ANTIQUEHAVEN

In 1891, Charles Stickley and Schuyler C Brandt started The Stickley & Brandt Chair Co. in Binghamton, NY. We picked up this Stickley & Brandt fancy rocker that was patterned after a Stickley Bros rocker featured in an 1889 trade ad. This piece has the manufacturer's paper label on the bottom on the seat. Prominately featured on this chair is Victorian era stick and ball work. This chair does not pop up every day, but, I did recently see one on E-Bay that was misidentified as being from the 1920's and from the Arts and Crafts movement. The seller also did not know it was truly a Stickley piece. Our rocker is not mint. There are some fairly minor condition issues and I believe one of the back slats was replaced. It still is a neat piece of furniture from a desirable family of furniture makers.

I go on house visits all the time where family members immediately steer me to what they feel is valuable. Inevitably, I ask to look around and peek into desks, corners of garages, behind basement bars and yes... into record cabinets. What often is discovered are the real treasures and valuables that the family dismissed as junk or as of no consequence. Recently, I was hired to hand-pick liquidate a partial estate. To my delight, I found 7 old and scarce vogue picture discs that were issued by Mercury Records as disc jockey copies only. Both sides of the disc depict "Little Eddie" the Mercury Man. Vouge records were made by Sav-Way Industries of Detroit, MI from 1946-1947. They were "unbreakable" and as a novelty, had very attractive art work or photos on both sides. Today these picture discs are highly collectible. Unbeknownst to the family, their 7 discs mixed among standard 78's will fetch over $4,500. As a professional, my job is to try and find "hidde...

Bobblehead collecting has to be one of the most fun areas of collecting in the toy world. There are a seemingly endless variety of nodders available and I recently was commissioned to sell a scarce one that should be interesting for the collector. He is a samurai from the 1960's era. Great condition and just a fab expression on his face. I havent been able to find him anywhere, although, I do not possess a bobblehead reference guide. Rare bobbleheads can command into the thousands of dollars. Sports related ones are the most common and desirable, but, you can find non-sport ones that are strong in the marketplace.

In the process of liquidating a living estate, we came upon a rare and original Starkie's Jolly Nigger (Moves Ears) Mechanical Bank. The bank was patented in 1920 by Robert Eastwood Starkie of Burnley, England (British Pat No 152,588). All known banks were made of Aluminum. In 1945, a patent was issued to Robert Patterson Starkie for a similar bank. This is the bank that is most often seen in Antique and Collectible circles and is often mistaken for the original from 1920, even by major auction houses. At first glance from the front, the banks look identical. However, there are at least 8 differences: 1) Original: Ears are located closer to the eyes. A "V" shaped section from the back half of the casting fits into a "V" groove in the front half. Later Version: Ears are located in the middle of the castings. 2) Original: Back has the inscription: "Starkie's Pat No 152,588" Later Version: Blank back. 3) Original: Base plate has circular holes and is ...

Picked up a c 1956-1960 Hillerich & Bradsby Louisville Slugger Game Used Baseball Bat that belonged to Detroit Tigers' Minor Leaguer, Jack Bowen. Bowen, a catcher, graduated from Detroit Redford High School in 1956. He also played with the 1956 Detroit Baseball Federation Champions, Walway team in Class D. Bowen received offers from 4 Major league clubs and signed with his hometown Detroit Tigers for $4,000. The Tigers assigned him to their Class C affiliate, The Idaho Falls Russets, in the Pioneer League. Here are his minor league stats: yr age tm lev G AB H 2B 3B HR BA 1956 19 Idaho Falls C 94 280 70 9 1 3 .250 1957 20 Valdosta D 126 413 125 22 3 3 .303 1958 21 Durham B 87 303 84 13 1 5 .277 1958 21 Augusta A 24 88 21 3 2 0 .239 1959 22 Durham B 65 218 55 8 0 2 .252 1959 22 Knoxville A ...

I have an antique Bik-Kar. It is from the 1930-1940 era. It has on the side of it: The Boston Globe Morning - Evening - Sunday Bik-Kar Mfg by Bik-Kar Co. Worcester Mass It is a one wheel cart that attatched to a bike to hold newspapers that the paperboy delivered. I can find nothing about this item anywhere. Can you please help me? Your item would be called a newspaper bicycle sidecar. One was available for sale in June of 2008 via Craigslist in the Boston area for $175. The owner stated that it was his in the 1950's. I also found another reference of this being from the early 1950's. I found a picture of one and I agree. You are correct in that there is no readily available information on Bik-Kar Co. All indications are that this was a regional item. I cannot find another sidecar like this associated with any other newspaper. The fact that the Mfg was located in Mass supports this theory. That being said, the sidecar would have mostly local appeal. The fact that it is large a...

The Maine Antique Digest July 2008 Edition had in their help needed section an item that a reader was requesting to be identified. Well...I got this one. The item is an International Order of Vikings Grave Marker. The described hole behind the 12 was to allow the marker to slide on to a post.