KNOW YOUR ANTIQUES\Thanks to 'Toy Story,' Mr. Potato Head's hot again.

Byline: Ralph and Terry Kovel 

Mr. Potato Head is back in the news. With a role in the recent hit movie "Toy Story," he is definitely a hot potato.

The older versions of the toy, first made in 1952, are now hard to find.

The earliest sets included an assortment of plastic eyes, ears, nose, mouth, mustache and hat that were designed to turn a real potato or other vegetable into a comic man.

Mrs. Potato Head appeared in 1953. Baby Potato Head, no doubt a tater tot, was born in 1985, and by 1994 there was a whole group of children.

Mr. Potato Head and his family have come with a pipe, a car, a boat, hats that change shape and felt eyebrows. The toy went all-plastic when a model potato was used after 1964.

The Potato Head family has appeared as figurines, wind-up toys, stuffed toys and puppets. There also are related games, pencil boxes and even a TV show. A CD-ROM title is due to be released this year.

Mr. Potato Head, one of the first toys to be offered in a TV commercial, gained more publicity in 1987, when he stopped smoking his pipe to become healthier.

Collectors look for the boxed sets and the unusual accessories. With the new movie fame, Mr. Potato Head is likely to become even more desirable to collectors.

From potatoes to bread: We heard from a Danish-born friend that old Danish bread cutters are showing up at antique shops priced between $65 and $125. Each has a wooden base with a swinging iron cutting blade and could easily be mistaken for a meat cutter. They were used to cut hard, dark pumpernickel bread. Look for the names "Voss" and "Raadvad."

Q: My grandmother had a pottery bowl with a wooden lid. It is decorated with the blue onion pattern and the word "sel" on the front.

A: "Sel" is the French word for "salt." You have a container for salt that was used in a kitchen. It probably was made in France or in Germany for French homemakers.

Blue onion has been a popular design since it was made at the Meissen, Germany, factory in 1735. It is still being made.

Q: I found two bottles shaped like robots at a flea market. They have blue-and-white painted "pants," eyes and a chest badge that reads "Space Scout." The screw-top lid says "Raspberry." Any information?

A: You found bottles that held Galaxy syrup in the 1950s.

A complete set of syrup bottles makes a whole crew. In addition to the blue Space Scouts, look for a red Space Sentry, a bright-red Space Ace, a green Space Bombardier, a light-blue Space Navigator, a black Space Commander, a maroon Space Admiral, a purple Asteroid Commander, an orange Orbit Admiral and a yellow Interplanetary Commander.

A Space Scout sold for $45 last year.

Q: I recently purchased a five-drawer treadle sewing machine made by Household S.M. Co. It's in great condition and still works. Do you know the age or value of it?

A: The Household Sewing Machine Co. made the machine from about 1885 to 1906. Before that, the machines were made by the Providence Tool Co. in Rhode Island.

Sewing machines from that era sell for $100 to $300, depending on condition, the iron legs and the trim.

Q: Can anything be done with "sick" glass?

A: "Sick" glass is glass that has turned cloudy through use and age. It's a common condition in old bottles. The inside of the bottle has been lightly etched by chemicals and cannot be washed clean.

Restoration experts can remove the residue that makes the glass appear cloudy. The process is expensive.

Current prices: Current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States. Prices vary in different locations because of local economic conditions.

Map, Denver to Salt Lake City, U.S. 40, Colorado-Utah scenic wonderland, 1930s: $15.

Music, record, "Movin' With Nancy," Nancy Sinatra, 45 rpm: $16.

Porcelain, geisha girl mustard pot, with spoon, cobalt with gold: $35.

Brass auto carriage lamp, Westchester Square, New York City: $68.

Advertising, MGM Grand lion, cast metal on wood base, opening December 1973: $75.

Textile, coverlet, jacquard, geometric stars and flowers, birds, borders, navy and natural, 1844, 60 by 96 inches: $165.

Doll, Effanbee, Skippy, forelock curl, jointed one-piece arms and legs, circa 1935, 15 inches: $370.

Clock, shelf, Birge Peck & Co., mahogany veneer, dark finish, weights, pendulum, 35 inches: $685.

Elvis Presley admission ticket, "G.I. Blues," autographed: $1,150.

Furniture, pie safe, poplar, 14 punched tins, two doors, country, 16 by 51 by 51 inches: $2,475.

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PHOTO

Photo This Super Mr. Potato Head was introduced in 1974. He has no body, just a big head on shoes - a change made in the early '70s.