Old frames often more valuable than pictures, photos

Picture frames were very elaborate during Victorian times. The rectangular frame for an oil painting could be 3 or 4 inches deep with several different types of carving on the borders. And the frame often was covered with gold leaf. Small frames were sometimes made of carved pieces of dark wood joined in a crisscross fashion.

The simple silver frame favored today for photographs was unknown to Victorians. They preferred odd-shaped silver-plated frames with added figures or objects because they liked lots of ornamentation. Their picture frames often were more important than the pictures in them, and added decorative value to a group display.

Today, picture frames and mats are made to enhance pictures. During the past 25 years, museums and serious collectors have tried to keep pictures in their original frames. Artists, after all, often made the frames to go with a special "look" they were trying to achieve. Landscapes were put in frames with wide borders that slanted into the painting, giving added depth. Signed picture frames by known makers sell for hundreds to thousands of dollars.

Do not put a new frame on an old painting, print or drawing before you learn what type of frame it ought to have. And if you have some old frames, you might try to sell them. Their prices might surprise you.

Q: A while ago, I purchased a papier-mache duck decoy made by the General Fibre Co. of St. Louis. The decoy is impressed "General Fibre Co., Ariduk, Reg. U.S. Pat. Off., St. Louis 2, Mo." There's a 2¼-inch hole on the top of the duck. Why the hole? And what is the decoy worth?

A: Your molded-fiber (papier-mache) decoy dates from the mid-1940s or early 1950s. One clue to its age is the postal zone, 2, in the address. Postal zones were first used in 1943. Another clue is the material your decoy is made of. Molded fiber was first used for factory-made decoys in 1939, but it really took off after World War II. Then, in the early 1950s, molded fiber was replaced by Styrofoam and plastics.

The hole on the top of your decoy originally was covered with a thin layer of fiber. It was designed to be closed with a wooden plug after the decoy was filled with ballast.

Ariduk duck decoys sell for $5 to more than $100, depending on condition, color and type of duck.

Q: I have a cookie jar that seems to be an ad for Nabisco Sunshine cookies. Did many companies make their own special cookie jars?

A: Cookie jars have long been popular with collectors, and some collectors specialize in advertising jars. Enough can be found to make it an interesting collecting category. Look for jars by Nestle's, Aunt Jemima, Blue Bonnet margarine, Milk Bone dog biscuits, Coca-Cola, Quaker Oats, Barnum's Animal Crackers, M&M's and Quaker Oats. There also are jars for smaller companies, like Haggard's Quality Cream Flake Cookies and Dad's Oatmeal Cookies.

Q: I have a clear glass pitcher that belonged to my grandmother, who died more than 50 years ago. It has a scalloped base and a beautiful pattern. It weighs about 2 pounds and is almost 9 inches tall. On the inside of the base it says, "Let Hartman Feather Your Nest." Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

A: The slogan "Let Hartman Feather Your Nest" was used by Hartman Furniture and Carpet Co. of Chicago. Leon Hartman founded a Chicago furniture company called People's Outfitting Co. in 1888. The firm's name was changed to Hartman Furniture and Carpet Co. in 1898.

Hartman had stores in several cities and was in business until at least the late 1920s. Furniture and carpets made by other companies were sold through Hartman's stores and by mail order.

The company's logo was used on a large pitcher made by McKee Glass Co. in about 1910. The pattern is called "Aztec Sunburst" or "McKee's Sunburst." Your pitcher would sell for about $100.

Q: My husband and I recently inherited the boots that Sunset Carson wore in all of his cowboy shows. We believe they are one-of-a-kind. We also have many autographed pictures of Carson from the 1950s and '60s. My father-in-law was Carson's booking manager. Are these items worth much?

A: Sunset Carson (1920-1990) was an actor in Western B-movies and TV shows from the 1940s until about 1985. He started out as a rodeo rider in the United States and South America and toured with Tom Mix's Wild West Show.

His given name was Winifred Maurice Harrison, but he used the name "Michael Harrison" as a rodeo rider and in his early films. He was listed as Sonny "Sunset" Carson in an early 1944 movie, and after that became just Sunset Carson.

The value of Carson's boots depends on their style and condition. He was a minor star, so the boots probably would sell for about what any good cowboy boots would bring.

Q: A Bavarian tea set has been in my family for several decades. The mark on the bottom of the dishes is "Porzellanfabrik Arzberg, Arzberg, (Bayern)." Please tell me something about the maker and when the set was made.

A: Porzellanfabrik Arzberg (translation: Porcelain Factory Arzberg) has been in business in Arzberg, Bavaria ("Bayern" in German), Germany, since 1927. But the mark you describe was used only from 1930 to 1947.

Terry Kovel's column is syndicated by King Features. Write to: Kovels, (Las Vegas Review-Journal), King Features Syndicate, 300 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019.