When the Arts and Crafts movement thrived first in the British Isles and then in the United States, Vienna, Austria, had the Wiener Werkstatte (Vienna Workshop). Founded in 1903 by designer Josef Hoffmann, painter Koloman Moser and financier Fritz Waerndorfer, the workshop, which lasted until 1932, was a cooperative community of artisans making all kinds of decorative and functional products. Everything from tableware to postcards to furniture to jewelry was made from quality materials with innovative, artistic designs.

Like the modern designers that came later in the 20th century, many Wiener Werkstatte artists worked in multiple media. For example, Erna Kopriva studied architecture with Josef Hoffmann at the School of Arts and Crafts in Vienna, where she later taught printing. However, the ceramics she made at the Wiener Werkstatte, where she worked from about 1919 to 1928, may be her most famous works. Their geometric shapes and vivid colors reflected the workshop’s modern sensibilities and fit the art deco style of the time. They are often valuable today. This one sold at Rachel Davis Fine Arts for $3,072, more than twice its high estimate.

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Q: I would like to know the value of my old wooden duck toy. There is a mama duck with three ducklings on a string. Mama has a yellow-orange beak and a hat, and the babies have yellow beaks. All their heads turn.

A: You have a Quacky Family toy, which was made by Fisher-Price from about 1940 to 1958. Production was stopped during World War II. From 1940 to 1942, the ducks had rubber bills and were held together with rubber connectors that allowed children to change the order of the ducklings. From 1946 to 1948, the ducks had felt bills and were connected with wooden dowels. In 1948, a version with metal connectors was introduced. Starting in 1949, the ducks had plastic bills. The original retail price for the Quacky Family in 1940 was 50 cents. Today, they sell for about $25 to $50.

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Q: I have a collection of over 100 small antique glass hats. Many of them are art glass. Can you tell me where I could sell them?

A: Many glass companies in the late 19th to early 20th centuries made small pieces shaped like hats. Sometimes they were sold as functional items like toothpick holders or miniature vases, but they were often decorative whimsies. Antique glass hats by famous makers or in rare colors or patterns can sell for high prices. For example, within the past year, a uranium glass hat with enamel flowers by the Mt. Washington Glass Works sold at auction for $150. If you believe you have some valuable pieces in your collection, you may want to contact a dealer or auction house that specializes in art glass. There are many glass collectors’ clubs that may have more information, such as the National American Glass Club (glassclub.org). Depending on what kinds of glass you have, you may want to contact clubs for specific glass types or makers. Glass clubs often have shows and may be able to help you find specialized dealers or interested buyers.

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Q: I have had a Widow’s Mite coin for more than 50 years. Can you tell me what it is worth?

A: The term “widow’s mite” comes from a Bible story where a poor widow’s donation of two coins is considered greater than anything given by the wealthy, because those small coins were all she had. The coins were presumably the lowest denomination circulating at the time, but there is much speculation among historians, Bible scholars and coin experts about what, exactly, they might have been. The coin that is most often sold or collected as the widow’s mite is the bronze prutah or lepton minted under King Alexander Jannaeus of Judea, who ruled from 103 to 76 B.C. These coins are small, less than half an inch diameter, with an anchor on one side and star on the other. They were usually crudely struck and are often worn from frequent handling; they may have been in circulation for hundreds of years. This can make them difficult to identify and evaluate. Widow’s mites may be worth anywhere from about $20 to over $100. Condition and variations in design contribute to the value. If you would like a specific value for your coin or intend to sell it, we recommend contacting a reputable coin dealer in your area. Numismatics News, a sister publication of Kovels Antique Trader, has more information about coin collecting and values.

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TIP: Put ceramic saucers or glass or plastic plant holders under vases of flowers or potted plants. There are inexpensive throwaway plastic dishes that have a rim and are exactly the right size and shape for a plant.