Question:
My mom purchsed a set of dishes from a garage sale. The owner found them in their attic and thought they were ugly. My mom paid $20 for the box. They are difficult to explain. When she unpacks, if they sound like true red wing pottery, she will take pictures. Some have "RED WING USA" on the bottom. It is part of the dish. It is not printed on. Some have printed information. The piece I am holding says, "RED WING HAND PAINTED OVENPROOF U.S.A. 119". One piece has "RED WING HAND PAINTED" printed inside a pair of wings, then below it "USA 104". All of the bowls have a place to hold them, but it’s not a handle. The dishes have a unique shape, which is why she bought them. If the information on the bottom sounds like they may be worth investigating I will take pics for her. Most of the pieces are numbered are few have chips. She likes antiques and unusual items, but she does not care to investigate them. I have found that a few of her "finds" needed more TLC than she was giving them. Thank you for your time, Tana

Answer:
Sorry, but the information on the bottom tells me very little about these pieces. Most larger dinnerware pieces from the 1950s and 1960s are marked RED WING USA on the bottom, with the mark imparted by the mold. Most flatware (plates and bowls) from the same time period were marked on the bottom with an ink stamp. The three digit number is a lot or batch code; it does not identify the pattern. I would need more details about these pieces (colors, artwork, shape) or preferably a photo in order to identify the pattern and the potential value. If most of the pieces are damaged then the value will likely be fairly low unless they are rare pieces.

Larry

You can visit www.RedWingDinnerware.com to identify the pattern you have.