Q-We have heard that you can tell the age of a Howdy Doody doll by the number of freckles painted on his face. At first he was supposed to have 48 freckles, one for each state. Then two more were added in 1959 when Hawaii and Alaska became states.
A-Most Howdy Doody puppets and dolls have only a few freckles on each cheek, the nose and forehead. We doubt whether counting the freckles will help date your doll.
Q-What’s the best way to store matchbook covers?
A-To safely store matchbook covers, remove the staple below the striking surface and remove the matches. Avoid tearing. To keep the cover from curling, place it under a heavy object. After a few days, the cover will be flat and ready to be mounted in a book.
Q-My grandmother’s large, oval, white-and-gold platter has red roses in the center. On the back it says “T.S.T.-Iona China.”
A-The platter was made by Taylor, Smith and Taylor of East Liverpool, Ohio. The mark on your piece was used from 1917 to 1925. It actually says “Avona China.”
The company made dinnerware from the early 1900s until it was sold to Anchor Hocking in 1976.
Q-I just found a Coca-Cola metal top with a tab that says “Lift-top.” When was that sort of top used?
A-A “Lift-Top” Coca-Cola bottle was tested in 1964 in Chicago and Portland, Ore. The customers seemed to like the easy-to-open bottle, but the carbonation was poor. It may have been the cap, or children playing with the unsold bottles at the store. The top was discontinued in 1965.
Q-I have a glass bowl that looks as if it was made from two pieces of glass with a piece of lace sandwiched between them. It is signed “Walter.” I think it is about 50 years old.
A-Edwin D. Walter has been making glass like yours since 1948. He calls it “doilie” glass. Pieces were made for a company in Tennessee in the 1970s. Two pieces of window glass were laminated together with a decoration in between. Other examples pictured flowers, leaves or geometric patterns.
Such glass is beginning to interest collectors.
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The Kovels welcome letters. They cannot reply individually, but will answer those of general interest in this column. If you send an unsolicited photograph, include a self-addressed envelope stamped with 58 cents postage for its return. You may write to the Kovels in care of the Chicago Tribune, Home section, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60611. For appraisals, contact an auction house or antique dealer.
