Q: I found the World War I postcard seen in this picture in a home I bought in Palm Springs, California. The owners left all kinds of objects, but I thought this was kind of interesting. The front is embroidered and has a paper frame/border that is embossed with four-leaf clovers and horseshoes. It measures about 3 inches by 5 inches and is in excellent condition. The date "1919" is embroidered with the colors of the flags of the allies, France, U.S., the United Kingdom and Italy. It was postmarked and sent from England to Canada on Dec. 15, 1918. The message says that a package was received and "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year." At the lower portion of the card are the words "Marque EK Deposer — Paris — Made in France."

Do you think it is worth anything?

A: Your postcard was published in Paris, France. From 1900 to around 1950, they produced a plethora of cards that featured designs and messages and often included flags. Because of World War I, patriotic messages were prevalent from 1914 to 1919. Most were decorated with machine stitched silk. The card was probably sent by someone serving in the military.

Your card is collectible and would probably be worth $10 to $25.

Q: This mark is on the back of a set of four porcelain plates that were given to me by a relative. Each plate is dinner-size and decorated with pink roses, daisies and green leaves. The background is off-white and the scalloped edges are shaded from the off-white, with a tan color.

What can you tell me about the maker, age and value of my plates?

A: C. and E. Carstens Porcelain Factory located in Blankenhain, Germany, made your plates. The factory was founded in 1790 and passed through several owners until it was taken over by Christian and Ernst Carstens in 1917. They made bone china using the bones of cows and other animals. There was a lucrative market for their coffee and tea set and other decorative china in the United States, England and Europe. The mark with a striped shield and the word "Weimar" represented the shield of the Weimar Dukes of Germany.

Your plates were made in the early 1900s, and the set would probably be worth $75 to $150.

. Embroidered post card was made in Paris.

C. and E. Carstens made bone china.

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.