Q: This is a photo of a costume jewelry pin that my mother gave me around 1955. It is 3 inches long and is marked "Trifari." I also have the matching clip-on earrings. The stones are emerald, peridot and clear rhinestone. They are set in gold tone metal and in mint condition.

Is my set collectible, and what can you tell me about it?

A: Glittery costume jewelry from the early to mid 1900s is collectible. Gustavo Trifari and his uncle founded Trifari in 1910. The Great Depression adversely impacted the company's modest success. In 1930, Alfred Philippe was hired as the head designer and his creative designs jump-started the company. Philippe had been a designer with Cartier and also Van Cleef and Arples. His early pieces were inspired by the Art Deco period. He later created large floral pieces that became known as the "fruit salad" line. Trifari used a variety of marks and yours is circa 1955. In 1975, Liz Claiborne acquired Trifari and sells its jewelry today.

Similar sets are selling in the range of $75 to $125. Some Trifari pieces can go much higher.

Q: This mark is on the back of a set of dishes that were my mother's. Included in the mark is the word "Bavaria." I have almost enough pieces to complete a service for 12, but some of the pieces are missing. Since I don't know the name of the pattern, I don't know where to start my research.

A: Rosenthal Porcelain and Glass Co. has been in business in Selb, Bavaria, Germany, since 1879. It can be extremely difficult to identify the name of the pattern. Even contacting the company is usually fruitless. One option is to send a clear photo and a description of the marks on the back of the dishes to replacement services. Replacements, Ltd. or Silver Queen are two such services available on the Internet.

Q: I have a child's plate and matching cup that belonged to my dad when he was a baby around 1919. The plate has the alphabet around the outer edge. Both the cup and plate are decorated with children playing. They were made in Germany.

I would really appreciate any information you can provide.

A: Your plate and cup are examples of children's ABC dishes. They were made in the late 1800s and early 1900s and are collectible.

Your set would probably be worth $50 to $75.

(SET IMAGE) amc122311adAP.jpg (SET IMAGE) (SET CAPTION) Alfred Phillippe was head designer for Trifari. (END CAPTION)

Rosenthal Porcelain and Glass Co. is located in Germany.

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