Question:
I inherited this jar and would like to know about it and its value. Thank you Ralph

Answer:
Ralph, you have a very rare Cabbage cookie jar from the Gypsy Trail Hostess Ware line. Around 1940 Red Wing added a series of apple, pear and pineapple-shaped items to their Gypsy Trail line, including cookie jars. In 1941 three additional cookie jars were added in the shapes of a cabbage, grapes and bananas. Apparently very few people wanted a cabbage-shaped cookie jar. While the five other fruit-shaped cookie jars carried on, the cabbage jar was quickly dropped and does not appear in in the 1942 catalog. Thus it was made for only a brief time, probably no more than a year.

It’s difficult to put a value on such a rare piece because they seldom come up for sale. In 28 years of Red Wing collecting I’ve seen only a couple of these. If your jar is in excellent condition, I’d estimate it’s worth at least $500 and maybe as much as $1000. Nice piece!

Larry