Mickey Mouse Club

Toys are meant to be played with. When I see an old toy in mint condition, it makes me a little sad to know the child-owner probably didn't have much fun with it. The play-with factor does make condition the key in valuing antique and vintage toys, but distressed toys tell better stories.

Just-above-rock-bottom is how I would describe this Mickey Mouse's condition. He's in rough shape, but not actually fallen apart yet--loose seams, missing ears and clothes, faded, scuffed. In fact, I wasn't even convinced it was Mickey. No tag, an unfamilar face, no gloves, a yellow top and no pants. Maybe Mighty Mouse or an early friend of Mickey?

Proud member

When I was a child, I was in the Mickey Mouse Club. No, not the one with Christina Aguilara and Ryan Gosling, but thank you for thinking so. (You weren't thinking that? Oh well. That reminds me of a story about the '94 Olympics--for another time.) It was something my parents sent in for when I was a toddler, and I have the footstool in my living room to prove it. A stuffed Pluto became my favorite toy, and he slept in the crook of my arm for many years. He's not quite as worn out as Mickey, but nearly.

 I found him like this in a box
at the estate sale.

Back to Mickey. I used Google Image search to match him to another one online, a MIB one with Gund box identification "WDE920." I presume this stands for Walt Disney Enterprises and a model number. Gund has made official Disney-licensed plush toys since the 1940s. I've not been able to determine this doll's birthdate, but the face shape matches many other Mickeys and Disney character plastic faces from the mid 1950s.


I learned the Mickey Mouse salutation of the "M-I-C, see you real soon . . ." variety from my dad. Then I learned the Hot Dog song and dance a few months ago from my best friend Teresa's little boys. It plays at the end of each Disney Playhouse show as goodbye. It's catchy and makes them (at 1 and 2 and 1/2 years) and everyone, really, want to move! Try it.

They are also enthralled with some classic Looney Tunes from before my time, so I have no doubt Disney and other classic cartoons are here for a while more. I hope my friend's sweet boys will play with their toys til they are as worn out as the Mickey Mouse. ". . . K-E-Y, why? because we like you. M-O-U-S-E."

Bess Bruce Cleaveland, Illustrator for Cut and Paste

A good friend of mine lists among her many skills, "Tenacious Googler." I will be getting some advanced tips from her in the near future, but I suspect there are still some things one just can't find on the internet.

I love to find something I've never seen before--especially something with an obvious human touch. This set of illustrations by Bess Bruce Cleaveland grew on me--the sweet children in charming holiday, nursery rhyme and other idyllic settings. There are nine pictures framed identically at a framer in Slidell, La, former home of the late owner. They seem to be printed drawings with cut and applied color paper pieces. On a couple of them, some of the glue shows through. They are each signed "Bess Bruce Cleaveland."

Here are some questions I have: Who was Cleaveland? Did she make these, design them for other people to make, or did someone else make it up as an art project? Are the color pieces printed in color or painted? Are these pictures part of a book or series or random? When were they made? Are others like them available? Is there any record of sales for them?


Then, these pictures reminded me of other children's illustration art of the early 20th century--Jesse Willcox Smith, Maginel Wright Enright, Mary Louise Spoor and Margaret Ely Webb. I wonder if they ever crossed paths or knew of each other's work.

I found from the Ohio Historical Society that Bess Bruce Cleaveland was from Washington Court House, Ohio and attended art school in New York. She taught art and illustrated children's books, postcards and teaching materials for health and safety and Sunday School in the 1910s-1930s. I believe these prints were part of a kit to assemble, but I've not found this set available anywhere else. This kits may have included transparencies, colored paper and blank prints. Other completed framed pictures like these sold in 2008 and 2009. I also found simlar cut and paste posters and prints of Cleaveland's of Eskimos and still life.

The late owner made this piece of
Scherenschnitte.

The late owner of these framed pieces did Scherenschnitte, a German paper-cutting art. So her interest in these collage prints is not surprising. The internet is not been helpful at all in telling me who cut and pasted the Cleaveland pictures! Come see them in Mt. Juliet starting Thursday, February 23, 2012.

A Toupee for a Pre-Painting

I bought an unfinished painting on canvas at an estate sale a few weeks ago. (I do occasionally shop other estate sales!) Anyway, this handsome guy was bald--which was fine--but, the longer I looked at him, the more he reminded me of Captain Picard from Star Trek: Next Generation/Charles Xavier from X-Men. No one else saw it.





I made the lines stronger with a charcoal pencil and decided to give him some hair. Now it looks like Captain Picard wearing a toupee. I guess I will let him stay.

Antiques and Garden Show outing

My previous plan for this past chilly Saturday was to nurse my slight cold on the couch with hot tea and a good book. Instead, I drove downtown to the Antiques and Garden Show where I sipped hot tea and walked very slowly among beautiful displays. A seller actually commented on how slowly I was walking.

Hand-notched "tramp art" chest.

Doors from the Fairvue
Plantation.

It wasn't entirely what I expected (frou-frou European antiques and art). What I found instead was a delightful mix of nice old-world antiques, one-of-a-kind folk art pieces, repurposed and raw industrial items, and art. I confess I didn't go to all the garden booths, but other people sure did--every other person was walking around with pussy willow branches!



I touched a statue with a $22,000 price tag and saw a silver service for $59,000, but most items were much less than that (some were more, I'm sure). I asked if I could take some photos in booths that interested me and only one guy said no.

The trending styles were very un-stuffy: quirky combinations of early 20th century metal pieces with wood and stone and some with (retrospectively) ironic advertising. "Scuffed-up" is the new "pristine" as far as decorating goes. I appreciated this worn-in, handled quality. Another trend was for usable pieces like rewired light fixtures.

I didn't buy anything, though I was tempted in a booth with dozens of bakelite bangles and by another booth with Medieval illuminated manuscript pages. I saw people buying things--particularly jewelry, art, and furniture. Being more familiar with flea markets than fine antique shows, I challenged myself to a game where I guessed the period and price of certain pieces. I was pretty good at it actually, but then again, I was choosing which items to guess for! (I'd be very curious if they got those prices, though, even among this crowd.)

The event is hosted by Cheekwood and proceeds benefit Exchange Club Charities. Want to play my guessing game with me next year? Did you go this year? What did you buy or just drool over?

Do you think my laptop would fit?

Some booths mixed antiques & garden.

Mennonite coverlet. I was enthralled.

The prettiest Chia pet I've ever seen.

This little Roman oil-light of mine...

It is the oldest human-made artifact I have ever held in my hands (or a very close second). I gasped when our client nonchalantly pulled it out of a small box of trinkets--a clay oil lamp. Such a simple construction: the round bowl, the filling hole, a pinched lug handle, a nozzle. I'm not sure if I recognized it from the old Sunday School flannel graphs or from photos in history textbooks from which I taught over the years. Ancient, utilitarian, commonplace. It is intact and would burn oil if I weren't afraid of it.

This was a gift to our client several years ago. The gifter sent a note indicating it was from the 1st to 3rd century "Holy Land." I am ever skeptical of such claims, so I tried to find similar forms. My suspicions were that it wasn't extremely rare or valuable, especially since there were no decorations. I was however very excited to handle it.

First gander went to a quick ebay search--I was right that they are not extremely valuable. From the little iPhone screen, I did find similar ones that have sold and some that had not sold. Ebay is a good place to start, but I couldn't stop there, especially with a breakable item and one that may be difficult to authenticate over the internet.

I asked around about antiquities dealers in the area and got some leads, but since it's not valuable enough for a paid appraisal I tried to figure out something else. When I reached out to an archaeology contact I'd seen present at a research conference a few weeks ago, she was able to tell me about the surface condition. The rough surface of the clay has a calcium carbonate build-up. Apparently, this means it was buried and leached this chalky material from the surrounding soil.

There is quite a bit of information out there about some of the moulded and signed lamps from the early Roman Empire--but this one has no markings and I suspect it is from a crude mould, if any and maybe a potter's wheel. Because the surface is changed, I can't really tell. The simple form is consistant with other examples of early Roman Judean lamps. The rest of its history will be up to the new owner to search for!

On to the other tiny antiquities--two coins, a fibula and a whorl wheel. Can I just stop and say how amazed I am that any old Joe can own things like this? Lots of small artifacts are out there for well under $100 from reputable dealers. In fact, I perused illuminated manuscript pages and sifted though a tray of ancient coins at Charles Edwin Puckett's booth at the Antiques and Garden Show this past weekend.

I used Google image search with the information I had and identified both coins in a matter of minutes (well, double-digit minutes).

First, a bronze Constans coin (right) from AD 348-50; his dad was Constantine who left the precarious Roman Empire to his three sons who battled it out. The back (right) is the identifying part, as it features Constans in the galley of a boat steered by Victory (who wouldn't want that?). It was made in Thessalonica and commemmorates his trip to England a few years before. I studied up on imitations made from moulds or faked in England and I don't think this is one. Ask me about it.

Next, a silver Vespasian denarius (RIC 43), from AD 70-71. Vespasian is most remembered for the invasion of Britain, putting down the Judean uprising and getting the ball rolling on the Colloseum. The back of this one has some ceremonial religious items--simpulum, sprinkler, jug, and lituus. Yeah.

You can see the fibula and the whorl wheel on the ad for the Kingston Springs sale this weekend. These items are for sale beginning Friday, February 17 at 8:00am. Find the address there on Wednesday. We don't give out prices ahead of the sale (or after the sale, for that matter), but now you know my research and you can be sure we will price them fairly.

Family Tree: Season Three

It's official: Family Tree Estate Sales has been renewed for another season! We start five in a row this weekend and we can't wait to see you all again. With Season Two (2011) highlights like the jewelry and art in Green Hills and the finale of cars and clocks in Nashville, you can be sure that...well, you can never be sure what will come next.

We took some time off to relax, visit family, shop and reorganize--now we're ready to come back. We've made a few changes to serve our client families and customers better. One of the changes is this blog where I will share aspects of our research and other found pearls of creative learning and living. We're planning discussion groups, sponsored field trips, limited appraisal services and much more for this year.

Here's a look back at 2011 . . . . Thank you for making it great!

Don't miss a thing! Follow the blog and watch for our sales on Facebook, EstateSales.net, and our website FamilyTreeEstateSales.com.