Have a question? Send clear photographs (with whole objects and any identifying marks fully visible) to DR.SWATCH, Metropolitan Home, 1633 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10019. Your prized possessions may be evaluated here. Sorry, but because of the volume of mail he receives, Dr. Swatch is not able to reply to readers personally or to return photographs.

Why does this ad piece have a spring clip?
Christopher Walker
Riverton, Del.

Your lithographed steel clip (4 inches long) has led a charmed life. It’s French, circa 1935, and it held the menu on a café table. Schmidt hoped to persuade patrons to order its orange-flavored aperitif. The fine print reads POUR VOTRE SANT? For Your Health. Good graphics and a strong color sense make this clip desirable, so dealer Dan Wilson from Raleigh, N.C., values it at $65 to $75.

Please tell me about this dog; it has a Steiff button in its ear.
Susan Wagner
Chicago, Ill.

Steiff is a celebrated German manufacturer of stuffed animals. Your 1930s dog is of the firm’s typical straw-stuffed mohair construction, and it’s rarer than the average bear. Usually that’s good, but Steiff collectors love bears and can be a bit indifferent to dogs. Pat Garthoeffner, a Lititz, Pa., dealer, appraises your pooch at $175 to $225; without the Steiff tag, it would be worth about half that.

This guy was in my Grandma’s garden for 50 years. Any info?
Chris Wise
Yellow Springs, Ohio

Your slender, stretchy wading bird (32" tall) is cast zinc and dates about 1940. Fortunately, it has provenance (Granny’s garden) and the delicate, soft white patina that comes only with age. There are so many reproductions on the market that it’s surprising to see a real one. Linda Stein, a New Hope, Pa., dealer in garden arts, sets its retail value at $500 to $600. Don’t clean or polish it!

I have a pair of these chairs a value?
Gil Saine
San Francisco, Calif.

These French country arm chairs date from the early part of the 20th century. They’re hardwood (possibly walnut) with padded arms and a slung leather seat. The original leather increases their value and their comfort, as the seats sag with age. That dark original finish is terrific, so Bridgeport, Conn., antiques dealer Michael Friedman appraises the pair at $900 to $1,200.

Please interpret this 16-inch tray.
Avery Score
Boston, Mass.

Your hand-painted tray seems to commemorate a 1910 marriage the bride and groom UNITED. It’s very Victorian in style, but technically it’s too late (Victoria departed this earth in 1901). Clasped hands are a popular motif in American folk art, and this piece is well-designed and drafted. Lewis Keister, owner of East Meets West in Los Angeles, thinks the tray should have a retail value of $350 to $400.