Two more styles of new hand-cranked outside horn phonographs have appeared. One has a round wooden base; the other has an octagonal wooden base. Both new phonographs have horns made entirely of brass.

Animals posed in human activities were popular subjects in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This new cast iron figure imitates that style with a cat photographer. The 8-inch figure is standing in the back of an early wet plate-style view camera. It is cold painted in color to resemble brown fur, wooden camera legs, black camera body and a brass lens cap. This example offered at $49 retail.

A 21 by 15-inch paper print advertising occupational and personalized shaving mugs is being reproduced. The color print is a reproduction of an original which first appeared in the early 1900s. It shows the various designs available from B. Stuebners Sons, Artistic China Decorators, Brooklyn, New York. The print is titled at the top, Decorated Shaving Cups for the Barber Supply Trade Co.

A new ceramic cookie jar is being made in the same style as the highly collected Holt-Howard Pixieware kitchen novelties.

If mom thought Annie Oakley or Lone Ranger lunch boxes were too risqu, you may have carried a plaid box similar to the new one shown here. Original plaid metal boxes were made from the mid-1950s up until the early 1970s. Original manufacturers included Alladin Industries and Thermos. Old plaid boxes sell for $75-$100; new plaid boxes are currently retailing for $16. Almost all vintage boxes were made in the USA. The vast majority of new metal lunch boxes are made in China.

don't confuse balls from other sports with early golf balls

A group of six new Halloween lanterns have just come on the market. The group includes black roundshaped cats head, an orange cat head/shoulders (shown), a devil head (shown) and three different pumpkin heads. All are handmade paper mache and have old appearing wire handles. All colors are spray painted. New retail prices are $29 - $39; seller claims only 50 of each style have been made. The items have already filtered into the Internet auction system, antique malls and shows.

A 19th century cast iron cap pistol has just been copied in brass. The original, marked SCOUT was made by the J. E. Stevens Company, Cromwell, Connecticut in the late 1890s. Dont be confused by an old appearing patent date. Both old and new versions have PATD JUNE 17, 1890 on the side opposite the name. SCOUT also appears on the new version. The original can be worth 80125; the brass reproduction retails for 20.

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the West has been flooded with all sorts of odds and ends marketed as Communist Cold War era artifacts. The latest Commie trinket to hit the market is this Red Star pin. Its 2 across; made of sterling silver with red enameling. The raised inscription reads Workers of the World Unite. This is the most recent knickknack liquidated to generate some hard currency for the capitalistwannnabes now in charge in Russia. Similar items mass marketed in the U.S.A. have been clocks from submarines, various flags and banners, instruments from airplanes, pieces of uniforms, etc., etc. Many of these pieces end up at gun shows and flea markets at outrageous prices.

An original Little Red Riding Hood standing bank can sell for $750-$900. Reproduction wholesalers are now offering a confusing look-alike for around $30. There have been new pieces found as sleepers at flea markets or estate sales and bringing $150-$300 from unsuspecting buyers. There are several key features to help you tell new from old.