Question:
I have a crock with a spigot. It has a Bob White and baby on front, nothing on the back. It has the speckled beige paint. It is approximately 11 inches tall, 30 inches around, and 8 1/4 inches across the opening. It is marked Red Wing on the bottom. Do you have any idea when it was made and how much it is worth? I thank you for your time. Diane

Answer: Diane, the Bob White dinnerware pattern was introduced in the mid-1950s. The earliest date I have found is a Bob White brochure dated July 1, 1954. But no water coolers were produced in the early years of the pattern. The water cooler was introduced sometime between 1958 and 1961. It is not seen on the January 1958 dealer’s price list but is found on the January 1961 dealer’s price list. I do not have copies of the 1959 and 1960 lists, so if the cooler was introduced during one of those years I cannot verify it. Production of the water cooler and the Bob White pattern continued until Red Wing Potteries closed in 1967.

Interestingly, the cooler does not appear in a Bob White brochure until January 1962. The dealer’s price lists (for wholesale buyers) were routinely updated and kept current, but the brochures (intended for the public) were often not maintained except to keep the retail prices up to date.

A complete Bob White water cooler (cooler, cover and spigot) in excellent condition with good clear artwork is worth $500 to $750.

Larry