Question:
Hi, Have a Red Wing? water cooler lid 11 3/4" dia. that has a 5 point star surrounding a raised knob that has 5W incised. There are 3 cobalt blue rings and a 3/4" wide unglazes ring between the 2 outer rings. Please tell me the history and value (a few outer rim chips) Thank you. MIke

Answer: Mike you have what the Red Wing Collectors call a 5 gallon North Star Button Water Cooler lid. The button water cooler lids were the first lids made for the hand turned Red Wing water coolers and are the most prized among collectors. The button water cooler lids were no longer produced after 1920 when Red Wing began using the bar handle on the water cooler lid. In Mint condition, button Water cooler lids can fetch between $600 & $900. Any damage such as chips, hairlines or cracks will greatly reduce their value. If your chips are small and underneath the lid where they cannot be seen, you can figure on losing between 10 & 20 percent of it’s value. Chips on top of the lid and you will be looking at 40 to 50 percent reduction of it’s value . Hope this is of some help. Al Kohlman