My adventure yesterday was a drink and grocery shopping(not same place) –shoot me now.

In my reading for my added knowledge in collectibles I came across action results in Cedar Falls, IA. last year.(Kovels Newsletter 12/2013–I’m a little behind). According to the article toy, ceramics advertising and folk art depicting American blacks and their history are a big item with collectors of all colors. Items included a poster advertising Little Eva’s Temptation (believe it or not it was a 1920s musical farce based on Stowe’s antislavery novel: Uncle Tom’s Cabin) ($344). A Louis Armstrong windup toy–mid-20th century ($218) and a 1926 wind up “Charleston Trio” ($438). There were also Mammy items including: tobacco tin–May Cut Plug tobacco 20th century ($219) and a cookie jar mid 1900’s. ($281). The most expensive item was a1885 “Women’s Rights” automation (Ives Manufacturing) with a figure believed to be Sojourner Truth which sold for $3,500.

Back to Wikipedia: Sojourner Truth (/soʊˈdʒɜrnər ˈtruːθ/; c. 1797 – November 26, 1883) was an African-American abolitionist and women’s rights activist. Truth was born into slavery in Swartekill, Ulster County, New York, but escaped with her infant daughter to freedom in 1826. After going to court to recover her son, she became the first black woman to win such a case against a white man. Sojourner Truth was named Isabella Baumfree when she was born. She gave herself the name Sojourner Truth in 1843. Her best-known extemporaneous speech on gender inequalities, “Ain’t I a Woman?”, was delivered in 1851 at the Ohio Women’s Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio. During the Civil War, Truth helped recruit black troops for the Union Army; after the war, she tried unsuccessfully to secure land grants from the federal government for former slaves.

So let’s see what Black items are selling on line:

There’s dolls ($15)

Figurines ($30)

and vintage sheet music ($20)

as well as Victorian trade cards featuring black images 1882 (5/$300)

But most interesting was a series of mostly black figurines “All God’s Children”

Many of the figures range from $10 – $18

But there are others that range from $18 to $40 and on up to $70.

Most are children, but there’s a couple of Santas one black ($61) and one white ($750).

There’s a German child ($57)

as well as non-humans: including a teddy bear ($18) and a pig eating an apple ($57)

The two most expensive I found were Primas Jones (an elderly black man) ($1,079)

And the most expensive Beverly in a period clothing for $1.125.

So that’s today

Step out of the box, you might like it.

Great Day!