Ice-cream molds are one sweet collectible.

Americans’ love affair with ice cream was in full bloom by the late 1800s, when advances with mechanical freezers meant that common folks—not just the elite—could regularly enjoy this frozen treat. Ice-cream molds were used by dairies, caterers, and ice-cream parlors to shape the creamy dessert into everything from Easter bunnies to opera glasses.

Made of pewter, the molds have long been favorite collectibles. “They’re like a Christmas present,” says dealer Cherie Baughman of Dad’s Follies in North Carolina. “The inside is spectacular, but the outside is very plain.” Most molds date from the 1890s to the 1950s. American manufacturers include Eppelsheimer & Company, Krauss & Son, and Schall & Company.

Used commercially, molds aren’t likely to turn up in Grandma’s attic. “These were tools,” reminds Baughman. Look for them at antiques shops or shows.

Fruit molds are common; pick up an egg for as little as $15. Large “banquet” molds that were used as centerpieces are rarer, and are valued up to $2,000. Because pewter is soft and easily damaged, condition really does matter.