Antiques & Collecting: Terrestrial globe

Home schooling and extra time spent with family because of coronavirus health rules has created a demand for maps, globes and more information about other countries. It is not difficult to figure out the probable age of a globe. The older the globe, the higher the price might be.

The first terrestrial globe known to historians was probably made in 1492, a globe showing what the land mass looked like on a sphere. It was created in Germany.

A terrestrial globe you might buy today at a flea market or house sale is probably less than 100 years old. Look for the name of the manufacturer. You can research when the company made globes. Early makers are listed online and in schoolbooks.

You can note the country names on a globe and make a list to guide your search for a date. There have been many name changes and they overlap in time, so a list helps.

Russia became the Soviet Union in 1922. There is a song that reminds us, “Now it’s Istanbul not Constantinople,” dating the change in 1930. And Persia became Iran in 1935. Siam changed its name to Thailand in 1939.

There have been many more changes, but these should help spot a globe made before the 1930s. Israel was created in 1948. The Gold Coast became Ghana in 1957.

Ceylon became Sri Lanka in 1972. Czechoslovakia split into two countries in 1993 and a new map or globe now calls them the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

The first celestial globes showing the positions of stars were created in the second century, and they are also made today. Probably the most expensive new globe available is one sold by Hammacher Schlemmer for $14,000. A new school globe can sell for as little as $70.

I inherited my dad’s medical schoolbooks from the 1940s and ’50s. They’re all in very good condition. I’ve tried selling them online with no takers, and bookstores in the area won’t take them. Is there a place where I can sell them, maybe at an antique or vintage bookstore?

Textbooks that aren’t current don’t sell well. A medical textbook from the mid-1800s or earlier might have some historic value, especially if it has advertisements in it. An 1865 edition of “Gray’s Anatomy” sold at auction last year for $168.

Current Prices

Cut Glass, rose bowl, Persian pattern, round, closely notched rim, rayed base, American Brilliant Period, 2 x 3 inches, $95.

Jewelry, earrings, koi fish, Sea Shimmer, gold tone, blue rhinestone eyes, white and aqua bead accents, clip on, Elizabeth Taylor for Avon, 1994, 1 1/2 inches, $155.

Toy guitar, Elvis Presley, 6 strings, plastic, decals, Love Me Tender, You Ain’t Nothin’ But A Hound dog, Emenee, box, 13 x 33 inches, $255.

Tip: Swish some vinegar in a stained coffee or teacup. Then wash and dry the cup. The stains will disappear.