Pedal car is going places
By Anne McCollam / Copley News Service

Q: I have enclosed a photo of a red Murray station wagon pedal car that my dad bought secondhand at a sale when I was about 5. It was saved over the years and my children played with it when they were little, around 15 years ago. With the exception of some scrapes on the paint, one hinge missing on the tailgate, and one replaced wheel, it is in reasonably good shape. What can you tell me about my pedal car?

A: The Murray Pedal Car Co. was based in Murray, Ohio. Their red Pontiac station wagon pedal car first rolled off the assembly line in 1941. Production lasted for two years, but was resumed after World War II in 1948.

Depending on condition and market demand, your circa 1948 pedal car would probably be worth $500 to $2,000.

Q: My great-aunt was given a set of earthenware dinnerware for her 25th wedding anniversary in 1932. I have enclosed the mark that appears on each piece. The dishes are decorated with mulberry transferware prints against a white background. The prints depict a variety of famous scenes of the Pilgrims in the New World. It is a service for 12, includes serving pieces and the pattern is "Colonial Times." Using my great-aunt's dishes every Thanksgiving has been a family tradition.

I have never seen this pattern before and would appreciate learning more about my dishes.

A: A.G. Richardson & Co. Ltd., made your Crown Ducal Ware dishes. It produced earthenware in Staffordshire, England, from 1915 to the present. The mark you provided was used in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Your pattern, "Colonial Times," was made in mulberry, brown, blue, pink and green. Your set of dishes would probably be worth $800 to $1,500.

Q: Around 30 years ago I purchased a framed painting at a garage sale. On the back are the words "Bronzino - Maria De' Medici- Firenze - Italy." The painting is a portrait of a young girl with light brown hair wearing a cream-colored dress and gold locket.

What can you tell me about my painting?

A: Your painting is the work of the Italian Mannerist artist Agnolo Bronzino (1503-72). The portrait you described is titled "Bia, the Illegitimate Daughter of Cosimo I de' Medici. Although he did paint the firstborn daughter, Maria, of Cosimo and Eleanora de Toledo, your description just doesn't fit. The original painting of Bia is in the Uffizi Museum of Art in Florence, Italy.

Your Bronzino framed painting is a 20th century copy of the original and would probably be worth $200 to $500.

Q: More than 60 years ago I bought a box of miscellaneous items at a warehouse sale. In the box was an old cream pitcher that stands 3 inches tall and is in mint condition. The pitcher is the shape of a moose head and the mouth is the spout. Its ivory colored antlers curve back around the top. On the bottom is the word "Czechoslovakia."

What can you tell me about my pitcher and is it worth anything?

A: Czechoslovakia was formed when the Czech Republic and Slovakia united in 1918. The union was dissolved in 1993. Objects made in Czechoslovakia are very collectible.

Your cream pitcher was made in the early 1900s and would probably be worth about $50 to $75.

Address your questions to Anne McCollam, P.O. Box 490, Notre Dame, IN 46556. For a personal response, include picture(s), a detailed description, a stamped, self-addressed envelope and $15 per item (one item at a time).