Q: This pictured buffet is part of a complete dining room set that I acquired five years ago. This set has a total of 10 pieces: five chairs, one chair with arms, a breakfront, buffet, serving cabinet and table with an attached leaf that pops up from the middle.

Would you kindly tell me what you know about my set and what it would be worth?

A: Eclectic would define the style of your furniture. A combination of several styles has inspired the design. The V-shaped pattern is borrowed from the Art Deco period; the turned legs, the applied carving and decorative c-scrolls are similar to early colonial Jacobean designs. Most dining chairs in the early 1900s included five side chairs and one with arms, which is known as a host chair.

Your set was made around 1930 and would probably be worth $1,500 to $2,000.

Q: I have an antique silver cream pitcher, a sugar bowl with a lid and six individual saltshakers that belonged to my mother-in-law. I have enclosed a drawing of the mark seen on the cream pitcher and sugar bowl. The saltshakers are sterling and have a different manufacturer's mark.

I would like to know if all these pieces are one set. Some are tarnished; is it OK to polish them? Also, when were they made and what are they worth?

A: The Homan Manufacturing Co. was located in Cincinnati from 1896 to the 1940s. Because the sterling saltshakers were made by an entirely different company, they are not part of the creamer and sugar bowl set. If they are tarnished, they can be polished with a good silver polish. All eight pieces were made in the early 1900s and would probably be worth $200 to $250.

Q: My grandfather was given a pottery pitcher in the 1920s by a family that he helped out when they built their house. They had no money so they gave him the pitcher. It has no marks on the bottom and is in very good condition. Standing approximately 9 inches, it has a brown glaze and is decorated with bands of swastikas at the top and lower portion as well as a large one on each side. It obviously predates the Nazi regime in Germany. I believe the swastikas represent "good luck," but I'm not sure.

Can you give me some idea what this might be?

A: The swastika is indeed a good luck symbol that has been used by multiple cultures including Native American people for centuries. Several American potteries made similar pitchers using a brown glaze and also a combination of a blue and white glaze. Many can be found that were made by McCoy Pottery in the early 1900s.

The value of your pitcher is in the range of $95 to $150.

Q: I am interested in learning the value of a book I found about 15 years ago. The title is "Breakfast at Tiffany's — A Short Novel and Three Stories." It was written by Truman Capote and dedicated to Jack Dunphy. It is a library copy so it is not in pristine condition — it appears to be a second or third printing.

I bought the book just because it is one of my favorite works by a favorite author. I just recently wondered if it has any value.

A: Capote wrote "Breakfast at Tiffany's" in 1950. It was later made into a film starring Audrey Hepburn. Jack Dunphy was a longtime friend and companion. Its value is not as high as a first edition in excellent condition; nevertheless, it is still a treasure and would be worth around $25 to $50.

Address your questions to Anne McCollam, P.O. Box 247, Notre Dame, IN 46556. Items of a general interest will be answered in this column. Due to the volume of inquiries, she cannot answer individual letters. To find out more about Anne McCollam and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.