Is my Shmoo toy collectible?
It must be 70 years old. A: Shmoos are fictional cartoon characters introduced in Al Capp’s “Li’l Abner” comic strip in 1948. They’re amorphous and prolific creatures who look like fat bowling pins. They wanted to make everyone happy — if a human was hungry, a shmoo would jump into a frying pan so it could be eaten. The popularity of shmoos led to the sale of more than 100 licensed products, including dolls, salt and pepper shakers, pins, clocks, banks, bottles and even air fresheners. Shmoo items are sought by a small group of collectors — particularly those who remember reading the original “Li’l Abner” strip. Prices of shmoo collectibles depend on rarity and condition. Q: Among the sterling silver flatware handed down to me I found a small piece that’s a mystery. The handle is similar to that of a spoon or fork, and the bottom looks like a small blunt knife blade. But the “blade” is attached horizontally to the handle, not vertically like a knife blade. What is it? A: Your sterlin
