Question:
I would like more information on the Redwing pattern "Leaf Magic". Who or where should I contact. Thank you. Lana

Answer:
Lana, the only piece made with the Leaf Magic design is the dinner plate. It was made to go with pieces from the Quartette pattern.

Quartette first appears in a January 1951 price list. This documention does not mention Leaf Magic, so apparently it was introduced after the initial production of Quartette. Quartette consists of Concord shaped pieces in four solid colors — Ming Green, Chartreuse, Copper Glow and Mulberry. All pieces, including covers for the casseroles, teapots, sugar bowls, etc, are solid colored. The buyer could purchase a set in any one color or could mix & match colors as desired.

Leaf Magic plates are first mentioned in a July 1951 document, six months after the introduction of Quartette. A January 1952 Red Wing price list describes Leaf Magic this way: "The decoration of this plate has 3 leaves with the color on one-half of each leaf in Chartreuse and the other one-half of leaf is painted one of the remaining Quartette colors, i.e. Ming Green, Copper Glow or Mulberry, with white overglaze. For additional pieces to make up the service Quartette is used." In other words, Leaf Magic was a more colorful dinner plate that could be substituted for the standard solid colored dinner plates when purchasing a set of Quartette dinnerware.

Larry

Question:
We were given, as a wedding gift in 1966, a Lexington (Rose) serving plate. I used it whenever I made blueberry upside-down cake (in a 10 1/2 inch cast iron skillet) because it was large enough that the juices did not run off the edge. It was NOT the oval chop plate nor was it the 11 inch dinner plate (cake would have spread over the edges). Unfortunately, a friend dropped and broke it quite some time ago. Now, when I tell other Redwingers that I am looking for a Lexington (Rose) square/round plate larger than 11 inches, they tell me such a piece does not exist. Are they right and my memory is really that bad? Or is that elusive piece still out there somewhere? If it is, I’m offering a blueberry upside-down cake as a reward for finding me one. Thanks Char

Answer:
Char, unless you had a rare one-of-a-kind piece I don’t think the platter you describe was Lexington. Could you be confusing Lexington with one of the other Red Wing patterns that feature a red rose? Lexington was introduced in 1941 and continued production until 1956. Unless you received a used item, it’s doubtful any new Lexington platters were available to serve as a wedding gift in 1966. On the other hand, unlike other Concord patterns Lexington platters were made in two sizes. The initial 1941 platter was 10.5 x 14 inches — more oblong than oval in shape. It was replaced by the more commonly found 10.5 x 13 inch chop plate in the mid-1940s. But even this hard-to-find larger platter wouldn’t meet your needs since it is only 10.5 inches wide in one direction.

As for other rose patterns, Blossom Time is also in the Concord shape but was never made in the larger 10.5 x 14 platter and was also discontinued in the mid-1950s. Red Wing Rose was introduced in the later 1950s and was discontinued after only a few years, but it’s the rose pattern most likely to have still been available in 1966. A big 15 inch oval platter was available, but your 11 inch cake would likely spill over the sides in the short direction.

That leaves us with Orleans. Orleans was introduced in 1941 and continued production until 1950. Like Lexington, Orleans featured a red rose. But unlike Lexington’s squarish plates and platters, Orleans plates and platters were round. And the platters were made in 12 inch and 14 inches sizes. Your 11 inch cake might be a tight squeeze on the 12 inch platter but would easily fit the 14 inch platter. Like Lexington, the Orleans pattern was discontinued long before your 1966 wedding. But sizewise, of the red rose patterns made by Red Wing the Orleans 14 inch platter would certainly be the best fit for your cake. Could this be the platter you seek?

Larry

Question: {mosimage}
Can you tell me anything about the rarity and ballpark value of the (2) Redwing relish dishes? They have been in my family for a long time.

Answer:
The flowered piece is a Blossom Time celery dish. It is not a rare item but is not as easily found as other Blossom Time pieces because the celery dish was not produced until 1952, several years after the initial introduction of the Blossom Time pattern. Value is around $15 in average condition; reduce by half or more if damaged, add a few dollars more if in the dish is in pristine condition.

The second green and gray piece is art pottery, not dinnerware.
Larry

Question:{mosimage}
I have a Red Wing one cup teapot that was given to me by my Grandmother. She was a collector of teapots and had several Red Wing pieces. I would appreciate an estimated value of my teapot. My Grandmother paid $8.50 for it in 1993 at an estate auction of an old friend.

Thank you for your time. Daisie

Answer:
Daisie, your little teapot is part of the Gypsy Trail Hostess Ware line and it was made for about two years. It is listed in an April 1940 catalog and continues on through the January 1942 catalog. But it is not included in the June 1942 catalog, so production had ceased by that time. The April 1940 catalog is the earliest we have for the Hostess Ware line. We believe it marks the introduction of the Hostess Ware pieces but are not certain.

The 1940 catalog refers to your teapot as "Streamlined". This teapot was made in two sizes: 2 cup and 5 cup. The catalog also lists three other items in the Streamlined shape: water jug, covered casserole (in two sizes), and covered ice box jug. All were available in the four traditional Gypsy Trail "deep" colors (blue, orange, yellow and turquoise) as well as pastel pink and pastel green.

The 2 cup version of this teapot is more readily found today than the 5 cup. I would place the value of a pink 2 cup Streamlined teapot in excellent condition in the $40 to $60 range. Your description does not mention the condition of your teapot. The photo does not show any obvious chips or cracks, but if such damage exists the value of the teapot will drop significantly. The photo does reveal significant crazing in the glaze. Some collectors find crazing to be attractive; others do not. Personally I prefer pieces without crazing so I would value your teapot $20 to $25 lower than the range given above. But another collector could see the crazing as a positive rather than a negative and be willing to pay more. In the end, value is in the eyes of the beholder.

Larry

Question:{mosimage}
I found this (serving) plate at a thrift shop. Fell in love with the colors. The back of the plate has a red bird, with the word REDWING creating the wings and HANDPAINTED seperating the body from the wings. I was told that the word handpainted may be an indication that it really wasn’t? Is this a real Red Wing? and if so, is there any value to it. The plate does have a very small chip on the edge, that has caused the plate to take on a slight change in color about a half inch into the plate at the chip. You can’t see the chip, but you can feel it. Thank you for any help you can give me. Joyce

Answer:
Joyce, your plate was indeed made by Red Wing. The name of the pattern is Morning Glory. This pattern was made in two colors: Morning Glory Pink and Morning Glory Blue. Yours is obviously the pink version.

Take a closer look at the mark on the back of your plate. The logo is a not a bird, it is a stylized wing. And since the color is red (or at least dark pink) it’s a RED WING, thus making it a play on the company name as well as an extension of the famous red wing used for many years on Red Wing stoneware. The RED WING letters form the feathers on the end of the wing. "Handpainted" is included because handpainted dinnerware was a Red Wing claim to fame. Most of their competition turned to other ways to decorate their dinnerware that were less labor-intensive and thus less expensive. This logo was used on Red Wing dinnerware throughout most of the 1950s.

Morning Glory is not considered a "hot" pattern by collectors, thus common serving pieces such as your plate do not have great value. The chip and discoloration on your plate significantly reduces the value because plates in excellent condition are readily available. The size of your plate was not provided; the plate in your photo could be a dinner, salad or bread & butter plate. In excellent condition these plates would be worth $5 to $15 apiece; with the described damage the values would be half or less.
Thanks

Question:
This question is for all of the experts since all of you have collections worthy of being insured. We live in an area devoid of anyone who has enough knowledge of Red Wing products to be able to give a value for insurance purposes. The foremost antique appraiser in the area has said outright that she doesn’t know much, if anything, about Red Wing. How then do we provide a statement of value that an insurance company would accept? Book value, eBay, RWCS auctions, something else? Charlotte

Answer:
I certainly don’t consider myself an expert on the subject but I’m not shy about sharing my opinions. Very few Red Wing collectors have had a formal appraisal of their collections. For most of us the cost of the appraisal exceeds the value gained. Very valuable pieces (more than $1000) might warrant an appraisal, but for most Red Wing items market value can be established in other ways.

The correspondent is on the right track. Auctions, sales, eBay, pricing books are all ways to establish market value. An actual sale of an item is a better indicator of value than a listing in a book. Generally "book value" is acceptable but sometimes the book can undervalue an item significantly. Consider saving (printout or save electronically) an eBay listing for an item that sells higher than book value. Auction results are good; an insurer would probably give more credence to a results price list from the auctioneer than one written in by hand during the auction.

The most important concern is to document ownership of your collection. I have every item we own listed on a spreadsheet which includes a detailed description of the item along with condition, date purchased and price paid. I keep a copy at home and on a disc at work. If our home is destroyed I’ll have a record of what we own. Photos and/or videos of your collection are also essential. While it would be a hassle, market value can always be established after the fact.

Larry

I agree, photo’s and documentation are most important. Book values would be ok for average items, one of a kind-rare, may be a little different for insurance. Steve n Rose