Time befriends collectible vase

Glenn Erardi  /  Collector

A reader's basket vase may be worth up to $250.

Dear Collector,

I received this vase as a gift in the late 1940s, and have seen where Roseville items are collectible. Does it have any value?

Decoding the numbers on its bottom reveals that your freesia (a member of the iris family) patterned basket vase was made in 1945. Listed value is between $150 and $250, though researching online auction results shows a more conservative figure of less than $150 is applicable.

Dear Collector,

I found this coin. Could you please tell me if there is any value to it?

Like most quarter dollars made before 1965, your 1909 Barber quarter is 90 per cent silver. Displaying the usage of nearly a century, its value is in the low range, probably $5 or less.

Dear Collector,

Do you think this orange crate is old? How much would it be, if it was an antique?

Figuring that your boxm which once contained Golden Sceptre Brand navel oranges from Rialto, CA, is only 80 years old, and therefore not an antique, its value is $35. Actually, the price quoted is for the label, not the wooden container.

Dear Collector,

I was told that the Porky Pig bank in these photos was first given to my mother's uncle, then to her, and now I have it. Would you please give me an approximate date of manufacture?

Made of unglazed china, called bisque, your Porky piggy bank dates to 1936. Though you did not ask, I decided to go whole hog and give you a current value on your heirloom: $125.

Dear Collector,

My grandfather gave me a Pennsbury bluebird in the early 1950s. Any idea of its value?

A relatively short-lived enterprise (c.1950-1971), Pennsbury was located in Morrisonville, PA, where they produced attractive pottery pieces including a series of small birds. Your example is now worth over $100.

Dear Collector,

Did I get a bargain when I paid $12 for a 1957 Coca-Cola calendar?

If it's the one Mexican one which features pin-up girls, the value is about $75. There's another with flowers that is worth $25-$50.

Dear Collector,

We got this pen when we visited the Seattle World's Fair. It no longer has ink, but it's in great condition. Please let us know what it is worth?

I don't think the lack of ink affects the appreciation of your 1962 memento. Whether it writes or not, value is still $4-$6.

Dear Collector,

In 1946, when I was in the Navy, my father sent me a Mercury II camera, which I still have. Can you tell me the value?

Developed in the early 1930s by Universal Camera, this odd viewfinder uses 35mm film but in unusually long rolls; not the kind you'd find at the local drugstore. Value hasn't increased much over the last sixty years, somewhere around $35-$50.

Dear Collector,

What is sheet music for the song "Somewhere in Old Wyoming" worth?

There are two tunes with that title, both composed in the early 1930s. One is worth $5, while the other is worth $5.