Fountain Pens
Image from Bonhams

The Namiki fountain pen at left brought $17,080, and the Montblanc Black Widow pen at right sold for $20,740 recently at Bonhams

Q: Any info on my Summertime Royal Winton teapot from the 1950s? Bottom marks are Grimwades and Ascot. Any value?

A: Straight off, I can tell you that the teapot is an example of chintz ceramics. Produced in England (also home to chintz printed fabrics) by a handful of manufacturers, chintz wares feature delicate floral patterns that cover the piece in a profusion of florals. Once you see a piece of chintz, you'll know it.

Royal Winton, James Kent, Shelley and Crown Ducal are just a few potteries celebrated for chintz. Introduced in the late 1800s, the look reached a height of popularity between 1900 and 1950. Chintz ceramics are still made and, because they are so popular, Japanese potteries have jumped into the mix.

Grimwade refers to three brothers who started their pottery in Stoke-on-Trent in 1872 and later bought the Winton Pottery. Ascot is the teapot shape.

Summertime is one of the most popular chintz patterns, along with DuBarry and Rosalynde. Over 100 patterns are known to exist.

Royal Winton made a variety of Summertime wares, including sweet dishes, sugars and creamers -- not to mention, a variety of teapots. Value on the pot depends on condition, cup size (three, four or five cups) and shape (stacked, square or bulbous). To complicate matters, the company produced a hot water pot that is often confused for a teapot. We know from a mark that the reader's pot shape is Ascot, but size is unknown.

I recommend a look on eBay and online for similar pots. When we checked, prices for differing pots ran from $149 to $709. Completed sales were $79 to $108.

Good vintage chintz is hard to find. If in excellent condition, your teapot will always hold good value.

Q: How old is my Kingwood Ceramics pitcher?

A: Kingwood Ceramics operated in East Palestine, Ohio starting in 1939. The factory closed in 2004. I'd date the brown-glaze 6-inch high pitcher seen in a photo to the 1950s or 1960s.

Like many Ohio potteries, Kingwood produced two lines: art pottery and a larger line of consumer wares. Collectors prefer the art pottery, but the general line, such as this pitcher, is most common.

Depending on condition and where sold, the pitcher could retail for $10 to $30.

Q: Could there possibly be a buyer for my three railroad tickets from the 1880s?

A: Without a doubt, yes. Railroadiana collectors collect by railroad or line, or area. Just about anything related to a specific company is game.

The tickets listed are Burlington and Union Pacific. I'd post them separately on eBay or in any online auction and see how they do. We found several Burlington tickets from 1911 to 1963 offered for under $20. UP tickets were listed for less. Your tickets are older, and should bring more.

Also watch local papers for info on meetings/shows of railroadiana collectors. The informative events are always packed with collectors eager to buy. Take the tickets and try your luck.

AUCTION ACTION: When collections of limited edition fountain pens sold at Bonhams recently, a Montblanc Magical Black Widow Skeleton Limited Edition pen sold for $20,740 to a Swiss collector. On the pen, a white gold web encloses a filigree spider studded with black diamonds on the clip. One of only 88 made, this is 72/88, and is one of the most coveted Montblancs.

A $17,080 Emperor Thunder God vs. Wind God limited edition fountain pen by Japanese maker Namiki celebrates two elemental gods adopted from Hindu mythology by Japanese Buddhism. The large pen takes about 300 hours to complete, has an 18K broad gold nib, is eyedropper filled, and numbers 37/90.

COLLECTOR QUIZ

QUESTION: Can you rank these movie posters by price realized at auction or sale?

a: "The Poor Little Rich Girl" (1936), 27 inches by 41 inches, featuring Shirley Temple

b. "This Island Earth" (1955), 40 inches by 60 inches

c. "Pinocchio" (1940), 27 inches by 41 inches

d. "Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman" (1958), 27 inches by 41 inches

e. "White Christmas" (1954), 40 inches by 60 inches, featuring Bing Crosby

ANSWER: "Attack" sold for $23,489 in 2008. Then b., c., a., and e. Source: "The World's Rarest Movie Posters" by Todd Spoor (Schiffer, $39.99). All color and loaded with info.

 

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(c) 2010 Danielle Arnet