Greenware figurines set isn't worth peanuts
Q. I am interested in knowing the value of the ceramic "Charlie Brown" Peanuts figurine set that is seen in this photo. The set includes five figurines: Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Sally and Snoopy. They are all hand-painted and in very good condition. I was told the set has some value due to the fact that the molds were broken after a certain number were made.
Thank you in advance for any information you might provide.
A. According to my research, in the early 1960s, greenware and bisque Peanuts molds were made and sold to ceramic hobby shops. Hobbyists would select molds, prepare them, have them fired and then have them hand-painted. There was a legal dispute over the production of the molds because they were not licensed. The greenware and bisque manufacturer was required to stop production. There were a few sets that were sold and hand-painted before the cease-and-desist order, thus making the sets hard to find. I found nothing to confirm that molds were broken after a specific number were made.
Two of your circa-1960 set of Peanuts figurines are offered for sale, one at $55 and one $325. The $325 value seems high. There is not a huge demand for most Peanuts figurines at this time.
Q. This mark is on the bottom of a porcelain hot chocolate pot with a lid, and four matching cups and saucers. Each piece is decorated with pastel flowers and green leaves, and trimmed with gold. The handles on the pot and cups are scrolled, and the cups stand on a scalloped base. It originally belonged to my great-grandmother sometime before World War I. My granddaughter will be married this spring. She has been fascinated with the set since she was a little girl, and I plan to surprise her with it at her wedding shower.
A. You have a Victorian era porcelain hot chocolate set that was made by Moritz Zdekauer. It was in business in Austria from 1884 to 1909, when it was bought by C.M. Hutschenreuther. Many vases and dinnerware, chocolate, coffee, tea and wash sets were made and exported to the United States. The factory exists today in the Czech Republic by the name Starorolsky Porcelain Moritz Zdekauer.
The mark you provided was used around 1900, and the value of your set might be $125 to $150.
• Address your questions to Anne McCollam, P.O. Box 247, Notre Dame, IN 46556. Items of a general interest will be answered in this column. Due to the volume of inquiries, she cannot answer individual letters.
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