Jun 21, 2014 4 min read

The skill of sewing with a needle and thread was required in the centuries before the sewing machine was invented.

A machine, probably the first, was used in England in 1715, and another was patented in 1844. But the Elias Howe (1845) and Isaac Singer (1851) machines were the ones that gained fame and sold by the thousands. Women were expected to hand-embroider monograms on bedding and towels, cut and sew parts of a dress properly, and be able to mend. The mistress of the house was expected to sew in the evening, and equipment and fabrics were stored in a table in the living room near a warm fireplace.

The wealthy of the 19th century had tools, scissors, bobbins, tape measures, thimbles and more made of gold or silver, stored in a fancy case. Twentieth-century housewives had metal or plastic tools and a sewing machine. At a January 2014 Theriault’s sale, a collection of sewing utensils brought high prices. A tape measure shaped like a sewing machine sold for $504. An English silver piglet topped by a purple velvet pincushion sold for $224. And a cash-metal thimble with brass finish sold for $112. Look in Grandma’s sewing basket and junk drawer. There may be sewing treasures hidden in a corner.

Q. My mother bought a rocker at a Goodwill store in the 1960s for about $10. When we brought it home, Dad found a crest and date under the seat. It says “S. Bent & Bros., Inc., Gardner, Mass., 1867.” It’s still sturdy, although the arms have been imperceptibly braced where they meet the seat and the paint is worn down where the hands rest.

Can you tell me something about the maker and an approximate value?

A. S. Bent & Bros. was founded in 1867 by Samuel, Charles and Roderic Bent. The company made Colonial-style furniture. The company closed in 2001. The furniture was mass-produced and a rocker sells for about $50 to $75 today.

Q. I own an antique Snoopy candy jar. It’s glass with a color picture of Snoopy on it. Is it worth anything?

A. Anything related to Snoopy, Charlie Brown’s pet dog in the Peanuts comic strip, can’t be called an “antique” because it’s not 100 or more years old. The comic strip, the work of Charles Schulz (1922-2000), debuted in 1950. The Snoopy candy jar dates from about 1965, which makes it a “collectible.” The jar, in excellent condition, sells for $5 to $20.

Q. I have a glass butter churn, approximately 14 inches tall and 6 inches in diameter, with a metal lid and crank churning mechanism on the top. It has wooden paddles that do the work. The glass is embossed “Dazey Churn No. 40, Patented Feb. 1922, Dazey Churn & Mfg. Co., St. Louis, Mo., Made in USA.” What is it worth?

A. Nathan Dazey became manager of the EZ Churn Co. of Dallas in 1904.

He bought out the owner a couple of years later and moved the company to St. Louis. Dazey was granted a patent for improvements to small churns for household use on Feb. 14, 1922. The company was sold in 1947. Reproductions of the churn have been made. Dazey made 1, 2, 3 and 4 quart churns given Nos. 10, 20, 30 and 40. Smaller churns are reproductions. Vintage Dazey No. 40 churns sell for about $100.

Tip: Never wash plastic dishes in the dishwasher. They may warp.

Current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States. Prices vary in different locations because of local economic conditions.

• Papier-mache hat stand, woman’s head, flower top, Gemma Taccogna, Mexico, 1960s, 10 inches, $35.

• Pressed glass creamer, Cupid & Psyche, footed, 1880s, 7 inches, $80.

• Bradley & Hubbard student lamp, double, brass, white glass shades, painted design, c. 1890, 21 inches, $180.

• Hooked rug, ship, anchor border, wool on burlap, c. 1930, 28 1/2 x 22 inches, $195.

• Anatomical model of human left foot, cross-section, inflexible plastic, 1960s, 10 1/2 inches, $295.

• Match safe, St. Louis World’s Fair, eagle, flag, map, celluloid, 1904, 2 1/4 x 1 1/5 inches, $330.

• Dresser, maple, six drawers, angled legs, signed Renzo Rutili, Johnson Furniture, 1960s, 40 x 45 inches, $375.

• Paris porcelain plate, river landscape, house, family, cafe-au-lait border, gothic designs, c. 1850, 9 inches, $430.

• Chinese famille rose jar, lid, porcelain, figures, palace, flowers, gilt dragon handles, foo dog finial, c. 1735, 18 inches, $1,355.

• Icon, St. George slaying dragon, enameled flowers, silver riza covering, impressed mark, c. 1892, 5 3/4 x 7 inches, $3,250.

Write to Kovels, Observer-Reporter, King Features Syndicate, 300 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019.