Wooden Hibbard Coaster Wagon was a smooth ride
Q. What can you tell me about this child's wagon? We think it has been in our family since the 1920s. The frame and body are made of wood. The wheels have wooden spokes with bands that attach them to the frame. It has a wooden handle. There is a bracket in front of the back right wheel. I wonder if it's a brake mount. On the side of the wagon are the words "Hibbard Coaster Wagon."
We would like to know the history and value of the wagon.
A. Hibbard toy wagons were made by the hardware enterprise Hibbard, Spencer, Bartlett & Co. This Chicago company was in business from 1882 to 1962. At one time, the company worked out of a huge hardware store on State Street in downtown Chicago. It sold tools, cutlery, paints and toys. Hibbard wagons had hand brakes and ball-bearing wheels, which allowed the wagon to coast smoothly. The body was made with white ash and was available in three sizes. These wagons sold for around $10 to $12 in the early 1900s.
Your toy wagon was made circa 1920 and can be found online selling for $245 to $550.
Q. This is a photo of the mark on the bottom of my Roseville Pottery vase. It was my mother's. She gave it to me in the 1960s. It is rose-colored and shaped like a conch shell. It measures approximately 6 inches long by 3 inches tall, and it is in mint condition.
One of my children would like to have it and wants to know more about its history, manufacturer, age and value.
A. The Roseville Pottery Corp. was located in Zanesville, Ohio, from 1900 to 1954. It was founded by George Young in 1892 in Roseville, Ohio, and then moved to Zanesville in 1900. Young's goal was to make art-pottery lines that would outsell his established and successful competitors, Weller Pottery and Rookwood Pottery. Roseville Pottery launched its art line, Rozane, followed by the Azurean line in 1902. Both lines became extremely popular, and remain so today with collectors. Your vase is an example of the Water Lily pattern introduced in 1943, which was available in rose, ciel blue and walnut brown. The number "445-6" indicates the design number and the size.
Your vase would probably fetch $65 to $75 in an antique shop.
• 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