Trinket or Treasure
by Lisa C. Cantwell
Dear Reader: This is a column to help you determine the history and value of your heirlooms, attic finds, flea market purchases, or antique items. Please send a picture and description of your piece, such as how you acquired it and any details about its history, to [email protected]. I’ll research any item, whether it’s a piece of furniture, a painting, a tool, a doll, a figurine, or an article of clothing. An approximate value will be determined to inform you if it’s a “Trinket or Treasure.” Please submit all pictures and questions by the preceding 15th of the month for possible publication in the next monthly issue of The Catoctin Banner. All inquiries will be answered; however, only those selected for publication will include approximate value assessments. Furthermore, not all submissions may be published in the Banner due to space considerations. Please include your name or initials and where you reside. Thank you and happy treasure hunting!
I have a collection of small, opalescent animal figures. The birds and rabbit were given to me, and I was told they date to the 1920s. I found a similar dog figure in an antique mall recently and paid $12 for it. It has a sticker on it that says, “Sabino.” The dog and rabbit are two inches long and the birds are just an inch wide. They remind me of Lalique figurines. Are they valuable?
— Marybeth Ray, Bethesda, MD
These little treasures are gaining value, because in addition to being charming, they are no longer made. Sabino glass was produced during the 1920s and 1930s by an artisan of the same name. Marius Sabino (b.1878 – d.1961) lived in France and studied at the Beaux Arts academy in Paris. The son of a sculptor, he became fascinated by the effect that the invention of electricity had on glass. He focused on creating chandeliers at first, making them monumental and ornate. These light fixtures soon became in demand for luxury hotels, ships and for the private estates of the wealthy. Sabino’s works were commissioned for palaces in India and Persia. He used a technique similar to his contemporary, Rene’ Lalique, creating an opalescent glass that included blue and gold hues. Apart from chandeliers, his factory studio created multitudes of vases, busts, statues, plates, animal figures of all sizes, perfume bottles, and other decorative objects. They are quite valuable today. Popular celebrities of the time, like Josephine Baker and Maurice Chevalier, collected his large fish figurines. Production ceased during WWII, but in the 1960s, nude figurines and small glass animals, such as yours, were produced. The mid-century Sabino’s are not as valuable, but are quite collectible. Value the Pekinese dog, which has a Sabino sticker on its base, at $40.00. The three birds are signed, “Sabino,” on their bases and could bring as much as $50.00 on an online auction site. The hare has a couple of small chips on its ear, so unfortunately, damage detracts from its value. It’s not uncommon for a lot of signed, tiny, Sabino animals to bring $95.00 to $100 at an online auction, even with slight damage. Thank you for sharing these cute pieces!
“I bought this box of 35 cardboard farm animals at an antique mall for $18. They are various sizes with the largest one being 7”x 6”. All have wooden stands. On the back of each animal is a description of the breed, followed by several educational paragraphs. How old are they and what are they worth? Were they toys?”
— Joan W., Franklin County, PA
These sets were made in the 1930s through the early 1960s by various companies and were used as educational toys in school and at home. My research did not bear a specific maker for your set, but Milton Bradley made one that included a barn, silo, and people. Due to color and wear, your set likely dates to the 1940s. It’s uncommon to find this number of animals with all the stands. In 2016, on a popular online sales site, 28 “vintage” cardboard farm animals and stands sold for $124.99. A recent sales search yielded seven for $22.00. A fair resale price would be in the range of $75.00 to $95.00. Your animals are in good condition, so they are indeed, a treasure!
Lastly, I’d like to share from my own collection. Be on the look-out for American folk-art items, even those made within the last ten years. They are highly sought after, like the pictured hand-carved deer with googly eyes, and the small, carved turkey. The older and quirkier the folk art, the more valuable, of course. Both pieces are mid-to-late 20th century. The deer measure 5” tall and 3 ½” wide. They are carved from one piece of wood, and were glazed and painted. I found them in Mississippi at an antique store, in a bowl with other carved critters. The store owner told me they date to the 1940s and were made by a local man who recently died. I wish I’d bought the lot! The little turkey was almost a giveaway item at a nearby flea market. Its tail has been attached, but the paint, finish, and detail make it perfect for any Thanksgiving craft display. Charm and originality cannot be manufactured.
I have a collection of small, opalescent animal figures. The birds and rabbit were given to me, and I was told they date to the 1920s. I found a similar dog figure in an antique mall recently and paid $12 for it. It has a sticker on it that says, “Sabino.” The dog and rabbit are two inches long and the birds are just an inch wide. They remind me of Lalique figurines. Are they valuable?
— Marybeth Ray, Bethesda, MD
These little treasures are gaining value, because in addition to being charming, they are no longer made. Sabino glass was produced during the 1920s and 1930s by an artisan of the same name. Marius Sabino (b.1878 – d.1961) lived in France and studied at the Beaux Arts academy in Paris. The son of a sculptor, he became fascinated by the effect that the invention of electricity had on glass. He focused on creating chandeliers at first, making them monumental and ornate. These light fixtures soon became in demand for luxury hotels, ships and for the private estates of the wealthy. Sabino’s works were commissioned for palaces in India and Persia. He used a technique similar to his contemporary, Rene’ Lalique, creating an opalescent glass that included blue and gold hues. Apart from chandeliers, his factory studio created multitudes of vases, busts, statues, plates, animal figures of all sizes, perfume bottles, and other decorative objects. They are quite valuable today. Popular celebrities of the time, like Josephine Baker and Maurice Chevalier, collected his large fish figurines. Production ceased during WWII, but in the 1960s, nude figurines and small glass animals, such as yours, were produced. The mid-century Sabino’s are not as valuable, but are quite collectible. Value the Pekinese dog, which has a Sabino sticker on its base, at $40.00. The three birds are signed, “Sabino,” on their bases and could bring as much as $50.00 on an online auction site. The hare has a couple of small chips on its ear, so unfortunately, damage detracts from its value. It’s not uncommon for a lot of signed, tiny, Sabino animals to bring $95.00 to $100 at an online auction, even with slight damage. Thank you for sharing these cute pieces!
“I bought this box of 35 cardboard farm animals at an antique mall for $18. They are various sizes with the largest one being 7”x 6”. All have wooden stands. On the back of each animal is a description of the breed, followed by several educational paragraphs. How old are they and what are they worth? Were they toys?”
— Joan W., Franklin County, PA
These sets were made in the 1930s through the early 1960s by various companies and were used as educational toys in school and at home. My research did not bear a specific maker for your set, but Milton Bradley made one that included a barn, silo, and people. Due to color and wear, your set likely dates to the 1940s. It’s uncommon to find this number of animals with all the stands. In 2016, on a popular online sales site, 28 “vintage” cardboard farm animals and stands sold for $124.99. A recent sales search yielded seven for $22.00. A fair resale price would be in the range of $75.00 to $95.00. Your animals are in good condition, so they are indeed, a treasure!
Lastly, I’d like to share from my own collection. Be on the look-out for American folk-art items, even those made within the last ten years. They are highly sought after, like the pictured hand-carved deer with googly eyes, and the small, carved turkey. The older and quirkier the folk art, the more valuable, of course. Both pieces are mid-to-late 20th century. The deer measure 5” tall and 3 ½” wide. They are carved from one piece of wood, and were glazed and painted. I found them in Mississippi at an antique store, in a bowl with other carved critters. The store owner told me they date to the 1940s and were made by a local man who recently died. I wish I’d bought the lot! The little turkey was almost a giveaway item at a nearby flea market. Its tail has been attached, but the paint, finish, and detail make it perfect for any Thanksgiving craft display. Charm and originality cannot be manufactured.