Advertising memorabilia remains popular

Is it better to buy an expensive old advertising piece or an inexpensive new one? It depends on why you want it.

Beer bottles and beer advertising have been popular collectibles for years. Beer memorabilia is plentiful, colorful and very often free. Huge bottles and cardboard stand-ups of bottles are given to restaurants and bars by beer companies. So are coasters, menus, large signs and even display figures.

Some collectors want just enough to decorate a room. Some want a few items that commemorate special family events. Most others specialize in collectible wall-hung signs, trays, coasters, bottles, mouse pads, pens, golf tees, key chains or jewelry.

Metal trays with beer-company ads have been used since the 1890s. Many were made by H.D. Beach and J.F. Meeks, two firms in Coshocton, Ohio, that made other types of advertising gimmicks. Many other companies soon were selling similar trays.

Date your beer tray from the graphics, the dresses on the women, the type styles, the name of the beer and the maker. But be careful: Many old trays and artwork have been copied on new trays. The reproductions are sometimes identified with a name or date in tiny letters on the rim.

A 1940s Consumer's Beer tray sold recently at a Morphy auction. It showed a jolly man holding a glass of beer and included the slogan, "Ask Father." The brand was made by the Hollen Brewing Co. of Warwick, R.I. It is no longer made, but the same artwork is used on a modern mouse pad that sells for $5.99 and on a clock that's priced at $13.95. When these new ads are resold, they will be worth less. The 1940s tray auctioned for $115, but will probably be worth that much or more in future years.

Q: I need to reupholster an antique rocking chair. The last time I did this, I saved the original horsehair. But this time I want to replace it with foam. Is the horsehair at all valuable, like most things 100 years old?

A: If the chair needs new upholstery, it must be in poor condition. New fabric will add to the value. You could store the old horsehair and a sample of the old fabric to give to the next owner, who might want to restore the chair to a more original condition.

Q: I'm trying to find information on a small dog figurine carved from solid salt. I was told that figurines like it were carved during the Depression by men trying to sell them door to door. But I have seen some that appear to be factory-made. Many are Scotties.

A: Salt carvings have been made for many years. Souvenirs are still made from salt mined in the Himalayas, Bolivia, Peru and other places. In past decades, carved salt souvenirs also were made in the United States and in other countries that had the hard-salt deposits needed for a carving.

Sometimes collectors think small white Parian figures are made of salt because salt from human perspiration lingers on the figures. So if you lick a Parian figure, the taste might be salty. There is little interest in either type of figure.

Tip: Heat can affect a piano's sound. Do not put an antique or new piano in direct sunlight or near a heat or air-conditioning vent. An interior wall is best.

Ralph and Terry Kovel's column is syndicated by King Features. Write to: Kovels, (Las Vegas Review-Journal), King Features Syndicate, 888 Seventh Ave., New York, NY 10019.