Flea markets still offer exciting finds, bargains

Flea markets still offer exciting finds, bargains

Flea markets still offer exciting finds and great bargains.

A collector searching in an Arkansas flea market found a set of nine small 1915 baseball pins with ornate metal frames surrounding pictures of individual ballplayers.

Each pin, 11‚Ñ16 by 1 inch and almost mint, was still attached to its original 2-by-2-inch blank card.

They were bought “for a song” because the seller did not realize how rare and important they were.

Although the set was known, one of the pins found was unknown. It pictured Charles “Chief” Bender, a pitcher in the Hall of Fame.

Who issued the pins and why they are so different from other pins are mysteries.

Because these pins are rare and were in such remarkable condition, the Ty Cobb pin alone sold for $23,900 at a Heritage Auction Galleries in May.

Q. I acquired an interesting piece of art at an estate sale. It has a 3D scene of stuffed birds within a beautiful frame. It’s in excellent condition. I couldn’t find a signature on it, but I did not take it apart. I think it dates from the late 1800s. Does it have any value?

A. During the late 1800s, European and American women were often expected to be competent in sewing, painting and crafts. Publications like the monthly Godey’s Lady’s Book provided instruction in such skills as dressmaking, wax work, leather work and taxidermy. Many of the crafts women made were displayed in shadowboxes. Shadowboxes are deeper versions of picture frames with room for 3D objects. They’re usually made of wood with a glass cover. Many of the works displayed inside were assembled from dyed cotton, feathers and even human hair. Your shadowbox may be from the 1800s, but it may also be a recent piece done in the Victorian style.

Q. I own a telephone stand made by the H.T. Cushman Manufacturing Co. of North Bennington, Vt. It has a metal label that calls it “The Betumal (Beat-um-all) Telephone Stand.” It’s 291‚Ñ2 inches high, 18 inches wide and 14 inches deep. Please tell me the history of the stand and its value.

A. H.T. Cushman Manufacturing Co. was in business in Bennington from just after the Civil War until 1980. Over the years it manufactured everything from pencil boxes to furniture. Its line of “Betumal” telephone stands was introduced in the 1910s. Each stand has a hinged stool that can be folded under the table when it’s not being used. Several styles of telephone stands were made. The value of yours depends on its age, style and condition. We have seen the stands offered for $10 (that one was missing its seat) all the way up to $200.

Q. My 91-year-old uncle has a group of scrapbooks stored in his attic. He pasted his collection of baseball cards and pictures to the pages. We want to sell the collection and wonder how.

A. Baseball cards that are not in good condition have lost a lot of their value. Sometimes you can soak the cards off scrapbook pages without causing much damage, but usually you can’t. It depends on the type of paste your uncle used and how skilled you are. It’s easy to find the approximate value of the cards from online listings and from price guides you can find at your local library. That should help you decide whether or not it’s worth your time to try to restore the cards. (If you find an original Honus Wagner tobacco card, take the whole book to a professional restorer.) But if the cards are common and you don’t want to fuss, go to a sports memorabilia show or even a garage sale and sell the filled scrapbooks for as much as you can get – and it probably won’t be much.

Q. I inherited a marble soda fountain with a backbar. A shield-shaped brass plate on the fountain says, “Stanley Knight, Chicago, Super Refrigeration Electric.”

A. Stanley and James Knight ran the Knight Soda Fountain Co. in Chicago from the early 1910s into the 1930s, when James Knight sold the business. The brothers were famous for their “White Knight” ice cream and for soda fountains made of metal and marble. Each fountain is marked with the emblem of a knight and a shield.

Q. Is it a good idea to polish old copper? I have a wash boiler that I know has not been polished for a hundred years, and I hesitate to clean it.

A. If you prefer the look of polished copper, it’s safe to polish even century-old copper as long as you are careful. Use either vinegar and salt or commercial copper cleaner and fine steel wool. If you’re still worried about damaging the wash boiler, you can find metal cleaning experts at www.Kovels.com/classifieds or in your local yellow pages.

Tip

Some types of stone and metal remain free of organic stains if they’re left in partial sunlight, but not if they sit in deep shade.

XTerry Kovel answers as many questions as possible through the column. By sending a letter with a question, you give full permission for use in the column or any other Kovel forum. Names and addresses will not be published. We cannot guarantee the return of any photograph, but if a stamped envelope is included, we will try. The volume of mail makes personal answers or appraisals impossible. Write to Kovels, The Vindicator, King Features Syndicate, 300 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019. For more information, visit www.Kovels.com.

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