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Postwar Singer lacks high notes

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By JAY MOORE

Tribune correspondent

Published: November 1, 2009

We found a sewing machine in our attic that appears to very old. It is a Singer in a light wood cabinet. What is it worth?

B.G.

St. Pete
Isaac Merritt Singer and partner Edward Clark founded Singer in 1851. By 1900, Singer was selling more than 1 million machines a year; during this period, only the wealthy could afford store-bought clothing.

According to the serial number, this machine was manufactured in 1948. The blond cabinet has a postwar look. Although ready-to-wear clothing was popular, many people still stitched their own to save money.

The value is minimal. Collectors seek out machines that are at least 50 years older with fancy cabinets. If you can find a willing buyer who wants a cheap machine to use, you might get $45 or less.

I would like information about a vase that we inherited. It is orange shaded to yellow and painted with black trees. It is signed "Marseille." We took it to an antiques store and the dealer said he knew nothing about it but wanted to buy it.

S.H.

Tampa

Your faience vase was made around the turn of the 20th century in Marseille, France. It is artist-signed, with a number incorporated in the design.

Marseille is a coastal town in southern France with a 200-year-old pottery industry. Faience pottery is tin-glazed with a white body. It was invented in Iran around the 9th century.

Your vase includes a three-dimensional cicada applied to the front, a nice touch that may increase the value.

Unfortunately, I could not decipher the artist's signature, which may help attribute it to a specific pottery. The vase would retail for around $200.

Have a question about antiques? E-mail a complete description with a clear, high-resolution digital image in JPG format to baylife@tampatrib.com. Include a name, address and daytime phone number. Regular mail can be sent with clear photographs (not comput

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