December 2005 Hotlines

Butter pats, called butter chips by some, are a popular collectible. They’re small (about 3 inches in diameter), easy to display, and not too pricey. The best have picture logos or ads, or are from restaurants, hotels, or trains. More common are pats that match dinner sets. Average prices range from $1 to over $100. To learn more, contact the Butter Pat Patter Association, 265 Eagle Bend Drive, Bigfork, MT 59911.

Furniture with hidden drawers and compartments was popular in the 18th century because safe storage was needed. Furniture makers are again putting secret compartments in some desks and dressers. But we wonder why the “poison” ring is back in style. That’s a ring with a secret compartment that in past centuries held poison. We hear that today the ring is used to hold sweetener, aspirin, or Viagra.

A 1903 Grueby tile fireplace from a building in Auburn, Maine, now belongs to the Two Red Roses Foundation of Tarpon Springs, Florida. The foundation recently purchased a Grueby bathroom from a house in Cleveland. The fireplace, auctioned by Kominski’s, sold for $32,000. It pays to check out any old tilework you are removing when remodeling an old building.

Edith the Lonely Doll, featured in the book of 50 years ago, has been recreated by Madame Alexander. The book was unique in its time because the pictures were photographs of a real doll at work and play, not drawings. Dare Wright, the author and photographer of The Lonely Doll books, is the subject of a biography published this year which has added to the interest in the old doll books. The new 12-inch doll in the pink-checked dress will be out in a limited edition of 500. The original Edith was a 22-inch Lenci doll. In the 1990s, Melton made a 14-inch version. (Dolls, September 2005)

Rustic furniture first became popular in the 1850s. Country lodges and cottages were built and furnished with pieces made from roots, twigs, or animal horns. The craze continued until the 1930s. In the 1980s, rustic furniture was discovered by collectors, and modern designers began to make similar pieces. New and old rustic furniture sells well.

Stolen antiques sometimes are returned. A painting by Rembrandt stolen from the National Museum in Stockholm five years ago was recovered recently. The $42 million painting was undamaged and has been returned to the museum. Four people were arrested when they tried to sell the painting.

Jewelry trends seen at the wholesale jewelry fair: pieces set with rock crystals that resemble drops of water, necklaces and earrings of openwork circles often set with diamonds, classic shapes like a heart or a cross, and jewelry set with colored (especially coral-colored) stones or enamel. These are all old ideas found in vintage jewelry.