Collecting Molded Stoneware and Yellow ware pitchers is very popular...but you want to make sure when you are bidding that what is represented as OLD is as it is represented..whether it is Blue and White, Green, Tan, Saltglaze you should be able to buy with confidence that it is original and that it hasn't been altered or repaired and isn't a reproduction or a fake...

One can find many different styles and designs...and they can be quite pricey...so you want to make sure that you are getting what you are looking for, and not a recently manufactured or foreign fake or has undisclosed damage.

There are several patterns that are reproduced and are unfortunately offered on sites and represented as "Old" or "Vintage" or "Antique" that are not...Some were made from reconfigured molds made from original pieces, and some are actually made in the USA and many are made in Asia and are imported here...

A major thing in your favor is that MOST SELLERS ARE HONEST AND WANT YOU TO BE HAPPY WITH YOUR PURCHASE...Things you can do to protect yourself, Email for extra pictures and ask the seller questions that my concern you.   Keep copies of all of your correspondence ( which should not be accusatory---do you want results or to vent) on the item if you win the bid...It is  riskier if  they only accept Moneyorders or Checks---as you have no recourse, and by the time you finish dealing with them, you may not have even had a chance to give the deserved Neg. feedback...If the seller doesn't cooperate with you requests--pass--as he may be avoiding the truth about the item, or is just lazy... Do you want to deal with someone who doesn't care about customer satisfaction.? Some people are masters at delay tactics... Watch out for those sellers that only sell just before Christmas...especially if they have lazy listings and refund disclaimers...Unfortunately some people are only in it for a quick buck...Read the feedback to see if there is a pattern of selling only in the fall...They can deplete the Paypal account, and Paypal may not back you up if they don't have $ left in the account to refund to you...And read their fine print...If there is a lot of fine print, you may want to PASS...

You may choose to take a chance on a Pitcher that isn't listed in a book, as reference books are in need of revision as more items are uncovered and many are not listed in any book that I know of, or are in books long out of print...Unfortunately it will be buyer beware, SO ASK QUESTIONS... not all sellers are honest...and you can't  always count on getting your money back---SO DO YOUR HOMEWORK---especially if the items is pricey.  Most sellers will try to answer your questions honestly...And remember another will come along again someday...

BEWARE  of a few things...

THE WORDS PERFECT OR MINT  in the listing...Few are perfect...Most have some manufacture flaws and some type of wear...These were inexpensive everyday items, and were given heavy use so most will have some wear signs...There are some that are Mint, but they are few and far between... So when you seeone listed as Perfect, be cautious...Most new ones don't have flaws as they are made by modern methods...and of course, they should look perfect...

VERY SHORT LISTINGS...Sellers with doubtful merchandise often limit liability with few claims, but will use such terms as ESTATE item, and will give the impression that it is old...Request pictures of the inside of the pitcher--in the area of the medallions of pitchers, the design will actually be detected, and also in the area where the handle is attached there will be an indentation...The sides on the inside of the original or real pieces will be flat...If the seller won't email more pictures, beware...If the words OLD or VINTAGE or ANTIQUE are obviously avoided, ask yourself why? when that it one of the mains selling points...but if there are few descriptive words and those words are used frequently---WHY--Lazy listers are sometimes just that, and sometimes there are things to hide...

AVOID SELLERS WITH LOTS OF DISCLAIMERS OR WARNINGS-- If a seller writes more in the "warnings" than in the discription in the listing....and say that don't give refunds! or qualify what and how they will refund...If an item is listed and they make a "mistake" they won't back it up with customer satisfaction...Why are some so paranoid?  Unfortunately, from these type of sellers--You buy at your own risk... Is a reason they are so threatening?...Just because someone has high feedback rating, doesn't mean they will be willing to back their product!  You may want to read their fine print...Or if there is a lot of fine print---Pass on the listing!

CRAZING---Some think that Crazing proves age...It is true many of the old pieces are crazed...Remember that a crazed item is not a perfect or mint item as it is has age and use DAMAGE...but it is usually acceptable (IF  you are made aware it is there)  and can add character to an item...But Crazing is not proof it is old as it can be faked, it is only an indicator of possible age...Undisclosed crazing is misrepresentation...Crazing should always be disclosed...

HEAVY ---While all of the old pieces are Heavy, some of the new ones are also...so like crazing, it is an indicator of possible age...

DIRTY---Many old pitchers are rather dirty looking...But just because it isn't dirty doesn't mean it is new --and just because it is dirty doesn't mean it is old...(like crazing and heaviness).

HAIRLINES---Are also   damage...and technically are cracks that are only one one surface and don't go thru to the other side...but most commonly on Ebay people refer to a tight crack that goes thru as hairlines...So be aware of this...Also These minor cracks can be an indicator of age...But again...not always...You decide if it is acceptable, but they should always be disclosed...

CRACKS---Sometimes a listing will say Hairline when it should say crack...but this is the norm in the listings...Crack sounds so nasty so the word is avoided by most sellers of stone ware...and Crack is usually reserved for a crack that leaks or is loose or that daylight shows through...

KILN or MANUFACTURE FISSURES---these will often be in old pieces (not so much in new pieces where there is better heat and materials control)....These will often be in the handle areas, and will have some glaze seeping around the what appears to be a cracked area...Actually a good sign of age...and aren't really cracks...but should be disclosed...Some will call these cracks, but they aren't really...

CRACKED HANDLES/CHIPPED and SCUFFED SPOUTS--- This is a real problem with pitchers as they are so heavy and were used every day....These can be a major fault, but the real problems is that sometime they are "repaired" or filed down and it isn't disclosed...The paint that is usually used on this will have a slightly different feel than the original glaze and can often be flaked with the fingernail...or can be removed with acetone (fingernail polish remover)...When a spout is repaired the detail is often lost...and the shape can be a bit funky...Sometime it is rough where it is repaired--or too smooth and perfect on an otherwise more rustic piece...Often this is undisclosed, so you might want to ask the seller to send a picture closeup of areas of concern...You decide if these chips or flakes or scuffs are acceptable...but should alway be disclosed!

GLAZE MISSES---Many older pitchers will have glaze misses...not so much on newer ones...This happens when the glaze is not applied as well as should be or it pulls off the area during manufacture.

GLAZE POPS---The surface glaze often will have little bubble that form when heated..And over time these can pop or loose the glaze exposing the clay under it....It can be a sign of old and are not common on new one...

GLAZE FLAKES---Sometimes the glaze doesn't stay adhered to the clay and will flake off...Many sellers will call this Glaze Flakes...and it is often differentiated from Chips...as a chip is deeper into the clay...Some will only call a disfiguring Chip (one that goes thru from one side to the other)a Chip...Be sure you know what the seller means by this as the word CHIPS sound so nasty that it is avoided...

SPOUT DAMAGE---It is very very common and important...and all defects there should be described or photographed...even a minor flake or chip or scuff, it should be  mentioned---and if it has been repaired or reconfigured it should be mentioned in the listing...Look for inconsistencies in color and shape...Ask for a picture of the spout...

BASE OR BOTTOM DAMAGE---Very common damage to the edge base from setting this heavy item down...usually not as important, but should always be divulged...Many times the bottoms will be irregular, as when made they often were scraped and there may be what appears to be  chips, but you will see that the glaze follows around the edge of the area...This isn't damage, and may not be mentioned...it is often listed under MANUFACTURE FLAWS...

MANUFACTURE FLAWS---If  flaws from manufacture really bother you you will need to ask a lot of questions and see a lot of pictures...They are really a part of this type of stoneware which was made for common everyday use...and there are a lot of irregularities that can be involved, and to list teesy manufacture flaws is beyond most sellers...And you can't expect this when listing old utilitarian wares...

INDENTATIONS IN THE INTERIOR---REAL BAD SIGN ...You want to email for pictures of the interior to see if the pattern or shadows of the details show thru to the inside...During the manufacture of the old pitchers, generous amounts of clay were used and were smooth and flat on the inside...Check the area by the handle placement...if there is a smooth indentation it is most likely NEW...Some old ones will have a very slight impression as the placement of the handle might have needed a little bit of pressure, but it will be an irregular shape from a finger, not a smooth dimple and it will not have defined edges in the impression ...will not be rectangular or square with a ridge as these are only on the FAKES...A swirl of clay at the bottom and extra bits of clay are common...and may not be in the description...If these bother you, ask the seller so you won't be disappointed...

 TEXTURE TO THE CLAY SURFACE---If the exposed unglazed area has a greasy like quality or overly or extra fine texture to the surface of the bottom be suspicious...The older clays in American Stoneware was coarser...(this doesn't apply to the very fine clays used in many old beautiful stoneware items from England)...The clay can be gray, white, yellow, or tan or redish, depending on where it was made...but it was all a bit courser than is used now---that is why the detail is not as defined as the English high relief stoneware...

CERTAIN PATTERNS ARE KNOWN FOR THE REPRODUCTIONS/FAKES...The following are some of the most common fakes---

LOVEBIRDS---The real one has two plump birds on a branch in an oval medallion that has both berries and FLOWERS on the branches--BUT there are several of these fakes...One is obvious as the medallion is a circle and both birds face to the right and the material it is made from is not stoneware---The other fake out there is harder to detect and is offered on auctions sites and fools many bidders---This Fake has an oval, but it isn't as narrow as the original, and the biggest giveaways are that there are NO FLOWERS in the branch area: it only had berries or fruit...Also the detail is often lacking in the birds and the wings are not defined...and the scallops along the top area meet, centered over the medallion with 4 well formed flutes or line between them,it is pretty and symmetrical --but wrong...(In the original the decoration isn't centered over the middle of the medallion)...In the real one there is a roping around the Medallion  and above and below the decoration bands on both the top and the bottom...and horizontal lines at the top rim above the rope and at the base below the roping...This is true of all the 8" pitchers with the Lovebird design (and of the 8" GRAZING COWS pitcher that I  mention next)...

GRAZING COWS--The Cows on the fake  can look a bit silly as well...also on both of  these 8" pitchers beware of the symmetry at the top band......Now the Grazing Cows pitcher comes in three sizes, and there are symmetrical designs in the band at the top (the smallest has what appears to be an upsidedown heart and the Med. one has some tassels...)..the largest has the same decorations as the Lovebird one, with the only difference being the decoration in the medallions...Now some of the pitchers may not be as well defined because of mold wearing...but look at all the different areas mentioned to determine if it is an original or a Fake...

EAGLE/EAGLE AND SHIELD---To detect the fake...look at the decorative top band..On the 8".it should not be the symmetrical upward scrolls with the four flutes  between  and all centered above the medallion, handle top too thin...and there should be a small branch infront of the shield and held in the eagle's claw..The fake has poor definition of the wing Feathers....and see the Grazing cows and Lovebirds....they were made by the same manufacturer and the only difference again is the medallion...

INDIAN IN WAR BONNET---The real or fake one is easiest to detect with a picture of the interior...The fake will have indentations at the medallion area and at the handle instead of the flat smooth interior, as the originals didn't skimp on clay---and any that are marked on the bottom CLAY CITY...are reproductions...since they are marked, they are not Fakes, but are reproductions made relatively recently...

SLEEPY EYE---These are a bit different as they were usually made with glazed bottoms and fired on stilts...The new ones will often have intense blues, and they just don't look right...and the biggest tip off is that there somewhat of a ridge along the interior rim...

CHERRIES AND LEAVES/CHERRY BAND---It was made by REDWING...who still makes this pattern...the new ones are marked, and the olds are not marked...so they are reproductions not fakes...The clay is different, grayer and finer in texture....commemoratives are often offered at auction, so look at them so you can see what they look like to be sure you don't bid on one that is new unless that is what you are looking for...Some disreputable sellers will grind out the ink stamp on new ones...

VICTORIA--VICTORIANA--VICTORIA WARE etc---There is no such old mark...Looks good with it's English stamp quality of lion and unicorn...But all of these are RECENT FOREIGN FAKES...sometimes this is listed as stoneware in the listings...Some of the sellers just don't know their items...

EMAIL SELLERS WITH QUESTIONS AND FOR PICTURES---While most sellers try to honestly list their items of Stoneware, many really don't know what they have...Most believe what they are listing as real authentic old stoneware...by asking questions you and the seller can figure out if the item is really the collectible stuff or something else...Sometimes a seller doesn't know what to look for and will list it as original old stoneware or state it has no repairs...If you ask them to scrape an area with their finger tip and something comes off...it has been repaired...This procedure will NOT DAMAGE ORIGINAL GLAZE AT ALL! It is a legitimate request... Some will put the items in a dishwasher...and this will disclose hidden damage...and will nicely clean a good old sturdy piece...I have cleaned many stoneware pieces this way with no adverse reactions...

LEARN FROM MISTAKES---This article is a product of much of my experience in buying stoneware pitcher on eBay and elsewhere...I have taken chances and have gotten some real gems...and I have, in the past, not anticipated a problem and was burned---(should have asked for more picture or asked questions, avoided the seasonal seller,  paid attention to short item descriptions and long lists of disclaimers )...The honest sellers gave customer satisfaction, but with the dishonest greedy ones are another story... I have had the tendency to let too much time get eaten up with their delay tactics and ran out of time before being able to leave negative feedback for those that really deserved it...I have recently been trying to catch up on feedback, and mistakenly give a really negative experience a positive rating (but that hasn't been closed yet, so maybe the person will be honest and give a refund for a new pitcher that was represented as old and had undisclosed damage to boot)...( My advice on this is to give the feedback from the listing page, not from any feedback list! It takes longer, but not likely to give praise to an unsatisfactory experience!..) So, I know that there are those with positive feedback ratings that really aren't deserved...Even us old timers can learn something new...I hope this helps you avoid some of the problems I have experienced or know of someone who has had the experience...so you can make happy and wise choices when collecting  the wonderful stoneware pitchers on eBay!