No cookie jar collection is complete without examples from these major American manufacturers; however, due to the popularity of cookie jars, there are lots of fakes and forgeries out there.  Before you buy (or sell) make sure you know if you have the real thing. 

Cookie Jar Collector Books-Excellent Reference Tools

Obviously, if you’ve been swiping cookies out of your mother’s Shawnee Smiley Pig cookie jar ever since you had to climb up on the counter to reach it, you can be certain it’s the real thing, but a quick trip to your local library to check out the collectors guides will be time well spent if you’re thinking of buying, especially from an online dealer.  A word about values in collector books-these tend to be high, theoretically, these are the prices you can expect to pay if you are buying, not the prices you will receive when selling. 

Frequently, collector books are written at the peak of an items’ popularity and reflect the height of the market.  Also, check the date the book was published.  Pre-eBay books reflect the value of items before the market was flooded with them.  For cookie jars, as with many collectibles, prices for commonly found and less than mint examples are down, but remain strong for the truly rare, desirable and verifiable examples. 

Beware of Fakes Online

Don’t be fooled by the presence of a manufacturer’s mark.  If your reference book says the piece is unmarked, a stamped version could well be fake.  According to The Collector’s Encyclopedia of Cookie Jars by Roerig and McCoy Pottery Collector’s Reference and Value Guide by Hansen & Nelson, the McCoy Leprechaun cookie jar was made in very limited quantities and was unmarked, yet an eBay seller is offering a leprechaun jar with a McCoy stamp.

Pay close attention to descriptions in collector books, including size and manufacturers marks.  Ebay in particular has been flooded with recent copies of McCoy cookie jars designed to pass as vintage.  Here are some basics about some of the major American manufacturers:

Abingdon

Abingdon-Abingdon Illinois (1934-1950).  Twenty two different models were produced, and most have an inked backstamp that says “Abingdon USA” with an impressed mold or model number.  Abingdon cookie jars were decorated before firing.  Oswald the Hippo is one of the most popular, and goes for between $200-400.

American Bisque

Williamstown, West Virginia (1919-1983).  Owned by one family-the Allens from 1922-1982.  Most American Bisque cookie jars were unmarked, or marked only “USA” with or without a mold or model number.  American Bisque jars were made mostly in the form of people, cartoon characters, and animals.  An American Bisque Olive Oyl cookie jar can bring as much as $1,000.  And my grandmother’s Cookie Truck . . . priceless!

Brush Pottery

Brush is credited with the first cookie jar ever produced, made out of an existing mold in a simple form.  Brush made cookie jars from 1946-1971.  Brush jars are decorated before glazing.  Some are unmarked, but some are marked “Brush USA”.  Pieces marked with a “W” were decorated by either of the twin brothers Don & Ross Winton and these are probably the most eagerly sought of the Brush cookie jars, as is Hillbilly Frog (1969). Their purple cow is highly sought after, and can sell for between $750-1,000, but buy carefully, as it has been reproduced.

California Originals

Torrence, California (1940’s-1982)  California Originals produced cookie jars of licensed characters by Walt Disney, DC Comics, Walter Lanz and Jim Henson’s Muppets, including Superman, Wonder Woman, Woody Woodpecker, Oscar the Grouch, Laurel & Hardy, and W.C. Fields, and various Star Wars characters. Character pieces are marked “copyright + date” other pieces are marked on lid or base “USA” with mold or model numbers, still others had paper labels that said “California Originals.”  Older cookie jars were decorated with cold paint. Newer or common older versions sell for $30-50.

Doranne of California

Produced cookie jars from 1951 till 1992.  Their cookie jars are marked with the model number preceded with “J” or “CJ” and USA.  Common examples bring between $25-30, but their Cow Jumping over the Moon model brings in the hundreds in excellent condition.

Hull

A.E. Hull (1905-1986) of Crooksville, Ohio is probably best known for its Little Red Riding Hood Series, which was patented, and enormously popular in its cookie jar form.  Authentic Hull cookie jars are marked Hull USA, Hull Ware USA, Hull Art, or Hull Oven Proof USA.  The Little Red Riding Hood jar has been reproduced, and appears on eBay with a McCoy stamp, but authentic Hull LRRH cookie jars should bring between $100-350.  Hull also produced a Big Bad Wolf jar for the series, but it is unmarked.  An authentic wolf jar can fetch $400 or more.

McCoy

The McCoy family made pottery from 1899 to 1990 under a variety of McCoy names, and in the 1930’s, 40’s and 50’s produced an almost overwhelming selection of cookie jars.  Because they made so many, and were so popular, they are readily available and easily affordable, with the common ones like strawberries or animals bringing $25-$30.  Their Mammy series is popular today and has been reproduced and faked.  Authentic Mammy jars were decorated in cold paint which did not wear well.  Be suspicious of buying “vintage” jars in excellent condition.  Unfortunately, the profusion of fakes has affected the selling market as buyers are leery.  Values can be as high as $1000 for the Leprechaun and the astronaut, as they were produced in very limited quantities, but as mentioned earlier, the leprechaun has been reproduced in a way intended to fool the unwary buyer.

Metlox

Metlox (1927-1989) of Manhatten Beach California also produced cookie jars under the name of Poppy Trails of California.  These are marked Poppy Trail, Calif, but many had paper labels.  Metlox jars are also mostly unmarked, or marked “made in USA” 

Robinson Ransbottom

Robinson Ransbottom was the last of the Ohio potteries to remain open, closing their Roseville plant only recently after more than 100 years in the pottery business.  Their cookie jars often confuse, as the bottoms are marked RRP Co Roseville Ohio, so buyers and sellers assume they are Roseville Pottery products  Although mostly known for utilitarian stoneware and crocks, their cookie jars are popular.  Common examples sell fro around $100, but Frosty the Snowman and the Whale jar can fetch for between $500-800.

Roseville

This Roseville, Ohio pottery produced only 5 cookie jars, none of which were figurals, and those are highly sought after due to crossover appeal, as Roseville is one of the most popular of collectible American art pottery.  Their cookie jars were part of a line of products in the Freesia, Magnolia, Water Lilly, Zephyr Lilly, or Clematis lines, and bring between $200-500.

Shawnee

Named for the Native American tribe, Shawnee Pottery (1937-1961) was located in Zanesville, Ohio.  Shawnee produced pottery for George Rumrill, a designer from Arkansas, and also produced ware under the name of Great Northern, Kenwood, and Essex China.  Shawnee products are stamped with these names or marked “Shawnee USA.”  Smiley Pig was by far Shawnee’s most popular model, and because it has been so widely reproduced and faked, values are down.