Question:
Hello, We have a large set of redwing dinner plates that were my grandparents. They are "misthrows". My grandfather used to buy them from the warehouse about the early 1950′s. There are several colors and they are in very good condition. Do you know if there is a market for these kinds of plates? Thanks, Shannon

Answer: I’d need more details about these plates and preferably a photo in order to identify them before an evaluation can be made. "Misthrow" isn’t a term used by collectors, and I’m not sure what it means. My first thought is the term must refer to "seconds", that is, rejected items not suitable to fill customer orders. Seconds are not worth as much as first quality pieces, but depending on the plate’s pattern a second could still be valuable. Or these plates could be test or sample pieces. Test pieces can have significant value, depending on the design and historical significance of the test piece. On test plates, the presence of a Red Wing mark (or lack of it) is also a factor in determining value and marketability. Please send in a photo of your "misthrows" if possible. You can email them to director@redwingcollectors.org and the office will forward them or re post them here.

Larry