Jan 2, 2016 5 min read

The Windsor chair was first made in the late 17th century in England and about 1730 in America. The chairs are similar, but the English chair legs are less splayed and only the English chair has a splat (a shaped piece of wood) as part of the back. American chairs are made with spindles for the back and to hold the arms. There are many kinds of Windsor chairs with descriptive names like brace back, hoop back, arrow back, fanback, bow back, low back, comb back and scroll back. And some have added parts like rockers or writing arms. Early chairs usually were painted because several types of wood were used. “Brown furniture” from the 18th and 19th centuries is selling for low prices today. The best have original paint, but watch out for repaints. The chair with a nine-spindle back probably is older than one with four spindles. The more spindles on an antique Windsor, the earlier and better the chair. Brunk Auctions in Asheville, North Carolina sold a comb-back Windsor with some repairs in 2015 for $1,003.

Q. I’m hoping you can shed some light on a floor lamp I have. The base is stamped “Miller Company” and one of the parts is stamped “Miller U-Dezine.” The base and column are made of pot metal or bronze. Can you give me any information about this lamp and its maker?

A. Edward Miller founded this lamp company in Meriden, Connecticut, in 1844. Candlesticks, lamps and other products were made. A metal rolling mill was built later. A 1930 ad for Miller’s “U-De-Zine” read “You design the lamp you want,” and called it “The Lamp That Is Made In Separate Parts For You To Put Together.” There were several ways to assemble the parts. A table lamp could be changed to a floor lamp, or a floor lamp to a bridge lamp. In 1985, the lighting division was sold. The company was bought by an affiliate of Diehl Metall, a German company in 2000.

Q. My Lane cedar chest pictures Molly Pitcher firing her husband’s cannon after he collapsed. The serial number is 2575150. Can you tell me when it was made?

A. You can find out when your Lane chest was made by reversing the serial number. Your chest was made on May 15, 1975 (05/15/75) at factory No. 2. Lane cedar chests made before 1987 have the old style locks that can latch shut and trap a child inside. If you haven’t already replaced the lock, you should contact the manufacturer and they will send you a new replacement safety lock. You can find the form to request a replacement at www.lanefurniture.com/about/product-safety.

Q. I have a Stereo Realist viewer in a green case that’s 14 inches long, 6 inches wide, and 2 inches deep. It has two snaps to keep it closed. What is it worth?

A. The Stereo Realist was made from 1947 until 1972. It was designed by Seton Rochwite, who worked for the David White Co. of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The camera originally sold for $160 and the viewer for $20. Stereo Realist viewers sell online today for $40 and up.

Q. While going through my 93-year-old mother’s things, I found two teaspoons, one with Gloria Swanson’s picture and signature and another with Norma Talmadge. Both are in good shape. Do they have any value?

A. Souvenir spoons were popular collectibles from the 1890s into the 1920s. Your spoons are two of a set of 12 silver-plated spoons featuring silent film stars of the day. They were made by Oneida Silversmiths for Hearst Newspapers, and used in a 1925 advertising campaign in Photoplay, one of the first American film fan magazines. Each spoon has a facsimile signature of an actor or actress on the handle and a raised portrait on the tip. Besides your two, other stars represented were Marion Davies, Richard Dix, Douglas Fairbanks, Thomas Meighan, Mae Murray, Pola Negri, Ramon Novarro, Mary Pickford, Norma Shearer and Lois Wilson. Oneida was formed as a utopian community in the mid-19th century. In 1879, conflicts caused a split and members voted to form Oneida Community Ltd. in 1880, to be owned and operated by former community members. Oneida still is one of the largest marketers of stainless-steel flatware and tabletop products. Your spoons sell for $5 to $15 each. A complete set may add a little to the value.

Tip: Clean the hard parts of stuffed animal trophies like antlers, teeth or hooves with a cotton swab dampened in isopropyl alcohol. If fur, feathers or skins are damaged, look for mites, moths or carpet beetles and spray with an insecticide, or see a taxidermist.

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.

• Cup, silver plate, jester handle, monogram, spiral rim, saucer foot, 5 inches, $35.

• Toy, car, Turbo-Jet, plastic jet car, metal lithograph launch station, Ideal Toy Corp., 1950s, 13 1/2 inches, $70.

• Architecturallock set, ram’s horns, scrolled penny ends, eyelets, wrought iron, c. 1900, 24 inches, $75.

• Crock, salt glaze stoneware, cobalt blue leaf, impressed mark, 1800s, 4-gallon, 11 x 12 inches, $180.

• Art glass, vase, Art Nouveau, green iridescent, white, gray, orange, pewter stylized mounts, 13 x 8 inches, $300.

• Caster set, five bottles, cut-glass cruets, heraldic design, metal center post, Charles Thomas Fox, 1840, 9 3/4 inches, $470.

• Wig, barrister’s, horsehair, gray hair, mesh foundation, pen and ink label, England, c. 1900, $720.

• Candelabrum, three-light, silver plate, twisted reeded arms, gadrooned shell bobeches, Sheffield, 1800s, 23 inches, pair, $1,075.

• Umbrella stand, Piero Fornasetti, stylized face transfer, enameled metal, brass, 1960s, 23 x 10 inches, $1,125.

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