DICK CLARK DOLL

Q: I have a Dick Clark autograph doll in the original box. Is it worth anything?

A: Dick Clark was the host of the popular syndicated television show American Bandstand from 1957 to 1989. Teenagers were invited to come on the show to dance to recordings of the latest popular music. Your doll was probably made c.1958. Dick Clark autograph dolls were made in two sizes, 25 and 45 inches. Autograph dolls and stuffed animals were popular in the 1950s and later. Children had their friends sign them. The lid of the box shows both Dick Clark and a group of youngsters autographing the doll’s jacket. The small doll with the box is worth about $400. The larger one is worth about $250.

KEEPING CHILDREN SAFE

Children under 6 are being injured more frequently these days by overturned shelf units, desks, chests of drawers, and other tall furniture. Children try climbing to reach something at the top of the unit. Look at your furniture. If the shelves are spaced close enough to work as a climbing ladder or if you can make a "ladder" by pulling out drawers, do something to keep children from crawling up and perhaps falling down. Drawers can be locked with locks that open with a magnet or key. Don't put children's toys or enticing objects at the top of a tall piece. Also watch out for folding screens that could fall. And people who live in earthquake regions should be sure all tall furniture is screwed or tied to a wall, a stud or another strong support.

HOWDY DOODY UKE

Howdy Doody Uke

Q: I bought this Howdy Doody Uke for 50 cents at our church rummage sale back in 1972. It's in wonderful condition. Can you place a value on it?

A: The Howdy Doody Uke, made by Emenee in the 1950s, came in various colors. The box was designed to be a carrying case for the instrument. Emenee was a manufacturer of plastic musical toys for children. It was located in Flushing, New York, from 1955 to 1968. Ohio Art Company, a toy company in Bryan, Ohio, bought Emenee in 1968. Howdy Doody was a marionette that starred in "The Howdy Doody Show," a children's television show that ran from 1947 to 1960. A Howdy Doody Uke like yours, with an instruction and song sheet, sold at auction last year for $158. A corner of the box was split and the box was missing the handle. If your box is in perfect condition and you have the instruction and song sheet, it is worth more.

ACORN PATTERN CHILD'S DISH

Acorn pattern child's dish

Q: My partner and I found this glass bowl and we don't know what it is called or how it was used--I say porridge and she says pureed foods, like veggies. Can you help? And if you tell me I can get thousands of dollars for it, I would be very happy!

A: You have the base of a butter dish that was originally part of an early American pressed glass child's toy table set. A creamer, sugar with cover, and a spooner completed the set. The pattern is called "Acorn." The maker is unknown.

Toy and children's dishes were made by many pressed glass houses during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Your dish was made about 1890 to 1900, a time when butter came in rounds of about a pound, not in sticks as it does today. Acorn items are decorated with an acorn and oak leaves on their footed bases. Children and animals in the style of Kate Greenaway (1846-1901), a famous illustrator of children's books, are on the sides. The pattern was also made in frosted glass. Your butter dish is missing its bell-shaped cover, which lowers its value. The butter with its cover is worth $250 to $300.