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Red Wing, MN. After discovering on Nov. 8 that its storage unit had been burglarized and several hundred pieces had been stolen; the Red Wing Collectors Society has made good progress in recovering many of the items.
Most of the Red Wing stoneware, dinnerware and art pottery that was stolen had been donated by RWCS members to be used for the KidsView Program that takes place during the RWCS Annual Convention in Red Wing, MN.
After contacting about 50 antique shops in the Red Wing area, RWCS Executive Director Stacy Wegner tracked down more than 150 pieces of the Society’s Red Wing pottery that had been sold to an antique dealer in Lake City, Minn. Thanks Wegner’s perseverance and help from the Red Wing Police Department, these pieces were returned to the RWCS on Friday, Dec. 9.
Wegner and KidsView Co-chair Sue Jones Tagliapietra were very excited to have the pieces returned and are working together to determine what is still missing.
“The Red Wing Police helped us recover much more than expected,” Wegner said. “Many of the returned pieces are Restaurant Ware and other shape blanks that will be used for the KidsView ‘Paint Your Plate Event’ at the Convention. Hopefully we’ll be able to locate the rest of the stolen items.”
The Red Wing Collectors Society will celebrate its 35th anniversary at its Convention next summer, which will take place July 12-14, 2012. The RWCS is the largest collectors society in the nation and more than 1200 members are expected to attend the event, making the Convention the premier place to buy and sell Red Wing stoneware and pottery.
The Red Wing Police Department is looking into persons of interest and the investigation is ongoing. The public has been supportive and police are receiving tips on potential suspects. Please contact the Red Wing Police Department at 651-267-2600 if you know the whereabouts of these pieces or are offered any of these items for purchase. For more information, contact Stacy Wegner at swegner@redwingcollectors.org or 800-977-7927.
Photos of recovered items:
