Modern and sleek is the look of today’s office.

In Victorian times, ornate and elaborate was the style. The huge carved and inlaid Victorian desk was the center of interest in the boss’s office. Chairs had carved trim on the legs and backs. Cash registers were made of brass and were cast with intricate geometric or floral designs.

Even less-important equipment, like a string holder, stapler or paper tape dispenser, was made of cast iron with intricate overall decorations. Important papers, especially legal papers, were often signed, then marked for security with an embossed seal over the signature. A notary uses the same system of signature and seal today. Office equipment was not often saved when a company went out of business. Unusual Victorian examples are rare. A most unusual seal was made in the form of a hand holding the working parts of the tool. It was made of cast iron in the 1860s.

I saved several old Klondike ice-cream-bar wrappers from my childhood. They all say “Isaly’s Klondike chocolate-covered ice cream.” What was Isaly’s? The name is not on new wrappers.

William Isaly was the grandson of Swiss immigrants. Isaly bought a milk plant and several milk delivery routes in northeast Ohio in the early 1900s. He opened his first retail store, Isaly’s Dairy Store, in Youngstown in 1918. By 1950, Isaly’s operated 11 dairy plants and close to 400 retail stores. Isaly’s was known nationally for its Klondike ice-cream bar, introduced in 1922. The Isaly family sold the company in 1972. The Klondike bar was marketed as “Isaly’s Klondike bar” until 1993. That year, Unilever bought the Klondike brand name and took the word Isaly’s off the bar. You can find Isaly’s advertising collectibles for sale at shows and on the Internet. There are still a few Isaly’s Dairy Stores, and the Isaly’s brand name is used on some deli products.

About 35 years ago, we bought our son, then 10, a large plastic toy truck called “Big Shot.” When he used the gun mounted on the truck to shoot the pictures off our walls, we realized the toy was dangerous. We boxed it up, and it was never played with again. What is the toy worth today?

Your son’s toy, made by Marx in the late 1960s, was marketed as a “missile mobile unit.” The box was decorated with targets and military aircraft. Kids were supposed to aim the gun at the targets on the box. The missiles included were cap-loaded. They would not be considered safe by modern standards. Today the toy, in mint condition, sells for more than $100.

My mother-in-law gave me a pair of work overalls that are more than 60 years old and have never been worn. They’re made from green-and-white-striped fabric with 5/8-inch copper buttons. The buttons are labeled in red, “Super Pay Day, Shrunk.” A square cloth tag on the front reads “Super Pay Day, Sanforized Shrunk, Union Made.” Can you give me any information, including value?

Super Pay Day was a private-label brand sold exclusively by J.C. Penney stores. The term “Sanforized Shrunk” dates your overalls to sometime between 1936 and 1942. The words refer to a process used to preshrink cotton and linen. Most adult-size vintage overalls, even in unused condition, don’t sell for more than about $20.

¢

The Kovels answer as many questions as possible through the column. By sending a letter with a question, you give full permission for its use in the column or any other Kovel forum. Names and addresses will not be published. We cannot guarantee the return of any photograph, but if a stamped envelope is included, we will try. The volume of mail makes personal answers or appraisals impossible. Write to Kovels, (name of your newspaper), King Features Syndicate, 888 Seventh Ave., New York, NY 10019.