Do you remember mom baking that fresh batch of cookies and putting them in the cookie jar on the kitchen counter? Now, you may remember what kind of cookies you snitched from that jar, but do you remember what kind of jar it was? Most likely you do! That much beloved cookie jar is a hot vintage collectable today! Let's look at some makers and different styles of cookie jars.

McCoy Pottery is a famous cookie jar maker that was located in Zanesville, Ohio. The first McCoy Cookie jars were made in the 1930s, the common bean pot type cookie jars. Their first figural jar was a mammy with cauliflowers, which was made in 1939; today it is very sought after by collectors and books for $1200!

Most have little of their cold paint left. Cold paint was applied over the glaze to add decorative color and wore off with repeated washings. The peak time of cookie jar production for McCoy was the 1950s and 1960s. Most McCoy cookie jars are marked on the bottom with raised lettering, McCoy, USA, or both. Some have three wide raised bands across the bottom. McCoy made hundreds of cookie jars. An expensive cookie jar from 1959 is the McCoy Christmas Tree cookie jar; it books for $1000! In my shop I have a 1977 brown Thinking Puppy for $39, a 1969 Brown drip glaze Round Canister for $19 and a 1961 brown Coffee Grinder for $29 (see photos). The McCoy fruit and animal cookie jars are the most popular with collectors and for the most part, sell for under $100.

American Bisque is another famous cookie jar maker located in Williamstown, West Virginia, from the 1920s to 1983. Most of their cookie jars are unmarked, some only with USA and a number, but large raised sections of wedges on the bottom are a tell tale sign of an American Bisque cookie jar. Most of their jars are figural and air brushed under the glaze. A technique that speeded up painting, compared to hand painting with a paint brush. Some early jars were cold painted over the glaze. I have an early American Bisque cookie jar, Puppy in a Basket, that is $69 (see photo).

Brush Pottery Co. made cookie jars in Roseville, Ohio, from 1925, with most made in the 1950s and 1960s. Most were figural cookie jars that were air brushed. Some are marked Brush USA and a number; some have bottom wedges similar to American Bisque. I have a Brush Angel cookie jar from 1956 in my shop (see photo) it books for $800, but book prices tend to be high. I have it for sale for $295.

Hull Pottery manufactured cookie jars in Crooksville, Ohio, from the 1920s to the early 1980s. The most well known Hull cookie jar is Little Red Riding Hood made in 1943, along with other kitchen items. The cookie jar books for $300.

Metlox, from Manhattan Beach, California made cookie jars from the 1920s to the 1980s. Some of their jars are marked, but many had paper labels, so they are not marked. You may need a cookie jar reference guide to identify some. I have a Metlox Pink Rose cookie jar that is marked Made in USA. It books for $600, but I have it for sale in my shop for $195.

Red Wing Pottery is made in Red Wing, Minnesota, from the late 1870s to the present. They are best known for their stonewear crocks and jugs; they also made kitchen items, including cookie jars. A well-known jar is the Peasant Design from the 1940s that books for $75.

Shawnee Pottery Company operated in Zanesville, Ohio, from the 1937 to 1961. Their most famous character cookie jar was Smiley and Winnie Pig. They book from $350 to $500 depending on the style. I recently had a Smiley Pig; it sold for $149 in my shop. Other famous Shawnee characters made into cookie jars are Mugsey the Dog, Puss 'n' Boots the Cat, Cookie the Girl and Happy the Boy. Other items were made in these characters, such as creamers and salt and peppers.

Treasure Craft and Twin Winton are another couple California Potteries that made their share of cookie jars too. They are quite common and most sell for under $50.

A couple of Japanese importers, Lefton and NAPCO, had a number of sweet character cookie jars out in the late 50s and early 60s. Miss Cutie Pie, a sweet little girl face, was imported by NAPCO and Miss Priss, a sweet kitty face, was imported by Lefton. They book in the $140 and $200 range, but sell for around $100.

Many other cookie jars were made by various other ceramic companies commercially, and some were made by hobby ceramic painters buying commercial bisque to paint and fire. There are many new cookie jars being made today, but the vintage ones from the 1930s, 40s, 50s and 60s have warm memories associated with them. Just by looking at the cookie jar your mom or grandma had can make you taste her yummy homemade cookies that filled the jar. That is what collecting antique or vintage items are all about, a tangible item that you can buy, that will bring back priceless memories.

Hope you can visit my shop sometime soon! I am open year around Tuesday - Friday, 1-5 PM and Saturday, 10 AM to 5 PM. I am located just south of the State Police Post in Sandusky off M-46 at 26 Austin Street in a green antique Sears house.