Following are a few of the excellent questions about the Griffith Laboratories Spice Jars sent to me by other collectors along with my responses.

1) "We have several sets in different sizes and patterns and were wondering if you had found out when the specific patterns were produced."
ANSWER: Not as yet. That is one of the questions that I am waiting to hear back from the Griffiths folks.

**********************

2) "Are the paper labels the oldest?"
ANSWER: As far as I know, yes. The quality of the paper is very close to handmade. Not sure yet if the black labels were painted or fired in a kiln. But, because the paint can not be removed, I suspect they were fired in a kiln.

**********************

3) "Which seem to be the most common (labels) and which the rarest?" 
ANSWER: The most common are the yellow paper half moon with the four raised column design on three sides. Second most common intact sets are those with the black half moon labels and four raised column design on three sides. Third most common intact sets are the black labels with the flourishes and the four column design on the right and left sides only. Most rare are the yellow painted on labels on jars with the four column design on three sides and a long thin description label between the columns on the left side. Most common jar colors: white. Most common lid color: red, followed by yellow. Least common jar and lid color: chocolate brown in either size. All of the tall (4-1/4") and short (3-1/2") jars have the same size labels and labels have the same layout on the back .

**********************

4) "any further info would be great."
ANSWER: The jars have not been made for over 60 years and the company is working with me to find as much info as they can for collectors. As soon as I get it, I will gladly post it to the guide.

********************

5) "Thank you for your guide. I found it informative and fun. Have you found any information about the lids? I found an old set under an old house and need some new lids. Thanks for any help. All the best, P."
ANSWER: Hello Zula, Thanks for your question. No, I have not been able to find any info on the lids. Griffiths no longer has info on the correct size. The closest I've been able to come is size either 43mm, 33mm or 28mm. I tried using lids from other similarly sized spice jars and they worked fine. The only problem is they were all plastic, none metal. There are sites on the net offering samples of metal lids but they all charge a fortune for "shipping" which is a barely disguised minimum order service charge.  If I find any info, or suitable metal lid replacements, I will post it to the refurb guide.

ADDEDENDUM: an e-bayer wrote me to say that the McCormick spice jar lids are a perfect fit for Griffiths jars. Unfortunately, they only come in green or white and are all plastic. But, that would be a great place to start if you need to swap out the lids on your collection. There are sites on the net selling plastic lids that look similar to the metal with flip top lids. I've seen black, red and white lids. Could be a really neat way to modernize your Griffith spice jar collection.

*********************

6) Do you know if the plastic racks were ever produced in black? I have my Mom's twelve jars with black lids, but no plastic rack. She is in her seventies and doesn't really remember the rack, but thought it might have been black. I believe Mom acquired it in the early fifties.Thanks for any information. S.
ANSWER: Hello, thanks for your question. Actually, I do not know if the stands were produced in black. I have only seen two black stands. The first was repainted from white, the second repainted from red. Surprisingly, both looked quite nice repainted - I could not tell until I looked at the back. This is a question that I will ask Griffiths if/when they get back to me with the historical info that I requested.

*********************

7) Hi, I discovered these special spice jars in an antique store and completely fell in love with them as did my boyfriend. I read your guide and answers to the questions and I was wondering if you know how to clean the plastic shelf units without damaging the plastic. Thank you for your help, K.
ANSWER: Hi Kat, thanks for your note. Both of the sets I had with the plastic shelves were repainted - one black from red and one red from white. Both, I might add, looked very nice. There is no value in the plastic holder- other than that it belongs to the set. So, in my opinion, a quick coat of the spray paint of your choice should spruce it up nicely for you. Thanks for asking. I will add your question to the guide for questions.

*********************

8) Hi, Thanks for your quick answer! I was wondering what kind of paint you used for the two shelves you own? Thanks, K.
ANSWER: Hi K.they were already painted over when I got them. I would think that two thin coats of any spray paint suitable for use on acrylic or plastic would work just fine. If the area in which you cook is not overly moist or humid, you could probably use the same paint and match the color of your lids, if you are repainting them as well.

**********************

9) I recently bought for my daugther from ebay a set of Griffith spice jars. Unfortunately the black plastic rack was damaged in transit. I have glued it together as best possible but would really like to get another. Have you ever heard or known of anywhere I can find just the rack???
ANSWER: Hello P. for your question. Neither the stands or the spice jars are being produced by Griffiths anymore. One good place to find one would be here on e-bay or other online site that sells used merchandise. You can try the following: (1) E-bay has a "Want it now" feature and you can enter your request there. (2) You can also post your request in an e-bay forum for collectors of Griffiths jars. (3) Most of the sellers who have the jars and stands sell them together. But, it may be possible to find a seller who has an extra stand. You can contact a seller with more than one set to see if they have an extra stand. (4) Don't forget to check your local Salvation Army, Goodwill, St. Vincent de Paul, House of Hope or church run second-hand store. (5) Also check at local flea markets and antique stores. You may not find a true Griffiths stand. But, perhaps another vintage stand will work for you. When you go shopping, take a couple of jars with you to make sure they will fit.

Remember, any color of the Griffith metal lids, wooden or plastic stands can be spray painted. According to Griffiths, the value is in the jars, not the stands. And, the wood stands are generally more sturdy. Hope this helps! :-)

*********************

10) Griffith Laboratories spice Jars - Questions??

I have the set of 19 but, they're missing the back labels. I'm hoping to reproduce them on my own, but I was hoping you could help. In your time and with your collection could you please e-mail me what the back labels read? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. M.

Answer: Hello Michelle, Sorry, I can not help you with the back labels. None of my jars have them now because I removed them with the intent to replace them "one day." The labels are all the same size and fit into the same size indented area on the jar. The back label has the name of the spice on the top line, a brief description and the copyright info for Griffiths at the bottom. There is a photo of the back label in the guide: http://reviews.ebay.com/Griffith-Laboratories-White-Milk-Glass-Spice-Jars_W0QQugidZ10000000004001776 . Spice descriptions can be obtained from a dictionary, encyclopedia or any non-copyright protected document on the internet. Hope this helps! :-)

**********************

Hi:
I just read several of your reviews. Terrific info. I wanted to tell you that at one time I contacted ojh91 about jar lids. Maybe 2 yrs. ago.
At that time he had lids for sale for vitrock shakers, and also griffith spice jars. I believe they were new replacement lids that would have had to be painted, and were abt $1.50 each. I never followed through on this myself. (NOTE: seller does not currently have any lids). Perhaps you have already tried this one. You seem very thorough. There was another ebayer, a store called oldkitchenwares that also may have had some.
Anyhow, just in case this info has any value, I am sending it along. My Mom had a large set of Griffith's with a maple rack, and mixed lids--black, red, yellow and green, and yellow peeling paper labels if I remember. Naturally, my brother took over the house, and I guess kept what he wanted, and misplaced the rest. In any case he has no idea what might have happened to that set. A fond memory, and a source of current obsession with Griffith's. K-
ANSWER: I just added this for extra info. Although neither of these sellers had Griffith lids, it never hurts to check with sellers of vintage kitchenwares to see if they have old jars or lids from broken jars.

**********************

Hello "J. R." and thanks for your questions.

"Top of the circle ERVEN LUCAS, center, BOLS est 1575 in Bottom says AMSTERDAM. Have you seen this condition before?"
ANSWER: No. The shaker inserts are so tiny, I have never seen any with any type of printing.
"Are the painted shaker tops always painted on both sides?"
ANSWER: Usually yes. I've seen them in silver, copper and gold metal or red, white, yellow, and black painted.
"Several of them look usable, but several are rather crackled and flaky."
ANSWER: You can try to scrape off the paint but, there is probably rust underneath that will be difficult to remove without damaging the shaker. I'd try using a Brillo pad first just to see how that works. I usually toss the rusted ones because they are difficult to restore. Consider this, if a shaker still snaps tightly into the jar and stays in place while shaking, it is best for powdered spices. For coarse, dried, leafy or seed spices they are kind of a nuisance. At least they are to me. :-) If you use them just for powdered spices, you may be okay with what you can salvage. No one sells the inserts and Griffith does not make them any longer. As yet, I have not been able to locate a plastic substitute.
"Should I leave these alone or could I scrape off the paint without changing the value?"
ANSWER: According to Griffiths, the value of the jars is largely historical relating to their time period, style, and the type of glass used (milk glass). Although a set with all of the original items intact and in perfect condition has a greater historical/collectible value. Not to mention the purely sentimental value to all of us collectors. So, scraping off loose paint or sanding down to the bare metal and using a food safe sealer would not affect the value. Plus it would make them more sanitary for your use. Thanks for your questions. I will share them with other Griffiths collectors through the refurbishing guide.

**********************

If you have a question about Griffith Spice Jars, drop me a line. I will be happy to try and get an answer for you. No question is too "dumb" to ask.  And I will add them to this guide. If you found ths guide helpful, take a moment to say "Thank You" by casting your "yes" vote. I love to hear from other people who love these jars, too!

-- Blessings from an avid Griffith Spice Jar collector...