Q My grandmother had a huge collection of Avon scent bottles, bought over 30 years. Some are empty, some full. All are shaped like something — cars, golf balls, chess sets, etc. How do I find value? Do collectors want part or all of the collection?
— Cathy, Tucson
A Avon is not the hot collecting category it was when your grandmother amassed items. Prices have peaked, but there are still loyal collectors out there. The shaped bottles, called figurals, are a collecting category within Avon collecting.
The most prized Avon collectibles, the Mrs. Albee manager's awards, named for the company's first saleslady, were not available for sale to the general public. Made in limited numbers, they were awarded at annual conventions and sales meetings. And they are the priciest Avon collectibles.
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The bible on book prices for Avon products is Bud Hastin's "Avon Collector's Encyclopedia: 18th Ed." (Collector Books, $29.95). I suggest you look it over; perhaps your library has a copy.
To sell, your best bet is online auction. You need to find a pool of motivated buyers, and Avon collectors hunt online. First, check completed sales on eBay, with a special watch for items you have. Results show the real state of the market.
I've observed that sale results tend to be lower, across the board, during the summer. Of course there are exceptions, but everything slows down for July and August.
I'd keep the chess sets together, selling each as a unit. Otherwise, buyers pick out the most desirable, leaving you with the rest. Depending on your feel for book values and completed sales online, cluster other pieces and sell in lots. Very desirable pieces rate individual listing.
Q Looking for info on a blanket made by the St. Marys Woolen Manufacturing. Co. in St. Marys, Ohio.
— Jack, Wapakoneta, Ohio
A Founded in 1871, the St. Marys Woolen Manufacturing Co. was once famous for its woolen blankets. The company lasted until 1957, when Fieldcrest, an umbrella company that made linens, towels, blankets and so forth for Chicago retailer Marshall Field, acquired it.
In the world of collectible mill-made blankets, Beacon and Hudson Bay dominate. St. Marys remains a regional brand, mostly collected where the company operated.
One would have to comb through local historical sources or original company catalogs to find the exact blanket in the reader's query. As an area resident, he can best search by inquiring at a local library and/or historical society. In smaller cities and towns, both are a gold mine of local history.
Smart collectors know that local brands generally sell best where they have a history. Or post the blanket online, where a former resident with sentimental ties to the area can find it. Nostalgia sells.
» AUCTION ACTION
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