“Base Ball: The Nation’s Greatest Amusement.” So says this 1930s Jennings slot machine, and we expect few people would disagree. And in terms of great amusements, games of chance aren’t far behind. The O.D. Jennings Company brought them together for a trade stimulator, or as they call it, “Silent Salesman.” This restored example sold at Morphy Auctions for $3,840. The machine tracks outs, runs and innings, but “hits” are made by spinning a combination of symbols. Play to win a roll of Jennings’ Superior Mints.

Q: We were wondering about an interesting hall tree chair my wife got from her deceased great-uncle in 1983. I took it apart in 2015 to refinish it because someone had painted it a dull black color. To my surprise, I found beautiful tiger oak under that black paint! Could you guys tell us something about it? I found a date on the back of the beveled mirror that reads June 1905.

A: The date plus the tiger oak make it sound like your hall tree chair was made in the Golden Oak period, which lasted from about 1880 to 1930. Despite the name, all kinds of oak finishes were popular; not just golden. Oak was coming into favor with furniture makers. New woodworking machines made it easier to work with and possible to mass produce furniture with pressed, carved and turned decorations. They were simpler versions of Victorian styles, sometimes with features borrowed from older periods, and were available to the middle class through mail-order catalogs and as advertising premiums. Multipurpose furniture was popular; the combination desk-bookcase was invented during this period. Based on recent sales, a hall tree chair like yours is worth about $200 to $300. Tiger oak is a contemporary name for quartersawn oak, which is made by sawing logs lengthwise to highlight the grain pattern.

Q: I have a bottle opener by Utica Club in good shape. Could you tell me its worth?

A: Utica Club started as a soft drink company in Utica, New York. During Prohibition (1920-1933), the company sold “near beers” and malt tonics. When Prohibition ended, they were the first brewery to legally sell alcohol again. Anything related to beer or breweries is worth something to breweriana collectors. Bottle openers sell for a wide range of prices. Simple “church key” types stamped with the brewery’s name can sell for $10 or less. Larger, more elaborate figural bottle openers can be worth hundreds of dollars. A collector’s club or auction house specializing in breweriana, like the National Association of Breweriana Advertising (nababrew.com), Tavern Trove (taverntrove.com) or Morean Auctions can help you find more information and prices for specific openers.