STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE GETS A MAKEOVER

Strawberry Shortcake, who moved to Hasbro from American Greetings this month, is a doll from the 1980s. She and her other fruit-scented friends have been given total makeovers. Strawberry has had a face lift, lip plumping, freckle removal, and a nose job. She also has longer hair, a dye job, green eyes, and a new wardrobe from Juicy Couture. Will collectors think she is the same doll? Will she and her friends remain popular? Leave a Komment.

AMAZING FINDS

Collecting is like treasure-hunting, and great finds can turn up every week. Last week a cup that had been used by its owner when he was a child in the mid-1940s was auctioned for $100,000. It had been in the family since the 1930s or early '40s, when the owner's grandfather, a junk dealer, got it. The family thought the cup was brass, and it was stored and forgotten until recently. But it's not an old brass cup. It's a solid gold Persian cup from about the fourth century B.C.

This week a British warship that sunk in 1780 was found at the bottom of Lake Ontario. It is well-preserved in the cold water at the bottom of the lake. The wreck is considered a gravesite and there are no plans to remove any artifacts.

So be alert. You might find a treasure among Grandma's stored dishes or a rare bottle near the banks of a local river.

EISENBERG FUR CLIP

Q:  I have had this piece of jewelry for many years. I think you wear it in your hair. Can you tell me when and where it was made, its quality and possible selling price?

A:  Your clip is not meant for hair. It is a fur clip, used to hold the ends of a fur stole together. Fur clips have a spring clasp and two sharp prongs to secure it to the pelt without doing too much harm. Dress clips are similar, but they only have one wide piece of metal with "teeth" to grasp thin fabric at the neckline. Dress and fur clips were popular in the 1930s and '40s.

Dress designer Jonas Eisenberg, who started his company in 1914, accessorized his dresses with jewelry decorated with rhinestone crystals. When thefts of the clips and pins showed the jewelry was popular, Eisenberg Ice was established in 1935 to sell just jewelry. The Eisenberg Originals mark was used from 1935 to 1945. The company made sterling pieces from 1943 until 1948. Eisenberg sterling fur clips in good condition sell for prices ranging from $300 to about $700.

ROYAL BAYREUTH

This mark was sent by a reader who wants to know something about her "100-year-old plate." Discovering the age of her plate is easy! Anything marked "Germany US Zone" was made between 1945 and 1949. The United States was one of four countries occupying Germany after the end of World War II. Royal Bayreuth is a name used by the Royally Privileged Porcelain Factory Tettau, founded in 1794. It is still in business and is the oldest porcelain factory in Bavaria.

BEFORE GOING TREASURE HUNTING...

When searching old houses or digging for treasure, wear socks, shoes, long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and gloves. Poison ivy is easy to catch. You can get it from brushing against the plant or even from petting your dog. Don't know where the poison ivy was lurking, but Terry has the telltale rash on one foot. And, by the way, don't forget sun block.

A special request from a reader.

"I have a collection of 40 or so chamber pots that I seem to enjoy far more than any member of my family. I would love to find a home for my collection. Do you know of a place that might accept and treasure this rather unusual grouping?" Does anyone know of a museum that would like a collection of chamber pots?

Leave your Komment.

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