Ashtrays once used in marketing

By Terry Maurer. What's it Worth

This week's What's It Worth looks at a china-faced clock made in Europe and a small metal advertising ashtray made in the United States. You might be surprised at the values of both.

Q. This metal ashtray was my father's. It advertises the F. H. Steinbart & Son Company in Portland. I think it may be old, but have no idea if something like this is valuable. Can you help? -- Ralph in Kennewick

A. Steinbart has been in business for a long time. The company was founded in the early 1900s and was doing business at the Grand Avenue address on your ashtray up until 1959.

So, this is at least 50 years old, which makes it more of a "collectible" than an antique.

We're often asked for a definition of "antique" and we use the U.S. government's rule. If you take a foreign trip, come back home with an item that's 100 years or more old (and can prove it), the feds consider it an antique -- that's good enough for us.

Others say 50 years. Some even contend that if something doesn't predate America's industrial revolution of the early 19th century, it can't be an antique. There are very few early 1800s pieces in the West and we feel that definition is too limiting.

Ashtrays like yours were once popular specialty advertising items for businesses and are collected today. Most are glass, a few ceramic and a few others are metal. This one looks to be brass, and that will add a bit to the value.

While we don't know of any national collector's group, ashtrays are a popular collectible. They still are easy to find and most are inexpensive. Those are two important factors to collectibility, especially for those just starting out in the hobby.

With the decline in smoking and proliferation of anti-smoking laws, many places that once provided ashtrays to customers and used them for marketing purposes no longer do so.

Among the most commonly found older ashtrays in the West come from Nevada casinos. Most are glass and nearly all carry a version of the gambling house's logo. Some places used only one design for years, others had many, designs. The famous Horseshoe in downtown Las Vegas is said to have contracted for more than 50 different ashtrays over the years.

Because they are common, most ashtrays will sell for a few dollars up to as much as $10. Uncommon items, and a few are even considered rare, can go for several hundred dollars each.

Yours, advertising a well-known purveyor of brewing supplies, probably would be priced between $10 and $15.

Q. My clock measures 11.5 inches across the face and looks to have been made from a dinner plate. It has a hole for winding with a key and the mechanism is marked both Gustav Becker and Czechoslovakia. With the rich blue colors on the face and the design of rural scenes and sailing ships, I've always thought that it looked rather Dutch, but have never known if it was collectible or just interesting. What can you tell me? -- LaVerne in Richland

A. First, I think you are absolutely correct in feeling the face is made from a plate. If you took it apart, the back would probably have some markings -- now covered by the clock's mechanism.

Gustav Becker was a German clock maker who started working in about 1850. His clocks are highly regarded today and quite collectible.

At the peak of production, in the early 20th century, Becker workshops made more than 400 varieties of clocks. They reflected the style trends of the day and the clocks ranged from very simple to elaborately ornate.

Becker's manufacturing facilities were in Germany and he exported all over the world. Why your clock is marked Czechoslovakia (the word begins with the letter "T" on the mark) isn't clear, but does help date the clock.

Czechoslovakia was formed in 1918, after hostilities ceased in World War I. It no longer exists as a nation, having been divided into the countries of Slovakia and the Czech Republic in 1993.

Becker's business was absorbed by a company called Junghans in 1928, so we can confidently date the clock between 1918 and 1928.

These models are seen with some regularity and -- in good working condition and no damage to the ceramic plate -- sell for between $150 and $200.

w Terry Maurer, a Tri-Cities personal property appraiser and antique dealer, is a member of the Certified Appraisers Guild of America. You may submit your antiques and collectible questions to What's It Worth by e-mail to whatsitworth@clearwire.net

tool name

Sunday, Mar. 08, 2009

Ashtrays once used in marketing

By Terry Maurer. What's it Worth