Antiques
Making do with patched plates
Recycling and reusing is not a new idea. In the 18th century, well-to-do European and American families bought made-to-order dinner sets from China that were sent across the ocean in ships.
It took a year to get the dishes, and if one broke it was even more difficult to get a replacement. So plates were repaired by the best system known.
Small holes were drilled in each broken part and metal rivets were inserted in the holes. Then the rivets were bent to force the broken parts together. Animal glue was added to fill cracks or holes. The finished piece could be used, but it had what we now consider unsightly repairs.
A few collectors today like examples of “waste not, want not” from the past. Sometimes the repair made the piece resume its useful life. Sometimes the repair created a “make-do,” a new item made from old recycled parts. An 18th-century Chelsea porcelain teapot with a replaced spout of silver, a broken candlestick transformed into a pincushion by the addition of a cushion top, or a kitchen grater made from a tin cup with newly punched holes are good examples. There are modern make-do’s, too. Necklaces, pins and purses made from the pull tabs on aluminum beer and soft drink cans, cut-up cans made into rattles and colored telephone wire woven into African baskets can be bought in gift shops. They all have value because a few collectors appreciate that thrift and necessity can create interesting things that tell a story.
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Q: I have a table made by the Imperial Furniture Co. of Grand Rapids, Mich. There are impressed and chalk numbers on the bottom. Can you tell me when it was made?
A: The Imperial Furniture Co. was founded in 1903 by F. Stuart Foote and was sold to Bergsma Brothers in 1954. The plant closed in 1983. Imperial specialized in making quality tables. Bookcases were added later. In the 1940s, the company made wooden airplane wings for the government. The numbers on your table indicate the style and finish. Most vintage Imperial tables sell for about $200 to $400.
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Q: I have a Swirl Mixer, made by Rochow of Rochester, that belonged to my grandmother. It was a Stanley Home Products hostess gift. The mixer is swirled white, cream and clear hard plastic. I would like to know how old it is.
A: Stanley Home Products was founded in 1931 by Frank Stanley Beveridge and Catherine L. O’-Brien in Westfield, Mass. Stanley became part of CPAC of Leicester in 1995. Stanley’s headquarters are now in Agawam, Mass. Its products are sold through home parties, the Internet and directly from sales representatives. Your plastic Rochow Swirl Mixer was probably made in the early 1950s. It’s worth $10 to $15.
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