Determining the Value of Stoneware

Dr. Duane F. Watson

 

Commonly asked questions in stoneware collecting are “what is it worth?” and “how do you determine the value? 

 

Like all antiques and collectibles, many factors play in the value of stoneware.  These are all intertwined, and the mix changes quite often.  Here are a few.

 

1. Demand.  The greater the demand for an item, the greater the value.  If no one is interested in buying an item, it has little value.  If many people want an item, there is value.  Plain brown and white stoneware is not in demand and sells for under $50, but a jug with a flower on it is in demand and starts at $200. 

 

2. Supply. Hand in hand with demand is supply. The more limited the supply and the greater the demand, the higher the price.  If you are looking for a piece of stoneware decorated with a lion, you have a lot of company.  Thus, the price of such a piece begins in the five figures. 

 

3. Confidence.  Prices are also dependent on confidence.  We pay more for stoneware if we know others want it and it will retain the value we put into it or increase in value.  For example, I can buy a Whites Utica jug with a Pine Tree for $250 and know that it is an easy resale for that amount because that happens often.

 

4. The Pottery.  In general, demand for pottery is high in Bennington, Vermont; Rochester, New York; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Baltimore, Maryland; and the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia.  They possessed potteries that produced a large quantity of quality decorated stoneware.  Potters like Norton, Burger, Remmey, Parr, and Bell produced beautifully decorated stoneware that has remained in high demand but has a limited supply.

 

5. Form. Form influences value and is tied to space and preference.  Little jars from West Virginia often sell for more than larger ones because they display well in cabinets and do not take up as much room.  You can display 20 jars in a cabinet, but only a couple of 20-gallon jars in a room.  While I am writing this I quickly acknowledge that personal preference comes into play here.  Some people argue that the larger the jar, the better, while others the exact opposite.  

 

6. Decoration.  Decorated stoneware is generally worth more than stoneware without decoration.  Incised decoration and decoration applied with a slip cup and/or a brush were meant to be a feast to the eyes and still are.  We value that beauty and will pay for it, whether it is a lion, bird, flower, or simple tornado.  

 

7. Rarity.  If I can find a piece of stoneware in most any antique mall, then its value is probably quite low.  If a crock is just brown and white, it has hundreds of thousands of relatives and has little value. If a crock sports an elaborate floral that took a while to create and few were created, then there is much greater value.

 

8. Condition. The more damage, the less the value.  Chips or hairlines affect value less in the back than in the front.  Damage to the decoration is more of a threat to value than elsewhere.  If done well, restoration of damage can add value back to a piece.  A stabilized crack is better than one that can still travel or endanger the integrity of a piece.  

 

9. Local Interest.  If you are in the middle of Tennessee, a piece of stoneware from Vermont has less value than it would in New England, and a piece of Georgia stoneware from the Meadors family has less value in Wisconsin.  Prices of stoneware are often higher the closer they are to their point of origin.  

 

10. Sales History. The history of the sale of stoneware in all its varieties also influences value.  If we can see an upward trend over the past decade or two, we see stability and potential for further growth, so our confidence rises and we are willing to pay more, and vice versa.  

 

11. Common Sense and Intuition.  When all the influences on value are weighed, there is the role of common sense and intuition.  Sometimes in sales history, you see an item selling around $300, but also an exception where it sold for $500.  The value is not the $500 price, for that may have been an uneducated buyer or two buyers going head-to-head in an auction.  The value lies closer to $300, say $350.  If one or two people are willing to defy the consensus on price at $300, then maybe the price has climbed due to factors above.