Posted on: Saturday, June 21, 2003
WHAT'S IT WORTH?
Restored pool table could fetch $12,500
By Leslie Hindman
Q. This pool table was purchased in 1968 from a billiards company in Jersey City, N.J., that was liquidating its stock. It was around 80 years old at the time and had been sitting in the store's parlor. What's it worth?
— John Scott, Boonton, N.J.
A. Billiards have been a popular recreation for centuries. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, there were several manufacturers of pool tables in America. One of the best known was Brunswick. Started in Cincinnati in 1845, Brunswick was later headquartered in Chicago. The company is now based in Bristol, Wis.
Lou Marschak, based in Jackson Hole, Wyo., is an appraiser and restorer of fine antique pool and billiards tables. Marschak explains that although yours may not bear the Brunswick name, it does follow a popular Brunswick style.
Your pool table is what is known as the York, attractive and durable, yet less massive in size and less intricate in design than other styles. The York was widely manufactured in the 1880s and '90s, supporting the fact that your table was indeed around 80 years old when you purchased it in 1968.
In terms of value, condition is most important, although overall size and design are also factors. Other styles of tables with more elaborate marquetry might sell for much more. But no matter how good the design or condition is, Marschak says they can be a difficult sell.
"You have to wait for someone to come along who's seeking out a table like the one you're selling." When the match is made, the price comes back to condition, making restoration often a worthwhile — if slightly expensive — option.
As is, without major wear or damage, Marschak says you can expect your table to sell for $2,000 to $3,000. If restored to pristine condition (which will cost $3,500 to $5,000), your pool table could be worth up to $12,500.
Q. I have a red metal Radio Flyer wagon. I think it is from the 1940s. What can you tell me about it?
— Carol Mehally, Crystal Lake, Ill.
A. The distinctive red of a Radio Flyer wagon is powerfully evocative of childhood for generations of grown-ups. Still in production today, Radio Flyer has been making child-size vehicles since 1917. In 1931, the toy company introduced a new model that later became known as the "Classic Red Wagon," and it remains the image most closely associated with the Radio Flyer name.
While this model (No. 18) continues to be manufactured today, your wagon appears to be one of the originals. I contacted Chanelle Ciaccio of Simply Wagons of Mandeville, La. (www.simplywagons.com or 800-335-8193), a toy store and Web site specializing in Radio Flyer toys. Ciaccio offered evidence of your wagon's age.
"You may be used to seeing the Radio Flyer name on the side of their wagons, but in fact," Ciaccio says, "the logo didn't appear on these toys until the 1940s. The fact that this Radio Flyer has no logo suggests that it actually dates from the 1930s."
Radio Flyer wagons remain popular today. Ciaccio cites it as one of her top-selling toys. Kept in good condition, a Classic Red like yours is worth around $150 to $175.
