What could be creepier than drinking out of a skull? Porcelain manufacturers in Germany have been making skull-shaped steins for hundreds of years. The one pictured here, which sold for $343 at Fox Auctions, was created by Ernst Bohne Sohne. This company started as a decorating studio in 1848 and was taken over by Gebruder Heubach, famous for their porcelain dolls, about 1919. (Although skull steins were among their most popular designs, no, “Bohne” is not German for “bone.”)

As popular as skull steins were, they were traditionally meant for a different occasion than Halloween and carried a meaning that was more moralistic than morbid. Notice that the skull rests on a book, a common design. They were graduation gifts for students, and not just medical students. They were a form of memento mori, a reminder that, because death comes for everyone, it is important to live a life of virtue — or, in this case, to take the opportunity to celebrate when you can.

Like most skull-on-book signs, the book is marked “Gaudeamus Igitur,” from a popular graduation song whose line “Gaudeamus igitur, juvenes dum sumus” translates to “Let us rejoice while we are young.” While it’s especially appropriate for graduation ceremonies, the idea of “rejoicing while we’re young” isn’t out of place on Halloween. It sounds like a pretty good way to describe trick-or-treating.

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Q: I have an unusual table I would like to know the value of. It is dark wood with an eight-sided top, a lot of carving on the skirt, and eight legs. All the legs have supports just above the feet that rise up and meet at a point in the middle. Can you tell me about it, and what it might be worth?

A: Your table sounds like a style that was popular in the 1920s to ’30s. They were simplified copies of the elaborately carved furniture from the Victorian era. The raised decorations may have been carved or molded.

Oak was the most popular wood for these pieces; it was plentiful, easy to carve or mold, and sturdy enough to survive shipping to stores or to mail-order customers. Collectors call this furniture period “golden oak” because pieces were often finished in a light golden-brown color. However, many other finishes were used, including darker tones. Many companies made or stocked plain pieces; customers could choose the embellishments and finish.

The supports on the legs are called stretchers. They usually connect the lower legs of a furniture piece to each other for added support and stability. When they meet in the middle like your table, they are sometimes described as “spider stretchers,” especially on an eight-legged table! Tables like this were relatively inexpensive when they were made, and still usually sell for about $150 or less.

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Q: My aunt was in the army in the 1940s and traveled the world her whole life. She picked up two dolls in the 1950s or so, and I have them today. They are dressed in traditional clothing from around the world and are about 12 inches tall and in good condition. Can you tell me more about them and their value? Are there collectors for these?

A: Dolls dressed in folk costumes were popular souvenirs in the mid-20th century. Many American service members, like your aunt, picked them up in Europe as souvenirs for family back home. Many companies throughout Europe made dolls like these, and the most famous ones can be recognized by their distinctive styles and materials, like Lenci (Italy) and Ravca (France), which made cloth dolls, and Gura (Germany), which used composition or plastic.

Unfortunately, many dollmakers worked in similar styles, and midcentury European dolls were not always marked, or were marked with a paper tag or label that easily gets lost over time, so it can be hard to identify a maker. Even if you can’t find a maker, though, collectors are interested in dolls like yours. Doll collecting is an enormously popular hobby. There are many resources available for collectors, including print and online identification guides; clubs like the United Federation of Doll Clubs (ufdc.org), and doll auctions like Frasher’s and Theriault’s. Without a known maker, your dolls are probably worth about $50 or less. A doll club, auction, or dealer may help you find more specific information and a more accurate price.