Q:In 1940 my father bought an electric table lamp at a secondhand store. The base is metal and heavy. The shade is made of heavy paper decorated with a ship scene. The lamp has three candle bulbs with separate pull chains. The underside of the base is marked "Pat. App. For, Rembrandt, R8136." I am going to get the lamp rewired and wonder how old it is and what it's worth.

A:Rembrandt Lamp Corp. was in business in Chicago from at least the 1920s into the 1970s. It later became a division of the Harris Marcus Group. Your lamp probably dates from the 1940s or '50s. If the shade is in perfect condition, the lamp could sell for more than $100.