What's it Worth: Collectible Advertisement

We often see items that can be categorized as collectible advertisements. This week, one of our readers sent in this clock doorstop made by the Golden Novelty Manufacturing Company for the Andrew Lohr Bottling Company. Our reader tells us the clock itself is missing, but the cast iron statue is in excellent shape, measuring about 19 inches high by 12 inches wide. He would like to know how much it is truly worth, noting, "I have been told its value is somewhere between $200 & $700 but I have seen a smaller piece sell for $1700, and another piece about the same size, a cigar advertising clock made for Katy Flyer Cigars, sell for $5775."

After doing a bit of research, we were able to find out quite a few things. Andrew Lohr was one of Cairo, Illinois' earliest residents and owned the Andrew Lohr Bottling Company. The facility was located at 424 8th Street in Cairo, Illinois. The Golden Novelty Manufacturing Company, from what we could find, operated somewhere between 1890 and 1895 in Chicago, Illinois; however, we are not sure of the physical address of the company.

We could not find any other clocks like the one our reader has, but that certainly does not mean that it is one-of-a-kind. More than likely others have survived and are probably in the hands of private collectors. Bottling and early advertising items can be very collectible. Andrew Lohr Bottling Company bottles seem to sell in the range of $5-25 each, while a Lohr paper advertisement with a young girl achieved a $900 hammer price in October 2008.

Tobacco advertisements typically garner higher prices at auction than that of bottling companies; which is why our reader found the $5,000 plus price tag for the Katy Flyer Cigar clock. Other advertising clocks made by the Golden Novelty Co. have sold in the range of $100/500. Bottling companies that are associated directly with alcohol brewery are also very popular to breweriana collectors and can demand prices just as high as tobacco advertisements.

Unfortunately this doorstop is missing its clock, which does hurt the overall value. A factor that helps the value of the clock is the fact that extra effort was added to the advertising of the company with regards to the flag she is holding. The flag bears the company's logo, which would not always be a standard request. Taking all of this information into account, at auction our reader's doorstop clock would have an estimate of $400/600, but could certainly achieve a higher price when multiple collectors are involved; which is always the advantage of selling an item at auction. This is a very interesting advertising item and would be a great addition to any collection of early advertising!