on eBay for under $15.00.  The 10in dinner plate also is available on demand for $15.00 or under on eBay.

Shawnee Pottery’s King Corn enjoyed its decade in the sun from the mid-1980s through the mid-1990s.  It has limited appeal to today’s younger collectors, largely because they have no memories of using the product.

Harry L. Rinker welcomes questions from readers about collectibles, those mass-produced items from the twentieth century.  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, 5093 Vera Cruz Road, Emmaus, PA 18049.  You also can e-mail your questions to rinkeron@fast.net.  Only e-mails containing a full name and mailing address will be considered.

Watch Harry as the COLLECTOR INSPECTOR on Saturday evenings at 6:00 PM ET/PT on Home & Garden Television (HGTV).  Check your local TV schedule for the exact time in other time zones.
 

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