This 44-inch-tall antique wicker carriage has an adjustable hood. It auctioned for just $61.50 at a Conestoga Auction Co. sale. (Kovels)

The “New Year” is celebrated in many ways, but in the United States, there are always midnight celebrations with pictures of an old man representing the past and a baby, the new year. The other popular symbol is a clock of almost any style with the hands at midnight.

The early Greek idea of Baby New Year was a baby paraded around in a basket to welcome the new year. Then it became pictures of the Baby Jesus or a Baby New Year. But pictures were created for publications, and each year from 1907 to 1943, Joseph Leyendecker drew a different, humorous illustration of a Baby New Year for the Saturday Evening Post that have influenced all that followed. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was searching for the missing Baby New Year in a cartoon in the 1970s. Modern celebrations give gifts to the first newborn baby of the year at hospitals. We think the 19th-century baby buggy would be a nice gift for this year’s first born.

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Q: I own an older Lalique vase, 9 1/2 inches tall, with four pairs of frosted parrots perched on arched branches, signed “R. LALIQUE, N:905” on the base. Please advise me of the value of the vase.

A: You have Lalique’s “Ceylon” vase with four pairs of parakeets or lovebirds. Ceylon was first made in about 1924. The vase could sell for a few thousand dollars if in perfect condition. It should be seen by an expert to determine the value. Talk to an expert at a shop or auction gallery.

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Q: I have a Sears and Roebuck potbelly stove, model No. 119-57, that is missing a few things. I need four legs, the bottom ash door and the hinge pin that holds the door in place. Can you help?

A: You could try to find parts from sources online that list stove parts for sale, but you might be better off selling your stove for parts and using the money to buy a stove that’s complete. That model seems to show up online occasionally. One in good condition sold for $178.

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CURRENT PRICES

Christmas tree stand, cast iron, oxidized silver finish, tapered holder, embossed swags and tassels, scalloped band, 4 long scrolled legs, 9 1/2 inches x 24 inches, $45.

Furniture, wash stand, Sheraton, pine, grain painted, yellow, green and black stripes, red wash, dovetailed gallery, brass rosettes, drawer, turned legs, c. 1835, 37 x 18 inches, $160.

Fountain pen, Montblanc, Meisterstuck, black, gold bands, 14K gold nib, marked “4810/14K/ Montblanc,” original fitted case, c. 1980, 5 1/4 inches, $385.

Sampler, red-brick house, alphabet, numbers, baskets, urns of flowers, Martha Kirby & Sophia Melhuish, Aged 11 years 1842, linen, cotton, frame, 16 x 13 inches, $475.

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TIP: Don’t stack boxes of Christmas ornaments. The weight may break some of the glass ornaments.

“Kovels’ Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide” — the new 2022 edition with more than 12,500 all-new and real prices, 3,000 color photographs and 500 marks — is available in bookstores and online.

© 2021 King Features Synd., Inc.

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