Question:
Hi I was at an auction and purchased some molds. I was informed by the seller they were RW. They are not marked except by a tag that says Red Wing and it is hand written. They are shapes like, cups teapot handles vases etc. They are in two pieces and made of plaster. Did RW use these? If so were they marked? If RW and est. of value. They are all in very good condition except for some chips on the ourside of the molds. Thanks for the advise. Joe

Answer: Authentic Red Wing molds are not uncommon. Molds and other assets were sold to the public when Red Wing Potteries closed in 1967. Many of these molds were purchased and used by amateur potters and art schools. The molds themselves would not be marked with the Red Wing name. Some molds would include "Red Wing USA" in the mold tooling itself to imprint the company name on the bottom of the piece. If the mold is for a piece of art pottery it would also include a shape number. But keep in mind Red Wing made many pieces that are either ink stamped or not marked at all, and thus no company name would be present inside the mold.

Old Red Wing molds are of more interest historically than as a collectible. Molds don’t display well and they aren’t especially attractive. Molds of prized pieces of Red Wing might have a bit higher value, but in general the molds for common everyday pieces are worth around $10 to $25.

Larry