Children’s toys imitate life because children like to pretend to be part of the adult world.

Space exploration has fascinated adults and children since the 19th century, when trips to the moon and flying were fantasies. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy set a goal for the United States to land on the moon and return safely to Earth during the 1960s. At first, U.S. space flights tested spaceships while orbiting Earth or the moon and taking photographs. Then Apollo 11, launched in July 1969, landed on the moon and returned. Neil Armstrong, one of three astronauts on that mission, was the first man to set foot on the moon.

Toy rocket ships were popular in the late 1960s. One, a battery-operated toy marked “TM Modern Toys” (Masudaya Toy Co.), was made in Japan to be sold in the United States. A spaceman on a wire spun from the top. It beeped and flashed lights, but did not fly. All old space toys are collectible today.

Q: I have a 2-1/2-foot-high-by-4-foot-wide bright-red porcelain flying-horse figure, the Mobil Gas Pegasus logo. It’s flat on the back so it can be mounted on a wall. I assume that at one time it was used in a gas station. What’s it worth today?

This 9-inch-long lithographed tin rocket from the 1960s came in a box labeled USA-NASA

A: The red Pegasus trademark was adopted by Socony-Vacuum Corp. in the early 1930s. A few years later, the company added the word “Mobil” as another trademark. The two trademarks became famous worldwide and led, in 1966, to the company’s adoption of the name Mobil Oil Corp. Wall-mounted porcelain Pegasus figures were made in various styles and sizes. If yours is without flaws, it could be worth more than $1,000. By the way, people who collect Mobil Oil memorabilia like to say they are “chasing the red horse.”

Q: For years I have been trying to learn something about a heavy iron plaque I found. It’s 7 1/2 inches high, 5 1/2 inches wide and 7/8 inch deep, and is cast with a scrolled top and sides. It has a three-holed bracket on the back that I thought might be designed to hold toothbrushes or straight razors. The words cast on the front are: “Gilt Edge” at the top, “Schwab & Sercomb” in the middle and “Milwaukee, Wis.,” at the bottom. Any ideas?

A: Schwab & Sercomb was an iron foundry in Milwaukee, owned by Rudolph J. Schwab and Charles A. Sercomb. It was in business at least during the 1880s and ’90s. We suspect you have an architectural piece that could be mounted on a building using the three-holed bracket on the back. Gilt Edge was the name of a mining camp in Montana around this time, but we don’t know if the wall piece was made for a building there or somewhere else.

Tip

Cuckoo clocks sometimes need minor first aid or major repair. First try home remedies. If the clock stops, it might be because it is not level. Try shifting the clock a bit. The clock will not run correctly in a draft. Hang the clock so it is flat against the wall. Have the clock oiled every two years and cleaned every four years. Major repairs should be done by a professional.