This beautiful 2-piece, hand wrought aluminum object is a “crumb catcher.” It is marked “Continental” Chrysanthemum pattern. Aluminum items of every sort from tableware to jewelry were made by dozens of companies from the early 20th century into the 1940s. A decade ago aluminum became a popular collectible and prices were high for quality pieces.    We had many readers who […]

We had several correct guesses for our May’s What Is It. Yes, these are pharmacist measurers. Tapered glass graduates with calibrations in ounces and drams are easy to find. They are still made, but most modern ones have metric markings in addition to the apothecary measures. These are from about 1875.   Our winners are: Dottie Unruh of Lakewood, Colorado (Dottie […]

April’s What Is It is a coal bucket. Its background is anything but humble. It dates to the Arts and Crafts period.      It is in the style of Gustav Stickley, one of the master designers and makers of furniture and other objects of the era.      By 1905 the Arts and Crafts look in metal ware was popular and being made […]

Dixie Kilborn, the consummate collector, provided this picture of her most recent collection. The picture represents only a portion of the collection. We had several guesses. One person thought they might be cremation urns. Another thought they might be used as storage containers for tobacco. Cheryl Miller of Ft. Collins, Colorado and William McLaren of Anchorage, Alaska guessed correctly that […]

These are ancient Roman keys. They were generally crafted from bronze or brass and were often designed to be worn as finger rings as these were. Locks and keys are often caked with dust and dirt when you find them. Do not do more than a rudimentary cleaning since they are worth more if they retain their antique patina. A […]