Question About Red Wing Pottery

[hosman321]

I just bought my first piece of pottery, a Red Wing Crock. While browsing the history, I came across this timeline.

http://www.redwingpottery.com/history.htm

I was also browsing Craigslist for crocks. I am interested in this one but I am confused about it. Why does it have a patent date of 1945-Red Wing Stoneware Co. when the Red Wing Stoneware Company was gone by 1906? Is it a repro?
http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/atq/1788437715.html

[waywardangler]

I think they read the patent date wrong because it is probably smudged or blurred.  I live an hours drive from Red Wing MN and see many crocks in this area.  $60 for a 6 gallon with a hairline and bail handles is a little high in today's market.  A friend of mine recently bought a perfect 15 gallon with birch leaves (earlier mark) for $75 at a farm auction.  He collected Red Wing for years and when he was actively buying, that crock was $150+. I have bought perfect Red Wing stoneware kitchen bowls in perfect condition recently for $5.  I think the market is low unless a really rare piece comes up.

[hosman321]

Yeah, they must have read it wrong I suppose. Around here, that's a pretty fair price. I was gonna offer them less.They aren't really rare or anything around here but they aren't a common sight either. I was a bit disappointed to find out my first one was made in the 30's-60's. I didn't know any better. It's a 3 gallon and I got it for $40 at my favorite antiques store yesterday. It was tagged at $50. Now that I know which companies to look for, I'll get an older one next time. I still love it. Crocks can be used for so many things, it'd be nice to have a few of them. I really wanted the huge ones they had (I think 20 gallon) but they were $90 and I'm trying to be good.

[hosman321]

I was so curious, I had to write them and ask if they could take a pic of the date. I am really wondering about it now

[talesofthesevenseas]

I have been looking at the old pottery salt and butter crocks thinking I could use one as a short cookie jar. There is a whole lot to learn about crocks in general and some seem to be quite collectable. Some of the rare advertising crocks demand hella high prices, although some of these seem inflated for the times. For example...
I was watching this one that went on Ebay for $129
http://cgi.ebay.com/S-S-Pierce-Boston-advertising-lidded-stoneware-crock-/190401215049?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Antiques_Decorative_Arts&hash=item2c54cbfa49
and it is listed in multiple places on line as selling in the $900 range:
http://www.louwersantiques.net/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=44751

[waywardangler]

Yes, my wife has rugs rolled up in a 10 gal. crock, kitchen utensils in a small one gallon crock, crocks on the front porch for display, and damaged crocks in the garden for plants.  If you do not care what brand of crock you use, Western crocks are a fraction of the price of Red Wing (at least here).  I paid $10 for the perfect 10 gal Western with bail handles and $25 for a perfect large wing 4 gal. Red Wing.  Unmarked small crocks here are normally $1-5.  The ones that bring big money here are the 40-60 gal. ones and lids for the same.  

As I was about to post, your reply came in so I looked some info up...in 1915 wire handles on 4-30 gal. crocks were patented.  I also am betting that crock is marked Red Wing Union Stoneware which existed from 1906-1936.  The red wing on their crocks came into use after 1906 and before 1909 and was the standard trademark for The Red Wing Union Stoneware Co. and continued until the end in 1936.  So the crock you are interested in dates between 1915-1936.

[hosman321]

I have been watching this one tales, I love it.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110546756833&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

[waywardangler]

Oh, oh.  Advertising crocks, bowls, and stoneware are a different animal hosman.  Some serious money goes for these.  I cannot touch a Red Wing beater bowl in my area for less than $150 depending on the town/store it is marked with and condition.  $400 is not unheard of.

[hosman321]

I know man, they are awesome. I love the ones with phone numbers like that bowl. I think I saw one at the antique shop last night but I didn't have time to look through everything because we got there 20 minutes before closing. I love that shop, it's like one gigantic treasure hoard and I dive in head-first every time. There's a reason I drive 40 minutes to get there and drive past all the other shops.
They had some little ones with patent dates in the 1800's that were like $40. Could talk them down to $30 I'm sure. I just didn't have the time this time, maybe next week.

[talesofthesevenseas]

I am kind of regretting having not bid on the S.S. Pierce crock, especially since that store was right down the street from where some of my family lived in Boston, which is kinda cool. After seeing them in the $900's I figure it would go way out of my range, but it didn't. Darn. I'm keeping an eye out for one with a lot of cobalt blue color to sit on the possum belly Hoosier.

[talesofthesevenseas]

Another really desireable crock is the "Old Sleepy Eye" Native American one. I've been watching the price rising up, up and up on this one. Notice that it is missing the lid and the seller is charging $40 to ship it! It ends in a few minutes and it will be interesting to see what the final price will be:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Old-Sleepy-Eye-Stoneware-Butter-Crock-/170497626000?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Antiques_Decorative_Arts&hash=item27b2734f90

[talesofthesevenseas]

$287.00 plus $40 to ship. Interesting history on those Sleepy Eye pieces though. The bowls were given away as freebies in sacks of flour from the Old Sleepy Eye Milling Co. of Sleepy Eye MN from about 1882 through the early 20's. The real Sleepy Eye (Ish Tak Ha ba) was a Sioux Chief. and the pottery pieces show classic Native American scenes with his likeness. Pretty cool. Now if I could just find one at a garage sale for three bucks...

[waywardangler]

There were more than just bowls for the flour.  Postcards, pitchers, signs, and I can't remember what else.  I live about 150 miles from Sleepy Eye MN and I have never seen anything at a garage sale.  I have seen pieces at auctions but the prices were also up there.  As soon as good graphics and advertising and age are combined, collectors love it and they still love Sleepy Eye!

[hosman321]

Ok, I've got another question about crocks. But I didn't want to clog up the forum. I have this exact same crock and I'm trying to figure out how to date it.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Weymans-Snuff-clay-jar-pot-TALL-RARE-one-/330403880108?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ced9b1cac
George Weyman started the company in 1822. Weyman's sons took over the company in the 1860's. In the 1870's the name changed to Weyman & Bros. After that the company had several name changes. How on earth do I date this crock when it's had so many different Weyman names? Is it from the early to mid 1800's or is it from the early 1900's?
It is marked "Weyman's Snuff."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copenhagen_tobacco
It seems to me like they would start stamping it "Weyman Bros." when the company name changed in the 1870's. No?

[waywardangler]

I am no expert on this but I would think it would date to when they packaged snuff in this stoneware jar.  I do not think name changes of companies carry over to their packaging unless it was easy to change like in printed items.  Weyman's Snuff could be for any company name and is describing the brand and contents.  If their snuff was always called "Weyman's", then they could use that stamp forever.  I would think the stoneware was phased out when tin containers or some other packaging came into favor.