Periodically, I stop and set aside a few posts to explore one of my collections. I’ve done it numerous times with my egg cup collection, as well as my collection of McCoy Pottery. Just the other day, I realized that I hadn’t ‘officially’ explored my collection of Roseville Pottery.
Heavens!
Instead of flowers in my garden, we’ll explore flowers on Roseville. Deal?
As far as the number of pieces I own, I have much less Roseville than I do McCoy – that collection numbers well over 60 pieces. Egg cups? Probably about the same. I’ve been ‘officially’ collecting for only a couple of years, because prices used to be so prohibitive that I could only dream of owning a piece. More on prices later.
Today, we’ll start with the pieces that are in the china cabinet located in the den.
Top shelf, starting from the left:
The pattern is Clematis. This is a flower frog, meant to be part of a shallow dish in the same pattern. This was a gift from Barbara. It’s marked “Roseville” with the identifying numbers 85-135. The first number denotes the shape number and the second number indicates the size.
Next to the flower frog is a blue vase in the Freesia pattern. Marked “Roseville” 119-7. 119 the shape, 7 indicating 7 inches high. I’ve had this vase a long time – it was one of the first pieces I bought – I’m pretty sure it was on eBay.
Next to that is a window box in the Magnolia Pattern. Marked 388-6. Love this shade of blue. Found on eBay. (The little dog was my paternal grandmother’s. It came all the way from Germany.)
Next, one of my favorite pieces; a vase in the Water Lily pattern. I love, love this design. Water Lily comes in brown and blue and this pink/green combination. This is marked “Roseville” 74-7. You guessed it – the vase is 7 inches high. I might have taken part in a small bidding war on this one.
At the end of the row: the double bud vase in the Clematis pattern. Marked “Roseville” 194-5.
Moving on to the next shelf:
A lovely cornucopia in the Magnolia pattern – this was gift from a Sonja, a reader of this blog. Marked “Roseville” 184-6.
A small vase in the Peony pattern – marked “Roseville” 57-4. I won this at a local auction along with another piece for a steal at $24.00.
Next, this vase in the Zephyr Lily pattern. It’s called the ‘pillow vase’ and it’s marked “Roseville” 206-7. It was also a gift from Sonja.
And this candleholder in the Gardenia pattern – marked “Roseville” 652-4½. It’s the other item I snagged at that auction.
Next: maybe my favorite piece at the moment, this vase in the Ixia pattern. Marked “Roseville” 856-8. It’s 8 inches tall and it’s simply gorgeous. I found it on eBay and, I have to admit, bid rather vigorously for it. Stunning. Makes my heart go pitter-patter.
Next, a candleholder in the beautiful Bleeding Heart pattern. Marked “Roseville” 1139-4½. It was a gift from Cathy, a reader of this blog.
A vase in the Snowberry pattern. (Those handles always remind me of a lady standing with her hands on her hips!) This is one of the first pieces that I purchased on eBay. It’s marked “Roseville” 1V-6. Don’t ask me why the first number looks different than the others. Roseville changed things up every once in a while.
And finally,
This little jardinière in the Bushberry pattern. It’s marked “Roseville” 657-3. This is the first piece of ever purchased. I found it in an antique shop in San Diego. It’s the only piece I could hope to afford at the time.
As to current prices:
Because of budget constraints, along with my concentration on the TSP, I hadn’t searched eBay for any Roseville for a few months. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that prices are high again – for no reason that I can think of. Is it seasonal? Are more people suddenly collecting? I don’t know. But I’ve been looking and I haven’t been bidding. My friend Linda and I exchanged an email about it – she’s noticed the same thing.
Just a friendly warning; prices are a bit high at the moment.
More tomorrow. I’ll also share some collecting tips and recommend some price guides/books that will help you in your search, if you’re so inclined.
Sssssh! Don’t tell Caroline that I’m writing about my collection. Otherwise, you know what will come next.
By the way, if you’re confused; the difference between a black raspberry and a blackberry can be easily determined by taking off the stem. A black raspberry has a hollow core (just like a raspberry) and a blackberry has a white core. Blackberries are more tart to the taste, as well.
Happy Friday.
Beautiful collection! My favorite is the Magnolia Window Box.
Isn’t that one pretty? I’d love some more pieces of Magnolia in that blue!
Good morning Claudia. The colors and shapes are gorgeous on all the different styles. I don’t own any but I enjoy looking at your collection. Have a good day.
Thank you, Doris. I must admit that I really love Roseville!
This makes me want to photograph my collection to share also. I love them all but the water lily in pink and green made my heart go pitty pat!! I checked a few days ago and prices are still high on Ebay so no buying for me right now! Your photos are so good, what is your secret??
hugs,
Linda
My camera is a Canon Rebel 3Ti – it takes great photos, but I also take a lot of pictures until I find the just the right one. I often use the Macro setting to get a good closeup.
Beautiful collection Claudia! I think the Magnolia pattern is my favorite. My neighbor once had an amazing salt & pepper shakers collection displayed in her kitchen. The only thing I collect is books. If I buy a book and read it and love it I keep it.
The magnolia pattern is awfully pretty. I have a couple more pieces in that pattern that I’ll share with you tomorrow or Sunday.
I love all the different shapes too…makes for an interesting collection! My favorite is the magnolia pattern on the rectangular piece…so beautiful. You really have to stay on top of the market if you are a collector, don’t you? I’m sure I’ve overpaid a time or two just because I didn’t want to lose out. I really don’t collect much anymore…unless a piece truly moves me! Enjoy your day! ;)
Oh, I’m absolutely sure I’ve overpaid at times, too – usually because I want a certain piece very much. But I’m not willing to pay what the current starting prices are on eBay, that’s for sure!
I’m going to check out eBay, so I can see first hand what you are referencing. ;)
Go for it! When I say the prices are high – it’s all relative of course. They’re still less than they were 20 years ago, but they are indeed higher than they were for most of the last year.
Your collection is so beautiful! I love the pieces shown together. Each is a little jewel. The soft colors are wonderful. I just bought my first piece. I can’t even tell you what it is called. It’s a large egg shaped vase in brown with a cream rose design. Sigh! I paid 65 dollars which was quite high for me. But I made so many good deals on other things I was buying that I went for it. It’s almost my birthday! Haha!
If you want to send me a picture, I could identify it for you. $65 for Roseville isn’t a bad price at all! Happy almost Birthday, Jacqueline!
I love looking at the different Roseville colours and patterns, but can’t decide on a favourite. Thank you for the berry tip! After watching the Republican Convention all week, I literally feel drained. Tomorrow is our local farmer’s market where I hope to find some sort of berry pick me up. Do people dress up in hats/costumes to vote in America or is that just for the conventions?
I think it’s just for the convention, Barbara. We deliberately stayed away from that noxious convention. It’s the Jerry Springer show turned Republican Convention. Get some berries!
That does sum it up. There was talk again about building walls around borders, but I can’t figure out how that’ll work with Lake Michigan. Some sort of buoy system?
Much more interesting question for you! Did Roseville make hanging planters? If so, where would the ID mark be?
Yes, they made hanging planters. Usually, they’re marked with USA near the rim or on the side. No room, I guess, for the traditional mark. I imagine there are some planters that are unmarked, as well.
That last piece, the Bushberry; particularly unique to me. Love all the Roseville…and til I was married to my husband and he inherited that small collection from his grandmother, I knew nothing about it. Have read that it was so loved by the everyday woman out there (was somewhat affordable back in the day) and got quite a lot of display and use, that too much of it got broken and chipped over all the many years. Therefore, when you find the intact pieces, no wonder they’re expensive. I also love that there are so many patterns/styles, and…oh…the colors; so wonderful. Thanks for identifying several and I think we are the ones who benefit from your inventory because we get to enjoy the glimpses of it! At first, I thought Roseville was…clunky. But I quickly came to appreciate and love it. When we EVER get our Roseville out after storage/remodeling, I’ll try to photograph our few and send a photo to you (share & share alike!). There are quite-large but also smaller pieces. The largest oval ‘dish’ is that to-die-for dark teal. When we got the stuff of Granny’s from my husband’s aunt, some Hull was also thrown in, so we have a little of that, too. I think it all came from the same clays in Ohio.
I’m off to do an errand…early. We’re in excessive heat warnings here in SoCalif for the next two days although every day is mid-90s lately. I just worry a little about the grid going ‘down’ on a weekday/workday like this, when people who do have air conditioners like myself, as well as all the big-city office buildings, really pull on it. I’ve been without power in 100+-degree temps, a few too many times to want to recall, and it ain’t fun. Hope you can stay cool today; I think the heat is still the same for the Northeast, if not worse.
I have a piece of Bushberry in blue, as well. It’s really gorgeous. One of my favorites in this collection. I look forward to seeing your Roseville, Vicki! Yes, they all came out of Ohio – McCoy included.
It’s 91 here and feels like 99. Needless to say, I’m just outside to water the plants and then I’m back inside. We were without power last year in June when that microburst (like a tornado) hit us. It was very hot. We were miserable! Don was more miserable because I left for Chautauqua the next day. The A/C is running here and I’m very grateful for it. I worry about those who don’t have A/C, especially the elderly.
Yes, you know, with the very elderly, some do not seem to be alert to the ever-growing heat building inside the home. In those last years of Mom’s life, I had to sit down with her and try to gently make her understand that we employed caregivers who were suffering in the heat even if she wasn’t (Mom HATED air conditioning; was ALWAYS cold; refused to run it). I had to tell her, “Mom, we have central air conditioning for a purpose…you have to think of others and use it; they can’t take care of you properly if they get sick and overheated.” One woman, the nighttime caregiver, had revealed to me that she’d had to go out on the front porch in the evening, she was so nauseous from the heat inside Mom’s house. Another caregiver we got through an agency, had permission from her employer to leave a post if the ‘client’ did not provide a healthy environment in which to work. Another thing I highlighted for Mom, bless her. But, gosh, Mom would not abide that air conditioning from the minute Dad put it in, to help with his breathing; he had respiratory disease and needed the filtered, cooled, dehumidified air. I needed it, too, during the time I moved in with Mom just after she was widowed. My lifelong asthma and hot, humid air do not agree with each other. I tried to think earlier today of anybody I should check on, but I noticed my neighbor down the street (in her 80s, with no central air) has her younger [significant other] there today and for the weekend, and he’ll be ‘on top of things’ with changing weather and can always take her to his own home, which DOES have air conditioning, if she’ll just GO.
Darn! I didn’t get my errand run; not going now! It’s already 94 degrees at 10:30am. Scorching.
I should check on our neighbors, but I think they’re fine. They’re in their eighties but they have a lot of energy and also have air conditioning.
The Bushberry jardiniere is my favorite. Love the colors. From reading your blog, Claudia, I have seen a LOT of pottery photos. My daughters take care of his menagerie of hares, bunnies and Guinea pigs. I was looking at the collectibles in his dining room one afternoon, and spotted a Rosewille! Imagine how chuffed I was to recognize it! I will try to take a pic and send to you. You’re the only Roseville expert I know.
Love that you recognized the Roseville! Good for you, Wendy! Send a pic when you can. I love seeing pictures of pottery.
Until I began following your blog, I don’t think that I ever even heard of Roseville pottery, although I feel sure that I must have seen it some somewhere in my childhood because as soon as I saw yours, it brought back memories of my great grandmothers house in Seattle.
I do believe however, that viewing and appreciating one piece is not anywhere near as impact-full as viewing a collection en masse. Seeing yours and the lovely romantic way in which you have it displayed on the shelf, along with the plates and the little china dog, really sets it up and gives it the WOW-FACTOR! One can’t help but be enchanted by their individual and collective charm and beauty.
Oh, and thanks for explaining the difference between a blackberry and a black raspberry; which was yet another thing that I didn’t know anything about except for your very interesting and always informative blog!
I’m glad you like the way it’s displayed, Elizabeth! I play around with the pieces, move one here, one there, but I think I’m happy with where they are at the moment.
I found out the difference between those two berries a few years ago – I posted the berries here and thought they were blackberries. A reader told me she thought they were black raspberries and I researched it and what do you know? They are!
Gorgeous collection Claudia!! Roseville is so pretty. It is too expensive around here to collect. I do have a few pieces gifted to me by an elderly neighbor lady who I grocery shopped for. When I found out how expensive it was, I tried to give it back but she wouldn’t let me.
Love the double bud vase. So unique.
Have a good weekend.
Judy
Much less expensive on eBay, Judy. Shops, I’ve found, really jack up the price. When we were in Florida, an antique shop had a lot of gorgeous Roseville, but I couldn’t believe the prices!
OMG, that’s what I’ve been thinking about ALL the handled vases, ever since I started reading your blog! That they all look like women of various types standing there, hands on hips, having vigorous “discussions” with their husbands – or discipling an errant child or two. To me, the second last photo today, the Snowberry one, is a society matron of the 30s, dressed to entertain & expecting her guests to begin arriving at any moment. However, she has just discovered something amiss – and is MOST exasperated with her butler and the staff! 🍾
The shapes are so curvy that they do remind me of a woman’s body. Love your last description, Janet!!
Always love looking at your collections, Claudia!! Love that you actually “use” so many pieces in your everyday life. We should remember to use what we have ~ beautiful collectibles, the good china, etc. I think they appreciate being used, as well!! 😏
Hope you are staying cool. We had over 2 inches of rain last night, so did NOT have to water, today!!!! But, wow, is it ever HOT! That rain just added to the humidity. ugh! Have a great rest of the day!
The weather is terrible here! Heat Index was up to 103 yesterday! Yikes.
A lovely collection Claudia. My favourite? It would be a toss up between the Freesia and the Zephyr Lily.
Thanks, Jan. There’s more on today’s post!
Nice selection! Great collection! I love them all!
Thank you, Sydney!