Uncle Sam wants YOU to save your pennies. But it took lots of pennies and lots and LOTS of dollars to win this "Uncle Sam" bank at a recent Morphy auction. This cast iron mechanical bank was made by Shepard Hardware Co. of Buffalo, N.Y. in 1886, when it sold for $8.50 per dozen. The winning price in April was $26,910.

Put a coin in Uncle Sam's extended hand. When the lever behind the umbrella is pushed, the bag opens, his arm lowers, and the coin drops into the bag (actually into a receptacle below). The bag snaps shut and then his beard bobs up and down.

Thousands of bank prices are listed on Kovels.com. For current prices on mechanical banks, see Kovels' Antiques and Collectibles 2008 Price List.

Ran on July 2, 2008

Weller 1930s Gardenware pieces are hard to find. They were placed outside and many were broken by lawn mowers and winter weather. A buyer found this rare 13 3/4-inch high Weller "Pan with Rabbit" garden ornament charming, and paid $6,750 to take it home from a recent Cincinnati Art Galleries auction.

Weller pottery was first made in 1872 in Fultonham, Ohio. The firm operated in Zanesville, Ohio from 1882 until it closed in 1948. Almost all pieces are marked "Weller."

See more Weller garden ornaments in the August issue of Kovels' on Antiques and Collectibles newsletter. Click here to subscribe.

For more prices on garden-related items, go to Kovels' Antiques and Collectibles 2008 Price List.

Ran on June 25, 2008

The Kovels' Top Twenty list is based on the results of hundreds of thousands of searches that took place on its website during of May, 2008. Occupied Japan items topped the list. Visitors to Kovels.com are always interested in jewelry prices and in May it was the second most popular category.

We haven't seen Shawnee on the top 20 list for a while. Pictured here is a casserole from the Fruit and Basket line made by Shawnee in 1951. It was designed by Robert Heckman. He introduced color blending, a decorating method that used a spray gun and three basic colors to decorate the fruit. Highlights, sometimes gold paint, were added with a brush. This 6 1/2-inch casserole sold for $52 in an online auction.

The complete Top Twenty for May 2008 are:

1. Occupied Japan
2. Jewelry
3. Silver Plate
4. Coca-Cola
5. McCoy
6. Furniture
7. Stove
8. World War II
9. Lighter
10. Cookie Jar
11. Lladro
12. Planters Peanuts
13. Doll
14. Bicycle
15. Davy Crockett
16. Knife
17. Clock
18. Royal Bayreuth
19. Phonograph
20. Shawnee

Visitors use Kovels' website and price guides for a number of reasons, the most common that they are just trying to determine the value of an item they own. If an item is not listed on the Top Twenty list, it does not mean that it's unpopular or that there isn't a demand for it. It only means that in May there was less interest.

Ran on June 17, 2008

The Kovels' Top Twenty list is based on the results of hundreds of thousands of searches that took place on its website during the month of April 2008. Visitors to Kovels.com are are always interested in jewelry prices, and again in April it was the most searched-for category. Stove, Occupied Japan, World War II, Furniture, Silver Plate and Capo-di-Monte are other categories that have been making consistent appearances on our top 20 list.

Pictured here are examples of six categories that are either new to our list or haven't appeared in a while: McCoy (bank, sold for $62, Hewletts Auctions), Bicycle (Schwinn Jaguar, sold for $315, Tom Harris Auctions), Royal Bayreuth (tomato pitcher, sold for $88, Richard Hatch Auctions), Davy Crockett (dime register bank, sold for $168, Henry Peirce Auctioneers), Cookie Jar (Metlox rooster, selling for $270 in an online shop), and Glass Bohemian (Harrach iridescent vase, sold for $554, Jackson's International Auctioneers).

The complete Top Twenty for April 2008 are:

1. Jewelry
2. Occupied Japan
3. Silver Plate
4. Stove
5. Coca-Cola
6. World War II
7. Capo-Di-Monte
8. Furniture
9. Planters Peanuts
10. Lighter
11. Knife
12. McCoy
13. Bicycle
14. Doll
15. Royal Bayreuth
16. Lladro
17. Clock
18. Davy Crockett
19. Cookie Jar
20. Glass Bohemian

People use Kovels' website and price guides for a number of reasons, the most common that they are just trying to determine the value of an item that they own. If an item is not listed on the Top Twenty list, it does not mean that it's unpopular or that there isn't a demand for it. It only means that in April there was less interest.

Ran on May 13, 2008

Though mothers have been revered for centuries, the greeting card industry didn't have an official holiday to promote until 1914. The holiday's original purpose was to honor mothers whose sons were lost in the first World War—a carryover from the holiday's first promoter Julia Ward Howe, who wanted to unite mothers in protest against war.

Mother's Day had become a general celebration of motherhood by the time Wallace Nutting created this hand-colored photograph card in the 1930s. Sentimental greetings, often in the form of short poems, were printed on unfolded panels meant to be framed and displayed all year.

This print sold for $27 in a recent Michael Ivankovich auction. You can find more motherly mementos on Kovels.com and in Kovels' Antiques & Collectibles Price List.

Ran on May 9, 2008

From clutter to coveted collectibles—a collector cleaned his basement and found out that one's man trash is truly another's treasure. Auctioneer Jim Cyr researched the cans, and by auction time the estimate was $20,000 to $40,000. Phone and audience bidding resulted in a price of $126,000.

Two burlap sacks full of old cans that were taking up space in a New Jersey man’s attic went to Cyr Auction Company in Maine with the hope they would bring a few thousand dollars.

The rare cans were from 1935 to the 1970s. They were stacked and soldered together because they were used to decorate a basement bar. Condition was very good because they were found “inside” rather than “outside,” an important differentiation for beer can collectors.

So spring cleaners, take a close look at what you find. Kovels.com and Kovels' Antiques and Collectibles 2008 Price List will help you learn the prices.

Ran on April 30, 2008

The Kovels' Top Twenty list is based on the results of hundreds of thousands of searches that took place on its website during the month of March 2008. Visitors to Kovels.com are are always interested in jewelry prices, and in March it was the most searched-for category. Stove, Occupied Japan, World War II, Coca-Cola, Furniture and Capo-di-Monte are other categories that have been making consistent appearances on our top 20 list.

Pictured here are examples of 10 categories that are either new to our list or haven't appeared in a while: Silverplate (napkin ring, sold for $110, Alderfer Auctions), Knife (pocket knife, sold for $33, Desert West Auction Service), Lighter (by Cartier, sold for $633, Brunk Auctions), Lladro (Little Leaguer figurine, sold for $125, JK Galleries), Milk Glass (squirrel on acorn box, sold for $81, Phoebus Auction Gallery), Silver Chinese (tea set, 4 piece, sold for $2,875, John Moran Auctioneers), Clock (Gustav Stickley, sold for $39,000, Craftsman Auctions of Rago Arts & Auction Center), Phonograph (Victor IV, sold for $2,875, MV Auctions), Rosenthal (figurine, pair of lions, sold for $585, DuMouchelles), and Doll (Bébé Jumeau, sold for $5,700, O'Gallerie Auctioneers).

The complete Top Twenty for March 2008 are:

1. Jewelry
2. Stove
3. Occupied Japan
4. Silverplate
5. World War II
6. Coca-Cola
7. Furniture
8. Capo-Di-Monte
9. Knife
10. Lighter
11. Lladro
12. Milk Glass
13. Silver Chinese
14. Clock
15. Hutschenreuther
16. Phonograph
17. Bavaria
18. Copeland Spode
19. Rosenthal
20. Doll

People use Kovels' website and price guides for a number of reasons, the most common that they are just trying to determine the value of an item that they own. If an item is not listed on the Top Twenty list, it does not mean that it's unpopular or that there isn't a demand for it. It only means that in March there was less interest.

Ran on April 15, 2008