Silver Mesh Purse Stumps the Expert

Danielle Arnet

Garth Williams' original cover art for "Charlotte’s Web" sold for $155,350 recently at Heritage Auctions in Dallas

Q: My grandmother gave me a silver mesh purse a long time ago. I tried several websites to find the history on it and the estimated value, but no luck.

A: Looking over the images sent, Lynell Schwartz, author of "Vintage Purses at Their Best," 2nd ed. (Schiffer, $29.95), told us, "This purse is a real challenge." She also knows why you've had no luck finding info.

Although it is the size and shape of traditional ladies' mesh handbags circa 1900, it is different. The woven metal mesh body is similar, but bottom fringe does not hang. Instead, the bottom is a border of more woven mesh. Most unusual is the fold over top, where a decorative silver frame encloses a design of fine filigree wire. Cobalt blue enamel accents, including a crusader's cross, decorate the front flap.

"My best guess is that it is not American," Schwartz adds. She buys and sells vintage purses, and knows that most collectors hunt for bags from American makers such as Whiting and Davis. Celebrated for woven metallic bags, Whiting and Davis and other makers did not use silver.

This purse looks like it might have silver content. Depending on weight and purity, that gives it intrinsic value beyond collecting value.

Your purse stumped the expert! It is, said Schwartz, the first of its kind she's seen. Because of the intricate work and attractive frame, she pegs retail value at $250 to $300.

Q: Are there buyers for Orrefors glassware? I have a collection of about 40 pieces from the 1930s to the '70s.

A: This is like saying, I have a vintage car. Are there buyers? There are cars, and there are cars. Ditto with collectible glass. Smart collectors know that in all cases, value and interest depend on what you have.

Readers who remember the superheated craze for Scandinavian glass during the 1950s and '60s may be surprised to learn that Orrefors was founded in 1898. Still operating, the Swedish glass company has absorbed other makers, most notably Kosta Boda.

Like many manufacturers, Orrefors produced several lines. Production wares are plentiful. They do not interest serious collectors, and sell for less on the secondary market. The Orrefors art glass line, called Expo, was high-end and brings higher prices when sold today.

Expo glass, sometimes colored but most often in ice tones, is designer signed. And the designer matters.

Checking the free info base www.liveauctioneers.com, we found pages listing Orrefors at auction. Results ranged from $10 or $25 to several hundred dollars for more common Expo pieces. A vase signed by designer Nils Landberg brought $900, and an engraved, numbered vase signed by Edward Hald realized $1,000. See why how what you have matters?

To sell, photograph all pieces, including any marks or labels, and shop the whole to several auction houses. If it is quality, the collection may bring more than selling each piece separately.

FYI: "Scandinavian Glass 1930-2000: Fire and Sea" and "Scandinavian Glass 1930-2000: Smoke and Ice" both by Leslie Pina and Lorenzo Vigier (published by Schiffer), are good visual guide to the variety of Scandinavian glass. The first, on colored glass, is $69.95. The second is $59.95.

Q: My tea set was made to commemorate the coronation of King Edward VIII in 1937. He abdicated in 1936. I see other coronation items on eBay, but have not seen this tea set. Value? How do I sell?

A: The tea set was one of many, many pieces made by Royal Crown Myotts China for the coronation. Pattern is "The Crowning." Full dinner sets had 61 pieces.

I suggest you Google the tea set by maker to see if similar pieces are for sale on the Internet. When researching china, www.replacements.com is always a must. And try the URL provided for results in the previous query.

Tea sets are generally a hard sell, but once you have an idea what's out there, you may want to post the set on eBay at a price you can live with, or send it to a good area auction.

AUCTION ACTION: When 38 lots of original art for the 1952 beloved classic children's book "Charlotte's Web" came up for sale at Heritage Galleries in Dallas, the total take was $780,245. The top lot, a 14- by 16.5-inch ink drawing of a web for the decorative end paper design, brought $155,350. All art for the E.B. White book was consigned by artist Garth William's family.

COLLECTOR QUIZ

QUESTION: Who were Skipper, Tutti and Todd? When were they introduced?

ANSWER: Skipper, Barbie's sister, made her debut in 1964. Tutti (1966) and Todd (1967) were the doll's tiny twin sister and brother. Source: "Skipper: Barbie Doll's Little Sister," 2nd ed., by Trina Cottingham, Scott Arend and Karla Hemingway (Collector Books, $24.95).