By Anne Gilbert    For their many collectors, owning a carousel animal is a trip down memory lane. They are willing to spend thousands of dollars for an authentic, handcarved horse, sheep or elephant and other figures. However, sometimes they can still be discovered in a barn or at a garage sale. Most of such are in need of restoration. Inside […]

By Anne Gilbert    Read this and shed a tear with me! Back in the late 1950s my son received one of the hottest toys on the market for Christmas. It was a bright red, tin plate robot named “Machine Man” that ran on a battery. It was one of a set of five different designs produced in Japan. The box […]

By Anne Gilbert    Q. I recently inherited this pretty pink glass cookie jar that belonged to my grandmother. The raised design appears to be a bunch of flowers. It is 5” in diameter and in good shape. There are no makers marks. What can you tell me about age, maker and value?    L.M. Lancaster, PA    A. From your photo you […]

By Anne Gilbert    There is nothing new about paper art be it sculptures or dollhouses or furniture. It has existed in many forms and in nearly every culture for hundreds of years. For example the Vietnamese have never stopped turning it into vases and bowls. These days they make it from newspapers. Japan is known for Origami (the Japanese term […]

By Anne Gilbert    You can spend a little or you can spend a lot on objects made for cigar smokers. They offer a history of changes in cigar manufacturing and accessories. For example in their beginning many different items were needed before a cigar could be smoked. Manufacturers didn’t make cigars with both ends open. A bit of the sealed […]