Question:
Al – I saw a recent posting where you said a 10-gallon Red Wing Water Cooler (if perfect) might be in the $500-$700 range. Today I saw one at an antique shop as follows. No cracks, chips or hairlines. Bright blue, bold lettering. However, the one flaw was that about half of one of the stoneware handle mounts (the back half) is broken off. Assuming the rest of the cooler is as I’ve described, how badly will that kill the market value? Since the back-half is the missing part of the handle, the cooler presents very well from the front. Thanks. Chris

Answer: Chris, today more so then ever, collector are very fussy and want perfect. Not only perfect, but also excellent markings. To have half of one handle broken off and as a serious collector, I would pass it buy and look for perfect. Value on this piece would be $200 to $250 at best. Hope this helps. Al Kohlman