Customer Reviews

Red Wing Stoneware Encyclopedia

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I am very disappointed in this reference guide. It contains very little detail information, does not show the bottom markings of the pieces, and is full of rare items rather than the ordinary. There's hardly any pottery vases and absolutely no dinnerware or cookie jars. Most of the items are advertising crocks that few of us will ever see. I am thinking of reselling it as it won't be very helpful to me.

Despite wonderful photography of the included stoneware items, the book is far from an encyclopedia of Red Wing products. Instead, it is a compendium, mostly, of rare items, barely touching on those "common" products which the majority of Red Wing collectors have in their collections. And, despite the attempt to be a price guide, the rarity of a large number of the pictured items makes it impossible to quote a value ("value not determined"). Sure, it is nice to see pictures of the unique items, but to label the book an 'encyclopedia' is misleading, I believe. After all, an encyclopedia is "a work that contains information on all branches of knowledge or treats comprehensively a particular branch of knowledge" (Merriam-Webster), and I don't feel that this treated the subject matter comprehensively.

Red Wing Stoneware Encyclopedia is a 'must' for any serious collector of this stoneware. It is arranged by type of ware and includes good-sized color photos and descriptions along with the latest values for kitchen ware, jugs, churns, and more. Red Wing stoneware has a distinctive look: this encyclopedia packs in the latest values and descriptions and is invaluable for stoneware collectors!