Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
What’s it worth?
Q
My family owns a vintage Bush DAC 90 radio. It is square, has curved edges, is a nice cream colour, is in excellent condition – and it works! What is it worth? Roger Sanderson, Ramsgate, Kent.
A
Your cream set is more desirable than the brown or black version – all in Bakelite plastic by the way. Your model was first revealed at the Britain Can Make It exhibition in the mid-1940s and cost a mighty £11 and 11 shillings (kids, ask your mum or dad what a shilling was!). The Bush DAC 90 is a design classic and I’d say yours is worth £80 to £120.
Q
Could you please give me any info on my Mondaine watch? All I know is it was made somewhere around 1959. Robert, via email
A
Mondaine it is, mundane it isn’t... but, alas, it’s not overly valuable. Your watch is probably gold plated and I think, with a health check and maybe a lovely new brown strap, it could make for a quite stylish wristwatch for today. If you’ll excuse another pun, such timepieces from the 1950s and 60s have stood the test of time. It looks like you have the original hands and it is 25 jewels. As well as all this, the good news for a buyer is that it is far more affordable to buy a stylish vintage watch than some new ones. But as I hinted, the slightly disappointing news is that HANDY outside of the often forgotten, sentimental value, your Mondaine is probably only worth £25 to £50, if in working order.
Q
I have a Keswick oval industrial arts stainless steel tray with candy twist edges. The approximate date is 1930. Do you know what it would be valued at?
Joe, Liverpool
A
This will be from the Keswick School of Industrial Art. You can find a number of different table top wares from them – from pin trays to letter trays. They were usually hand beaten and are simple and quite stylish. It will be stainless steel and should be stamped KSIA. Without seeing it, it’s hard to be very precise, but from the description I wouldn’t say this is worth around £100 or so.