The Jars That Started It All
From Candice B: I was a cookie jar collector before I knew it. I always wanted to
collect jars, but didn't think I would have enough room. I was right and I
don't. But that hasn't seemed to stop me.
The jar that hooked me for good was the first "Santa Calls" jar. It
took me a while to find it and I paid a premium price to get it, but what a
treasure it was and still is. Since that time I have acquired two more
"Santa Calls" versions and even bought the original one again as a gift for
my son-in-law, along with the book. Now I collect all kinds of
jars, especially holiday and children's themes to decorate my classroom.
The Lytles: Judy's first jar was the American Bisque Casper we paid $25 for it at an antique show. We still have it although it had to survive the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake where the lid went up in the air about 3 inches then landed right back on the base. Result is a hairline on the back but Casper survived.
Joyce D:
I would have to go way back to my childhood. My Mom always had a Standfordware Corn cookie jar on the counter (this one looks like the Corn King from Shawnee but I like the details better). In fact she and my Dad liked the design so well, they bought a whole set of it. Several years ago, when I became more interested in quality pottery, I asked them about this set and they had just tossed all of it into a cardboard box and into a storage shed. My daughter and husband retrieved what they could of it on a trip back to Kansas. The cookie jar was in pretty abused shape, but one side was good enough that I can put it that side out as a "shelf sitter model". There were many great cookies that sat in that jar.
When my husband and I were married, one of my bosses gave us a cookie jar as a wedding present. It is an old man face type jar and I don't think it's by a famous maker, but it also has been on our counter all these years.
Within the last 10 years or so when I began to learn more about the pottery makers, I began collecting any McCoy, Hull and others that I could come across at thrift shops, garage sales, etc, and the rest is history. I am an active cookie jar seeker and collector!
Chris H:
My first jar was a musical rabbit given to me by my grandchildren. No, this didn't make me decide to collect cookie jars. As I am a Lefton collector I was collecting all of Lefton items. But I had decided to narrow down my collection and had decided to do cookie jars. Then I got a computer ( I think that might have been a mistake) and became acquainted with the girls in the collectors chat room. That did it. I had so much fun learning about jars new and old that my collection has out grown me, but I love the friendships I have made over the years thru the collectibles/cookie jar site. But if I really need to choose a cookie jar that started me collecting cookie jars it would be "Lefton Toodles". The white dog.
Carolann W: My first Jar was Smiley Pig. I picked it up at a garage sale for $1.00
because it was the same one I used to get cookies from at my Grandmother's
house. The second jar was given to me by my mother-in-law and it was his
mate Winnie. I still have them both and they will both be passed down to my
son. From that I had collected pigs and YOU started me on more cookie jars
Joan R:
I got started collecting cookie jars when I was married to my ex-husband. He had been collecting cookie jars for 25 years before I met him. I bought him his first cookie jar book and we poured over the pages, deciding which jars we wanted to find for our collection. I fell in love with the Metlox Rabbit on a Cabbage. We already had jars that were all from Dennis' collection, but I hoped to eventually add each of my favorite jars to our collection.
We started buying and selling collectibles at shows, and right before I left to take the china restoration course, a woman came to our booth and told me that she saw a damaged Rabbit on a Cabbage jar for a reasonable price. I was so excited to hear that, so I went to the store the next day and bought the jar. It was the first cookie jar that I restored, and I still love it. I am in the process of thinning out my collection to just a few pieces, but that jar will always remain in my collection. I was able to find many of my favorite jars over the years, but I never found the illusive Captain Pig jar.
Marcy B: The first cookie jar I received was my grandmothers. When I was 4 she had "Fat Joe" sitting on the counter filled with oreos (they owned a grocery store in Iowa). Fat Joe was San Jose Pottery red and cream clown. I wanted it instantly. When I got married at 21 and 8 years after my grandmother had died, my mother gave it to me. That was why I started collecting cookie jars.
The second jar I received was my mother's cookie jar (a blue canister with a dutch boy). I have never seen another in all my years collecting.
I was recently in Adamstown antiquing. At Renniger's, I saw a green McCoy mammy which matched my retro kitchen wallpaper exactly. I wasn't sure if it was real or not particularly since I only had one reference book with me. I took a gamble since it wasn't very expensive knowing I needed a cookie jar to use. The other jar in my kitchen holds dog cookies and my son is always annoyed we have no jar to use. After checking numerous books and ebay, I realized it was in fact a repro. However, it was so good that it was eerie. It seems to be a dilemna. I'm very afraid to buy anything like this unless I can rationalize as I did that it was the perfect color and great to use everyday. If it gets chipped, it won't bother me at all.
