Antique (?) Coasters, World's Fair Decanter, Reference Guide for Nurses

[fischju]

New member! I've recently been getting into this stuff, and after finding a mint 1959 'Calculating Machine' worth $50 for $.25, I'm hooked. But I don't really know what anything is...

Today for a couple of bucks I picked up a set of these coasters:
http://imgur.com/rTS4t.jpg
http://imgur.com/4iwRe.jpg
http://imgur.com/t7t3v.jpg

This Decanter:
http://imgur.com/qo3DX.jpg

And this "Reference Guide for Nurses by Amanda K Beck" 1909, amazing shape:
http://imgur.com/Q9PZb.jpg
http://imgur.com/jJrZC.jpg
http://imgur.com/6bSlW.jpg

The coasters might not be antique at all, but does anybody have tips for cleaning them? I would like to use them if they aren't worth much. If anybody knows what they or the other two are worth, it would be much appreciated. She also had many paintings, for $10-20, but I have even less idea of what they would be worth. A couple more decanters were there, both they were plain glass. I picked up a bin full of early 1900s books for $10, going through it...

[ironlord1963]

Welcome Fishju to the forum.   First the coasters are most likely silverplate and just a bit of silverpolish should make them shine up nice.  The decanter is cool, Decanters are really hot items, every decanter I have acquired has sold for $.00 more then I spent on them.  This one being from the Seattle world fair could turn into something worth $$.00.  Being in Seattle I kind of like it, has a Artist Folk look about it. The book well I know nothing about books, but would think based on the subjuct the value would be a bit limited.  Once again thanks for posting and welcome to the forum. 

[fancypants]

Welcome to the forum , fischju .

A liqour bottle like yours sells for $7 to $20 (empty) around the Seattle area .

I saw one a few years back , in a Seattle 'junque' shop that had a $50 price tag on it - the gold-lettered "Seattle" on it was spelled "Saettle" .

[sapphire]

Welcome to the forum fischju!

Asking prices for your decanter seem to be all over the map.

http://www.google.com/products?client=safari&rls=en&q=seattle+world's+fair+decanter&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=llf4S8-dE8Gclgfr-KjbCg&sa=X&oi=product_result_group&ct=title&resnum=3&ved=0CC8QrQQwAg

I ran across another site that mentioned on having sold on ebay for $12.


Found this regarding your nursing book.....

http://www.iobabooks.com/books/303445820.html

......and the later edition.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270560044839#ht_500wt_928

[talesofthesevenseas]

Welcome!
I'm afraid I don't think the coasters are antique, I had a nearly identicle set that I got when I was married for the first time in 1985. The posts unscrew from the base, right? Mine looked just like that but with a different design and they were silverplate.

[syl]

The decanter is from Jim Beam Whiskey. I have one just like it. There should be a Jim Beam label on the other side. Very collectible but not worth a hell of a lot.

[fischju]

I'm surprised at the Decanter. The posts do unscrew from the base of the coasters, but in the condition I didn't think they would be worth anything anyway. I found this regarding the book, http://www.antiqbook.com/boox/uhr/050551.shtml a year later but with the other links, it might be worth $10 or $20. Thanks for the identification help, now to decide what to do with this stuff...shouldn't have pointed out a World Atlas she had was from 1891 

[KC]

The books might be worth something....depend ing on what they are!

[fischju]

The two best in shape ones are:

(exactly this) http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/modern-music-primer-1901-electricity-ad

The . Modern Music . Series

            Primer

by Eleanor Smith
Silver Burdett & Company

Copyright 1898, 1899, 1900 by Scott Foresman & Company

Copyright 1901 by Silver, Burdett & Company

 - and -
http://books.google.com/books?id=tF0AAAAAYAAJ&lpg=PA43&ots=EyvwzSTdJ5&dq=michigan%20edition%20history%20stories%20for%20primary%20grades&pg=PR3#v=onepage&q&f=false

Michigan Edition
History Stories
For
Primary Grades

Macmillian Company Publishers New York

by John W Wayland

14th printing, 1927

[KC]

You will find that the condition of the older books, especially the bindings are important.  LOTS OF VALUE $$$$ is in the litho's in the books....especially if the books are in poor condition.  Unfortunately....ma ny collectors of art buy these books to take out the pics and sell....making it more valuable than the actually books itself so many times!!!!