A collector's guide to collecting practically anything

Before Christmas, I came across two Fiesta finds (okay, steals) on ebay.  One was a Riviera "Mexicana" platter that the seller had mismarked as Universal Potteries.  (A quick lookup with Google confirmed that Universal Potteries never made ANYTHING that looked like Riviera.)  The platters, whether solid or decaled like the one I bought, typically start at $25 and go up from there  I was the lone bidder so I got it for the opening bid of $12.99.

The other was a Kitchen Kraft cake plate for $0.99 that typically commands a $30 to $75 pricetag. The seller described it as "unmarked Fiesta plate," but I knew what it was when I spotted the photo.

I felt like the American Pickers, except I only had to tap a few keystrokes and know what I was looking at to unearth my treasures.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, Mr. Official and I scouted out the Fiesta dish "outlet" on Sevierville Highway as we headed home from Gatlinburg several weeks ago.  They had some nice vintage pieces, along with new factory seconds and (maybe) first quality items, which were overpriced. Shrug. We were in a tourist trap, so the markup was expected and it was still fun to look.

Among the vintage pieces was a stack of cream soup bowls they had tagged for $65 each.  Which is about the going rate if you have pristine-quality pieces and a willing buyer.  (I paid about $10 each for mine, and accepted a couple with chips in the mix.)  But, here's the kicker:  they had marked them as onion soup bowls, which retail for about ten times that amount.

Now granted, for those of us living in 2012, we don't usually differentiate between cream soup and onion soup bowls.  Even our fussiest china dishes probably have just a single bowl for each place setting, and it serves soup, cereal, ice cream, fruit, pudding or whatever requires a bowl.  But back in the day, there were special dishes and serving pieces for just about everything.  And whether you know Fiesta or not, there's no mistaking these two pieces once you see them:

Cream soup bowls with lug handles

Onion soup bowls with Nautilus handles and lids

Let's hope no unsuspecting buyer thinks they're getting a steal based on the misleading tag, which could happen if you just know the Fiesta lore and know that onion soup bowls are exceedingly rare and expensive.

I have collected things just because I liked them, and didn't really care what they were called or what they were worth because I wasn't spending much on any of them.

a "pig in a poke"

In fact, that's how my Fiesta collection began.  Along with several plant collections (roses, hostas, daylilies, heucheras...the list goes on.)

But I caution anyone who is ready to move from dabbling dilettante to serious collector to do your homework first. You don't need to become a walking encyclopedia of details on the object of your desire, but at least know where to go for answers before you get caught up in the excitement of finding a treasure.  It might be a great buy, or it might turn out to be a proverbial "pig in a poke."

I've found the more I learn about Fiesta, the more I appreciate the pieces I come across.  Sometimes I have the fun of unearthing a piece from the dark, dusty recesses of a salvage store.  I wipe away layers of dirt and grime to see it is, then try to act nonchalant as I hand it to the cashier.  Other times, I simply admire a gleaming, beautiful piece that is proudly displayed by someone who knows what they have, and what it's worth. 

So what do you collect, and why do you love it?

Happy collecting,

O Fiesta tree, how lovely are thy branches...

I don't know about you, but I'm neck-deep in my annual Christmas tree trim-a-thon, with four trees getting all decked out.  If you stop by for a visit, be prepared:  this week my house looks like Hobby Lobby exploded, with tubs and bags and boxes strewn around.  It was clean last week and it'll be clean next week but there's just no way to put up Christmas decorations without making a mess.  If there is, please let me know - I haven't found it yet.

The first one to go up was my kitchen tree.  For years I gave up precious kitchen counter space to a small kitchen tree, decorated with vintage cookie cutters from my childhood, cinnamon "gingerbread" ornaments and other kitchen items.

This year brought us to a new house with a bigger kitchen. That could only mean only one thing, right?  Bring on a bigger kitchen tree!  I spied a 5-foot alpine-type tree on sale before Thanksgiving, and I dragged it home.

But long before I "felled" the new tree, I was hunting down Fiesta ornaments.  I snagged some off eBay and a few more at the October Nashville Flea Market - an even dozen Fiesta disks and  miniature pitchers.   It's not enough to fill the entire tree, but it gave it a theme.  Then I tucked in old and reproduction kitchen utensils and hung my Christmas cookie cutters and used ric-rac in Fiesta turquoise, red, orange, yellow and chartreuse to hang everything.

As I began writing this post, I assumed I would find countless other Fiesta collectors' Christmas trees on parade in blogs and websites. In fact, I had high hopes of finding some inspiring ideas to copy - after all, Fiesta has been making and licensing ornaments for quite some time.  But I found nary a mention of a Fiesta Christmas tree.  C'mon, fellow pottery lovers - surely there are other collectors who do a Christmas homage to your favorite dishes, too!

Without further ado, here's my new kitchen tree, next to the hutch filled with my vintage Fiesta pieces:

And here's the "big picture" view, with my new eBay bargains: a Fiesta Riviera platter and Kitchen Kraft cake plate (plus my existing Kitchen Kraft red and green bowls) perched merrily on top of the hutch.  The vintage tins in the apple basket beneath the tree are on standby - next week they'll start filling up with homemade candies and cookies, then stored in the freezer until time to serve or make up plates of sweet treats to give away.

And here's Luci, who has decided this is HER favorite tree - at least until the others are up and she can check each of them for napping spots.

So how many trees do YOU decorate?  I try not to play favorites, but I really do heart this tree and I smile every time I pass by it.  (Don't tell the other trees, please? They are special, too!)

Happy Christmas decorating,

 

Fiesta Friday: Having a ball, tilting at pitchers

My collection of obsession (?) with vintage and new Fiesta and bowls is well-known and chronicled.

But a few recent jaunts to local antique stores started me in another direction:  ball jugs, also known as tilt pitchers.  These are easily recognized by their bulbous (err ball) shapes and tilting spouts.

From what I can tell, Homer Laughlin did not produce ball jugs under the Fiesta name.  They did produce two sizes of ball-shaped pitchers under the Harlequin line in the 1940s through late '50s; a small creamer and a larger water jug.  Neither was marked on the bottom and there are several other ball pitchers from the same era that are extremely similar to the larger pitcher in terms of shape and colors.Here's the real deal - the full-size jug and creamer:

The creamer is easily recognizable by the concentric rings around the widest part of the jug:

These were made in the typical Harlequin colors:  green, yellow, turquoise, and mauve and stand about 3 1/2 inches tall and 5 inches wide.  This yellow jug was sold to me as a Hall creamer.  I was too polite to argue with dealer, but I was pretty sure those concentric rings meant Homer Laughlin China and I got a steal for $5.  I've never personally seen a Hall ball-shaped creamer in that size, although a few pieces on eBay are sold as such (they usually have a white interior and may be Cronin, not Hall.)

The larger ball jugs (aka service water pitcher) are 7 1/4 inches tall by 8 1/2 inches wide. They too  have the trademark rings around the bottom.  That makes it easy to spot them in antique and thrift stores, but they may be obscured in blurry eBay photos, and if the seller isn't aware (or doesn't care), you may get rooked into bidding on something else (many pottery manufacturers were located in or near East Liverpool, Ohio and produced similar pieces during this period.)

The large Harlequin jugs came in shades of maroon, rose and spruce as well as "atomic (uranium) red" and mauve (which is more blue than pink), yellow, turquoise and gray.  Full retail rate for one in good to excellent condition is $80-$150, so if you find one without cracks or chips for less than that, you may have a good deal on your hands.

The only ball jug I've seen with a similar ringed pattern is this one from Bauer:  Notice the deep grooves and position of the rings on the ball;

In comparison, the full-size Harlequin jugs' rings are much more subtle and on the large jug, are positioned lower, near the base of the pitcher:

If you're curious, here's a small sampling of the ball jugs you may find in your forays, starting with spruce green.

The pitcher on the left is the Harlequin full-size jug. On the right is the Hall jug, also in spruce.  Very similar in looks and price, but the concentric rings around the bottom third of the Harlequin jug (or lack of them) will help you differentiate between them.

This piece is marked "Fiesta USA" but the stamp is not the genuine Homer Laughlin stamp and the handle is very different from the Harlequin ball jug's handle.

Here are some examples of the red jugs commonly found online and in antique stores.

 On the left is a Harlequin in "Atomic Red", and on the right is Cronin's (sometimes sold as "Sevilla") small creamer; Cronin also made a full-size version, with the same interior.  (However, I've also seen at least a cobalt blue Cronin pitcher that was blue on the inside as well.  Know your markings!

On the left is a Redwing Rumrill jug with a red-glazed spout and white interior; On the right is the Hall pitcher in "Chinese Red" which often commands a high price - note the white spout AND interior.

For fun, here are a couple of red ball pitchers that would never be mistaken for Fiesta or Harlequin, but are cute and retro in their own right; they would fit in with the bright pottery of mid 20th century.

On the left is a ribbed jug which is not pottery, but fired-on glass.  It was a popular promotional pitcher offered through Kix cereal, produced by Hazel-Atlas in various colors (there are matching tumblers, too.) Occasionally a light green version will be labeled as Jadite, but if you're a Jadite collector, you should already know your prices, manufacturers and styles before you get too excited; as far as I know, Hazel-Atlas never made Jadite.

On the right is a "Tomato Ware" piece (part of the "Pantry Parade" line produced in the '40s by Stanford Pottery; they also produced dishes in "corn" and "strawberry" patterns.)

There are other colors in Harlequin, but for brevity, we'll end with pretty in pink. Harlequin called this color rose, but the full-size pitcher on the left appears almost salmon, at least in the photo.  A smaller creamer-size pictures shows the concentric rings, which immediately differentiate it from other manufacturers' pieces.

Taylor and McCoy made pretty--and pretty similar--jugs, also in rose:   

If you're trying to distinguish between these two, the Taylor jug will be marked with USA in capital letters, while a McCoy jug will have a distinctive M or Mc mark.

So there's a quick overview of just some of the American ball jugs and tilt pitchers out there.  There were and are other manufacturers but these represent the most similar and pieces widely available in thrift and antique stores and online.

All of these jugs are bold, highly stylized and iconic pieces. They speak of an era where beverages required a container (there were no plastic milk jugs or cartons) and sensibilities demanded the pitchers should coordinate with the table service.

The jugs are great for using or displaying; the smaller jugs benefit from an eye-level display so they can be seen up close.  They are all great collector's pieces, but as with any vintage or antique items if you're limiting your collection to one brand, it's wise to familiarize yourself with exactly what you're looking for (size, colors, etc.) and the typical prices for those pieces so you will know what's a good deal and what isn't.

Happy collecting,