Red Wing, MN― An impressive 10 gallon Red Wing double-handled threshing jug with birchleaves drew the highest bid at this year’s Red Wing Collectors Society (RWCS) Auction, bringing $7,100.

The RWCS Convention brought more than 1,500 visitors to the city of Red Wing from July 7-10 to buy, sell and learn more about the lines of Red Wing stoneware, art pottery and dinnerware.

Other items of interest in this year’s auction, which was operated by Houghton’s Auction Service, included a 4 gallon North Star salt glaze water cooler with upturned leaf (missing hex bung cover), $2,600; a 5 gallon straight-sided salt glaze water cooler front-stamped “Red Wing Stoneware Company” with Drop-8 decoration, (hairline), $2,300; a 2 gallon straight-sided Elephant Ear Ice Water cooler with reinforced bung (base chips and a hairline on the back), $2,100; a set of three Red Wing Mason jars (quart, ½ gallon and gallon),$900; and a 5½-inch salt glaze lunch hour cat, $850.

At $1,250, a mint 5 gallon transitional Ice Water cooler front-stamped “Red Wing Stoneware Company” was one of the best deals of the sale.

A few of the top dinnerware items included a five-compartment Ernest Sohn Lazy Susan w/original turn table, $350; a Tampico tumbler, $275; and a Delta Blue 6 cup teapot w/cover, $200. A collection of 68 different Red Wing dinner plates sold for $425.

Top art pottery pieces consisted of a bottom-signed garden ware bird bath w/perch, $1,050; a bottom-signed 23½-inch bronze tan garden ware urn, $900; a bottom-signed brushware cherub vase, $300; and a #682 blue and green 13-inch Chromoline vase, $250.

The auction, which had about 300 items, brought about $95,000 in total sales.

RWCS members had a wide variety of activities to attend during Convention including a narrated tour of the historical sites around the city of Red Wing, a “Crock Hunt” scavenger hunt around town and a special display room where members showed rare items and created their own unique displays for the education and enjoyment of attendees. Other events throughout the week included the annual business meeting, the Potter’s Picnic, and the always anticipated Saturday Show and Sale. Members also bought and sold items throughout the week in the parking lot at Pottery Place Mall, and about 175 volunteers helped make this year’s Convention a success.

Former Red Wing Potteries plant superintendent Jerry Mewhorter kicked off Convention with his keynote presentation. Other educational seminar topics included an orientation for first timers, demonstrations by a working potter “throwing” pieces on a wheel, Red Wing 101, recent finds from the old pottery dump, Red Wing dinnerware, identifying stoneware “fakes”, North Dakota potteries, news from the RWCS Foundation, undecorated Watt ware and correct methods for using stoneware for canning practices.

The year’s commemorative, which could be purchased only by Society members, was a brown Albany slip pig figure. Two limited-edition commemoratives were also produced – a black pig and a white pig with black spots. These were mixed in with the regular commemoratives and all commemoratives were packaged in sealed boxes, so a small number of members were fortunate enough to get one. Of the 3,600 pieces made, 3216 were brown, 350 were black and 34 were white with black spots.

Topping the news from the annual business meeting was the election of three new RWCS Board members. Dan DePasquale, Ann Tucker and John Sagat were elected to the respective positions of president, vice president and secretary after Sue Jones Tagliapietra, Paulette Floyd and Jolene McKoon decided not to run for re-election. The trio put in a combined 34 years of service on the Board and will be missed.

Other meeting news included the Golden State, Trails West and Lewis & Clark chapters of the RWCS donating a total of $2,900 to the RWCS KidsView educational program, which is geared toward encouraging a younger generation to collect Red Wing stoneware and pottery. The Golden State Chapter also donated $1,440 to the RWCS Foundation.

The Society is on the leading edge of creating engaging and educational ways to get younger generations involved in collecting. The focus on these RWCS members is an important part of the Society’s vision to ensure its continued existence and growth. There are many interactive and challenging activities and seminars for children of all ages to get involved in, such as learning how to bid at an auction, what to look for in an antique, and several hands-on craft projects.

The Red Wing Collectors Society was founded in 1977 in Red Wing, Minn. and is devoted to educating people about all American pottery. There are more than 4,000 members worldwide. The Red Wing Potteries had diverse pottery lines that included stoneware, dinnerware and art pottery. For more information or to become a member, call the RWCS business office at 800-977-7927, e-mail director@redwingcollectors.org or log on to www.redwingcollectors.org.

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