KNOW YOUR ANTIQUES\Vintage Mickey Mouse toy wins by a (long) nose.

Byline: Ralph and Terry Kovel

If you find an old Disney toy with a long-nosed Mickey Mouse, you have a treasure.

Collectors of Disney toys tend to like all old examples, but especially those showing Mickey and Minnie Mouse.

Dating the toys can be a problem. The first authorized Mickey Mouse item was a school writing tablet made in 1929. In 1930, some Mickey and Minnie handkerchiefs were made. Then came hundreds of other items.

One clue to age is the way Mickey Mouse looks. From 1928 until about 1940, he had a long nose, skinny legs and solid or pie-shaped black eyes. The white gloves and shoes were added by 1932. The eyes changed shape in 1939, when they had white ovals with black pupils. His legs got heavier by 1941, and he often wore long pants instead of the two-button shorts of earlier days. His nose was shorter and turned up more by the early 1940s.

Another clue is the copyright notice. Anything marked with the copyright symbol and the name "Walt E. Disney" or "Walt Disney Enterprises" was made between 1930 and 1939. After 1939, the toy would be marked "Walt Disney Productions."

An unusual Mickey or Minnie toy dating before 1945 usually is worth more than $1,000.

Q: On the bottom of my old sofa bed are the words "Kroehler, Highest Award, Panama-Pacific Exposition." Who was Kroehler, and how old is my sofa bed?

A: Peter Kroehler worked for the Naperville Lounge Co. in Naperville, Ill., during the 1890s. He eventually bought the company and sold half of it to Sears, Roebuck & Co.

In 1909, Kroehler developed two types of foldable beds. Each had a removable mattress beneath the seat of a sofa. One extended lengthwise and was called the "Unifold." The other extended sidewise and was called the "Duofold." He also bought four companies that held patents on sofa beds.

By 1915, the year of the Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco, Kroehler had bought back Sears' interest in his company and renamed the company the Kroehler Manufacturing Co. The company continued in business until it became part of the ATR Group in 1981.

Q: At an antique show, I saw a plain silver fork with just two tines. Is this for something special?

A: You might have seen a very early fork.

Eating with fingers was acceptable in even the finest castles before the 1700s. In fact, dinner guests were expected to bring their own knives. They also shared spoons, although they were encouraged to wipe off a spoon after they had used it. Forks were used for sweetmeats and candied items only. Two-pronged forks sometimes were used for serving.

Three- and four-tined forks became popular in the 18th century. Most modern forks have four tines.

Tip: Don't use ammonia on glasses that have gold or silver decorations.

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.

Sheet music, "I'm Nobody's Baby," from "Andy Hardy Meets Debutante," Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney on cover, 1940: $25.

Charlie McCarthy pencil sharpener, Bakelite: $45.

Man's leisure suit, rust, polyester, 1970s: $55.

Watt Pottery carafe, No. 115, light blue, cobalt drip: $130.

Effanbee doll, Louis Armstrong, poseable, diamond ring, handkerchief, trumpet, 15 inches: $148.

Sampler, alphabets, baskets, Mary Hawken, Allentown, 1857, 8-1/2 by 5-1/2 inches: $150.

Roycroft bookends, embossed floral design, hammered, Orb mark, 4 by 4-3/4 inches: $185.