Old sundials weather test of time

Sundials aren’t just garden ornaments. They can tell time if set up properly.

They have been made for centuries, and collectors search for the flat type — called equatorial or equinoctial sundials by experts — and other types such as those that hang on a wall or are spherical or conical.

The age, maker, shape and decoration all determine the price. Usually, 17th- and 18th-century signed brass sundials are best.

A small hand-held sundial made in the mid-18th century by Andreas Volger of Augsburg, Germany, was auctioned in 2010 by Skinner’s in Boston. It has an octagonal base and engraved Roman numerals, Latin words and city names. It sold for $450.

Q: I have read about jugs made of radioactive clay. I collect stoneware jugs. What should I worry about?

A: When radium was discovered, many thought it had curative qualities, so some medical devices were made using radium.

One of the most popular — and the one most often a problem today — is the Revigorator jug. Although it was made in the 19th century, it is shaped like a nuclear-plant cooling tower.

The jug was made with radioactive material. The inside is more dangerous than the outside.

It probably is best not to display that jug. To get rid of it, you should ask how your city disposes of toxic waste.

Other jugs and bottles might contain remnants of poisons, so be careful about leaving them open or even saving the contents.

Q: I collect stuffed cloth advertising dolls. What are the most important dolls to look for?

A: I like the early Aunt Jemima family of four; Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Snap, Crackle and Pop and Goldilocks and the Three Bears; Campbell Soup’s Campbell Kids; and the Pillsbury Doughboy.

More recent dolls include those made for fast-food restaurants, such as McDonald’s Ronald McDonald and Hamburgler and Burger King’s King.

Q: When I was married in 1952, I picked out Hallcraft dinnerware in the Bouquet pattern by Eva Zeisel. I’m now 91 years old.

I’m wondering whether the dishes have any value. They were used only two or three times.

A: Eva Zeisel has designed products for many different companies in the United States and Europe. Her pieces are sought by collectors around the world.

A Bouquet bread-and-butter plate sold for 65 cents in 1952 and sells for $7.99 today. A 71-inch platter that originally sold for $3.70 sells for $55.99 today.

Terry Kovel, an authority on collectibles, writes for King Features Syndicate. Write to her in care of The Dispatch, King Features Syndicate, 300 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019. The volume of mail makes personal answers impossible. She can't guarantee the return of any photograph but will try if a self-addressed, stamped envelope is included. Visit her at www. kovels.com.

Current prices

Prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the country.

• Ward’s Bakelite Airline Radio, white case, dial centered above two knobs on right side, speaker on left, 1947, $30.

• Pajama bag doll, painted oilcloth head, stuffed head and dangling legs, bob hairstyle, 1920s, 31 inches, $65.

• Mr. Herbert couture high heels, bright red, 1950s, 3-inch heels, size 7, $125.

• Silver-plated Victorian water pitcher, metal, porcelain liner, finial is sea nymph sitting on fish, hinged lid, ice lip, marked “Meriden ES” and “Patented July 9, 1872,” 13 inches, $145.

• Cast-iron curtain tie-backs, pastel pink dogwood flowers, 1920s, 21/2 inches by 27/8 inches, pair, $225.

• American Can Co. ruler, tin lithograph, “Cans, Fine Metal Boxes, Lithographed Metal Ware,” image of 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair grounds, 33/4 inches by 91/2 inches, $305.

• Cast-iron Buster Brown and Tige still bank, original paint, A.C. Williams Co., 1910-19, 51/2 inches, $400.

• Lady’s neoclassical secretary bookcase, mahogany, two parts, double cornice, two glazed doors, 12 panes, fold-over writing surface, two lower drawers, scrolled front feet, 1825-30, 72 inches by 41 inches, $470.

• Rookwood high-glaze lamp base, white-and-yellow narcissus on blue background, signed, “ Shirayamadani,” 1945, 13 inches, $940.

• Wurlitzer Jukebox, Model 1100, walnut case, rotating color wheels, large window, plays 24 selections, 78-rpm records, 1940s, 571/2 inches by 30 inches by 26 inches, $2,355.