"The Black Stallion" figurine

Donna Alvis-Banks says: I bought “The Black Stallion” figurine for $10 (bargained down from $14.95) as a gift is for Kasandra, her stepdaughter. Why? Kasandra is free-spirited and loves nothing more than galloping atop her Tennessee walker, Oreo. When she’s cooped up in the house this winter, I hope she looks at this little statue and dreams of flying through the fields with Oreo.

The shopping experience: The Swap Shop at 2000 Roanoke St., Christiansburg , is my kind of curiosity shop. Here, I found myself wandering through a maze of flea market-type stands where I encountered everything from vintage depression glass to Harley-Davidson bike leathers. Unfortunately, I decided to shop on a Wednesday when many of the stands were locked and I had to peer through mesh wire to admire the goodies inside. Because many of the vendors are unable to run their stores during the week, weekends are better for shopping. I bought “The Black Stallion” from Ray Sutphin, owner of the Discount Tool store and Your Home Direct. He was very accommodating and helped me select something for my horse-loving Kasandra.

Ken Farmer says: The detail in this statue is pretty good. “They got their money’s worth if they want to use it.” Appraised value: $10, if it sold to the right person.

What you thought: Half our online voters thought it was worth between $1-$5, half valued it between $5-$15

"John Henry" figurine made of coal

Tim Thornton says: This gift was for my wife’s Uncle Joe. Joe is a man who appreciates interesting things. Once I woke at his townhouse to find him lying in the hall floor, a cigarette in one hand, his head cradled in the other. He was admiring a picture frame he’d just gotten back from a restorer the day before.

The shopping experience: The shops at Dixie Caverns, 5753 W. Main St., Salem, have everything: Elvis records, a Dukes of Hazzard tray table, a big ol’ roll-top desk. The figurine I bought for (40 percent off!) has a sticker on its base that says it was handcrafted from coal. But the man behind the counter told me they used to be hand carved, but now they’re made from coal dust pressed into molds.

Ken Farmer says: The man behind the counter was right about the coal statue. Appraised value: A couple of bucks.

What Tim paid: $9.55 for the figurine, two record albums and the decorative plate of Richmond scenes.

What you thought: Nearly half of our online voters thought the figurine alone was worth between between $5-$15.

Decorative plate with scenes of Richmond

Tim Thornton found in the shops at Dixie Caverns. Cheap, too, as part of his $9.55 total bill.

Ken Farmer says: “This guy got the best deal.” The plate is interesting because it has to do with the state, and it’s a piece of advertising from a Roanoke company. Appraised value: It's worth $10 to $15.

What you thought: Half our online voters thought it was worth between $1-$5, half valued it between $5-$15.

George Carlin record album

Tim Thornton says his Uncle Joe likes a good laugh, so George Carlin seemed a natural choice, especially for such a small portion of his $9.55 tab.

Ken Farmer says: A couple of bucks, tops.

What you thought: One third our online voters thought it was worth between $0-$1, a third valued it between $1-$2, a third would have paid between $2-$3

O.J. Simpson legal pad

Donna Alvis-Banks says: Danny Borgis at Christiansburg’s Swap Shop had the most politically incorrect gift of all: O.J.’s Legal Pad, a doodle pad that offers “a spoof, a whole spoof and nothing but a spoof.” Definitely a groaner for anyone who’s sick of the whole O.J. Simpson saga. I talked the price down from $4.95 to $1.

Ken Farmer says: He didn't. We didn't ask.

What you thought: Eighty percent our online voters thought it was worth less than a dollar.

Earings

Jared Turner says: I paid $10 for these earings at Cambria Emporium, 596 Depot St., Christiansburg, for his wife, Jennifer. Why? What else could I have snagged for $10 with less than 10 minutes to shop? The people working in the store were turning the lights out on me; I had to make a speedy decision. In retrospect, maybe I should have left and come back another day. My wife loves jewelry, but she would never wear these earrings. Far from eye-pleasers, these trinkets were donated to the store by a lady who inherited them from her recently departed aunt.

The shopping experience: I’m not a big shopper and this venture confirmed why. There was too much to choose from and too little time to choose it. Unfortunately, I don’t know if I could have bought a better gift if I had an empty cart, all day to shop and several grand to throw around. I don’t like shopping at Wal-Mart, much less a dungeon like the Cambria Emporium.

Ken Farmer says: Some costume jewelry from the 1950s and 1960s is worth thousands of dollars. This is not that jewelry. “They’re just kitschy glass and plastic.” Appraised value: “They’re probably worth what they paid.”

What you thought: Half our online voters thought it was worth between $1-$5, a third would have paid up to $10.

Life magazine collectors' book, "Legends: The Centuries Most Unforgettable Faces"

Lindsay Key says: I went to Stagecoach Antiques Mall, 3980 Mudpike Road, Christiansburg, to get a a “mutual” gift for Mom and Dad. Why? This book encapsulates the 1900s, with quotes and full-page glossy photographs of the so-called “legends” of the 20th century. Because my parents grew up during the 1950s and ’60s, reading the book will be a trip down memory lane and a useful historical resource. It also makes a great coffee table decoration and conversation starter.

The shopping experience: The Stagecoach Antiques Mall houses more than 50 booths. Once in the shop, my sassy side fell in love with a pink poodle clad in sunglasses and holding a fan, but it wasn’t priced, and the owner couldn’t get in touch with the dealer who owns that particular booth. However, 30 minutes later, after passing over a lone eggplant salt shaker and dozens of dishes, I stumbled upon my $10 prize and wound up reading most of it in the store.

Ken Farmer says: If he had to take something from this collection, this would be it. “These are great pictures.” Appraised value: In mint condition, as much as $14. This one isn’t mint. The lowest online price Farmer found was $1.50.

What you thought: Sixty percent of our online voters thought it was worth between $1-$5, nearly a third would have paid up to $10.

Rocking horse music box

Paul Dellinger says: I bought this $10 gift for Grace, my 5-year-old granddaughter. Why: Grace and her 3-year-old sister, Emma, had their first horseback-riding experience with my wife and me during a visit with us in Wytheville. We led the horse around a track and, when the time came to leave the Copper Crest riding stable, Grace did not want to get off. Maybe she will enjoy watching this rocking horse until she can return for another ride.

The shopping experience: The Old Fort Antique Mall just off Interstate 81 in Wythe County has an awesome variety of “stuff,” consigned by an equally voluminous variety of vendors. Items range from furniture to glassware, bikes to books, statuary to toys, cards to comics, Jim Beam bottles to Barbie dolls and several shelves of reference volumes on collectibles in general.

Ken Farmer says: “If they got it for $10, they got it for half what it would cost new. So that’s not a bad deal.” Appraised value: $10, if the buyer liked music boxes and rocking horses.

What you thought: Nearly half our online voters thought it was worth between $1-$5, a third would have paid up to $10.

Partridge Family record album

Tim Thornton says: I cheated. Since I’d come in 45 cents under budget at Dixie Caverns, I used 25 cents of the surplus to pay for a copy of the classic “The Partridge Family Album” (Includes the hit single “I Think I Love You”). “The family that reverbs together remains together …”

Ken Farmer says: A couple of bucks, tops.

What you thought: Half our online voters thought it was worth between $2-$3, a third would have paid up no more than a dollar.