Ifyouhavea precious(orsimplymysterious)objectthatpuzzlesyou,
sendyourinquiry,alongwitha colourprintorhigh-resolutiondigital
image, your suburb or town, and your daytime telephone number, to
[email protected]. The photographs must be
clear and show the whole object against a white background.
Photographs will not be returned, even if they are not published.$100
$100-600
OCTOBER ISSUE
ON SALE SEPTEMBER 5
We visit the Ship Inn in North West Tasmania
and explore the benefits of living in Stanthorpe,
in the heart of Queensland’s Granite Belt, plus
it’s our Kitchen and Bathroom special!SEE OUR GREAT SUBSCRIPTION OFFER
ON PAGE 134 OF THIS ISSUE.PHOTOGRAPHYMARNIEHAWSONCOLLECTABLESJOHN McPHEE EVALUATES YOUR CURIOS
AND SATISFIES YOUR CURIOSITY.COLLECTABLES
THESE ORIENTAL FIGURINES were found in
a farm shed in the early ’70s. The green staff that the taller
figure is holding is in line with the open mouth of the fish
and, if the figure is placed in a bowl with water at the correct
level, a perpetual f low of water can be set in motion. The
taller figure is 27cm high and the shorter one is 20cm.
Laura Grainger, Strathalbyn, SAYour figurines are Chinese, made for the Western market
in the first half of the 20th century. It’s difficult to be certain
which mythological figures are represented, but the objects
they hold may be the key: the figure standing on a frog-like
creature may relate to good fortune in business. Chinese
potters delighted in playful tricks such as the perpetual f low
of water. The enlarged skull of the other figure might mean
that he is one of the Eight Immortals.I BOUGHT THIS old payphone from a local second-
hand shop a couple of years ago and paid about $300 for it.
I’m not sure if it works. Is there a market for old phones?
Chris Mebberson, Dulwich Hill, NSWA blast from the past! The red Victa payphones were made
in Japan and introduced into Australia in 1964. As yours is
fitted to take two- and five-cent coins it must be from after
the introduction of decimal currency in 1966, and at that
cost for a call, perhaps very soon after.
I have come across several enthusiastic collectors of
old telephones. There are clubs for collectors of almost
everything: to find out more visit telephonecollecting.org.
Telephones still in working order are most valued and
examples with a set of keys to open the money box are
offered for prices as high as $600. Non-working models
turn up on eBay for about $100. If your phone doesn’t work,
getting it into working order obviously increases its value.John McPhee is an art historian who has worked in art
museums for 30 years and was curator of Australian
Decorative Arts at the National Gallery of Australia.