STETSON CHINA

Q: This tea set was purchased by my husband 23 years ago at an estate sale. I have tried to research Stetson China with little or no luck. I would appreciate any information you can give me.

A: Joseph W. Stetson bought the Illinois China Company of Lincoln, Illinois, in 1946 and founded Stetson China Co. During the early years the company decorated and sold dinnerware made on Mount Clemens Pottery blanks. They made hundreds of different patterns. Stetson China Co. was out of business by 1966.

A WARNING ABOUT CHRISTMAS DISHES

Warning! Think before you put Christmas dishes in the dishwasher. I unpacked my Holt-Howard Santa Claus mugs so I could fill them with candy. One looked dusty, so I put it in my new dishwasher on the anti-bacterial cycle--never thinking about the temperature of the water for that cycle. Imagine my horror when Santa came out of the dishwasher with a white face (his flesh had been skin-tone) and almost no red decoration. We have warned collectors for years to be careful about using the dishwasher for fine crystal, gold-decorated china and glass, hollow-handled silver knives and anything with an overglaze decoration. Most Holt-Howard pieces are made with underglaze decorations and can be washed in a dishwasher. Not my Santas. From now on, I will hand-wash all my 1950s-80s collectibles, including my lady head vases, salt and pepper sets, and tiny ceramic rabbits. Take a close look at our "before" and "after" Santa pictures. One more washing cycle and I think Santa will be all white.

TAYLOR SWIFT'S TAKE ON ANTIQUE SHOPS

A quote we like: "I'm developing a theory that all people who work at antiques stores are friendly and delightful." That's Taylor Swift on Twitter awhile ago. She's the cross-over country singer who keeps winning awards for her work. Wonder what she collects? She was at the Nashville antiques show in November.

BEWARE: OLD COINS CAN BE FAKES

Do not buy old coins without knowing the dealer or source. Coin World newspaper reports that over a million counterfeit coins made in China in recent years have sold as rarities at high prices. It is not illegal to make a fake U.S. coin in China, but U.S. law requires that the word "copy" be stamped on the coin. The rule has been ignored. Gold and lesser coins are being made.

ETRURIA CRETONA

Q: I have a large vase with these marks on the bottom. Can you tell me anything about it?

A: This mark was used on pottery made at the Etruria Works in Trenton, New Jersey, from 1863 to 1894. The pottery, Bloor, Ott & Booth, was founded by William Bloor, Joseph Ott, and Thomas Booth in 1863. Booth retired in 1864 and John Hart Brewer, Ott's nephew, became a partner in 1865. The company name became Ott & Brewer after Bloor retired in 1871. The name "Etruria" copied the name of a pottery established by Josiah Wedgwood in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, in 1769. The crown mark further promotes the image of English-quality china. Cretona is the name of the pattern. Large Cretona vases sell for about $150.

INDIAN TREE

Q: Can you tell me the something about the maker and age of my dish? It has this anchor mark on the bottom.

A: Your dish was made by Sampson Bridgwood and Son, which was established in Longton, Staffordshire, England, in 1805. The pottery made earthenware and porcelain. Bridgwood began operating Anchor Pottery in Longton in 1853. Porcelain was not made after 1877. Several different anchor marks were used. Sampson Bridgwood is now part of Churchill China, which makes tableware for restaurants and catering businesses. Your mark is similar to a mark Sampson Bridgwood used in the 1950s. "Ye Olde Indian Tree" is the pattern name. Indian Tree was a popular china pattern made by several manufacturers in the nineteenth century. Value for a dinner plate, under $30.

HOMER LAUGHLIN DISHES

Q: I have a set of dishes that was stored at a duck hunting club for many years. Can you tell me anything about the pattern and when it was made?

A: Homer and Shakespeare Laughlin, two brothers, began making pottery in East Liverpool, Ohio, in 1871. The pottery became Ohio Valley Pottery in 1874. Later it became Homer Laughlin China Company. In 1897 William Edwin Wells and Louis I. Aaron became the owners of the pottery. Members of their families still operate the company. The headquarters moved to Newell, West Virginia, in 1907. Homer Laughlin China Company is one of the most prolific producers of dinnerware in the United States. The company estimates that between 25,000 and 30,000 different patterns have been made. The peacock mark was used on the Wells shape and on some Century, Jade and Orleans shape dishes from 1930 to the 1940s. Your dishes are Century shape, which was made from 1931 to c.1951. The pattern is Briar Rose. Many Homer Laughlin dishes were sold in Montgomery Ward catalogs in the 1930s.

AUCTION PROBLEMS WITH ANCIENT CHINESE ART

A pair of ancient Chinese bronzes sold two weeks ago at a Paris auction for $40 million. The buyer was Chinese. Why should that worry the average American collector? Because the buyer has refused to pay. A French court ruling earlier in February let the auction go forward in spite of objections by a group that wants the bronzes given back to China as "national treasures." The reneged purchase may be a protest by this or another group. The botched sale means there may be more problems with sales of historic Chinese art. No one wants a piece with a clouded ownership. And the Chinese government has already tightened customs rules, making business more difficult for foreign auctions. Dealers and collectors have long thought there are warehouses in China filled with old but not fabulous Chinese ceramics, textiles, netsukes, prints, etc. gathered up during the Communist Revolution. What will happen when these collectibles hit the market?

JAMES KENT OLD FOLEY

James Kent Old Foley

Q: I have a collection of James Kent Old Foley china in the Chinese Rose pattern. I'm trying to figure out how old the pieces are but I'm confused by the different marks. Can you tell me when these marks were used?

A: James Kent (Ltd.), Old Foley Pottery was established at Longton, Staffordshire, England in 1897 and was in business until c.1989. The name is now being used by another company in Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent. The clues we found indicate that "Ltd." was added to the company name in the mark in 1913. The words "Old Foley Pottery" were used after 1955 (first mark). The first and third marks shown here were used after 1955. The second mark was probably used between 1913 and 1918. The third mark with the word "Ltd." was probably used from 1950 to 1989. Chinese Rose pattern was made c.1897-1989.

LA FRANCAIS

La Francais

Q: I have an old platter that belonged to my mother. It has this mark on it. I would like to know who made it and how old it is.

A: La Francais is a pattern made by the French China Company in Sebring, Ohio. The pottery was founded c.1900. It became part of the Sebring Manufacturing Company in 1916. Since your platter also has a 1910 patent date mark, it must have been made between 1910 and 1916.

Kovels.com Top 20 Antiques & Collectibles in July 2008

The Kovels' Top 20 list is based on the results of hundreds of thousands of searches that took place on its website during July, 2008. Occupied Japan remains on top of the list. But it's China that's all the buzz right now as the world focuses on the Olympic Games.

These dolls were made in Shanghai, China, at the Door of Hope Mission. The Door of Hope was founded to rescue "strayed, stolen, abandoned" children and women who were trying to escape from a life of prostitution. The dollmaking industry provided work for the residents and income for the mission from 1917 until about 1950, when the mission was closed. This bride and groom pair sold for $4,032 at a recent Theriault's auction.

You can find more doll prices on Kovels.com and in Kovels' Antiques and Collectibles 2008 Price List.