John Sikorski: Family heirlooms are from 19th or 20th century

John Sikorski
·2 min read
This shoe cobbler set was used to repair a family’s shoes during the 1920s and 1930s.
This shoe cobbler set was used to repair a family’s shoes during the 1920s and 1930s.

Q: I enjoy your column in The Gainesville Sun and have appreciated your previous help with some items we have. I have the following shoe cobbler kit. This shoe cobbler set was used by my father to repair the family’s shoes during the 1920s and 1930s. My father was born in Norway in the late 1800s and, at age 13 or 14, when he finished the available public schooling, he apprenticed to a shoemaker. He decided he did not want to be a shoemaker and came to America in 1904 on his own at age 14. Two of his uncles had emigrated earlier and were farming in Illinois. After working on farms, he also became a farmer in Illinois, married and had eight children. I am the youngest by several years. I do not recall him repairing my shoes, but my older siblings recalled that he did repair theirs. I have had this cobbler set for more than 40 years. He kept the cobbler set in the wood box in the picture. The word “Warranted” is embossed on each of the pieces of the set. He did not bring this with him from Norway. Is there any collector interest in this?

This child‘s cookstove was made just as the full-size cook stoves were to familiarize little girls on how to use a cookstove through play.
This child‘s cookstove was made just as the full-size cook stoves were to familiarize little girls on how to use a cookstove through play.

This miniature stove belonged to my mother-in-law who was born in 1910 in Northern Minnesota. She said it was one of the few toys that she had. It is 3 1/2 inches high by 5 inches wide and 4 inches deep. It has four removable lids on the stove top and a handle to remove the lids. The oven door opens. I am surprised that all of the pieces are still there, as she was the second of 10 children. I am interested in a potential value for it. It will probably stay in the family. Thank you. — N.N., Internet

A: I really appreciate the storyline behind the objects in question. I am sure many of our readers can identify with the family history you share about the cobbler pieces you have. The molded word “Warranted” indicates they were made in America with an implied meaning of quality guarantee. From the 19th century on into the 20th century, cobbler sets were produced in large quantities. They are part of the world of antiques but not looked for by antique collectors.

The child‘s cookstove was made just as the full-size cook stoves were to familiarize little girls on how to use a cookstove through play. It was made in America during the last quarter of the 19th to early 20th century. The blue paint is original. The stove is missing the stove pipe and its back portion surround, which was often decorated with cast iron filigree. Potential dollar value as it is would be in the $75 to $150 range, perhaps more on a lucky day.

— John Sikorski, with more than 35 years of experience, is an Ocala-based antiques advisor, consultant and broker. Send your questions to Sikorski's Attic, c/o The Ocala Star-Banner, 2121 SW 19th Ave. Road, Ocala, FL 34471-7752, or email absantique@aol.com.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: John Sikorski: Family heirlooms are from 19th or 20th century