Collectors seek deceptive advertising items

Deceptive advertising has been a problem for centuries.

The “cures” of Victorian times were promoted with posters, trade cards, almanacs, recipe books, calendars and other testimonials.

One of the prominent makers of cures, remedies and hair and skin products was James C. Ayer & Co.

From 1838 to 1841, Ayer worked in an apothecary shop in Connecticut. He learned the business and studied the Harvard College suggested curriculum for chemistry. He also studied medicine with a doctor.

He bought the drugstore, sold his own remedies and eventually owned multiple stores, factories and other investments that made him a wealthy man.

He died in 1878.

The business stayed in his family eight years, and then was sold to Sterling Products.

One of his famous products was Ayer’s Hair Vigor.

It was advertised as a “coloring and dressing” for hair that prevents and cures hair loss and “restores gray hair to its natural vitality and color.”

Restoring was really dying, but this was just a tiny exaggeration compared with the claims for other Ayer’s products.

One said it restored your health after a malaria attack. Another promised a “youthful appearance.”

An Ayer’s hair product was still for sale in the 1930s.

The colorful Ayer’s bottles, posters and printed material with unusual graphics are popular with today’s collectors.

Q. In 1980 I paid $500 for a hand-carved and inlaid coffee table that was a floor sample in an interior design company’s Cincinnati showroom. The name “John Widdicomb” is stamped on the underside of the tabletop. Can you tell me what the table’s market value is today?

A. John Widdicomb Co. was in business in Grand Rapids, Mich., from 1897 until 2002, when the company closed and its name was sold to L.&J.G. Stickley, Inc., of Manlius, N.Y. Stickley now sells a “John Widdicomb Collection” of traditional pieces. John Widdicomb Co. was known for its high-end designs, which might include your table. Pieces were marked in various ways through the years, but the simple mark “John Widdicomb” was used from the mid-1950s until the mid-1970s. If your table is in good shape, it could sell for $500 or more.

Q. I have a pair of matching vases that I bought in an antiques shop in England in 1956. They are 8 inches tall and have gold lettering on the bottom. Some of the letters are worn off, but it includes “J. Kent, Ye Olde Fo ... Ware, Fenton, England.” Can you tell me who made these vases and how old they are?

A. Your vases were made by James Kent, who worked at the Old Foley Pottery in Fenton, England. The pottery was established at Longton, England, in 1897 by James Aloysius Kent (1864-1953) and five of his workmen. The words “Old Foley Pottery” were used after 1955. The company was in business until about 1989, but the name “James Kent” is now being used by another company in Fenton. Your pair of vases could sell for $250 to $300.

Q. We have a quilt that has been handed down in our family. It’s made of 36 small flannel flags of countries around the world surrounding a larger 48-star American flag. I think the small flags, each about 5 by 8 inches, were some kind of product premium. Can you tell me more?

A. Little national flags made of flannel were tobacco inserts first used in 1912. It was in July of that year that the American flag started to be made with 48 stars — and it stayed that way until Alaska was admitted to the Union in 1959. Collectors often refer to the flannel tobacco premiums as “blankets.” The flags were either wrapped around the tobacco package or inserted in a little envelope inside the package. They came in several sizes and were intended to be used for sewing into bedspreads and pillowcases. So it’s not surprising that one of your relatives used them to make a quilt. Collectors of old tobacco inserts want unsewn single flags. But some collectors like quilts made from the flags. We have seen quilts like yours sell for as little as $10 and as much as $650. Price depends on condition, size and where the quilt is offered for sale.

Q. I buy junk jewelry from thrift stores and usually take pieces apart to make my own designs. I don’t want to take something apart that’s valuable, though. So how do I know if a piece is valuable?

A. What you find in a thrift store may indeed be junk. But it also could be vintage costume jewelry. First get a magnifying glass and check out the backs and clasps of any jewelry you find. Any piece with a mark should not be taken apart, at least not until you check who made it. Once you can make out the mark, check the Internet or books on costume jewelry to learn who used the mark. The Kovels have written two special reports on identifying good costume jewelry. They are available via the Store link at Kovels.com. Costume jewelry is very popular today, so you want to take care of any good pieces you find. Many marked pieces can sell for hundreds of dollars each.

Tip

When regluing loose rungs or parts of chairs, remove old glue with vinegar.

Drip it into any holes with a small oil can.

Terry 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, addresses or e-mail 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 Kovels.com.

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