Antiques & Collecting: Baby New Year

Baby New Year can grow up fast. The baby pictured here is already shaving. Well, it’s probably not supposed to be Baby New Year, but being surrounded by a calendar, it’s an easy association to make.

This baby was the mascot for Gillette’s safety razors, perhaps suggesting that they were both safe enough and easy enough for a baby to use, with the promise of baby-smooth skin, too.

Inventor King C. Gillette was not the first to create a safety razor, but he came up with the disposable blade, and his company popularized them in the early 1900s.

Note that the calendar is for 1909 — a bit outdated for today’s use, but very appealing to a collector of antique advertising. It sold for $295 at Morford’s Antique Advertising Auctions.

Oh, and it’s not just a calendar; it’s a pocket mirror, too. They were a popular form of advertising in the early 20th century.

These mirrors, like the Gillette one here, often had celluloid backs printed with the company’s name, logo or slogan.

But despite the product it advertises, a mirror like this one, at 2 1/2 inches in diameter, probably wouldn’t be the best for shaving.

I have an unusual cane that I want to sell. It is carved jujube wood with an animal horn handle, c. 1940. How can I find a buyer?

There are many ways to sell an antique or, in your case, vintage cane. They sell at antiques shops and auctions; you may want to look for one that specializes in vintage fashion or folk art.

Be sure to check local laws about selling animal products like horns and ivory. Many regions have restrictions on what can be sold and may require proof of the item’s age and authenticity.

A club for cane collectors like the International Society of Cane Collectors may have more information and may connect you with potential buyers.

Tip: Celluloid should be stored in a dry, ventilated place. It will disintegrate if exposed to extreme temperatures, moisture or corroding metal.

Current Prices

Porcelain, cup and saucer, painted, ship, Rowena, gilt trim, signed, J.G. Hauthal & Co., Germany, 1856, 4 inches, $50.

World’s Fair, textile, 1934, lace, embroidered, pavilions, state buildings, steam engine, carriage, car, airplane, zeppelin, 16 x 48 inches, $65.

Comic art, strip, Pogo, four panels, inked, blue lines, signed, Walt Kelly, Nov. 2, 1970, 7 x 21 1/2 inches, $465.

Advertising, sign, Airplane Rides, 1 dollar, Weather Permitting, crossed flags, War Ace, yellow arrow, painted, metal, wood frame, c. 1950, 16 x 34 1/2 inches, $845.

Pottery-contemporary, jar, peaked lid, dark brown glaze, light brown and red brush strokes, shoulders, stoneware, signed, Val Murat Cushing, c. 1990, 16 1/2 inches, $3,125.