Some collectibles better at weathering economic storm

Many antiques and collectibles have lost value since the economic downturn of 2008-09. And, it seems, values in many areas of collecting will be a long time coming back to pre-recession levels.

Hard hit have been glass, particularly clear glass stemware; ceramics, especially china and porcelain dinner services; and many “decorative accessories,” such as mid-priced pottery, porcelain figurines and collectibles in general.

There are categories of older items that have weathered the storm better than others. Included are lamps and dolls. Well, some lamps and some dolls, anyway.

In today’s What’s It Worth? we answer readers’ questions about a slag glass table lamp and a very small doll.

Q. No one has been able to identify the maker of our metal-base, slag glass shade table lamp. We’ve shown it to many people with some expertise in the field and even took it to the Antiques Roadshow this summer. Can you identify the manufacturer and give us an idea as to value? — Leann in Kennewick

A. Say “antique lamp” today and most people will think “Tiffany.” The beautiful and striking lighting fixtures made by Tiffany Studios in New York between 1895 and 1933 are at the top end of the market. Some examples are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Tiffany’s lamps were very popular and very expensive. Many people wanted them — few could afford them.

Good old American enterprise kicked in and, by the early years of the 20th century, there were many companies making lamps that looked something like Tiffany’s work but came with a much lower price tag.

Part of the difference was Tiffany lamps were each hand-crafted; the competition was mainly done with a factory process.

Among the better of the less expensive lamps were products by Miller, Handel, Bradley & Hubbard and Pairpoint.

The names of the least expensive makers are almost unknown today. Known names include the Unique Lamp Company, Plume & Atwood, Mutual Sunset and the Chicago Mosaic Lamp Co.

Many of these lamps were completely unmarked. Some — like Leann’s — have only initials. The base of this lamp is marked “C. N. Co. C.”

We checked with period trade directories and talked with lamp restoration companies around the country. None was able to identify this maker. One told us, “Many of these companies were very small and only in business for a short time; no one today knows who or where they were.”

Unidentified or not, this lamp certainly has value. Assuming it is in excellent condition, we’d say it would be fairly priced between $500 and $800.

Q. This little doll belongs to my grandmother, who has always said it was a “Nickel Doll.” It is from her childhood. Can you help with identification and possible value? — Julie in Kennewick

A. Dolls are among the items that vary greatly in value. At the top of the market are finely made dolls from such renowned manufacturers as Brue, Kestner, Jumeau and Heubach. If those all sounds like foreign names, they are.

Most high-end dolls are more than 100 years old and were made by firms in Europe, primarily Germany and France.

Some large Jumeau dolls from Paris dating to the late 1800s can be valued at more than $10,000. They are exquisite and highly sought by collectors

What your grandmother has is a small — about 3 inches high — all-bisque doll clearly marked “Made in Japan.”

Most of these dolls have molded hair and sweet, quite simple faces. Sometimes they were painted and many came with crepe paper dresses.

On this doll, the shoes are painted, as is the bow in her hair. She is jointed only at the shoulders. That simplicity is common.

These dolls were inexpensive when new and some came as premiums when you purchased candy. Those are now called “Candy Baby” dolls. Another name is “Nickel Doll,” as many came from the old “five and dime” stores.

We talked with colleague Robyn Chambers of the Tri-Cities about the value of this doll. She is an advanced collector and one of our go-to What’s It Worth? experts.

Robyn told us these dolls, even though most were made before World War II, don’t have high values. “A few years ago, she would have been fairly priced at $15, maybe $20 if she had an original paper dress. Today, much of the doll market is in the same depressed state as other areas of collecting, and this doll would be valued at perhaps $5 or $10,” she said.

This story was originally published August 22, 2015 at 3:53 PM with the headline "Some collectibles better at weathering economic storm."