Antiques & Collecting: Tea trolleys

It’s probably no surprise that the tea trolley emerged in Victorian England. Just the words “tea trolley” can conjure up an image of a delicate cart laden with floral china and shining silver plate, pushed by a primly uniformed servant into an ornately furnished room where aristocratic women perch on uncomfortably carved mahogany chairs.

Like many upper-class English fashions, the tea trolley spread to the United States, where it received a new spin in the 20th century: With Prohibition ending in the 1930s, the tea trolley was repurposed as the bar cart or cocktail cart.

This was also when the style we now call mid-century modern emerged. Scandinavian design was particularly popular, with clean lines, simple shapes and light woods.

This cart, made of birch with white enameled wheels, was designed in 1948 by Alvar and Aino Aalto, the Finnish husband-and-wife team that co-founded the furniture company Artek.

An Eldred’s auction described it as a “tea trolley” rather than a cart. The old-fashioned name didn’t decrease its appeal, as it sold at the auction for $2,650.

I have a lot of first-edition Beanie Babies and Bears. I’m wondering if I can get in contact with someone to help me price and sell them.

The Beanie Babies fad exploded in the 1990s, and a resale market appeared almost immediately. While it hasn’t reached the heights of the original craze, the resale market is still active.

There are several online resources for Beanie Baby collectors to research and evaluate their toys. Try tycollector.com, beaniebabiespriceguide.com or beaniepedia.com.

Check the tags on each toy; both the cloth tag sewn to the toy — collectors call it the “tush tag” — and the heart-shaped paper swing tag. They will tell you the edition, material, location made and other information that can affect the price.

If a Beanie Baby is an early or limited edition, stuffed with PVC pellets, or made in Indonesia instead of China, it is usually worth more. Spelling errors, misprints and other variations on the tag can also increase the value.

For more accurate values on eBay, look up Sold listings under Advanced Search. You can also search websites like Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace for Beanie Babies collector clubs.

If you want to sell your collection at an auction, look for auction houses that specialize in toys, collectibles, estate sales and pop culture.

Tip: Dust leather furniture with a dry cloth and vacuum in crevices and edges. Use a leather conditioner about once a year. If there is spill, wipe up the liquid with a cloth or sponge, wipe with lukewarm water and let it air dry. Do not use soap or soak the stain.

Current Prices

Toy, horse, rocking, wood, painted, white, black base, leather saddle, Victorian, 31 x 55 1/2 x 12 inches, $320.

Lamp, hurricane, baluster shape shade, tole base, figural, leafy vines, grass, scalloped foot, felt base, 14 1/2 inches, pair, $770.

Textile, Navajo, trading post, gray ground, cream and black motifs, serrated diamonds, checkerboards, red border, corner tassels, early 1900s, 74 1/2 x 55 inches, $800.