A Merry Halloween to you! The postcard is from 1911, but the scene of a costumed child with jack-o’-lanterns and black cats on a moonlit night wouldn’t look out of place at a Halloween celebration today.

Happy Halloween from Kovels! Kovels! Or, in the words of this postcard, “A Merry Halloween.” Despite the antiquated greeting and old-fashioned art style, this

card has familiar Halloween icons you might see on today’s decorations: a child in costume, jack-o’-lanterns, an owl, black cats and a full moon — complete with a face, of course.

The art style is characteristic of the early 1900s, and the postmark on the reverse dates it to 1911. So does its one-cent stamp. You would have to spend considerably more on a postcard like this today: It sold for $100 at a Matthew Bullock auction.

* * *

Q: We have a unique payroll

tally machine by the Denominator

company in Brooklyn, New

York, (number 1295) that was

used to tally up different dollar

and change amounts from $20

down to $0.01 with a $0.03

counter so you could take out

the correct number of bills and

coins out of the bank. The housing

is made of metal and glass

on a wooden base that is felt

covered. On the top of the metal

housing, it says “Denominator

Patents Pending.” From what

we could find out, it is from the

early 1920s and all counters

work. It also has a small shelf

that contains the remnants of

some kind of notepad. Considering

its age, it’s in good condition.

What do you think it’s

worth?

A: The Denominator Adding

Machine Company opened in

1914 in Brooklyn, but the patent

for its payroll tally machine

wasn’t granted until 1923. In the

1930s, the company changed

its name to The Denominator

Company and moved to Woodbury,

Connecticut, where it is

still making manual counters

today. In the 1950s, they started

making their counters with plastic

cases instead of metal. The

National Museum of American

History at the Smithsonian Institution

has a Denominator payroll

tally machine like yours in

its collection. Counters and adding

machines from the early to

mid-20th century tend to sell for

about $20 to $100 at auctions.

Pieces in excellent condition that

can do more complex operations

(such as multiplication and division)

tend to get the highest

prices.

* * *

Q: I have 16 Dunbar Sweet

Ada line bar glasses handpainted

with two men that say

what I just said on them. I can

find similar items, but cannot

find these anywhere. I would

appreciate knowing what they

might be worth.

A: Dunbar Glass operated

in Dunbar, West Virginia, from

1913 to 1953. They are known

for their drinking glasses, pitchers

and cocktail shakers. We

have seen some sellers attribute

the same Sweet Ada-Line

design to the Wheeling Decorating

Company, another West

Virginia company that was in

operation about the same time.

Wheeling decorated glass that

was made and marked by other

factories. Your set of glasses

is probably worth about $100.

Large sets of decorated glassware

do not often sell for high

prices.

* * *

TIP: Put a piece of plastic

jewelry under hot water and,

when warm, smell it. Bakelite

smells like formaldehyde,

celluloid smells like camphor

(mothballs) and Galalith, a

1920s plastic, smells like burnt

milk. Lucite does not smell.

* * *

Terry Kovel and Kim Kovel

answer readers’ questions sent

to the column. Send a letter

with one question describing

the size, material (glass, pottery)

and what you know about the

item. Include only two pictures,

the object and a closeup of any

marks or damage. Be sure your

name and return address are included.

By sending a question,

you give full permission for use

in any Kovel product. Names,

addresses or email addresses

will not be published. We do

not guarantee the return of photographs,

but if a stamped envelope

is included, we will try.

Questions that are answered will

appear in Kovels Publications.

Write to Kovels, (Name of this

newspaper), King Features

Syndicate, 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando,

FL 32803 or email us at

collectorsgallery@kovels.com.

* * *

CURRENT PRICES

Current prices are recorded

from antiques shows, flea markets,

sales and auctions throughout

the United States. Prices vary

in different locations because of

local economic conditions.

Haeger, planter, Halloween,

figural, pumpkin, jack-o’-lantern,

smiling face, eyelashes,

orange ground, ribbed, 6 x 6 x 4

inches, $50.

Scale, balance, brass,

marked, W & T Avery Ltd.,

Birmingham, countertop, 22 x

18 1/2 x 11 1/2 inches, $70.