Remember when you were young and the box holding your gift was sometimes more fun than the gift? Sometimes it was just a plain box that could be turned into a house or a cave. But often it was a cleverly shaped and decorated box that held candy, a game or even a pair of shoes. Collectors have hunted for tin candy and biscuit boxes for many years, and prices can be high for old examples. The best-known are the figural tin British biscuit (cookie) boxes used by Huntley & Palmers that were shaped like a bundle of books, a carriage, an urn or a bird’s nest. Some American candy companies made candy boxes shaped like wooden soldiers or cars. Some boxes had decorations that were so pleasing that they were saved, like the Whitman’s Sampler box with a realistic picture of a sampler on the top. Almost every kind of candy wrapper or box is wanted today, perhaps because of the “sweet” memories of childhood. An unusual English tin box auctioned recently for $518. It was decorated with colorful scenes of the Newlywed family, including Baby Snookums, Mr. and Mrs. Newlywed and their dog. The pictures are based on “The Newlyweds” comic strip, created in 1904 by George McManus. He later created “Bringing Up Father,” often called “Jiggs and Maggie,” which began its run in 1913.

This 1910 tin box shows the Newlywed family trying to get Baby Snookums out from under a bookshelf. The 5-inch square box was probably saved to store small treasures after the candy was gone. It sold at a Hake's Americana & Collectibles online auction for 18.

Q: In 1982, my parents bought a Chippendale-style extension table from my great-uncle for $1,000. I know my great-uncle owned the table for many years, but I don’t know if he bought it new. Closed, the table can be placed against a wall. But the double-layer tabletop opens so it can be used as a card table, and it extends to fit up to three matching leaves. A black stamp under the table reads “White Furniture Co., Mebane, N.C.” History?

A: Brothers David and William White founded the White Furniture Co. in Mebane, N.C., in 1881. It stayed in business, calling itself the “South’s oldest maker of fine furniture,” until 1993. Your table is usually called a “console extension table.” It probably dates from the 1920s or ’30s, when apartment living was more common. When closed, the table saves space. But it can open to double as a dining table to seat up to eight or even 10 people.

Tip

Store records on edge, straight up (not tipped) and in their sleeves.

Current prices

Current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States.

¢ Hooked rug, black, dark green, orange scrolls trim, 1923 date in center, 21 x 44 inches, $75.

¢ U.S. Army magnetic compass, folding design, original pouch, 1964, $90.

¢ Planters Peanuts cardboard countertop display, die-cut image top, Mr. Peanut playing band instruments on sides, 1930s, 9 x 8 x 8 1/2 inches, $120.

¢ Lambeth Delftware flower brick, blue and white, rectangular, Chinese figures in courtyard, 18th century, 6 inches, $1,000.