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Exclusive web chat

Paul Hayes... answers your questions on antiques

Paul Hayes has been in 'Cash in the Attic' since 2002

Antiques expert

'Cash in the Attic' antiques expert Paul Hayes answers your questions in this exclusive web chat.

From old signed photographers to cigarette cards and antique vases, Paul looks at what your treasures might be worth.

He also answers some of your general questions about antiques and reveals how to get started in the collecting game.

Questions

How old is it before something can be called an antique? When does an object become an antique and not just a collectable? Jenny, Blackpool

Paul - Exactly 100 years, for tax reasons!

It's a legal thing - it's down to import and export duties.

It has to be 100-years-old, that's 1906 now in 2006.

Everything after that is a collectable.

I remember visiting my Great Aunt's house many years ago and seeing a small wooden box she had.

Inside the box was divided into small squares and each hole contained a rolled up piece of paper containing in verse from the bible or psalm.

Have you ever seen anything like this and if so what are they called? Margaret White

Paul - I have seen things like this before. It's like a 'Prayer for the Day' box.

It's almost like a fortune cookie. Everyone would read one out as they sat around the family table.

These are Victorian items and there's about 40-50 of them in the box.

They generally bring about 拢40-拢45.

Can you tell me where I can get valuations on some old signed photographs of 1920/30's film stars.

I inherited these from my uncle who used to sketch the stars and send them the results along with letters of appreciation.

They in turn would send back signed photos. I have:
1 8x10 signed Mary Pickford circa 1925
1 5x7 signed of Lillian Gish
1 5x7 signed of Dorothy Gish
1 each 8x10 signed and annotated by both the Talmadge Sisters (famous for starting the hand print in the sidewalk of Hollywood by film stars) Plus others. All are in perfect condition. Mike Richardson

Paul - The people to contact are on The Strand in London.

They are autograph specialists. If you send them a list, they should be able to write back with an idea of their value.

My father was a maintenance engineer at a cotton mill in Reddish. I have one of his slide rules - a "Unique" slide rule in its original box complete with instructions.

It must have been purchased possibly 1930's or 40's. Is this something I should treat as of any value?

I am now almost 70 and I remember my father taking me to the cotton mill when it was closed during the mill holidays and explaining to me what his job was. Gladys Welborn

Paul - The main thing to look for is a good make such as Hollands or Thorntons.

It's also important to look a the materials used - some slide rules were made out of mahogany or ivory.

Others were made out of plastic.

My advice would be to pop into a good local auction room and get a scientific specialist to look at it.

Alternatively, go round antiques fairs and find someone selling similar things. It's a very specialist field.

If it's ivory and it's a good maker, they can be worth 拢200.

Plastic ones are less valuable - and are worth about 拢40.

Hello, I have a Pedigree Rosebud Wedding Doll given to me for Christmas in 1955. It is still in its original clothing including all accessories and is approx 16" high.

It is also still in the original thick cardboard box although this is in a poor condition due to being kept in the attic, but the doll itself is perfect as is all of the accessories, including stockings, underwear, head-dress, veil, pearl necklet and the red rose decoration on the skirt of the dress.

Could you tell me if there are many of these still about today and what would it be worth today? Patricia Bowker

Paul - These dolls do turn up. The condition of the doll and the accessories tend to be important.

They're a bit of a cult item now, and can be worth into the low hundreds.

It could be worth between 拢80-拢100.

My advice would be to contact a specialist auction house.

It might be worth hanging onto it a bit longer - perhaps hand it down to the next generation.

Any idea when and where the auction of Tony Hill's collection will take place? Ronnie and Carl

Paul - It'll probably be January or February 2007 at Hall's Auction Room in Shrewsbury.

There'll be a press announcement when dates are confirmed.

What's the best way of starting to collect antiques? Where did you get started? John, Morecambe

Paul - I started buying bits of silver. It's very affordable and you can also date it to the year.

You can learn the hallmarks too - that's how most people I know got started.

It's also easy to buy and see it and you can see which pieces sell and which don't.

Is it better to invest in furniture and paintings rather than smaller antique items? Do they accrue more value more quickly? Laura, Wilmslow

Paul - Anything that has a name is good.

You want to look for the best manufacturers, and age is also is the sound.

The best and perfect items are the ones to look for. Anything with a famous name can be good.

I bought some items from Burma when visiting family over there - the question that I have for you is this...

I have a Rose Cluster Diamond Ring - it is approximately 1ct made up of nine Stones - the stones are good clarity, but the down fall is that it is not hallmarked, as it is from Burma...

We wish to sell the item, however we do not know which Auction to take it, to sell?

Will we need a Hallmark? and if so were would we obtain this for the relevant year? Sylvia. Warburton

Paul - It doesn't need a hallmark. A jeweller would test the carat rating for gold and do a heat test for diamonds.

I'd approach a good second hand jewellers and get a good purchase price.

Alternatively lots of auction houses have good jewellers.

I would estimate that the ring would probably be worth between 拢80-拢1,000.

I have just inherited a stein and cannot find out how old it is or where is was made.

It appears to be Italian as it is marked "Birra Peroni tipo Monaco" with Peroni Logos on the stein and lid.

It is 22cm high and 10.5cm wide at the base and is either pottery or stoneware with possibly a pewter lid and thumb bar.

Do you have any ideas which could help me or could you point me in the right direction? Melvyn Franklin

Paul - It's most likely that this was brought back from the Second World War: lots were made for the export market.

It was probably made in Germany or on the Italian-German border.

I have a 1940's/50's boat shaped lamp, with brass rails and portholes. It has light up sails and has been professionally rewired by an electrician. I was wondering how much it is worth, if it is much sought after and if it is rare?
Chad Bevan

Paul - It's rare and it's what's called retro. One of these recently turned up on 'Cash in the Attic' and we valued it at 拢85.

However, you have to be careful about selling electrical goods - one little tip - remove the plug and sell it through auction or a good Internet site such as e-Bay.

Alternatively, keep if for a few years and it might increase in value.

I was wondering if you could give me some idea about some collectors cards that I have got. They are cards that are in an album from Adventure/Rover.

The cards themselves are of sports men - they appear to be actual photographs, and they give a brief description of the sports man and what they are doing... there are cricketers, footballers, boxers, jockeys.

The dates that they all refer to are around 1921.

I was just wondering if you have come across anything like this before?

Are they of any value and if I was to sell them is there any specialist people that you recommend I get in touch with? Elton

Paul - They are cigarette cards and are quite collectable, especially being sporting people.

The rarer the factory, the better. I don't know Rover - but you could speak to someone who specialises in ephemera.

One good idea is to go to the reference section of your local library and get out a catalogue of cigarette cards - this will give pointers on value and where to sell them.

I wondered if you could help me regarding a book that I have.

It's a first edition (well, I think it is). It's an Anna Laetitia Aitkin book of poems dated 1773. It's in good condition and was left to me a couple of years ago from my uncle. Wendy Dalby

Paul - First editions do bring tremendous amounts of money, but not all books fro the 18th Century are valuable.

Look for famous books and the first time that they appear.

If you're online, go to the book specialists at antiquarianbooks.com
- and send in your query, and they will email you back.

My gut feeling is that this isn't a well-known book but, if it's a first edition, it might be worth checking it out further.

I have a cricket book "Forty Seasons of First-Class Cricket" by R.G.Barlow. He played alongside W.G.Grace around 1880. It's in reasonable condition and I wondered if it is of value.
Howard.

Paul - Definitely. I'd recommend speaking with Frasers of The Strand in London.

Or, if you're brave, try putting it on e-Bay on the Internet.

Cricket is very collectable, especially anything around W.G. Grace's time, the golden age of cricket.

I have an old mandolin harp size 15ins x 21ins. The wording is Weltrecord inside... The Harp was my aunt's who inherited it from her mother in law (auntie would have been 90 this year). I have been led to believe that the wood is ebony and the strings are original. Do you think it would be worth getting it valued and would you be able to recommend a valuer in Merseyside? Elizabeth Campbell

Paul - There's not generally a great deal of value in mandolin harps so don't build your hopes up.

It's not in the same category as a proper harp, so we're probably looking at around 拢100.

However, you could try getting it valued at auction house in Liverpool.

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