$1,820: John Wilkes Booth, Theatrical broadside, Jan. 20, 1863, appearing in "Lady of Lyons" at Boston Museum. 6 x 15. Booth's name, in bold type, printed three times. Small 1 x 1 3/4 piece lacking at top left corner, affecting one letter, all else fine.

LC: This is an interesting type of collectible. Yes, theater memorabilia is collectible from all periods, including today. However, this one is collectible for one reason only, and that is because it stars JWB. While the value of prints and this type of paper art is somewhat diminished by tears in the body of the art/print work, the value would not be diminished very much just because it is what it is. Had it been for Ford's theater, what would it be worth? Does anyone know what play Lincoln went to see?

(Sold by and photo courtesy of Cohasco, Inc., Yonkers, New York, 914-476-8500.)

$1,002: PONY Sewing Machine with Original Box. The machine is in very good condition. It is very old and is made of iron with the original painted wooden base. The machine has an unusual circular shape. The original paint is in very good condition. It is black with colorful flowers painted on it. It comes with its original box and accessories, such as the thimble, 4-way screw driver, and wire table clamp which was used to hold the machine on a wooden table. The box is rough, but still has its original price on it. The machine measures 8" high by 7 1/2" wide. Very unusual piece, I have never seen one like this.

LC: Generally, old sewing machines do not bring near this kind of money. The ones with the treadle are most valuable for their legs which are made into patio and garden tables and most recently sell for $55. This is not that type of sewing machine; however, many women like to have one to do stitching on because they do a different quality than new electric models. Since this seller did not indicate who the maker was, I am assuming it was Secor. They also made one called the Fairy with a round frame and wood box with table clamps. These machines always came with all kinds of attachments and tools. These are separated and sold off for the boxes. A Secor Fairy machine with round frame, decorations and clamps in a wooden box would be in the $2,480 range. I'd say this was a deal if you were in the market for an old sewing machine and had the dollars to invest on the chance it will go up.

$160,000: Extraordinary Collection of 13 Rare, Genuine Slave Tags and One Slave Token. Collection consists of: a large copper, diamond-shaped tag, stamped "Charleston No. 64 Fisher 1823"; extremely rare, eight-sided, copper tag stamped "N 407 House Servant 1800", on the reverse is stamped "Atmar"; rectangular, copper tag with cut corners, stamped "Charleston No 108 Mechanic 1805", on reverse stamped "C. Prince"; tag stamped "Charleston 1834 Servant No. 1234"; "Charleston 722 Porter 1846"; "Charleston 858 Porter 1846"; "C. N. Servant 1848 668"; "Charleston No. 46 Mechanic 1815", stamped on reverse "LaFar"; "Charleston 1549 Servant 1844"; "Charleston 39 Mechanic 1852"; "Charleston Neck 418 Servant 1849"; "Charleston 358 Porter 1863", reverse stamped "Charleston 1862 Servant 2430"; "Charleston 380 Mechanic 1850"; and round token, struck on each side, the front with a kneeling, chained slave, "am I not a man and a brother" and the reverse with clasped hands, "may slavery and oppression cease throughout the world". This is an extraordinary collection of excavated tags found around Charleston. The house servant tag is extraordinarily rare and only a few are known to exist, as is the wonderful "C.N." tag. The addition of a fruiter and carpenter would make this a complete set, and as such would be one of only a few complete sets known to exist.

LC: Slave tags, while historic items of commerce, in my opinion fall in the same category as the personal items of Hitler and the unfortunate millions he killed, as well as the shrunken heads of hapless victims in Borneo. I also include in these groups the items robbed from the graves of prehistoric peoples. Now that I have had my say on this matter, let's do a little discussion on slave tags. 1) Note that they have dates on them. That indicates the date the tag was issued. 2) Note also the location in which the tags were used, mostly in Charleston. The tags were issued to slave holders by the state and were used as a form of identification (not unlike our corporate I.D. badges hanging from our belts today) and were issued to slaves who performed work off the owner's premises (either by loan or hired out). The slave was required to wear the badge as long as he was at the work place, and you note on the description that they were identified as tradesmen. If the slave was found without his badge, his owner was subject to arrest and fine. While the name tag indicates something akin to a dog tag, they were little more than a form of identification, not unlike the military dog tags issued to every military GI. As to the value, they do seem to be expensive, but $160k seems awful high. If you have a hankering to collect these things, be aware that they are reproduced.

(Photo, courtesy of James D. Julia Auctioneers, Fairfield, ME www.juliaauctions.com.)

$2,000: Pepe Mendoza Table. Sculptural brass and inlaid turquoise table designed by Mexican modernist artisan Pepe Mendoza, circa 1950s, unsigned. Mendoza's works rarely surface, and the only other Mendoza table we could find on the Internet was at an uber-chic NYC gallery for $8,500. This table has a glamorous form that would fit seamlessly into any interior, from traditional to ultra-modern. The table is a vintage original and retains its original patina. It is in very good shape, with minor surface scratches and wear. The table measures 16"H x 24"D (of glass) approximately.

LC: Pepe Mendoza is a Mexican modernist artist. He makes tables and lamps. Values for his items can reach $8,000 to $12,000. Additional examples of his work include a nest of three tables, the largest being 17 x 12 x 18 with a glass mosaic top ($3,600), and a 12 x 12 x 16 table ($1,200). These tables are iron frames with squares of colored glass on top.

$634: A George III style fruitwood pear-shaped tea caddy.

LC: Tea caddies were made in all sorts of fruit shapes and were covered in all kinds and sorts of things ­ silver, tortoiseshell, etc. Pear-shaped caddies are among the most popular. The boxes have been made in England since the original one, and you can buy new ones there on your next trip. There are shops in England which sell nothing but boxes, in case you are interested. A true George III pear-shaped tea caddy should be about $6,500 or more.

[Sold by and photo courtesy of Lyon & Turnbull, Edinburgh, Scotland, 44 (0)131 557 8844.]

Louis Craig is a past president of the International Association of Appraisers, Georgia Chapter. He can be contacted at LCraig1122@aol.com.

Pony sewing machine, $1,002.

John Wilkes Booth theater poster, $1,820.

13 slave tags and a slave token, $160,000.

Pepe Mendoza table, $2,000.

George III pear-shaped tea caddy, $634.