The 1880s-1890s marked the golden age of bell toys

Bell toys, a type of pull toy that had moving parts that rang a bell, were made in America just after the Civil War.

The Gong Bell Co. of Connecticut made the first one. It was an iron four-wheel platform, holding a bell and an animal. The animal kicked or hit the bell when the platform moved. A popular bell toy featured an elephant that stepped on the bell to make it ring. The 91/2-inch-long toy is made of decorated metal. It was estimated to be worth about $800 to $1,200.

Later bell toys used wood, tin or other metals and added realistic hair or animal hide. The toys were all painted. The 1880s-1890s were the golden age for the bell toys, and in the 1900s, copies were made of metal and eventually plastic.

Today, the bell toys are wood or plastic made by Fisher Price or Playskool.

Q. Is there any way to tell if my press-back dining-room chairs and matching table are vintage or just copies?

A. We just learned a new way to spot the reproductions. We knew the old chairs were almost always made of oak. Any other wood would be suspect. But an easier way to tell is that the chairs, made about 1900, had seats made of three or four boards. Later copies usually had about seven boards.

Q. My mother was a collector of Wedgwood Jasperware. I inherited it all. Some I plan to keep. I have everything from 25-cent-size boxes to 3 different size Portland vases. Any suggestions on liquidation of this collection?

A. How to sell inherited collections is the question we are asked the most. There is no easy answer. Ask yourself what is most important about selling the Wedgwood – money, your time, the amount of physical labor, enhancing family memories or avoiding arguments among heirs.

There are companies that take and sell everything to empty a house for a fee or part of the profit. It may be costly, but quick. In- or out-of-town auction companies might be interested in a valuable collection of Wedgwood.

Ask collector friends whom to call and ask about what they sell and the services that are offered. (Professionals usually spot any very valuable items and estimate the sale value properly.)

No luck? Try the next step, a local shop that will buy your things or take them on consignment. If the dealer has been in business locally, you can get references and check on honesty. An offer to buy from an unknown company’s ad in a newspaper can be risky.

Next, run your own sale. It takes time, planning, studying and a knowledge of pricing to sell in a house sale or online. Last try, take everything usable to a thrift store, church sale, charity fundraising show and sale, or nonprofit places. You get a charitable tax deduction, pride in doing a good deed and an end to the problems.

Be sure to get advice from someone in the antiques world. You wouldn’t get a haircut from someone who just opened a beauty parlor and had no references.

Q. I inherited a pink pitcher that has a white-and-black spotted cat climbing on it. It’s 10 inches tall. It’s marked “Erphila Fayence Germany.” It was my aunt’s favorite thing and I’m just wondering about it.

A. Pottery marked “Erphila” was made in Germany and Czechoslovakia and imported by Ebeling & Reuss, a Philadelphia giftware firm. The name is a combination of the letters “E” and “R” for Ebeling & Reuss Erphila and “Phila,” the first letters of Philadelphia. Pitchers like this sell online for about $20.

Q. Can an early hard rubber fountain pen be restored? I just found my grandfather’s 1920s Waterman 52 pen. It’s a mess.

A. Restoring a fountain pen takes patience, know-how and talent. We wondered if we could do it, so we got instructions. The cap should be removed, and then the inside parts and the nib, the lever assembly and the pressure bar. (Don’t try this if you don’t know what these parts look like.)

According to experts, you can’t clean a hard rubber pen with water. It makes the rubber swell and parts will not fit back inside properly, so use mineral oil. Use metal polish to clean the metal trim. There is more. Get a new ink sac and clean the pressure bar with special equipment. Clean the nib.

Put everything back together. Test it with ink to be sure it is ready to use or sell. You can find fountain pen information at the Pen Collectors of America website, pencollectorsofamerica.com. Many pen-repair services are advertised online.

Tip

Never exhibit photographs in direct sunlight.

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