In 1932 McKee Glass was in experimental mode. The Depression was taking a toll on their bottom line and they were looking for something that was affordable, durable and aesthetically appealing for their kitchen and dishware lines. Quite by accident they discovered that when they added scraps of green glass to their milk glass formula, the end result was an opaque glass in a beautiful green tone. They had found the answer to their slumping sales and they named it Jadeite.
The women of the 1930s were a frugal lot. Times were hard and not a scrap of food could be wasted. Knowing this, the manufacturer of Jadeite offered sets of refrigerator dishes for leftovers and canister sets to keep flour, sugar, oatmeal and other staples fresh. When you add to this trend towards preservation the lovely green color of jadeite and the low cost and durability of the pieces, it is easy to see why they flew off the shelves at hardware stores and 5 & 10 cent stores across America.
With the undeniable success of McKee Glass Jadeite, other major glass manufacturers soon followed suit, most notably Jeanette Glass and Anchor Hocking (Fire King). It is estimated that during the the 1940s over 25 million pieces of Jadeite were sold in the U.S.
When shopping you will find it helpful to know the marks used by the original 3 manufacturers: Jeannette — the letter J in a triangle, McKee — the letters ”McK” in a small circle and a small hump on the bottom of each piece, and Anchor Hocking — a large letter “H” over a smaller uppercase “A.”
As with most trends, the interest in Jadeite faded. In its place came bright table service such as Fiesta and Harlequin, Brown-Drip Stoneware from Hull and McCoy… and then we were hit by the Melmac Era. It seemed that the lovely green shades of Jadeite were a thing of the past.
All of that changed in 1999 when Martha Stewart turned her love for Jadeite into a highly successful business endeavor, offering a “new” line of Jadeite through her catalog, Martha by Mail. Not only did her line sell but the buying public was reintroduced to the Jadeite of the 1930s and 40s and sales for the vintage pieces started to climb. Ms. Stewart was bashed by many a purist who dismissed her line as blatant reproduction that had no merit in the marketplace. With the passage of time that critique has softened and today Martha Stewart Jadeite has come to stand on its own as a collectible. It should be stated that, as a show of respect for the original issues, Martha clearly marked her pieces “MBM” or the letter “S” so they would not confuse the collector.
If your taste runs to old Jadeite there are a number of pieces to be on the lookout for when you hit the sales this summer. Once sold for $5, the simple ball jar pitcher now sells as high as $600. Canisters and children’s canisters can run into several hundred dollars each if the lids and present and chip free. Of particular interest is the McKee 28 ounce cereal canister which is bringing $300-$400 and “C” handle coffee mugs are now going in the $75-$100 range. eBay remains one of the best sources for hard to find pieces. Recent auctions include: McKee’s 4 cup measuring pitcher with lid for $150, a Jeannette/McKee 3 piece refrigerator set with all lids for $160 and a Fire King 1/4 pound butter dish with the clear lid for $90.
Whether old or new, Jadeite is in high demand. Why? When posed with this question Martha gave one of the best answers I have heard. “They are the perfect combination…a collectible, that’s usable.” Until next time…Linda
Linda Kennett is a professional liquidation consultant specializing in down-sizing for seniors and the liquidation of estates and may be reached at 317-258-7835 or lkennett@indy.rr.com