World's Fair memorabilia is a good deal

Q. In one of your recent columns you wrote about St. Louis World's Fair memorabilia, and it reminded me that I have a set of aluminum playing cards from the fair. The deck is complete, there are no cards missing. They can be stored in a case that is also aluminum. Imprinted on the outside of the case are the words "World's Fair - St. Louis - 1904." The face of each card is decorated with images of the fair buildings.

I cannot find any information on my set. Any help from you would be appreciated.

A. Your St. Louis World's Fair aluminum playing cards are very collectible. The theme of the fair was inspired by Thomas Jefferson and his Louisiana Purchase in 1803. His picture is featured on the back of each card. The cards were made by the Aluminum Manufacturing Co. in Three Rivers, Wisconsin. The aluminum they used to produce the cards and the slip care was very thin. Many sets didn't survive the wear and tear over the years, and the sets are now scarce. Your cards would appeal to both collectors of playing cards and World's Fair memorabilia.

Your set can be seen selling on the Internet in the range of $500 to $1,000.

Q. This mark is on the back of a covered vegetable dish that I have. It has been in the family for as long as I can remember. According to my family, it was part of a dinnerware set that was my great-great grandmother's. The dish is decorated with blue bands of flowers and trimmed in gold. The edges are scalloped and there are handles on each end. It is in excellent condition.

What can you tell me about the maker, vintage and value of my dish?

A. W. H. Grindley and Co. made your covered vegetable dish. They were founded in Staffordshire, England, in 1880. "Aldine" is the name of the pattern and it is a transfer print. The "Rd. No. 325874" is British registry number that shows the pattern was registered with the British government in 1898. A registry number is not the date of manufacture; it just documents when the pattern was registered with the government. Grindley's "Aldine" pattern was produced until the early 1900s.

Your dish would probably be worth $25 to $50.

• 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.

© 2016, Creators Syndicate