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Question:
the commemoratives started in 1977 did they allways come with a card and box? some of the first ones 1977 1978 1979 1980 what would there values be. thank you b summer
Answer: Hmmmmm….RWCS commemoratives have nothing to do with Red Wing dinnerware. But as a member who has attended each RWCS convention since 1980 and who served as commemorative manager from 1993 to 2000, I should be able to address most of your questions. While other members may have different recollections, the following information is accurate to the best of my knowledge.
The first meeting of what became the Red Wing Collectors Society took place July 1977. It’s my understanding this was an rather informal gathering of people with a common interest in Red Wing stoneware, not a formal convention. No commemorative was available here. But plans were made to meet again the following year. One member produced salt glaze crocks to commemorate the 1997 gathering, while another member made brown jugs to commemorate the second gathering. Both of these were available for sale at the 1978 meeting from the members who produced them, not from the RWCS. I believe the 1979 commemorative was produced and sold on behalf of the RWCS rather than as a private enterprise. For the first three years a member could purchase multiple commemoratives, either for themselves or for others unable to attend the convention.
A decision was made for 1980 to limit commemorative sales to those in attendance at the convention. This move stirred controversy as members who were unable to attend were not pleased. The decision was promptly reversed, and the commemorative manager became an elected position on the RWCS Board. This position was filled by Gary and Bonnie Tefft from 1981 to 1992. As a nod to convention attendees, the Teffts introduced the "I WAS THERE" tag that was only given to members who picked up their commemorative at the convention. Depending on the year, the I WAS THERE tag was a label, sticker, or hanging tag that could be placed on the commemorative.
When I took on the commemorative manager role beginning in 1993, the commemorative vendor shipped them to us shrink wrapped onto sheets of cardboard that were then packed into large boxes. Like our predecessors, we provided members with wrapping paper for their commemoratives but no box. By this time I felt the I WAS THERE tag had lost its significance, so beginning in 1993 it was dropped in favor of the small informational card that continues to be included with commemoratives today. Boxed commemoratives first appeared in 1995. The giraffe planter was that year’s commemorative and the vendor was concerned the fragile piece could not be safely shipped using the usual shrink wrap and cardboard sheets. So the vendor packed each giraffe in its own individual box, then packed those boxes into large cases for shipping. We quickly realized this was a lot less work for us than dealing with the shrink wrap, and the box was perceived as an improvement by our members. From that point on we requested that our commemoratives be packed in this manner, and that method continues to be used today.
Values for the earliest commemoratives are significantly higher than more recent commemoratives because far fewer of them were made. Because so few of these early pieces are publicly sold, it’s difficult to establish a current value on them. I’m probably not the best person to provide estimated values for these but I’ll give it a try. The 1977 commemorative continues to be the most valuable and is worth around $2000 to $2500. The 1978, 1979 and 1980 commemoratives are worth $1000 to $1500. These values might not hold up quite as well in today’s economic climate.
Larry