[Mccoypottery-talk] Cookie Jars - VERY LONG!

[BarbCrews]

Okay, I can't stay quiet any longer. ~vbg~

  I get upset when people say they are afraid to buy on the Internet or 
won't collect because of possible problems -- I hear this all the time!
A little education goes a long way and the price of a few reference books 
usually are less than a nice piece of pottery and much more essential at 
the beginning. It drives me batty when someone tells me they don't want to 
spend $25 or so on a new book, but meanwhile are spending much more than 
that on items they know little about. This list is terrific, with excellent 
resources, but the old saying, a picture is worth a thousand words is 
certainly true when trying to research collectibles.

  I have been accused by others of "liking Reproductions" I still stand by 
my original statement that if someone wants a reproduction, knows it is one 
AND IT IS clearly marked as such. So-be-it.  The problem is most 
reproductions are not clearly marked and are made to deceive -- that's 
where we (and I) have issues..

In my many years of buying on eBay (first feedback was 8/96) I am 95% sure 
I have never unknowingly bought a reproduction. (And the only one I have 
knowingly bought on eBay is the Hamms bear mentioned below)  And this is 
certainly not because "I am smart" or an "expert", it's because I check out 
suspicious looking auctions and items. Never bidding without checking other 
items seller has and their feedback for one thing.  eBay is not going to 
help the buyers -- they are in the  business to make money and the only way 
they can make it is by sellers fees, so you have to look out for yourself 
and your money.

Cookie jars -- yes the prices have fallen in the past few years, but many 
jars have not fallen and some have actually increased in value.  e.g.
Shawnee.

Prices are falling because of several reasons:

 >>yes reproductions certainly have a big part in it. People are afraid to 
buy, because it will be a reproduction or fake,  but a little self 
education can help avoid those jars. Many of the jars I see on eBay are 
fakes as opposed to reproductions, e.g. the McCoy LRRH, McCoy Standing 
Clown,  Gingerbread boy, winnie the pooh etc. Those are obviously not 
McCoys and anyone who can read can check out a book, read a website, or 
basically inform themselves about these fakes. Type in McCoy Little Red 
Riding Hood in a search engine and the first articles tell you that there 
is no such thing!

Reproductions -- yes there are jars made to deceive and they are also on 
the Internet. The various McCoy Mammys  are  glaring examples and ones I 
would be careful buying over the Internet. READ and do your own research -- 
remember it's your money. And if a deal is too good to be true, do double 
research!  Also, make sure a dealer stands by their products and give refunds.

Another problem is how do you decide what is a reproduction and what isn't? 
Jonal issued a series of Classic Cookie Jars -- copying vintage jars. Hamms 
bear and McCoy chef are two in the series. So  are those reproductions?

  - - - - - -
 >>Overproduction of new jars is one main reason prices are falling. When 
there are literally of hundreds of new pieces out every year, how does a 
collector decide what to buy and what not to buy. (assuming they are not 
just sticking to one company such as McCoy, Metlox, etc).  And since there 
are so many new jars -- they don't all sell and thus get heavily 
discounted.  Result -- prices are falling. Manufacturers saw the golden egg 
and went crazy, eventually killing the goose. The past two years there has 
been a noticeable decline in the number of new jars produced and if this 
trend continues, this will help the market stablize.

- - - -  -
 >>Greed by dealers --- yeah, we're all guilty of that. We all want the 
best price when we sell our stuff. But most of the greed (I feel)  comes 
from dealers who are not completely familiar with jars.  Ah, it says McCoy 
-- it must be worth a bundle, so they put a high price on a white stove jar 
that has a crack or several chips. The jar doesn't sell, sits on the shelf 
-- result prices must be falling, cookie jar market must be dead, as jar is 
not selling at inflated price.

- - - - - -
 >>Many collectors bought jars at their highest peak, after the Warhol 
auction that drove prices up and the years immediately after that. Now when 
they want to sell their pieces, they are not bringing what they were 
originally bought at -- every collectible has its cycle of highs and lows. 
And their particular jars may not be the ones most sought after and will 
not bring the best prices. I often try to help people sell their jars by 
putting them on the web. I am amazed at what people told me what they 
originally paid for a piece -- many times much higher than even
book prices and now they are wondering why they can't sell at that price.

- - - - - - -
 >>Many newer collectors bought everything new that came out when the 
market was exploding, figuring to send their kids to college in a few years 
with their profits. Face it, not everything goes up in value. Just because 
it's a jar, many people thought to double their money in a few years. The 
jar has to be more than just a jar, it has to be desirable and at least a 
little limited. Jars from the Disney stores and Warner bros stores are two 
examples of licensed, limited and desirable jars. They almost always go for 
more than issue price, even the fairly recent ones.

Okay... that's all I have to say for now! Disagree or not -- I would love 
to hear others opinions.

bc.