Abingdon Pottery Cookie Jars

Both of the pictured cookie jars were made by Abington Potteries in the Mid-40s.  They were made very similar in size and pretty much look and feel.  What is the difference between the two cookies jars, besides the obvious?  One is white and one is black for sure and their hand-painted decorations are different as well.   However, the major difference between the two is their value; the Mammy (black) cookie jar is worth in the range of $800, the Little Ol’ Lady cookie jar more in the range of about $150-$200.

The price disparity has nothing to do with one being black and one being white.  In fact, the Little Ol’ Lady cookie jar was made both in black and white.  The price disparity has more to do with the quantity made; many of the Little Ol’ Lady cookie jars were made by the company while only a very limited number of Mammy cookie jars were made.  These were given as prizes to pottery distributors who achieved certain sales goals at the time.  Experts can only tell them apart by the slight shape difference and the type of glaze used.

To make matters even more confusing, Abingdon Potteries were not the only ones to make Mammy cookie jars.  About the same time period, McCoy Pottery, which is a well-known name amongst collectors, was also making them.  These are also very collectible and appeal to many different types of collectors.  And whether they were made by McCoy or Abingdon, because of their popularity and worth, many unscrupulous dealers have made reproductions and fakes.  Collectors beware.

Little Red Riding Hood Cookie Jars Made by Hull Pottery

Looking on eBay recently I spotted a cookie jar up for auction that was billed as a McCoy Pottery Little Red Riding Hood cookie jar. Is this a real McCoy Pottery cookie jar or a fake? McCoy Pottery was started in 1910 by the father and son team of Nelson and J.W. McCoy in Roseville, Ohio. In the mid-1920’s, they started producing and selling art pottery. However, most experts agree that McCoy Pottery never produced a Little Red Riding Hood cookie jar. So the cookie jar on eBay was a fake and even included a fake McCoy mark on the bottom of the jar. In this case, there is no real McCoy. The original Little Red Riding Hood cookie jar which is also the most sought after and most valuable was produced by Hull Pottery and Regal China.

The Hull Little Red Riding Hood cookie jar was patented by Louise Bauer of Zanesville, Ohio in 1943. The cookie jar blanks were produced by Hull Pottery but then shipped to Regal China for painting, glazing and decorating. Later, Regal China began producing their own Little Red Riding Hood cookie jar. This causes quite a bit of confusion as to who made which cookie jar, especially since the red glaze used in both the Hull Pottery cookie jar and the Regal China cookie jar are the same. Sometimes the best way to tell if you have an authentic cookie jar is by looking at the measurements. The Hull Little Red Riding Hood cookie jar measured 13 inches tall and weighed 5.6 ounces. According to published reports, a Hull Little Red Riding Hood cookie jar is worth from $250 to $375 depending on condition.

Addis E. Hull founded the Hull Pottery, which specialized in stoneware, in Zanesville, Ohio in 1905. In 1907, they acquired Acme Pottery, which specialized in semi-porcelain dinnerware. With this acquisition, Hull was able to diversify into other products which included planters, art pottery and tiles in addition to using state of the art airbrush techniques and glazes to set themselves apart. After a flood that destroyed the plant in 1950, they rebuilt and again re-equipped with the latest technology. They were successful through the mid-1970’s with their dinnerware and floristware products but had to close their doors in 1985. Hull products however have become very collectible and enjoy a wide audience with Little Red Riding Hood leading the way.