Question:

I have a hamms popcorn bowl in excellent condition. I would like to know its worth.

Answer:
A large 12 inch Hamms bowl in excellent condition is worth $400-500.

Larry

Question:

I recieved this from a coworker and decided to research it.  It seems that this is a rare pitcher in the Rum rill 547 pottery collection.  If I am correct made in 1978 as a Commenorative piece. Can you verify my findings and tell me the approximate value.

Answer:

The photo shows a 547 ball pitcher and the color is known as Scarlet & Bay.  No photo of the bottom of this pitcher was included, but most likely it is marked 547 RUMRILL or RUMMRILL.  This pitcher is fairly common, not rare.  Red Wing produced this pitcher for several different lines.   Pitchers marked RUMRILL or RUMMRILL were glazed with art pottery colors for George RumRill’s sales company.   Pitchers marked RED WING also were glazed with art pottery colors and sold by Red Wing.  The 547 pitcher was also a part of the Gypsy Trail dinnerware line for many years and can be found nearly all of the colors used for Gypsy Trail items over the years.   Value for the Scarlet & Bay pitcher in the photo is $40-50 if it is in excellent condition. 

Larry

Question:

What, exactly, is this? A lunch hour piece?

Answer:

The Indian figure is a logo used by the Red Wing sewer pipe company.  The Indian is carrying a section of sewer pipe.  The mug appears to be modified Town & Country coffee mug and was likely made of the same clay used to produce sewer pipe.  Not sure of the time frame but it was made no earlier than 1947 (when T&C was introduced) and more likely sometime in the 1950s or 1960s.

Question:

Hello,

I recently purchased this pitcher at a yard sale despite the sloppy repaired handle. My intentions was to place this pitcher in a certain location based on the colors/design.Unfortunately,the height of pitcher was too tall and I can not use the pitcher. I was reading/researching your site and noticed that you said the pitchers were a bit scarce. Do you think a damages/repaired piece can still be sold? I would hate to throw away something if someone could use/want it. I would appreciate your thoughts/comments and thank you in advance for your time and talent, it is appreciated.

Pattie

Answer:

Thank you the compliment; it’s nice to be appreciated!  Your photo shows a Pepe water pitcher and they are quite difficult to find.  Collectors prefer pieces in undamaged condition, of course.  But scarce items with some damage will interest collectors who are willing to settle for a placeholder until a better example is available.  It is difficult to place a value on a damaged item, and the photo shows a crack on the handle but doesn’t clearly show the extent of the damage.  In my opinion a broken and repaired handle would reduce the value considerably, probably a 50 to 75% reduction in value as compared to a pitcher in mint condition.  If the repair was done poorly and cannot be corrected the reduction may be even greater.  But since a mint Pepe water pitcher is worth over $100 there will be somebody who would want it even with the broken handle.

Larry

Question:

I have a couple of pictures of Redwing and was wondering if you could give me a value…the china is nnot a full set, but there are alot of pieces there.

thanks,

Jean 

Answer:

The photos show items from the Brittany pattern, which was made from 1941 to 1950.  The candle holders are by far the most valuable pieces in this collection IF they are in excellent condition.   Most examples have damage, usually a broken and repaired upright leaf or chips around the bowl of the holder.  Damage reduces the values provided below by 25 to 75% or more depending on the extent and location of the damage.  The values presented here assume excellent, undamaged condition.

Candle holders:  $75-100 pair

Platter 12 inch:  $25-35

Dinner plate:  $10-15

Salad plate:  $5-10

Bread & butter plate: $5-10

Cup & saucer:  $10-15

Casserole with cover:  $25-35

Sugar with cover:  $15-20

Creamer:  $15-20

Salt & pepper:  $20-25 pair

Large bowl:  $15-20

Small bowl:  $5-10

Larry

Question:

Attached are photos of a Red Wing pottery plate, a prototype 15 inch “Lady Slipper” plate possibly from the 1950′s, that never went into production.  My sister, who has the plate, is looking for “official” authentication. 

There are no Red Wing markings on the back of the plate (second attachment), possibly because this was a prototype and not a production item. 

According to my mother, the plate in the photos was one of a possible twelve sample plates made.  She said that it was purchased by my grandmother at the old showroom.

I trust this inquiry will be taken seriously.  My father, and later my mother, managed the Red Wing Pottery factory store in Rapid City from it’s opening in 1960 until it closed.  Her verbal authentication has been good enough for us so far.

Answer:

From 1935 to 1943 Red Wing made a 15 inch plate as part of the extensive Gypsy Trail line.  This plate was promoted as a chop plate or sandwich tray and was available in the standard Gypsy Trail colors (blue, turquoise, yellow, orange and ivory).  The owner’s photo shows a plate that with a floral decoration that appears to have been painted on a white 15 inch Gypsy Trail chop plate. 

A few years ago a 15 inch plate with a similar floral pattern was listed several times on the eBay auction site.  This gives credence to the owner’s statement that his plate was one of 12 sample plates that were made.   But the eBay plate generated some controversy among dinnerware collectors because of the number of rings on the back of the plate.  Known Red Wing plates of this size have an outer foot ring plus one additional inner ring.  The owner’s plate and the eBay plate both have two inner rings rather than one.  We have also found 15” chop plates with two inner rings in the standard Gypsy Trail colors.  The diameters of the broad rim and the plate itself also seem to differ slightly.  The rim on my plate is about 2.5 inches wide and the plate is 14.75 inches in diameter.  The plate in your photo appears to have a 3 inch rim and the plate is nearly 15 inches in diameter. 

To this point we have not been able to prove or disprove whether these 15” chop plates with two inner rings were made by Red Wing or by a competitor.  It’s possible the single inner ring plates were made earlier in production and at some point Red Wing made a change to two inner rings with slightly different diameters.  But we have no documentation on the subject.  Brochures do not include exact measurements and show only the front surface of the plate, not the bottom.  We also have seen no documentation on group of 12 sample plates.  Without a company mark on this plate and given the concern about the number of rings, it is not possible to say with certainty that this sample plate was made by Red Wing.  Also, most Red Wing sample plates had markings of some kind on the back.  The word “sample”, glaze codes or temperature codes were usually present on samples.  More likely this plate would be a “lunch hour” piece made by a pottery worker for personal use or as a gift for a family member or friend.  Most lunch hour dinnerware pieces were made in the mid 1940s to early 1950s; the plate and the glaze colors used on this plate fit that period. 

Bottom line:  In my opinion this plate was made as a lunch hour piece by a Red Wing Potteries worker.  But it’s only my opinion since we have no documentation to prove it. 

Larry

Question: Hello, I have a Red Wing Carousel cookie jar like the one that sold in March. I would like to place an ad in the Red Wing Collector’s newsletter. Would you be able to tell me what year(s) that jar was produced? It’s in perfect shape with the Red Wing stamp on the bottom.  Thank you, Lori

Answer:

I have not seen documentation that would confirm the introduction year of the Carousel cookie jar. White Carousel jars are marked on the bottom with an ink stamp that was used from 1941 to the late 1940s.  Early 1940s catalogs that include the Chef, Katrina and Friar cookie jars do not include Carousel.  Thus I believe white Carousel cookie jars were likely made in the mid to late 1940s.  In the mid 1950s Red Wing reintroduced several older cookie jars in new glazes.  A January 1956 brochure includes a Carousel cookie jar with a fleck green glaze, but does not include a white version.  These green jars would be marked with the reddish-pink wing ink stamp that was used from 1950-1957. 

Larry

Question:

Hi,

I have a large Red Wing Pottery salad bowl in the Round Up pattern.  I got it for a wedding present 44 years ago and it has never been used.  How much is it worth?
Thank you,

Nancy

Answer:

The bowl in question is apparently a 12 inch salad bowl.  The interior of the Round Up 12″ salad bowl is decorated three cowboys sitting on a fence, a cowboy on a horse, and a cactus.  In mint condition it is worth around $150.  If the bowl also includes a steer in the center being roped by the cowboy on the horse, then it is from the Chuck Wagon pattern and worth about twice as much.

Larry

Question:

Hi,
I have a set of Red Wing Hearthstone dishes. There are different numbers on the back of the plates.  What do the numbers mean?    What is the best way to find the value and where to sell??  Is it better to sell as a set to someone or piece it out on E-bay?

The set I have includes;
   11 – 10″ plates
   13 -  7 1/4″ plates
     7 – bowls  (1 has a chip)
     2 – 9 1/4″ serving bowls
     1 -  9 1/2 x 13″ platter
    15 – cups
    13 – saucers
      1 – 5 1/2″ shallow bowl
      1 – 6 3/4″ plate
      1 – salt & pepper shakers
      1 – cream & sugar bowl  ( lid has a chip)
      1 – handled serving dish
      1 – pour serving w/handle
 
I also have a 7 1/2″ mixing bowl, sponge painted, no markings, but I think it is Red Wing.

Thanks

Larry

Answer:

The photo shows a collection of Greenwichstone dinnerware, not Hearthstone.   Both are patterns made in the Ceramastone shape, Red Wing’s final line of dinnerware.  The Ceramastone line was introduced mid 1966 and made until Red Wing Potteries closed about a year later.  The numbers on the back of the plates are stock or lot numbers from the production process; they do not identify the item or pattern.  I cannot advise on the best way for your to sell your dinnerware because much depends on your individual situation.  Please see the FAQ section of this web site to review factors that can help you decide how to sell your Red Wing items. 

The values below assume excellent undamaged condition.   Any damage reduces the value, usually in the range of 25 to 75% depending on the extent and location of the damage.

Dinner plate 10”:  $10-15

Salad plate 7.25”:   $5-10

Bread & butter plate 6.5”:  $5-10

Cereal/salad bowl:  $5-10

Sauce dish 5.5” bowl: $5-10

Vegetable bowl 9”:  $10-15

Platter 13”:  $15-20

Cup & Saucer:  $5-10

Salt & Pepper:  $15-20

Creamer:  $10-15

Sugar bowl with cover:  $10-15

Handled serving dish:  $20-25

Gravy boat (serving dish with handle and pour spout):  $15-20

The spongeware bowl in the second photo does appear to be Red Wing but it is stoneware, not dinnerware, and thus does not fall within my area of expertise.

Larry

Question:

To Whom It May Concern:

My husband recently became the owner of his parents’ estate, which included a worn box marked “antique china” that neither he nor his brother had seen before. When it was opened a couple of weeks ago, we found that it was a pattern marked “Red Wing” and said it was “hand painted” with the logo. This morning, while browsing your website, it appears that we have pieces of “Lexington”, from the “Concord” collection.

There are 12 dinner plates, 6 salad plates and 8 cup saucers. The dinner and salad plates all appear to be in excellent condition with no swirling/cracking of the glaze, nor chips. However, at least 5 of the saucers have slight chips to one edge and 3 or 4 have “cracking” in the glaze in circular patterns around the center of the saucer. At this point, we have found no other pieces of the set, but did find that they were wrapped in a January 31, 1985 edition of the Minneapolis Star and Tribune. It has not seen daylight since that time.

I have attached photos for your review. Could you please give us an idea of the rarity and valuation of these pieces of dinnerware? Additionally, could you add the “what if” we were to find additional pieces to this set (for instance, the cups)?

We appreciate your time and assistance,

Cindy

Answer:

The photos do indeed show a dinner plate, salad plate and saucer from the Lexington pattern, one of many patterns produced in the Concord shape.  Lexington was introduced in 1941 and made until 1955.  The pattern sold well for 15 years and most Lexington pieces are not difficult to find today.  The cracking in the glaze is called “crazing” and it results from the glaze shrinking at a different rate than the underlying clay.  It was a common problem with Red Wing dinnerware made prior to around 1950. 

Standard place settings (plates, bowls, cups & saucers) were made during all 15 years of production, thus they are easily found today.  In the late 1940s and early 1950s additional items were added to all Concord patterns being produced at the time, including Lexington.  But because those items were made for fewer years they can be more difficult to find today and thus more valuable.  Examples include the spoon rest, egg plate with cover, divided vegetable dish, celery dish beverage server with cover, coffee cup (deep sided, not tea cup), and supper trays.  The values below are for Lexington items in excellent, undamaged condition with little or no crazing or stains.  Damage reduces the value by 25-75% or more depending on the extent of the damage and the location. 

Dinner plate:  $10-15

Salad plate:  $7.50-10

Saucer:  $5-7

Cup & saucer:  $10-12

Larry