RINKER ON COLLECTIBLES — Column #1819

Copyright © Harry Rinker, LLC 2021

Questions and Answers

QUESTION: I own an #32 Auto Wheel Coaster Co. sled. It is in fair “used” condition. The back markings are readable, albeit barely. Any idea of its worth? – KI, Atlasburg, PA, Email Question

ANSWER: The Auto Wheel Coaster Company began life as the Buffalo Sled Company in 1905. John J. Schneider and Henry J. Tiedt were the founders. The company moved to North Tonawanda, New York, in 1909. The factory was located at the foot of Schenck Street, west of Oliver Street and south of Schenck. Other plants were located in Buffalo and Preston, Ontario.

The Buffalo Sled Company made shovels and sleds before adding a line of coasters (wagons) in 1912. The Buffalo Sled Company sold coasters and sleds under the “Auto Wheel” brand.

In July 1920, papers for the incorporation of the Auto Wheel Coaster Company of North Tonawanda, New York, were filed in Albany. It was noted that the new company was formerly the Buffalo Sled Company. The Buffalo office was closed following the filing. The Buffalo Sled Company designation appears on products into the early 1920s, perhaps the result of back inventory. The name change occurred because the company’s principal product was coasters (wagons). The sled side of the business had deteriorated.

The Buffalo Sled Company and its successor the Auto Wheel Coaster Company advertised heavily in publications such as “Popular Mechanics,” geared to a young male focus and worked closely with clubs and other giveaway promotions.

Your sled dates from the late 1920s or early 1930s. Given its condition (your “fair condition” assessment is generous), it has more display/curiosity value than collectible or reuse value. Your sled’s secondary market retail value is between $20.00 and $25.00.

QUESTION: I have a 38-star, cotton American flag that measures 10 feet by 5 feet. It is marked “J. H. Wilson, Military Flagmaker, Philadelphia.” I would appreciate any information you can provide about the flag. – JH, St. Augustine, FL, Email Question

ANSWER: The 38-star flag became the official United States flag on July 4, 1877. A star was added for the admission of Colorado on August 1, 1876. The flag lasted for 13 years. Five presidents – Rutherford B. Hayes, James Garfield, Chester A. Arthur, Grover Cleveland, and Benjamin Harrison served under it. It was replaced by the 43 Star Flag on July 4, 1890 marking the addition of North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Washington, and Idaho to the United States.

Your flag, based upon size my assessment of its condition from the photograph that accompanied your email, is worth between $1,250.00 and $1,500.00. The value takes into account that the star in the upper right has been replaced.

QUESTION: I have a large wooden, two chamber pulley that measures approximately 17-inches in length and 6 1/2” wide. The bottom has stamped ink marks of “123,” “38,” and an “S” in a hexagon. There also is an oval metal stamp inside of which is a hexagon with the letter “S.” What is the value of the pulley? – RH, North Canton, OH

ANSWER: I was not successful in identifying the maker of your double block pulley. I do have two suggestions. The first is to contact the Mid West Tool Collectors Association (mwtca.org) and send them an email asking if one of their members can identify the maker for you. I had the pleasure of speaking at a semi-annual meeting of this organization. I was impressed with the broad knowledge of its members. The second suggestion is to contact the Early American Industries Association (eaiainfo.org) and make the same inquiry.

Although I could not identify the manufacturer of your pulley, I had no problem researching its value. I found dozens of similar examples among the listings on WorthPoint.com’s Worthopedia. Your pulley has a secondary market retail value of between $12.50 and $15.00.

QUESTION: I have a set of white enameled tea cups. The mark on the bottom is a standing lion resting his front paws on a coffeepot with the letter “B” inside it and beneath which is “42.” The cups have wicker handles. Can you identify the mark and provide a value for the tea cups? – MB, Bakersfield, CA, Email Question

ANSWER: One possible attribution is from an internet blog that indicates the mark was used by Manning, Bowman & Co. (1849-1945), located in Meriden, Connecticut, on its granite iron and pearl agate wares. The examples of this mark had solid lines.

The mark on your cup is comprised of a series of dots. My first thought was that your enameled cups were modern reproductions or copycats. If this was the case, I should have found additional examples for sale on the internet. I did not.

Manning, Bowman is best known for its electro-silver and nickel-plated ware that included many Art Deco and Modernist designed appliances such as cocktail shakers and coffeepots. Collector interest in the company’s granite iron and pearl agate wares is minimal.

I located a second example of a white enamel platter with a blue cobalt rim. The listing did not identify a maker nor did it provide a detailed photograph of the mark. I did not find any additional listings. If a “Rinker on Collectibles” reader can provide any additional information about this mark, email me at harrylrinker@aol.com so that I can pass it along to MB.

The secondary market value of your cups is minimal. Their primary value is reuse. The cups are garage sale fodder at fifty cents to one dollar each. .

QUESTION: I have a Bradley alarm clock that is set in a wooden, four-inch square case. I cannot find this clock anywhere on the internet. Any information you can provide would be helpful. – DK, Email Question

ANSWER: Bradley, windup, alarm clocks were made in Western Germany during the 1950s and 1960s. There were a wide variety of styles including folding travel alarms, Big Ben type alarms with two bells on top, carriage case alarms, Steeple cased alarm clocks, and table top alarms. Bradley had a Disney license to make Mickey Mouse Big-Ben-type models.

My first thought was that your clock was once part of a folding travel alarm, the case of which had been lost. The size of the wooden frame eliminated this. Although WorthPoint.com’s Worthopedia has over 1,000 listings for Bradley alarm clocks, I did not find one similar to the example you own.

Your Bradley clock most likely dates from the 1950s. Its value is minimal, somewhere between $3.00 and $5.00.

QUESTION: I have a set of gold-plated, stainless steel and Strasbourg pattern sterling silver flatware. Is it worth having them appraised? – SD, Hoonah, AK, Email Question

ANSWER: Forget the gold-plated, stainless steel flatware service. You most likely would pay more to have it appraised that it is worth.

I emailed SD asking her to send me a list of the pieces in her Strasbourg pattern service. The service consists of 8 each of butter knives, dinner knives, cocktail forks, dinner forks, salad forks and 12 teaspoons – a total of 52 pieces.

The Gorham Strasbourg pattern is highly desirable, especially because it is a high silver weight per piece service. Worthpoint.com’s Wothopedia has a listing for 23 pieces (six dinner knives, six dinner forks, five salad forks, and six teaspoons) that sold on eBay on August 2, 2021, for $1,499.99. In contrast, a 59-piece set sold on eBay on September 29, 2020, for $1,000.

Normally, the melt value of most sterling silver flatware services is higher than the value of the service on the secondary market. In the case of your Strasbourg set, the secondary market value is higher than the melt value.

Think conservatively. The secondary market value of your service is between $750.00 and $800.00. This assumes you will sell it privately. If sold to a dealer or replacement service, you will achieve only 50 percent of these prices.

Harry L. Rinker welcomes questions from readers about collectibles, those mass-produced items from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.  Selected letters will be answered in this column.  Harry cannot provide personal answers.  Photos and other material submitted cannot be returned.  Send your questions to: Rinker on Collectibles, 5955 Mill Point Court SE, Kentwood, MI 49512.  You also can e-mail your questions to harrylrinker@aol.com. Only e-mails containing a full name and mailing address will be considered.