Q:I have a 1939 New York World's Fair combination purse-muff that belonged to my mother. One side is black velvet and the other is Persian lamb. It's 14 inches wide by 10 inches high. The zipper pull on the velvet (purse) side is a chrome circle surrounding the Trylon and Perisphere symbols of the fair. It's in pristine condition. I wrote to a group of World's Fair collectors, but no one there had ever seen a souvenir like mine.

A:A few souvenir purses were made for the 1939 New York World's Fair. The ones we have seen are decorated with images of the Trylon and Perisphere and sell for $250 to $350. One that matches the description of yours was offered at auction 10 years ago but didn't sell. Today a World's Fair collector would probably pay at least $100 for it.