From: Gary Tefft / locustent@aol.com
Location: Menomonee Falls, WI
Date: 27 Jul 1999
Time: 23:33:23
So, you've blown the lid off our ugly little secret about how we're stuck with all those damned crocks that we can't sell. Part of the appeal of collecting Red Wing stoneware is that there was such a wide variety of styles and sizes, that even the most casual collector stands an excellant chance of owning a previously undiscovered form. The excitement of the hunt for the rare and unusual is what motivates collectors. Of course, there is an awful lot of common, unremarkable stoneware out there too. This is the stuff that you see over and over again in shops and shows. If you observe more caefully though, I'm sure that you will see numerous shoppers examining the pieces. Sometimes it's just a passing glance that you might not even detect; other times the piece will be tipped to examine the bottom for a signature. These are serious collectors, looking for esoteric differences which make the piece many times more desirable to them than another piece that might appear identical to the untrained eye.
Stoneware crocks (they were actually called jars) were used to store things that had to be kept dry, or kept wet, or protected from vermin, or salted to prevent spoilage. They were practical and popular in an age that didn't have plastic nor ready access to local supermarkets or in-home refrigeration to the degree we do today. Family income was much lower then, which necessitated that most people, even those living in the city, grew their own vegitables. Another reason for needing large stoneware containers was for the production of beer, wine and liquer during the years of Prohibition.
-Gary-