Chuck Wagon and Round Up dinnerware

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Question:
I have a large collection of Chuck Wagon Casual Red Wing dinnerware that my grandmother gave me. I was thinking of using it at Thanksgiving and decided to look it up on Ebay 1st. I found the large serving platter priced at $700. I think I better keep these up high on display.

The plates are cream in color with small dark speckles. They are decorated with light and dark green cactus, steer and cowboys dressed in blues, orange, pink and browns. The set includes:

2 lugged serving bowls- both alike with a cowboy holding a frying pan and cactus in the background. number 111 on bottom along with stamped Red Wing, hand painted, oven proof in black.(most have this stamp; I will describe the different ones)

4 bowls- with cowboy, cactus and steer; number 241

7 lugged dessert bowls- Cowboy on fence; number 019

8 teacups- cowboy on fence and cactus; no mark

8 saucers- cowboy on fence and cactus; number 231 butter top only- cowboy on fence and cactus; no mark cream pitcher- cowboy bull fighting; no mark sugar dish with lid- cowboy heating cattle prods in fire; engraved USA salt and pepper shakers- one has cowboy with frying pan and other is cowboy in chaps; no mark gravy boat with lid- cowboy on fence; engraved red wing USA

8 small dinner plates- Cowboy, fire and cattle prods and cactus; number 319

8 large dinner plates- 3 cowboys and a bull; maroon wing shaped stamp: Red Wing hand painted USA; number 357

2 serving platters one very large and one smaller large- 3 cowboys on fence watching 2 others in a bull fight. This platter has 2 plate size raised rings on the bottom and lines engraved at diagonal in the plate surface. Engraved Red Wing USA on number smaller- 2 cowboys heating cattle prods in fire and one cowboy branding a steer. number 231

What can you tell about them and their value. Thanks Nicole

Answer: Chuck Wagon and Round Up are closely related patterns. These patterns share the same cowboy-themed designs, but the artwork is different on several pieces. For example, the Chuck Wagon dinner plate features a cattle roping scene while the Round Up dinner plate shows a cowboy cook calling out (presumably yelling "Come and get it"). Except for the few items with different decorations, it is nearly impossible to determine whether a given piece was originally sold as Chuck Wagon or as Round Up. Collectors generally refer to all of it as Round Up and consider the Chuck Wagon pieces to be variations. The large dinner plates you’ve described are Chuck Wagon; the rest of your pieces I would classify as Round Up.

Documentation for Chuck Wagon is very limited, but we know it was not sold through retail stores like most Red Wing dinnerware. It was "Sold exclusively by The Mal Company" as stated in an undated Chuck Wagon brochure and was available only via mail order. This brochure shows wrought iron warming stands, which is a clue that Chuck Wagon was introduced prior to Round Up. Wrought iron stands and the pinkish wing-shaped ink stamp on the bottom were still used in 1957. In 1958 the pink wing mark was dropped and copper stands replaced the wrought iron stands. We believe Chuck Wagon was introduced in 1957. The Mal Company subsequently went out of business or lost its exclusive rights contract with Red Wing. Red Wing then introduced Round Up in 1958 as a standard dinnerware pattern.


Round Up/Chuck Wagon is extremely popular with collectors. It is arguably the most highly sought of Red Wing’s many standard production dinnerware patterns. The demand definitely exceeds the supply. But the $700 price you saw on eBay for the large 20 inch platter is not realistic. The true value is much lower, in the $100 to $150 range these days (assuming excellent condition and no warming stand).

I’ll try to provide estimated values for your items. Bowls and plates were made in more than one size and dimensions are needed to differentiate them. The three digit numbers on the bottom of some pieces are essentially lot numbers and do not help to identify the item nor do they have any influence on the value. In today’s economy values are down for Red Wing and antiques in general. Round Up/Chuck Wagon prices seem to fluctuate considerably at auctions depending on the number of interested bidders. The values below are ballpark figures.

2 lugged serving bowls, cowboy holding frying pan and cactus in the background (Probably 9.5 inch nappy bowls): $30-50 each

4 bowls with cowboy, cactus and steer: Unable to identify this bowl without more details

7 lugged dessert bowls, Cowboy on fence: $20-30 each

8 teacups: $20-30 each

8 saucers- cowboy on fence and cactus: $15-25 each

Butter – top only: $25-50

Creamer: $30-40

Sugar bowl with lid: $30-40

Salt & pepper shakers: $100-150 pair

Gravy boat with lid: $50-100

8 small dinner plates- Cowboy, fire and cattle prods and cactus (Probably 7.5 inch salad plates): $40-60 each

8 large dinner plates- 3 cowboys and a bull; maroon wing shaped stamp: Red Wing hand painted USA: These are Chuck Wagon dinner plates, not Round Up. $100-200 each

Platter, large (20 inch): This platter is intended to be used with a metal warming stand. The platter by itself is worth $100-150.

Platter, small (13 inch): $75-100