Enclosed is a photograph of a pump organ that my family received as a gift from my mom's aunt. I'm not sure how old it is, but my mom, who was born in 1932, remembers that her aunt had it when my mom was a child. The organ actually works and is a beautiful piece. Can you tell us how old it is and its value?
C. Davis

The Beckwith Organ Company made your pump organ. The original company was located in Louisville, Kentucky, with another factory in St. Paul, Minnesota. The company was in business from 1903 until around 1922, when it was purchased by Sears, Roebuck & Co. in Chicago. The organs were then made for Sears and sold through the catalog. Yours is oak with ivory keys; it has 11 stops, which are made of ebony and celluloid. (A stop opens a valve inside the organ and allows the banks of reeds to make sounds. Ninety-eight percent of all organs were made with 11 stops. The more stops, the greater the range of sound.) Your organ was made circa 1910, and would have sold for $45 to $50 through the catalog. Today, organs such as yours are very hard to sell because it is a relatively common model, and because of the cost of restoration. If yours has not been restored, its value is $200 to $300. If it has been fully restored, it could sell as high as $1,500 to $2,000.

Recently, I found this large green glass measuring cup in my mother's attic. I do not know how old it is or anything about it. My mother said that it belonged to her mother, who had many other green glass pieces. The name on the bottom of the measuring cup is Fire-King Oven Ware Made in USA. What can you tell me about this piece?
S. Jones

Anchor Hocking Glass Corporation was created in 1937. Fire-King glassware first appeared in the early 1940s. It was created as a multi-functional ovenproof line of glassware in which food could be cooked, served and stored. This was a revolutionary idea; it helped make Fire-King Anchor Hocking's most successful line of products. Fire-King dinnerware and kitchenware have become extremely popular collectibles in recent years-and Jadite is the most popular line of Fire-King. Note, however, that not all Fire-King is Jadite, and not all Jadite is Fire-King. The Jeannette and McKee companies also made Jadite (called Skokie Green by McKee). Ten years ago prices were low, but because of high-profile collectors such as Martha Stewart, prices have risen dramatically in recent years. Your piece of Fire-King is a Jadite batter bowl that originally sold for 39 cents. Today, you could expect to pay $50 to $60 for it.

Suggested Reading: If you would like to know more about the Anchor Hocking Glass Corporation and Fire-King glassware, a very well-written book is "Fire-King, an Information and Price Guide" by Joe Keller and David Ross, published by Schiffer Books. This book covers Jadite, as well as other lines of Fire-King.

If you've always wanted an appraisal of a special antique or an unusual vintage piece, e-mail a photograph of the item to pennie@insidenorthside.com, or mail to Inside Northside, P.O. Box 9148, Mandeville, LA 70470. Include any known information, such as age of item, place of origin and other historical facts. Photographs cannot be returned, and only those items selected for use in Inside Northside will be appraised.

Pennie Carr is a northshore antiques appraiser, auctioneer, and owner of Auction Louisianne, Inc. in Covington.

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