New Year’s pieces are quickly outdated

The new year is here and Father Time has disappeared along with 2007. Baby New Year, dapper in diaper, sash and top hat, is growing older each day.

Ever wonder how these symbols developed? A baby was used to represent the new year as early as 600 B.C. in Greece. Through the years, the baby, always a male, was given a contemporary wardrobe. Father Time also dates back to ancient Greece and Rome. He originally was Saturn, a deity of time with a sickle used to cut down crops. He gradually came to represent the old year and the sickle was thought to destroy the old days.

There are pictures from the 19th century that show Father Time holding Baby New Year. Collectors can find many items that picture the symbols of both the old and new years. Candy containers, clocks, postcards, greeting cards, small figurines and even fabrics picture the two.

Today, many New Year’s pieces show traditional symbols and the numerals for the year. Drinking glasses, party favors, napkins, dishes, silk scarves, jewelry and many other small items are made each year. They are quickly discarded because they’re dated.

Although New Year’s memorabilia is not collected by many, it is a growing area. Christmas, Easter, Halloween and the Fourth of July are already important holidays for collectors, and books have been written about the collectibles. New Year’s is one of the few holidays left to be discovered by lots of collectors, so save your party favors and special clothes. Some will be valuable.

Q: My vase has a mark in the shape of the state of Kentucky with the words “Genuine Bybee” inside.

A: Pieces made by the Bybee Pottery in Middletown, Ky., since 1945 that are marked with the state outline were made to be sold at shops in the state parks.

Q: My son recently purchased an old dining-room table and was interested in its value. It has decorative legs and a hidden leaf and is labeled “Ebert Furniture Co., Red Lion.”

A: Ebert Furniture Co. was in business from 1854 until 1959. Cabinetmakers Johann Georg Ebert and his brother, Johann Adam, immigrated to Philadelphia from Germany in 1852. They founded the American Furniture Co. in 1854 and the John A. Ebert Furniture Factory in 1857. They made cabinets, dining sets and bedroom sets.

After the two brothers died, John Adam Ebert’s sons ran the company. In 1917 the factory moved to Red Lion, Pa. The factory was sold to Bethlehem Furniture in December 1958.

Since your son’s dining table has Red Lion on the label, it was made after 1916. A table that seats eight is worth about $350.

Q: I have an orange Franciscan El Patio ball-shaped water jug that has an “F” mark. Can you suggest an age and value?

A: The El Patio line of Franciscan dinnerware was introduced in early 1934. It remained in production for 19 years. In 1939, El Patio was made in the satin or matte colors named redwood, Mexican blue, golden glow, flame orange, apple green, deep yellow, light yellow and gloss white. The “F in a box” backstamp on your pitcher was used for only nine months, in 1938 and 1939.

El Patio ball-shaped water jugs sell for $50 to $80.

Ralph and Terry Kovel’s column is syndicated by King Features. Write to: Kovels, (Las Vegas Review-Journal), King Features Syndicate, 888 Seventh Ave., New York, NY 10019.