Question:
I would like information about a light green two piece teapot, marked Red Wing 260 USA. I would describe it as a "mammy" image. The teapot’s lid or top portion is a woman’s face,bib and billowy sleeves.Her hands are holding onto the bottom portion which appear as a billowy skirt and the tea pot’s handle and spout. It is approx 8" tall and 9" wide. Thank you. Rebecca

Answer: The item you describe is a teapot from the Gypsy Trail Hostess Ware dinnerware line. Red Wing catalogs don’t provide a name other than #260, but collectors refer to this as the Dutch woman teapot. The colors available for this teapot were yellow, ivory, blue, pink and green. This teapot was introduced in 1944. The exact end date is unknown, but most Gypsy Trail production ceased soon after the end of World War II.

Condition and color are the primary factors in determining the value. Yellow is the most commonly found color and is valued a bit lower; blue is the most desired and valuable color. The other colors fall in between. Today teapot #260 in excellent condition is worth $50 to $100, with yellow on the low end and blue on the high end. Chips, cracks, crazing and staining will reduce these values significantly.

Larry