Would you be more interested in buying a jeweler’s safe, parlor safe, bedroom safe or brothel safe? In the 19th century, three of the names were used for the same piece of furniture. It was a small, boxlike safe that was secured to an attractive wooden stand, usually in the Renaissance Revival style. The safe was most likely iron, painted black with gilt trim. The stand could be a plain, thin pedestal or an elaborate one with added decorative carved pieces. It is said that the Victorian safe was kept in a guest bedroom at a large estate. The guests wore their best jewelry for weekend party visits, so the expensive jewelry was kept in a private safe. These safes had drawers, shelves and a velvet lining. Some were used in a library or office to keep papers from burglars or fire. In recent years, the unusual safes were named for brothels. Perhaps they appeared in a movie set of a brothel; perhaps it was just a fanciful name suggested by a seller. We have seen several safes offered for sale this year. An Egyptian Revival safe by Herring Farral and Sherman of New York, with sphinx heads decorating the legs and just 43 inches tall, had a $7,000 estimate. Another safe auctioned recently for $2,938. It was made by Marvin’s Safe Company of New York and Philadelphia. It is higher than most, about 50 inches high and 14 inches wide.

Q: My large, flow-blue covered jar is stamped with a crown over the words “Doulton Burslem” within a bumpy circle surrounding a cipher. The word “England” is stamped below the mark. And there’s another handwritten mark that looks like “A6803.” Can you help me figure out when it was made?

A: The Doulton Burslem mark on your jar was used by the famous British firm of Doulton & Co. (now Royal Doulton) from about 1886 to 1902, but the word “England” wasn’t added to the mark until 1891. So your jar was made between 1891 and 1902. The A6803 mark is a pattern number assigned to a design introduced by Doulton in 1881-82. Many Doulton patterns remained in production for years.

This black-painted steel jeweler's safe on a stand was made by Marvin's Safe Company. The tall safe auctioned for ,938 at Skinner Inc. in Boston.

Q: I have a Willie Talk ventriloquist doll still in its original, unopened, shrink-wrapped box. He was made by Horsman Dolls of New York City. The string to move his mouth is through a hole in the back of his head. He is wearing blue checkered pants and a red, two-button sweater with a white collar and a pocket with his name on it. Is he worth anything?

A: Ventriloquist dolls were popular in the late 1960s and early ’70s. Horsman made several sizes of Willie Talk wearing different outfits. All of his shirts had his name on the front. So many were made that even the largest sells for only about $10. But yours, still in its original shrink-wrapped box, could sell for a premium.

Q: We own a three-piece antique silver coffee service that belonged to my mother-in-law. There’s a circle with an impressed cameo on the front and back of each piece – coffeepot, creamer and sugar. The mark on the bottom of each piece is “Rogers, Smith & Co.” forming the top of a circle, “Conn.” on the bottom and “New Haven” in the center of the circle. When was the set made, and what is it worth?

A: Rogers, Smith & Co. of New Haven, Conn., was organized in 1862 to manufacture silver-plated holloware. The company was sold the very next year to Meriden Britannia Co. of Meriden, Conn., but the New Haven location remained in operation until 1877, and the Rogers, Smith & Co. New Haven mark continued to be used. So your coffee set was manufactured sometime between 1862 and 1877. If the silver plating is in excellent condition, your set would sell for about $500.

Q: I have seen a glass cake stand for sale that was advertised as having a “brandy well.” What’s that?

A: Glass cake plates with pedestal stands were made by Fostoria, Heisey and other American glassmakers in the middle of the 20th century. Because of the manufacturing process, the stands often had a shallow central well where the pedestal attached to the plate. We can find no original factory reference to these indentations as brandy wells, rum wells or rum spills. But a lot of collectors call them that today. The well would certainly work as a place to catch any brandy, rum or other liqueur that soaked through a fruit or wedding cake.

Tip

Never pick up an antique chair by the arms. Pick it up under the seat. The arms could loosen or crack.

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