Be careful what you throw out this Halloween! Many decorations made to be thrown away rather than re-used could be worth something for future collectors.
Husband-and-wife team Edwin and Mary Scheier were groundbreaking potters for nearly 70 years. They created eye-catching ceramics such as this glazed stoneware pot with sgraffito figures and fish that brought a hefty price. Find more Scheier designs and prices in Kovels’ sales report.
Oops. It seems one “Wright” definitely was a wrong—but potentially lucky for collectors. The state of Ohio produced 35,000 license plates in a new design introduced to the public on October 21 before realizing that the Wright Brothers’ 1903 Wright Flyer featured at the top of the plate was flying backward.
Q: My mother-in-law bought these metal pumpkins about 1950 for a Halloween party for her children. She gave them to me several years ago. She said you were supposed to put a candle in them to light them up. I tried, but the holes in the eyes and nose are too small. There are holes on top for a handle, but I never saw one. They are decorated on both sides but as you can see they don’t all line up properly. They are 5 inches high and are marked “U.S. Metal Toy Mfg. Co., Made in U.S.A.” I’d like any information you have on them and their worth.
Kovels Antiques, Inc., was founded by Ralph and Terry Kovel. Hailed as “the duke and duchess of the antiques world,” they have written more than 100 books and special reports about collecting. Their bylined column is the longest-running syndicated weekly column in the country, distributed to more than 150 newspapers. Their guides include the annual Kovels’ Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide, which has sold over 4 million copies since its first edition.
