Friday at Auction Finds is readers’ questions day. I try to guide readers to resources to help them determine the value of their items. I’m not able to appraise their treasures, but I can do some preliminary research to get them started. So, these are market values based on prices I find on the web, not appraisal for insurance purposes that I suggest for items that have been determined to be of great value.
Today’s questions are about a possible carving by folk artist MC “Five Cents” Jones and a James Brown doll.
Question:
I have read some about his paintings but not any carvings. I have a carved bust of a woman that he did in 1982. I can’t find anything on it. Can you help?
Answer:
The reader was referring to MC “Five Cents” Jones, an African American folk artist from Louisiana whom I wrote about several years ago. A few of his paintings came up at auction at the time and I had never heard of him. Jones was born in Gilliam, LA, in 1910, and got the nickname Five Cents because he had a small build. The subjects of his works were both secular (rural life) and religious (from the New Testament). He died in 2003.
Like the reader, I was familiar with Jones’ paintings, but I had heard or read nothing about carvings. None of my earlier research indicated he carved any pieces. This time, I did a preliminary search and still could not find any mention of them.
The reader sent me photos of the carving and the inscription on the bottom. The writing of Jones’ name didn’t quite resemble the signature on his paintings. It seemed more steady and precise, which would be the case in inscribing wood. But someone else could have easily written the inscription for him or for themselves for future reference.
I suggested that the reader contact the galleries I had mentioned in the blog to see if they could help.
Reader’s reply:
I have looked into other galleries and haven’t received much help (sometimes no responses). I’m glad you replied. I hope to learn more about this. Thank you.
My follow-up:
I Googled the galleries and found that one had closed, another advertised Jones’ artwork but no carvings, another had the same painting by Jones from my earlier blog post, and another no longer seemed to have any works by him. I did find another gallery that was selling his works.
I again tried searching for carvings by Jones but came up with nothing in Google. If this is a Jones carving, I suspect that very few of them are floating around.
If you can provide more information about the carving, please leave me a message in the Comment box below.
Question:
I have one of these dolls in its original box. It all works and it is in VGC. What is its worth, please?
Answer:
I’m sorry to say “not much.” The “Dancin’ Shoutin’ James Brown” doll was selling for $100 and less when I first wrote about it in a blog post two years ago after one sold at auction for $15.
It was a mass-produced doll, made by a company called Gemmy Industries Corp. of Texas that also makes other such kitschy items as a clown fish, the singing Big Mouth Billy Bass, a singing and dancing hamster, and animated versions of celebrities and presidents. So, the reader’s doll is not unique.
The James Brown doll was about 18 inches tall with an oversized head and small body. It sang “I Feel Good” for 58 seconds, its lips moving with the words while its hips and arms swayed to the tune.
Two years ago, the doll sold on eBay for $7 to $112, but most got no bids. Checking recently, it sold for $15 to $86 (in the original box). The average was in the $20 to $40 range.
I always urge readers to check eBay’s Completed Listings under Advanced Search or Google to find out what someone is willing to pay for an item at a given time. In most instances, that’s what it is worth.
