This item was almost certainly made in the 1950s, an imported copy of the sort of vegetable-styled tableware made by UK manufacturers such as Carlton and Sylvac, which very much in vogue at that time. Collectors tend to go for named makes rather than the cheaper imports, so while, for example, a Sylvac version of this item would be worth about £35, the one you have is worth about £15.

Q: Can you tell me the value of a Doulton figure I have? It is called Sweet Dreams and shows a woman sitting in a chair holding a sleeping child. On the base it has the number HN 2380. It is in perfect condition. Mrs D

A: This is one of the 3,000-plus different figures made by Royal Doulton over the years, and is quite a late example, made from around 1970 until it was withdrawn in 1990. Current value is around £150.

Q: I have a black cup, with a black and white saucer. There is no design on the cup, but on the saucer there are pictures of a chair, table and television set. On the base it says Ridgway. Are the cup and saucer from the same set, and are they of any value? Mrs K

A: Yes, they are from the same set -- a series called Homemaker, first produced in the 1950s and retailed exclusively through the Woolworths stores from 1955 to the mid-1960s. There were also tureens, bowls, plates , teapots in the series, which was designed by Enid Seeney. A cup and saucer is currently worth about £10, larger items can fetch as much as £50 to £60.

Q: I have a very heavy black marble clock, rather in the style of a Roman building, with a pitched roof supported by brass pillars. There are some engraved patterns on the marble, highlighted in gilt and the clock operates with a small brass pendulum. We have had it at least 40 years. Does it have any value? Mrs B

A: This is a late-Victorian clock, dating from around 1880, made of black Belgian slate and normally utilising a French mechanism. Such clocks were imported into Britain in vast numbers and in many different designs. The one you describe is one of the most common styles, and a good working example is worth around £150. More unusual designs can fetch two or three times this sum.

Q: I paid £5 recently at a car boot sale for a ball-shaped moneybox showing a group of rabbits attending the christening of a baby rabbit. On the base it says Royal Doulton, Bunnykins. What is it worth? Mrs L

A: Doulton started producing its Bunnykins series in the 1930s and it has proved so popular, the range is still made today. Early examples are quite sought-after and some pieces can be worth £100-£300. However, much of the Bunnykins which crops up at shops and fairs is more recent and of much lesser value. The piece you describe was made in the 1980s and current value is about £20.

Q: I have come across some old tins of gramophone needles. The tins are marked His Masters Voice, Columbia and Songster, and look quite pretty. Each tins holds 100 needles. Do the tins have any value?

A: From around 1900 until the 1950s, the needles on pre-electric gramophones required changing after every record, to preserve sound quality. There was a huge industry producing needles and while the needles themselves are not of value (they are still made today) the tins are collected. Values vary from about £5 for the most common types, (such as the three you mention) to as much as £50 for hard-to-get examples, usually by short-lived makers, or depicting unusual scenes, such as First World War aircraft or submarines. There are many different designs -- a collector I know has more than 200 different tins, and is still finding examples he hasn't seen before!