Sentimental Value

From the December/January 2009 issue of Reminisce

Convertible Shelving Unit

I don’t really know much about this CONVERTIBLE SHELVING UNIT. When I was a child, an antiques buyer tried to purchase it from my mother, saying its base was of considerable value.

—Jack Burchard, Southgate, Michigan

Merchants favored utilitarian display steps. The stick-and-ball design of this late-1800s shelving unit appears to be made of mixed hardwood, metal and wire.

The village mercantile was the destination for the purchase of domestic and agricultural items, usually locally made or grown. Aaron Montgomery Ward, a traveling salesman from Chicago, opened the first mail-order company, in 1872; Sears, Roebuck & Co. followed, in the 1880s.

With the introduction of mail-order catalogs, wide varieties of merchandise could be ordered, so local merchants also expanded their wares, necessitating a way to display them.

From month to month, the unit could be used as bookcase shelving, a five-board rectangular table or an elevated stair-step display by simply resetting the side screws to change positions. With casters, you couldn’t get more practical or versatile shelving.

The ingenious construction is unusual, with each configuration competing for appreciation. Your mother was told that the base has value because of the secret mechanism in the framework. Value: $850.

 

Sled

This was my mother’s SLED, which she used on the hills around their farm, near Etter, Minnesota. She was born in 1890, so I’ve estimated the sled to be more than 100 years old. It’s a little weather-worn, but it’s otherwise in good condition.

—Floyd Anderson, Savage, Minnesota

The first sleds were long and sturdy, used to transport logs and stones. By 1849, there were 11 makers of coasting sleds, most with hand-carved wooden runners.

In 1861, Henry Morton operated the first sled-making factory, in Paris, Maine, with decorative hand-painting of the sleds being done by his wife. Children’s names on the sleds were popular, as were scenes with animals.

The 1877 Montgomery Ward catalog lists a bent-knee, swan-head style, selling for $1.15, and the hugely popular steered sleds came into production in 1889.

Your sled was designed to pull small children, sometimes behind ice-skaters, but not for rugged coasting. The runners were cut and bent of simple strap iron, and the use of rivets made them less likely to work loose. The ornate, cast-iron bow with rope loops and encircled stars make the sled worthy of a winter parade.

The painted design is faded, but this specially made sled is wonderful. Value: The originality, elaborate casting and known history bring its worth to $750.

 

Two Vases

My father, a master potter in Sarreguemines, Germany (now in France), came to the U.S., around 1900. I inherited these TWO VASES.

—Anton Debold, Brussels, Wisconsin

Established in the 1770s, Paul Utzchneider & Company specialized in faience, a French ceramics term for tin-glazed earthenware. After a second firing, the glaze fuses and smooths to a glass-like, opaque surface. This gives it clarity of form and a surface that lends itself to painting. The “SARREGUEMINES” marking is part of the china mark. In the Victorian era, the town’s name was the only identifying mark.

This tulip vase is modeled as a single, naturalistic flower with wraparound leaves. The ocherous yellow was one of the more popular colors, and this vase does not need a bouquet to enhance its beauty. Value: In mint condition, $325.

The second vase charmingly portrays peasant children enjoying the bounty of grapes while they’re oblivious to the hard work it took to gather them. The staves and hoops on the barrel vat, sweet facial expressions and folds on the clothing help make this a masterful piece of art.

The “K” letter marking is from the Upper Fanconian Porcelain Factory, Ohnemuller & Ulrich, in Bavaria, Germany, from around 1896 to 1919. Value: In mint condition, $275.