Buck Rogers was the first American science-fiction hero. He appeared in a comic strip in 1929 that remained popular until 1967. His fame spread through comic books, movies and a TV series. Collectors of comics and of space memorabilia and fans of his exploits all search for collectibles related to his story.

Buck was trapped in a mine cave-in, and 500 years later he woke up to find a changed America. He fought evil overlords with the help of many 25th-century devices, like rocketships and robots.

One rare toy from 1936 is the Buck Rogers 25th-century “liquid helium” water pistol, model X-Z 44. The colorful red-and-yellow gun could be filled with water to make 15 “shots.” Unfortunately, the leather bladder that held the water cracks over time, and most of these tin-plated steel pistols require restoration. But even restored guns are worth more than $500.

I own a Seth Thomas mahogany shelf clock that says “Fashion” across the glass front. There are two dials behind the glass — a clock above and a calendar below. The calendar has one hand that moves to show the date. The patent date on the clock is 1869. What is the clock worth?

Seth Thomas (1785-1859) opened his own clock shop in Plymouth Hollow, Conn., in 1813. He incorporated the Seth Thomas Clock Co. in 1855. His company’s “Fashion-movement” calendar clocks were introduced about 1870. For the next 20 years, double-dial calendar clocks were sold by several clock companies. Today, a Seth Thomas Fashion calendar clock in working condition sells for $600 or more.

My in-laws gave us a wicker rocker and matching chair about 1965. There’s a metal tag on each one that reads “Ypsilanti Furniture, Ionia,

Mich.” I would love to know how old the chairs are.

The Ypsilanti Reed Furniture Co. was in business in Ionia from at least 1910 into the 1930s. It was an extensive operation, with showrooms in New York City and Chicago.

My mother left her collection of about 30 egg cups to me. She bought many during her travels to Europe. Most of them are pottery, but some are glass and a few are plastic. When were egg cups first made? What makes one more valuable than another?

The origin of the egg cup goes back to King Louis XV of France (1715-1774). He is said to have been the first person to eat a soft-boiled egg by placing it on a small pedestal and whacking off its top. The French soon began making egg cups for everyday household use. The British are credited with being the first to market egg cups as souvenirs. Any egg cup made before 1900 is valuable and can sell for $50 to $200. Most plastic egg cups date from the mid-1900s. Check your egg cups for marks; they might help you date your cups.

Buck Rogers used a liquid

My countertop penny-arcade machine was made by the Mills Novelty Co. The machine is in an oak case, 24 inches high by 18 inches square, and has a viewer on

the top. If you put a penny in,

an electric light bulb inside turns on, and a set of slightly risque cards flips through its sequence. When was this sort of machine popular?

Mills manufactured your viewer in 1904. The company called it a “Unit Stereoscope” and sold many to traveling carnivals. Mortimer B. Mills had founded his company about 15 years earlier as a manufacturer of cigar vending machines and coin-operated slot machines. Eventually, Mills manufactured just about every kind of coin-operated machine. Your machine is not a large one, but it could be worth a substantial amount of money. Ask an expert to look at it. Mills didn’t make this small stereoscope for long — within a year, the company was making larger, floor-model viewers.

Tip

Old beds were not made in standard sizes. A double bed might be the size of a modern queen-size bed, or up to 6 inches narrower than a queen.