Question:

I have a set of fantasy line dinnerware complete with 12 cups and saucers, 12 small plates, 10 dinner plates, eight small bowls, serving pieces, coffee pot, sugar and creamer, butter dish and two sets of salt and pepper shakers. Is this a rare line? I can’t seem to find one piece of this design on ebay. I am interested in selling this set but I can’t figure out it’s value. Can you help me?

Thank you.

Wendy

Answer:

The Fantasy pattern isn’t rare but it can be difficult to find.  It turns up on eBay occasionally but not routinely as seen with more common patterns.  Here are values for the Fantasy items listed.  All values assume excellent condition.

Cup & saucer:  $10-15
Salad or bread plate:  $8-12
Dinner plate:  $15-20
Cereal bowl or sauce dish:  $8-10
Beverage server with cover (coffee pot): $70-80
Sugar and creamer:  $25-30
Covered butter dish:  $30-35
Salt & pepper shakers:  $25-30

Larry

Question:

Could you please tell me about this lovely rooster pitcher?  Is it Redwing?
When was it made? What was it called?  Any info would be appreciated!  Thank
you in advance.

Patricia

Answer:

The Rooster pitcher is definitely Red Wing.  It is from the Chevron dinnerware pattern, one of four patterns in Red Wing’s extensive Gypsy Trail line.  A colorful but undated brochure believed to be from 1937 introduced the Chevron pattern.  This brochure describes your pitcher as a “cocktail jug” and it came with a wooden dasher (stir stick) which is nearly impossible to find today.  Matching 4oz cups with rooster handles were also available.  Cups and the jug were available individually or as a ”Cocktail Set”.  Cocktail Sets were sold as a service for 4 or 8 and consisted of a cocktail jug with dasher and either four or eight cups and 8″ Chevron plates.  It is not known how long these cocktail items were produced, but Gypsy Trail catalogs dated 1940 and later do not include them.  The brochure lists blue, orange and ivory as the available colors but we have seen the jug in a variety of colors besides these three, including varying shades of pink and yellow.

The Rooster cocktail jug is popular with collectors.  It is considered scarce but not rare.  Value for a cocktail jug in excellent condition is around $150.

Larry

PS:  I’ve attached two photos.  One shows an orange jug with cups; the other shows a light blue jug with the wooden dasher.

Question

Hello! I have a small piece of Red Wing I picked up at an auction. I was hoping to find out its value and history. I doubt it’s a very exciting piece, but I do love it! It’s a small orange pitcher about 5 inches tall and has a chip on the rim, as seen in the photo. Any information you can share your be appreciated. Thank you for your time! -Becca

Answer

The item in the photo is a creamer from the Fondoso dinnerware pattern. The pattern was designed by Belle Kogan, a well known designer who developed several other dinnerware patterns and numerous art pottery items for Red Wing.  Fondoso is part of Red Wing’s extensive Gypsy Trail line.  The pattern was introduced in 1939 and made until around 1942.  Many different pieces were made in the Fondoso pattern, ranging from plates and bowls to pitchers, teapots, casseroles and salt & pepper shakers.

The creamer would be worth $15 to $20 in excellent condition.  With the damaged rim your creamer isn’t worth much, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy it!

Question:

Hello! Today I picked up a Random Harvest 3-tiered serving dish. I have not been able to find any information about this particular item and would appreciate anything you could share about it.

Thanks!

Beth

Answer:

Collectors refer to this as a tidbit tray.  Tidbit trays were not shown in dinnerware brochures or dealer price lists, but were included on ”Gift or Novelty” brochures.  The brochure included a disclaimer that tidbit trays could not be ordered for a specific pattern.  The factory would send whatever tidbit trays were available at the time of the order.

Tidbit trays can be found in various 1-tier, 2-tier and 3-tier configurations.  Some tidbit trays have a small bowl as the top tier.  Red Wing made and sold tidbit trays as a way to use up surplus stock.  That’s why they could not be ordered in a specific pattern.

Because they were not standard dinnerware production items, some collectors feel tidbit trays have no value; that are merely plates and bowls ruined by drilling a hole in the middle.  Other collectors believe they have value because they were assembled by Red Wing workers and offered for sale as novelty items.  A 3-tiered tidbit tray in excellent condition is worth around $25.

Larry

Question:

HI , my name is Corrina just found this really nice red wing flour scoop and was curios of the year and value . Thank you so much Corrina

Answer:

This item is from the Ceramastone line, Red Wing’s final line of dinnerware.  It was made in 1966-1967.  Red Wing brochures refer to this piece as a “Handled Serving Dish”.  This dark brown dish was intended to be used with either the Hearthstone Beige or Heatherstone patterns.  Value is around $25 if it is in excellent, undamaged condition.

Larry

Question:

Hello,

I purchased this piece of pottery the other day and it says Redwing on the bottom(barely visible in the last picture).  Is this a Gypsy Trail Ware piece?  Can you tell me a little bit about it and its value. Also, there is a very slight crack that is very hard to see, how will that affect the value?

Thank you!

Marc

Answer:

In the early 1940s Red Wing produced numerous different fruit-shaped items as part of the Gypsy Trail Hostess Ware line. These items didn’t belong to a specific Gypsy Trail pattern; they were intended to be compatible with the entire Gypsy Trail line.  Your apple casserole was introduced in 1940 along with three sizes of bowls, casseroles, cookie jars, marmalade jars and marmites in the shapes of apples, pears and pineapples. These fruit-shaped items were made for several years then phased out. By 1944 all of them were discontinued.

A turquoise 9.5 inch apple casserole in excellent condition is worth $30-35.  Any damage reduces the value of dinnerware significantly.  My rule of thumb is to reduce the value by 25 to 75% or more depending on the extent and location of the damage.  An average hairline crack would reduce the value by about 50%.  A long hairline of several inches would reduce the value by more than short hairline.  Damage is difficult to evaluate without actually seeing the item.

Larry

Question:

I was wondering if you can tell me how much these pieces from a set of Redwing Dinnerware – Golden Viking pattern 1956 – is worth.

9 Saucers – 4 excellent condition and 5 w/small chips
5 Cups – 3 cup excellent and 2 w/small chips
1 Butter Dish w/lid (dish is chipped)
6 Bowls – Excellent condition
1 Coffee Carafe w/lid – Excellent condition
1 Relish Dish – Excellent condition
1 Platter – Excellent condition
1 Oval Bowl – Excellent condition
4 8.5″ Plates -3 are excellent and 1 has a small chip

Would you know of any collectors that may be interested in purchasing any orf these pieces?

Thank You! Dan

Answer: Dan

Values for items shown in the photo:
Cups – These cups were not made by Red Wing and are not part of the Golden Viking pattern.
Saucers – $5-10 each
Butter Dish w/lid – $40
Sauce Bowls – $5-10 each
Coffee Carafe w/lid – $70-80
Relish Dish – $20-25
Platter – $20-25
Oval Veg Bowl – $20-25 each
8.5″ Plates – $5-10

These values are for items in excellent condition.  I do not assign dollar values to damaged items unless I have a clear image of the flaw.   Any damage will reduce the value significantly, generally by 25 to 75% depending on the extent and location of the damage.

Larry

Question:

Hi!

I acquired this set of, what I think is, Oomph dinnerware last summer.  I am curious to the value of this set and if I decide to sell it, where/how I would do that.

It’s not a complete set and some of the pieces have small chips. Any information you have is greatly appreciated!

Answer:

The dinnerware in the photo is not Oomph, which was dark brown and green and made in the 1940s.  This rust colored dinnerware was known as Provincial and was made in the early 1960s.  It was made to go with the Provincial Bakeware set of casseroles, bean pots, and other baking dishes.  Provincial dinnerware is hard to find today but it doesn’t attract much attention from collectors, probably because due to the limited number of items included in the pattern.

Can’t really tell from the photo but this appears to be a service for eight with a few accessory pieces included.  If all pieces were in mint condition I would put the value of this collection at $300 to $400.  Any damage reduces the value considerably, usually by 25 to 75% or more.  The more severe the damage, the greater the reduction.  The salt & pepper shakers, sugar and creamer, and the butter dish are the most valuable pieces in this collection.  If they are in undamaged condition it might be worthwhile to offer them separately from the rest of the set.

Larry

Question:

I got this can you tell me what it is and how old it is.

Answer:

Your pitcher is a Streamlined water jug. In 1940 Red Wing introduced several items under the name “Streamlined” as part of the company’s rapidly expanding Gypsy Trail Hostess Ware line. Each piece in the Streamlined group had a design on each side that consisted of three raised ovals of decreasing size on top of each other. The items were a 64 oz water jug, covered ice box jug, 8″ and 9″ covered casseroles, and 2 cup and 5 cup covered teapots. The water jug had an over-the-top handle and was the only Streamlined item that did not have a cover. By June 1942 the water pitcher was the only remaining Streamlined item in the catalog and by 1944 it too had been discontinued. In later years the pitcher as listed as “Modern” rather than Streamlined. This pitcher was available several colors including yellow, blue, turquoise, orange, pink, green and cream ivory. Value for a turquoise Streamlined pitcher in excellent condition is around $50 if it is in excellent condition.

Question:

I have 40 pieces. Overall, It appears the set has never been used. Below is a detailed list of each item. 29 pieces have very minor chips, varying from 1-4 chips on sides and backs. 11 pieces are damage free. If you want more information and photos, I have approximately 97 photos of each piece. The photos include the chips, any factory defects and the marked number of the piece.  I really appreciate any help and information you may be able to assist me in knowing what I have in my possession. My Mother passed away in October 2013. The dinnerware was in storage and this is the first I have laid eyes on it. Again thank you for your time.

Suzie

Answer:

The cactus-themed pattern you have is called Desert.  It is very popular with collectors and not easy to find. Desert was one of two patterns in the Fancy Free line, the other was Caprice. The Fancy Free patterns were designed by Belle Kogan, a well-known designer from New York who produced many art pottery designs for Red Wing and also a few dinnerware patterns.

Fancy Free plates and bowls featured a rolled rim that was very susceptible to chipping. Pieces in mint condition are scarce. These patterns were introduced in 1952 and were made for only a brief period probably being discontinued in 1953.   They are rather scarce today and are desired by western motif collectors as well as Red Wing Dinnerware collectors.

Unfortunately, damage reduces the value of the items significantly.  Damaged items are usually worth only 50% or less, sometimes much less, than undamaged items.  The prices I have listed for each of the items you show in the picture are for undamaged items and represent only my estimate of the value if the item were undamaged.

The numbers on the back of the items had significance only for the Red Wing Potteries so you may disregard them.

2 – 9 1/3 x 8 1/2 Bowls, mark on the back of the bowl $50.00 to $60.00 each (they were called a Nappy)

5 – 11″ Plates, $100.00 each

1 – 13 1/2 Serving Platter, $60.00 to $90.00

6 – 5 3/4 x 5 1/4 Fruit Bowls, $20.00 to $30.00 each

4 – 6 3/4 x 6 1/4 Bowls, $25.00 to $35.00 each (these were called cereal

bowls)

5 – 6 7/8 x 6 cup saucer (saucer alone $5.00 to $8.00 each)

6 – 7 1/4 x 6 1/2 Plates  $20.00 to $30.00 each

4 – coffee cups $20.00 to $30.00 (cup and saucer combinations each)

1 – sugar bowl w/lid $30.00 to $50.00

1 – creamer bowl  $30.00 to $50.00

1 – gravy bowl $30.00 to $45.00 (it was sold with a tray)

1 – butter dish with lid $60.00 to $90.00

1 – 9 1/4 x 4 serving platter $30.00 to $50.00 (it was called a Pickle Dish)

1 – 11 2/3 x 5 2/3 serving platter $30.00 to $50.00 (it was called a Celery

Dish)

1 – 12 x 6 1/2 divided 3 section serving platter $40.00 to $60.00 (it was called a Relish Dish)

Terry