Category Archives: Dinnerware

Dinnerware

Tidbit tray with test plates

Question:

Good Morning,

While traveling in Palm Springs earlier this month I came across the following unmarked piece.  Being a collector of Tampico, I noticed that the shape was clearly Futura.  Do you have any information on the history and value of this piece?  Thanks,

Alan

Answer: This two tiered tidbit tray was made from two test or sample plates.  The three handwritten codes on the bottom of the plate confirm this.

The plates are in the Futura shape.  The design resembles Pepe, a pattern from the DuoTone line, but the colors are different.  Perhaps consideration was given to add Pepe to the Futura line, but most likely the glazes were the focus of the test.  After testing was finished and the sample plates were no longer needed, they were drilled and made into a tidbit tray that was probably sold at the Red Wing Pottery Salesroom.  The Salesroom served as a place for Red Wing to sell seconds, overruns and various odds and ends like this tidbit tray.

It’s hard to place a value on a unique piece like this.  Collectors will appreciate a well-known pattern (Pepe) in a different color on plates from the “wrong” dinnerware line.  But the holes that were drilled to convert the plates into a tidbit tray detract from the value considerably.  If the dinner plate was intact I would estimate its value to be in the $400-600 range, maybe even higher to the right collector.  But as a tidbit tray I’d estimate the value to be no more than half as much.

Larry R

Bob White Tumblers

Question:

We have searched the archives looking for information on a few pieces of dinnerware but haven’t been able to find what we are looking for.  We are needing info on the Bob White supper sets & 4oz juice tumblers.  Were they actually produced?  We’ve heard of both items but haven’t ever seen them!  Also, we would like to know what patterns the water coolers & stands were available in.  Thank you in advance for sharing your knowledge!!  Kim

Answer:

Bob White tumblers were a standard production item for a brief period in the 1960s.  The image below is from a January 1965 brochure.

Bob White supper trays were never put into production.  Such a tray was sold at the Red Wing convention auction a number of years ago, and it’s the only one I’ve seen.  I believe that was a test or sample piece, and the company decided to not add it as a standard production piece.
Water coolers were made for the following patterns:
Village Green, Delta Blue, Bob White, Round Up, Tampico.
A 1952 Village Green brochure lists a Wheat version of the water cooler but I’ve never seen or heard of one.
Larry R

Lexington Rose Pitcher

Question:

I have the Red Wing Lexington Rose pitcher, 13″ tall but the bottom logo has the black oval “RW 7″. Does this give it more resale value like on eBay rather than $25 you state. From my research, this logo on my pitcher was made prior to the “red” Red Wing logo other dinnerware. I want to know if it gives it more value as this means it’s older.  And real important: do you know the exact year the Lexington Red Wing pitcher debuted?

Thank you,
Cat H.

Answer:

The Lexington pattern was introduced in 1941.  The water pitcher was among the available items from the beginning.  The red and green colors on early Lexington pieces, including the water pitcher, were lighter.  The rose was closer to pink than red.  The black “upright wing” ink stamp was used to mark items from 1941 until the late 1940s.  This mark is occasionally seen in green or blue.
Sometime in the late 1940s, probably 1947, the “RW” ink stamp was introduced and the colors of the pattern darkened. This mark was used for a fairly brief period and is the least common mark of the three marks used on Lexington items.
The familiar pinkish-red stylized wing ink stamp was introduced in 1950.  The red and green colors continued to darken. Many new pieces were added to the Lexington pattern between the late 1940s and 1955.  Lexington was discontinued in 1955.
In my experience most collectors pay little attention to the ink stamp used to mark a particular piece.  Condition and the quality of the artwork are far more important.  There might be a few collectors who seek to add a pitcher with each of the three logos but there aren’t enough of them to influence market prices. Older doesn’t necessarily mean more valuable when it comes to dinnerware.  Some collectors find the darker colors more attractive, so they place a higher value on the later pieces of Lexington than those made early in production.
Larry R

Pierre the Chef blue cookie jar

Question:

My name is Renee and am looking for some help. We have a Redwing Chef Pierre Cookie Jar that I believe to quite rare. I have been on the RWCS facebook page and have searched online for several days and cannot find any current information about this piece.
My husband has had this for over 25 years and it belonged to his grandmother. Otherwise we have had this and have not used it only for show. The measurements are 12″ high, 22″ around.
What I have found so far is it’s estimated value in 2010. That was said to be $750 – $1000. It’s color is said to be Fleck Nile Blue and there were not many made with this color. Photos attatched.
Please help me.
Thank-you,
Renee L

Answer:

The “Pierre the Chef” cookie jar was introduced by Red Wing in 1941, along with his friends Katrina the Dutch girl and Friar Tuck. Price lists from 1942, 1943 and 1944 show them as being available in blue, yellow, and tan colors. An undated brochure, probably from the mid to late 1940s adds green as a fourth color. The early brochures refer to the jar as “Pierre the Chef” but eventually he became known as simply The Chef.  These three cookie jars were great sellers for Red Wing. Many thousands of them were made and production continued into the mid 1950s. By then Katrina and Friar Tuck were dropped from production, but the Chef continued on along with several newly introduced cookie jar shapes. A brochure from 1956 lists fleck pink and fleck blue as the only two available colors for the Chef. This was probably the last year of production for the Chef as he does not appear in a 1957 dealers price list.

The blue fleck and pink fleck Chef cookie jars were made for only a brief period at the end of production.  They are far more difficult to find today because few of them were made.

I would estimate the current value for a Nile Fleck Blue Chef cookie jar to be $600 to $750 in excellent, undamaged condition.  Any damage will reduce the value significantly.  Antique values, including cookie jars, have declined in recent years.  This tends to be cyclical, and values are likely to rise again sometime in the future.

Larry

Lanterns Pattern Supper Sets

Question: I have been trying to find info on this Dinner or lunch tray. I believe the pattern is lanterns or perhaps not. Pottery is not my area of expertise. I purchased a set of 4 of these for resale and am looking for any information and possible value. The trays are about 10″7 1/2″ they are divided 4sections if you count the one for the cup. Any information is greatly appreciated. Dave

Answer:

The photos show a 12″ x 9″ supper tray in the Lanterns pattern.  Lanterns was introduced in 1952 and was discontinued in 1955.
Red Wing introduced supper trays in 1951 and added them to many of their dinnerware lines over the next several years.  These trays were made in two sizes: 10.5″ rounded square and 12″ x 9″ rectangular shape. Both of these were divided into three sections and had a place to rest a cup.
Supper trays in any Red Wing pattern are scarce today.  In excellent, undamaged condition the value of a Lanterns supper tray would be $25 to $30.
Larry

Gypsy Trail Hostess Ware teapot shape 235

Question: What can you tell me about this teapot marked Red Wing.

Answer:

This teapot is from the Gypsy Trail Hostess Ware collection, a large group of colorful pieces made to go with the Gypsy Trail dinnerware patterns. The bottom of this teapot should be marked “Red Wing USA 235″ on the bottom.  This is one of several Hostess Ware teapots introduced in 1941 and was made for several years.  It appears in the 1944 Gypsy Trail catalog, which is the last known catalog for this line.  Most Gypsy Trail production ended soon after the end of World War II.
The 235 teapot is fairly common.  Available colors were orange, blue, turquoise, yellow, pink, green, and cream ivory.  Current value for a 235 teapot in excellent, undamaged condition is $25-30.
Larry R

E S Sohn Butter Mold

Question:

I was wondering if you could tell me anything about this pot I inherited? I think it is Red Wing? It is in perfect condition with no chips or cracks. Thank you

Answer:

The item in the photos was made by Red Wing under contract for Ernest Sohn.
Ernest Sohn was a well-known designer who contracted with various businesses to make ceramic, metal and wood products for his sales company. He specialized in serving pieces and buffet sets, not full dinnerware patterns. His dealings with Red Wing were not well documented, but at least two lines of dinnerware items were produced for Sohn. “Butter Mold” is the better known of the two. It consisted of serving pieces such as pitchers, teapots, casseroles, bowls, platters, etc. The pieces had a ribbed effect in the glaze, similar to Village Green. Most Butter Mold pieces were dark brown, dark green, or yellow (uncommon). Each piece was marked with a design taken from a vintage butter mold. The design featured a fern and leaves enclosed by 5 rings, and included the letters ” E.S. USA”. Production years are uncertain but most likely fall between the late 1950s and early 1960s. An ad for Sohn’s Butter Mold line appeared in a February 1961 magazine.
Your item is from the Butter Mold line, but I’m not certain of its name or purpose since we have no documentation of this line.  Bean pot is likely correct.  The value today is $30-40 if it is in excellent, undamaged condition.
Larry R

Continental Buffet, blue bowl

Question:

Hi –

I have a couple pieces of Continental Buffet and am wondering what it is worth? It seems to have been going up lately!

I have a BLUE salad bowl (unfortunately no serving spoon/fork), and a BLUE double casserole bottom (no lids or stand). Both are in excellent condition. Thanks.

Amy

Answer:

Pricing scarce items like these blue Continental Buffet pieces is difficult since they rarely come up for sale, thus few comparisons.  Don’t feel bad about the missing salad fork and spoon.  Over time accessory pieces like these are usually separated from bowl because later owners don’t realize they go together.
Optimizing the value for these pieces depends on finding the right buyer.  Continental Buffet isn’t a complete dinnerware line as it includes only serving pieces.  This will limit the number of interested collectors.  That said, those interested will be eager to buy when such pieces become available to them.   The large salad bowl should be worth around $75, maybe more to the right buyer.  The base for the double casserole is more difficult because it isn’t complete.  The missing covers and stand make it worth nothing to most collectors.  Of course a collector who has the covers and stands but needs the base would jump at the opportunity, but there odds of finding that person are slim at best.  I would put the value of the base by itself at $15 to $20.
Larry

Bakeware (aka Oomph) line

Question:

I have many pieces of Red Wing Oomph or bakeware; however, none of the pieces have markings that are discernible.

I know they are Red Wing for the woman I got the pieces from (now deceased) collected them during the 40’s
Here are two pics of my collection.
Thank you.

Answer:

Red Wing produced the Bakeware (aka Oomph) line in the early to mid 1940s.  Several competing potteries made similar wares with the same color scheme.  Red Wing’s Village Green pattern, introduced in 1952, utilizes the same colors as Bakeware.  Brown and green pieces from different potteries are frequently mixed and matched because they are so similar in appearance.  Collectors often have difficulty sorting them out.
About half the items displayed in the two photos are Bakeware by Red Wing.  Most of the other items were made by competitors, though there are also a few Village Green items mixed in.  Some items I cannot identify due to the lack of a clear view.
The following items are NOT Bakeware.
First table starting from the left:
Coffee cups (front corner)
Egg or custard cups
Cannot identify the items to the left of the plates but they aren’t Bakeware
Large covered cruet or pitcher (near the center)
Shell-shaped small plates
Taller cylinder-shaped salt & pepper
Multi-piece relish tray
Handled round green plate (center back row)
Covered casserole (center back row)
Cylinder-shaped mugs (Bakeware mugs have a pronounced green rim)
Coffee cups in the right front corner are Village Green
Second table starting from the left:
Covered dish in the back is Village Green
Cruets
Ashtray
Creamer
Butter dish (might be Village Green??)
Skillet with handle
Small pots with handle
Cannot identify the stacked bowls – may or may not be Red Wing
Larry R

 

Buds Pattern Pitcher

Question: I would like to have Larry take a look at the attached pictures of what I think is the only known Buds pattern water pitcher and see if he can give an approximate value.  I’ve had it for a long time but would now like to sell it.  However, because of its rarity, I really don’t know what the value would be or the best way to advertise/sell it.  What I’d like to do is put it in the Red Wing auction, but since I live in Washington state, with no intentions of being in the Red Wing area during auction time, I guess I’ll have to advertise it some other way. I’m not a big fan of embay.  I can be reached at 206-300-3397.  Thanks in advance.

Answer:

Buds was a Red Wing dinnerware pattern designed in 1952 that never went into production.  Supposedly two sets of Buds were made to be displayed at a trade show.  The pattern was not well received, and this was reported back to managers in Red Wing.  The salesmen at the show were told to discard the Buds dinnerware and not bother bringing it back to Red Wing.  But apparently a few pieces survived as there are a handful of known Buds items today.
What is the value of an authentic Buds water pitcher?  It’s tough to place a value on an item that is likely one of a kind.  Without comparable sales any estimate is just a shot in the dark.  The photos appear to show an authentic Buds pitcher; I have no reason to believe otherwise.  I would estimate the value in today’s market to be $1000 or more.
The pitcher could sell for well above that figure if sold at an auction attended by knowledgeable Red Wing collectors.  Selling it at the annual RWCS convention auction would be ideal.  It’s too late for this year’s convention, but consider next year’s auction.  Perhaps the pitcher could be packed very well and shipped to Red Wing.  There are also other auctions periodically that feature Red Wing pottery and stoneware.  The goal is to find a knowledgeable audience because the general public won’t know anything about Buds and why it is valuable.  Antique dealers who specialize in Red Wing would be happy to buy this pitcher, but won’t pay top dollar as they need to make a profit.  Online auctions such as eBay can display the pitcher to a wide audience but there are some hassles and risks involved.  If I owned this pitcher and wanted to sell it, I would make a strong effort to get it into the RWCS convention auction.  Non-RWCS auctions that are held during convention week would be another possibility.
Larry R
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