Q: I have a plant holder, about nine inches high. On the back it has the initials DB and what looks like a bee-hive motif. How old is it and what is it worth? Mr F

The blue and white jardiniere is almost certainly made by a firm called Dunn, Bennett and Co, whose trade-mark was a bee-hive. This firm, based in Hanley, Staffs, was in business until quite recently. Its wares are not especially collected, but attractive plant holders of this type, dating from the early 20th century are always in demand, and this example has a value of £50 to £70.

Q: I recently paid £3 for a small urn-shaped vase with a chequered pattern. It has no makers mark other than the word Kioto. There is also a diamond-shaped mark with numbers and letters in each corner. Can you tell me anything about it? Mr W

It is not possible to trace a maker for the item you mention -- it was almost certainly made in the Staffordshire Potteries -- and the name Kioto refers to the pattern. However, the diamond-shaped coding indicates a manufacturing date of 1879. Value would be modest -- probably £10 to £15.

Q: I have a large jug with a sort of shiny lustre-finish. It is about 10 inches high, and has a pattern of various colours on a deep blue background. On the base it has a picture of a castle and the name Maling. Do you think it has any value? Mr H

Maling was a Newcastle-on-Tyne firm in business from the mid-Victorian period until it closed in 1963. Its lustre wares are collected and values can vary from about £40 to as much as £400 for larger, rarer pieces. The jug you describe has a post-1900 mark, probably from the 1920s. Value is likely to be about £100, unless it is part of its Delphinium range (you don't describe the pattern) which had a cobalt blue background. These pieces are more sought-after and mostly fetch higher prices, normally £250-plus.

Q: What is the age and value of a barometer I have? It is circular, eight inches in diameter, hangs on the wall and has Lovely Day For A Guinness in gold letters around the wooden edge. It is in working order. Mr M

This item dates from the 1950s, part of a vast range of advertising and promotional material produced by the famous drinks company, mostly for display in pubs. Other wares included various pottery models of the Guinness toucan, table lamps, cigarette lighters and even coat-buttons. The barometer is worth about £65.

Prices of other pieces can vary greatly depending on rarity. Much Guinness ware was illegally reproduced in the 1990s bearing a fake Carlton Ware backstamp (Carlton made the originals) and these copies are worth very little.

Q: I have two soft toys from the TV series Tom and Jerry. They are about six inches high and have a tag on them which says something that looks like Menythorpe. What are they worth? Mrs L

The tag actually says Merrythought -- the name of a soft-toy manufacturer based in Ironbridge in Shropshire, and still in business. These toys date from the 1960s when the TV series was at its height of popularity, and the pair are worth £60 to £80 if in excellent condition.

Q: Can you tell me anything about a very unusual pottery pig I bought recently for £18 at a junk shop? It is comic-looking, with lots of black spots on the body, and the head is removable and stands on the nose to form a cup! Mrs A

You certainly picked up a bargain -- this pig is worth about £100. It was made about 50 years ago by the Sussex Pottery in Rye, and was based on a much older design. Traditionally, this novelty mug was used to toast the bride and groom at country weddings -- and the phrase " a hogshead of beer" may have stemmed from this practice.