Q: Attached to my letter is a picture of a tea pot, cream pitcher and sugar bowl set. My mother-in-law had this set and when she passed away it was given to me. Marked on the bottom are the words "Gibson's - England." Each piece is decorated with a brown glaze and trimmed in gold. The teapot stands over 4 inches tall, and the set is in perfect condition.

Is the set worth anything?

A: Gibson and Sons made your earthenware teapot set. They were located in Burslem, Staffordshire, England, from 1885 to around 1972. Your set was made around 1940 and would probably be worth $25 to $50.

Q: This mark is on a set of pans that originally belonged to my mother. I think they must be over 100 years old. I am 78 years old and she had them before I was born. Also included with the mark is the image of a knight's helmet. There are about one dozen pans with lids. Each pan is heavy, with the thickness at the top being more than 1/4 inch.

I hope you can tell me something about the history and value of my set of pans.

A: Guardian Service Ware is collectible. Your set is not as old as you think. Guardian Ware was made from the 1930s to the 1950s by Century Metal Craft Corporation in Los Angeles. The pans are heavy-duty "bulletproof" hammered aluminum. They had either glass or metal lids. The lids were tight fitting and provided waterless cooking. Sets were sold by independent salesmen at house parties and were expensive and made to last. People usually only could afford a piece or two at a time. Each hostess was given a special piece of Guardian Ware. One of the more popular hostess pieces was the ball pitcher.

Today they are very popular with collectors. The pans were marked with one of three marks: a helmet with crossed swords; a helmet with 2 stars on either side; and a helmet with 3 stars on either side. The glass lids were also marked. Because they were glass, they often did not survive. With a little luck, collectors looking for lost lids can find replacements in antiques shops. A plethora of pans was made, including double boilers, roasters, griddles, kettles and beverage urns. Recipe books were available when purchasing pans. The "Tested Recipes Cookbook" is a nice find at $15 to $45. Guardian Ware's triangle-shaped roaster is another sought-after piece.

Your Guardian Ware pan is mid-century. Each piece with matching lid would probably be worth $25 to $50.

Gibson and Sons were located in Staffordshire, England.

Guardian Service Ware was made in Los Angeles, from the 1930s to the 1950s.

Address your questions to Anne McCollam, P.O. Box 247, Notre Dame, IN 46556. Items of a general interest will be answered in this column. Due to the volume of inquiries, she cannot answer individual letters. To find out more about Anne McCollam and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.