Question:
I have a piece of North Star stoneware and would like an approximate value. My cousin wants to sell it on eBay but I’m not sure he should… Thank you, any help you can provide is appreciated.

Answer: I hate to be the bearer of bad news (which seems to be quite a bit lately), but your pitcher is not a North Star piece. The pitcher is called "Grape Cluster with Rickrack. In the Collector’s Encyclopedia of Salt Glaze Stoneware they state "A star molded on the bottom center of one of these pitchers indicates the mark of it’s maker, the Northstar Stoneware Company of Red Wing, Minnesota". However, this is incorrect. One of the potteries in Indiana also had stars molded into the bottom of their pieces which make a number of collectors believe it is Northstar when it really is not. The Collector’s Encyclopedia of Salt Glaze Stoneware list the value of your pitcher at $75 to $100. Al Kohlman