Question:
Hello, I recently acquired this 10 gallon Red Wing Crock and while doing research on your site and others, I ended up with a few questions. 1) The "10" seems to have a "1" that is different from others I have seen and 2) the stampings, i.e. the "10", "Red Wing", "Logo Stamp" and "Patented" all seem to be much lighter in color compared to others I have seen. The Red Wing is a 4" Is there any uniqueness to this or am I just hoping and you will see the small outside crack in the Glaze, not the crock, how much would this detract from the value? Thank you in advance for any feedback.

Answer: What collectors look for are nice perfect dark decorations and markings. So the lighter marked crocks will carry a lower value than those that are darker. The number 10 is a later stamp which is why it is a little smaller and lighter in color than the earlier pieces. Also the small crack in the glaze will hurt the value as well as collectors like mint pieces if they can get them. Looking at your 10 gallon crock in today’s poor markets and knowing it has a crack, I would put the value between $50 & $75. Al Kohlman