Q: What is the value of a Joe 90 doll I have, which I bought in the 1960s? It is still in its box. Mr K.

A. Joe 90 (pictured right) was a popular TV character of the period, and Pedigree Toys made this Joe 90 doll, which was about 18 inches tall. There was also a Captain Scarlet doll made by the same company. Boxed examples in mint condition are very collectable. Joe 90 is worth about £100, Captain Scarlet about £150.

Q: I know thimbles are quite common, but l have one made of brass which fits in a lidded velvet-lined case. The outside of the case is a tartan pattern. Is this very usual, and does it have any value? Mrs V.

A.Thimbles -- thought to come from an old English word "thymel" meaning thumb-stall -- have been popular as souvenir gifts as far back as the early 1800s, and it was certainly quite common in the Victorian period -- for example in silver, brass and even porcelain -- to be marketed in small, fitted cases, designed as gifts or to be carried in a sewing-kit. Boxed silver examples are sought-after, but even the brass one you describe is worth £30-£40 to a collector. Of course, most old thimbles are worth very little.

Q: I have a metal jug, possibly pewter, marked on the base with the name Tudric. It is about seven inches high and has embossed fish on it. Can you tell me anything about it, and a possible value? Mrs N.

A. Tudric was a brand name sold by the famous London store, Liberty. This jug would date from about 1900-1910 and was part of a range of items reflecting the then fashionable Art Nouveau style, which had spread to the UK from France, but which faded away at the onset of the First World War. This jug, in nice condition, would be worth £200-£250.

Q: I enclose photo of one of a number of Coalport cups and saucers I have acquired recently, also a picture of the mark on the base. Can you tell me anything about them? Mrs H.

A. The mark on the Coalport items was used between 1881 and 1891, which pinpoints the manufacturing date. The value of a single cup and saucer would be about £25. You do not say how many you have, or whether the rest of the tea service is present. There would originally have been large and small plates, teapot, cream jug and sugar bowl, all of which have individual values.

Q: I have an old copy of the Illustrated London News magazine, a special issue to mark the Festival of Britain in 1951. It is in nice condition. Does it have any value? Mr B.

A. It's worth about £12-£15. Souvenir issues of major events -- often coronations -- were usually printed in vast numbers and were carefully kept as mementos, so examples are fairly common. However, they are collected, hence the value being greater than a typical magazine of the period.

Q: Can you tell me the value of an unusual jug I have, in the shape of a bird with a pointed beak? It is about 12 inches tall, is blue and green, and has the name Brannam on it. Mrs W.

Charles Brannam founded a pottery in Barnstaple, Devon, about 1880 and many of his products feature fish and birds. The example you have sounds like it may be one of his grebe jugs, and examples are very collectable. Value would be about £200. Charles Brannam died in the 1930s, but I believe the firm is still in business.