Antiques column
Q. I collect windmill weights. Any data? – Josef, Harrisburg, Pa. A. These were manufactured between 1875 and 1925 and were used as governor weights to counterbalance windmills. Most people outside the Midwest have never heard of them. The pieces are considered an art form and those who collect folk art and country things relating to farms eagerly seek them. The weights were mostly cast in iron and are usually in figural form. You will find bulls, buffaloes, horses, squirrels and roosters among others. Repainted weights are a turn off to those who collect them. Leave original paint intact. Most run into thousands of dollars for good examples. Value guide: windmill weight, figure of squirrel, 35 pounds, Elgin Wind and Pipe Co., Elgin, Ill. $4,500.
Q. Can you price our Limoges French porcelain fish set? – Theresa, Canton, Ohio.
A. A fish set solved the wedding gift dilemma of the 1880s and 1890s. A complete set consisted of a platter and six or 12 matching plates. The platter often featured a salmon or pike. Finer sets came with bone dishes and a covered vegetable dish. The sets were made by leading European factories and were often hand-painted. The less expensive semi-porcelain sets used a transfer printing. Blanks were shipped to this country so that those who delved into china painting could decorate their own. Any set marked from the Limoges district of France is considered a super set. Value guide: Limoges fish set, hand-painted, complete, $750.
Q. Are any old phonograph records worth saving? – Millie, Portland, Maine.
A. Vinyl records have moved aside in popularity to make room for compact discs and cassette tapes. Despite that, some records are still being produced, and the rarest records still are escalating in value. Some 45s produced in the 1990s have doubled in value. The original cost was $2 each. Not all the rare records have been found and many still “look them over” at flea markets and garage sales. Reports that some records that cost 50 cents have now reached the $10,000 price range. Anything with the Beatles as a band is sought and any record with Elvis Presley’s name on it is snatched up. Buddy Holly is high on collectors’ lists as well as records with Phil Spector or Brian Wilson as performer, writer or producer.Current Prices
– Advertising, sign, Railway Express Agency, porcelain, 12 by 72 inches, $200.
– Doll, Mary Poppins, Horsman, all vinyl, 1965, $60.
– Elvis Presley, autographed high school yearbook, $5,000.
– Jewelry, costume, necklace, Hattie Carnegie, aurora borealis, $600.
– Eskimo, ceremonial mask, ivory and baleen, J. Kokuluk, 1940s, $350.
– Book, Child’s Little Golden Book, The Color Kittens, $7.
– Parachute, USAF, nylon, 1980s, $150.
Write to Charles Mather in care of the Herald-Standard at Crown Syndicate, Inc., P.O. Box 99126, Seattle, Wash. 98199 or call (206) 285-1888.