What's It Worth? — Jane Alexiadis

Q. My mother is curious about these two lamps she inherited from the estate of her great uncle. The glass part is 7.5 inches. He traveled widely and collected crystal, glass and china.

Can you give us any help with maker, age or value?

A. My first suggestion is for your mother to ask around among her cousins: does anyone else have a similar lamp? She is missing two from the set. Your lamps are two of a set of four statues designed in 1939 by the great French jewelry and glass entrepreneur Rene Lalique.

Rene Lalique was born in France in 1860 and at an early age he displayed an artistic proficiency. In 1876 he was apprenticed to Louis Aucoc, one of the finest goldsmiths in Paris while in the evenings he studied at L’Ecole des Arts Decoratifs in Paris.

By 1880, Lalique had success on his own as a jeweler designing for well-know makers and private client. His sculptural Art Nouveau pieces combined precious metals with semi-precious stones, ivory, enamel and glass.

Towards the end of the nineteenth century, Lalique began to experiment more and more with glass and enamel. He patented a glass perfume bottle design in 1909; that same year, perfumer and industrialist François Coty commissioned Lalique to design bottles for his fragrances. Using the skill, production techniques and labor innovations learned through the perfume partnership, Lalique workshops produced well over 1000 designs for architectural elements, car mascots, vases, cane handles, medallions, bookends and lighting.

Rene Lalique designed the frosted glass “Le Quatre Saisons” (The Four Seasons) in 1939. Each of the figures depicts a kneeling nude holding an emblem of the season: Spring is surrounded by small flowers; a fruit garland drapes Summer; Autumn clutches a sheaf of wheat; and Winter kneels in a batch of mistletoe.

Your figures are Summer (l’Ete”) and Fall (“l’Automne). Each is most likely signed R. Lalique, but the lamp mounting may obscure the signature. The value depends greatly on the condition of the glass. If the figures were drilled they loose almost all value to collectors; if they are glued to the base and can be removed without damage each statue on its own would sell for $200 to $400. Complete set with no chips, flakes or cracks sell in the $1500-2500 range.

Rene Lalique died in 1945 and the company passed to his son Marc. Marc Lalique continued to expand the catalog of one of a kind and production designs. Marc’s daughter, Marie-Claude Lalique took over the business in 1977. She updated designs, added color, developed her own fragrance and returned to jewelry making. In 1994 she sold the company.

Today, Lalique produces luxury decorative items, jewelry, perfumes, furniture, and accessories. It represents the work of contemporary artists while continuing to make versions of their signature works. To see examples of Rene Lalique’s jewelry and glass designs visit the Corning Museum of Glass in New York. For more information, illustrations, authentication processes and listings of fakes and reproductions, visit the independent website www.rlalique.com

Hustler "Crew" wooden pull toy with fading and paint loss

This pull toy has been on a shelf in my grandmother’s bathroom for as long as I can remember. I recently asked her about it but she doesn’t know anything about it except that it makes her smile. I’m hoping you can tell me who made it and it and what it’s worth.

I like your grandmother. The fact that this l toy makes her smile is the best reason I can think of for anyone having it! I smiled too when I saw the picture of this four man scull.

First of all, some rowing terminology. A group of rowers is called a crew: if a crew member uses one oar only he is called a sweeper; rowers who use an oar on each side are called scullers. The craft they use is called a shell. I’ve never seen a pull toy depicting one.

If you look closely at the front of the toy (remember, the rowers are facing the back) you’ll see a decal of what looks like a jumping jack. This is the logo of the Hustler Toy Company of Sterling, Illinois.

The Hustler Crew in good condition with original box can sell for $100.00

Hustler Toys grew of Franz Manufacturing. Franz, founded in 1909, made hinges, door tracks and other hardware; they really hit their manufacturing stride in the 1920s when they patented the up and over garage door to sell to the owners of all those new automobiles.

Sometime in 1919 Franz licensed technology from another firm and produced a line of toys. By 1925, Hustler Toys was formed as a subsidiary of Franz. Hustler Toys incorporated metal camshafts and rocker arms to give their collection of pull and push toys animated movement. Hustler dogs cats and horses pranced, pounced or plodded; Hustler delivery trucks dumped their loads; Hustler circus trainers made their elephants stand on hind feet. Hustler made more than 100 models of mechanically animated wooden toys.

Hustler did little direct to consumer marketing. Their catalogs are geared towards wholesale and department stores. Hustler’s 1932 catalog claimed that Hustler “Action Pull Toys have everything that it will take to sell toys this season – class – novelty – originality – popular prices.”

Hustler specifically did not market based on gender. Their catalogs and press releases describe “Toys for Girls and Boys.” and insists that these toys appeal to "children and grownups alike.” Most were priced at about one-dollar (at a time when a loaf of bread was 8 cents.)

I found a tremendous amount of information on Judith Lile and Jim Sneed’s website “Old Wood Toys.” It is a lovingly researched and detailed compendium of toy manufacturers from the mid 19th to the mid 20th centuries. On their website I found copies of Hustler catalogs, press releases and patents. I also found an image of your toy and its original packaging.

Your grandmother's four-man crew pull toy would “row” bending forward and back as the toy was pulled. Unfortunately, it has lost a lot of its original vibrant color and crew member details. In better condition and with the original box your Hustler Crew could sell in the $100 region. As it is, with fading and paint loss it could bring $10-30.