howeenterprise.com
Monday, January 23, 2017
Learn about antiques and collectibles State with Dr. Georgia Caraway Longaberger baskets—handcrafted wood baskets made by the Longaberger Company of Newark, Ohio— became a hot collectible in the 1990s, with some selling for upward of $100. The company then began issuing expensive limited-edition baskets as collectibles. The Longaberger basket resale market soon collapsed, and today you would be lucky to get more than $20 for most of them.
Dr. Georgia Caraway Hummel figurines once sold for hundreds of dollars apiece, but the generation that appreciated these little porcelain statues is now downsizing or dying off, dumping Hummels back into the market by the thousands. Younger generations have little interest in buying them. Most used Hummels now sell for no more than $75 in shops, with prices likely to continue to fall as more Hummels reach the market. Exception: Certain rare Hummels, such as those taller than 12 inches or those made before 1949, still can fetch four figures. Other companies that make and heavily market collectible coins and plates include the Danbury Mint and Royal Copenhagen. Their products fare no better on the resale market. Other cute little figurines have suffered a similar fate. Precious Moments figurines, sold as collectibles, now have very little monetary value. Enesco figures have adorable detailed faces and their themes are appropriate still for gift giving.
Page #9
continued from page 6
Howe FFA state competitors
Cheer coach Pam Kirby said that it Vintage metal lunch boxes became was a great opportunity and a wonderful learning experience. a major collectible in the late 1980s, and by the 1990s, some “I’m really grateful that you let us were selling for thousands of compete and go through this dollars. But today, few lunch learning opportunity.” said Erin boxes fetch more than $100, and Ainsley. “We learned a lot and we most bring much less. got to bond as a team. We’re pretty
proud of what we put on the floor out there.” Howe High School Principal James Teafatiller said that he was very proud of the students and teachers. Board member Janie Finney also commended the parents for their efforts behind the students' success.
China sets are declining rapidly in value. Many china sets from Royal Copenhagen, Royal Worcester, Lenox and Wedgwood sell at half the price of new china. Others bring $150 to $200 at estate sales, if they sell at all. Sets with flowery patterns, including Haviland china, are particularly unloved. Dr. Georgia Caraway, former director of the Denton County Museums for 14 years, and her friends opened the Howe Mercantile at 107 East Haning. Store hours are Thursday through Saturday noon until 8 p.m. She has written five Denton history books. Her latest, North Texas State Fair and Rodeo, is available at Howe Mercantile. She hopes her next book will be the history of Howe. If anyone has photos that she can copy, please birng them to Howe Mercantile.
Downtown Howe has three gift and antique shops—Howe Mercantile, Texas Home Emporium, and Stark Farms Gifts. Collectible plates featuring pictures SHOP LOCAL. We can show you by artists such as Norman Howe! Rockwell or LeRoy Neiman typically are worth less than $5 per MARK YOUR CALENDARS plate these days —and that’s if FOR APRIL 8 FOR THE they date to before 1980 or so. ANNUAL SAVE THE CHURCH Those produced within the past 30 BBQ AND AUCTION. years usually have no value.
Howe High School cheerleaders