Question:
This cookie jar belonged to my grandmother who was born in the 1890′s. It is in good condition, no obvious cracks or breaks. It says REDWING on the bottom. How old do you think it is and approximately what is it worth. Thank you so much. Jean

Answer: The "Katrina" cookie jar was introduced by Red Wing in 1941, along with her friends Friar Tuck and Pierre the Chef. Price lists from 1942, 1943 and 1944 show them as being available in blue, yellow, and tan colors. An undated brochure, probably from the mid to late 1940s adds green as an available color. These three cookie jars were great sellers for Red Wing. Many thousands of them were made and production continued into the mid 1950s.

While these cookie jars are not at all rare, jars in excellent condition are not easy to find in any color. After years of use (often by the small hands of children more interested in the contents than the jar), these jars are usually chipped or cracked and have grease stains. The "wings" on Katrina’s hat are especially vulnerable to breakage. A blue Katrina cookie jar in excellent condition would be worth $75-100 today. Chips, cracks, hairlines and stains will reduce the value.

Larry