May 23, 2015 5 min read

Moving to a smaller house or apartment or trying for a less cluttered house usually means there are unwanted toys. “Kovels Antiques and Collectibles Price Guide 2015” lists a late-1950s toy Radicon Robot that sold for $37,200, a very rare 1916 French doll that auctioned for $300,000, and a blue 1962 Chrysler Imperial friction toy with the box that sold for $26,550. And many more toys are listed that sold for hundreds and even thousands of dollars.

What makes a toy that valuable? Barbie, Hot Wheels, stuffed Teddy bears and other popular toys are easy to find at yard sales for low prices, but the special ones exist today in small numbers. The first Barbie, 1959, in excellent condition is worth $6,000. A rare Steiff teddy bear even in “much loved” condition brings over $1,000.

Toys that move and make noise get good prices. In the 1930s and ’40s, many colorful tin toys were made in the U.S. by Louis Marx. He founded his toy company in 1919, and by the 1950s, his company was the largest toy manufacturer in the world. Chances are there is a Marx toy in your family. “Drummer Boy” is a tin Marx toy made in about 1949. It is a tin man dressed in a yellow and orange band uniform, pushing a large drum balanced on a wheel. Wind it up and it rolls across the floor while pounding the drum. That toy sold recently for $370. It was inexpensive when new because Marx had reused some old toy parts and patterns.

The company created a Charlie McCarthy toy in 1938, when the ventriloquist dummy was a star on the radio. The toy’s drum said “Strike up the Band, Here comes Charlie.” The head and lithographed designs on the tin drum were changed to make the new toy. Charlie, harder to find, sells for over $2,000.

Before you clean out your toys, take the time to do some research. Age, condition and rarity set the price, so don’t assume an old Hot Wheels or Barbie or a damaged teddy bear is worth only a few dollars.

Q. We found a picture of World War I soldiers in our attic. It’s about a yard long. There appear to be about a hundred soldiers sitting and standing in front of a line of tents. It reads “Co. L, 3rd Pioneer Inf., Camp Wadsworth, S.C., Moore Photo.” Can you give us any information about this photo and its value?

A. Camp Wadsworth was an army mobilization center from 1917 to 1919, during World War I. Pioneer Infantry regiments marched at the head of each battalion to clear the way. They did minor construction, maintained roads and bridges, and built trenches, bomb shelters, and gun emplacements. The War Department chose soldiers “experienced in life in the open, skilled in woodcraft and simple carpentry.” The soldiers were also trained as infantry, but their main job was clearing and preparing the way for the rest of the battalion. Contact the National Archives (www.archives.gov) for more information. If you’re interested in selling the picture, you should contact an auction house that sells photos or military items.

Q. I have an empty Pearl Harbor Beam Kentucky Whisky decanter that has an eagle carrying a bomb on the front between columns with the words “Dec. 7, 1941” and “Pearl Harbor.” There is a picture of the memorial for the U.S.S. Arizona on the back. My husband was a Pearl Harbor survivor at Hickam Field. I’d like to give the bottle to one of my children, but I’m not sure of their interest. Is this bottle a collector’s item? What is it worth, and where can I sell it if none of my children want it?

A. This Pearl Harbor decanter was made for Beam by Regal China in 1972. Another decanter, with “Pearl Harbor Survivors Association” on the front and the island of Oahu and three ships on the back, was made in 1976. The Pearl Harbor Survivors Association was founded in 1958 and was disbanded because there were so few survivors still alive. These decanters usually sell online for $10 to $20.

Tip: Don’t store silver jewelry or pearls in a bank safe deposit box. It may not have the correct humidity and temperature.

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.

• Doll, Effanbee, Little Lady, Anne-Shirley, composition, blond wig, pink dress, 21 inches, $140.

• Slave transfer manuscript, father deeds slave girl to daughter, Shenandoah Valley, frame, 1823, 6 x 8 inches, $230.

• Tape measure, Charlie Chaplin, full body, crossed hands, cream, black, 5 1/2 inches, $300.

• Wardrobe, ash, Eastlake, Murphy bed convertible, salesman sample, 30 x 12 inches, $375.

• Carnival glass, water pitcher, inverted strawberry pattern, tankard shape, amethyst, $575.

• Sterling-silver bowl, reticulated, grapevine rim, four-footed, Bailey, Banks, & Biddle, 3 1/4 x 10 inches, $600.

• Basket, Ikebana, woven bamboo, Japan, c. 1965, 18 x 13 inches, $940.

• Auto advertising sign, Armstrong, Rhino-Flex tires, Rhino logo, red, cream, black, tin, flange, 17 x 17 inches, $2,700.

• Lalique glass vase, aigrettes, egrets, flying, branches, frosted, clear, cylindrical, c. 1935, 10 inches, $2,815.

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