Posted 10 years ago
Stillwater
(217 items)
I'm not really into Roseville... Of course, its *beautiful* stuff, very well-done, its old, its very, very pretty, but I think its just been over-produced and over-collected, so there are a million pieces out there, and everyone and their mother knows what it is and that its worth something, so I can never seem to find it as a sleeper, or even cheap. So I just never buy it and never got very interested in it.
My luck changed today though! I found this in a sparse house with one of those scented ornamental springs of "flowers" inside. Promptly threw them out and brought this up to the register. Its the largest piece I've ever had at 15" tall, and I only paid a dollar an inch :D Hoped you guys liked it! Thanks for looking
beautiful!!! , I still have some Roseville laying around in the closet!!
You are incredibly lucky indeed Still :) I agree with you on all counts. Plus one little nip or chip and the piece is reduced 50% in value. The art pottery market has declined significantly too. I have two pieces of Roseville myself which I really cherish. It's not that common even here in Ohio where it was made despite the high production volume. So I don't know where it's all hiding. Collections most likely. I posted these ages ago :
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/101057-roseville-tangerine-console-bowl-magnol?in=collection-1867
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/89548-roseville-freesia-vase-119-7-in-tropic?in=collection-1867
Very interesting Mike, you seem to have had about the same kind of reaction as I did, disbelief at the fact I was holding a piece of Roseville where the seller didn't know what it was!
There seems to be a lot of it in Arizona, but apparently it is such a characteristic pottery that its impossible for anyone or their mother to miss. It is always, always, always up next to the register with a tag saying "ROSEVILLE." The few times I've found it have been in the backyard covered in fake flowers or something, basically hidden.
My whole MO is to look for sleepers that other people miss, so I guess having always seen it properly identified and priced at retail has inculcated a dislike of Roseville and never prompted me to learn about it, even though there's nothing wrong with it artistically.
It is sad how low the art pottery market is currently. My father inspired the interest in me with stories of selling pieces in the 80's and 90's for thousands of dollars, once even $10,000 on a large Teco jardiniere.
It was fun reading your story about the Freesia piece, I can feel your excitement through it :) Is art pottery an area that you enjoy a lot too? I had the same feeling with this as you had with the Magnolia, just kinda like "haha yay! (is it fake?...)"
Oh yes Still I do love art pottery first and foremost but if I waited to get new pieces to post it would be a long time between them. You probably remember nldionne when she was with us here on CW. Now there's a Roseville collection for you she was quite an expert and I really miss her. Another one of those strange disappearances of long time members we've been having of late. She lives south of me here in Ohio so that's where all the Roseville went...lol. I have some Hull, McCoy (one vellum piece), and tons of USA mystery pieces. Of course then there's my Asian stuff. Speaking of Asian beware of the Roseville Chinese copies. Since Roseville patterns are so well documented they're easy to spot because they just don't fit in any category and the quality isn't there either. Your Dad seems to have had the primo pieces. Teco and Grueby still bring great prices even in this depressed market, but you have to have the unique ones not the mass produced pieces. Not that I'd turn any down myself if I ever saw one. I missed a huge Roseville vase at Salvation last Summer. My friend said someone grabbed it as soon as it was put out. Even at $250.00. Way beyond my means but I would have loved to have seen it. There are very few bargains or sleepers anymore. Darn internet and smartphones now everyone's an expert so nothing gets past the production rooms at the thrifts.