In the 27 years I have worked with clients to liquidate their estates I have seen some incredible things. People often ask me what the one piece has been that I would liked to have had for myself. Hmmm… there have been a number of rare first edition books. Then there were those beautiful stained glass windows we liquidated when the Indianapolis Downtown Antique Mall closed. I did truly love one client’s collection of apothecary jars from the early years of Eli Lilly. We have sold furniture ranging from Eastlake to Industrial and pottery from McCoy to Newcomb. And I can’t overlook the oddities that have surfaced from the basements and attics of central Indiana. Strangely enough it was none of these. The one thing that still haunts me to this day, was a 1950s bright red, hand-painted canister set from Ransburg Pottery Company.
Harper J. Ransburg was an Indiana farm boy who was forced to leave school in the 8th grade to help support his family. In 1920 he moved to Indianapolis, took out a loan and started his line of intricately cut glassware. While it sold well the needs the buying public shifted as we entered the Depression years. Money was not available for such frivolity as decorative glassware and as housewives became more practical-minded. Ransburg switched their production to hand decorated stoneware pottery (1931) and metalware (1933).
The success of Ransburg’s utilitarian lines can be attributed as much to their marketing genius as it can to their products. The company set forth a 3-part plan. First, they offered their household products as sets, which greatly increased the number of pieces sold. Secondly, they sold not only at department stores alongside their competitors, but also at gift shops, hardware stores and other venues. And thirdly, and perhaps the most effective part of their strategy, they solicited a number of top food manufacturing concerns to package their products in Ransburg wares. One of their most popular items was their cookie jar filled with cookies which at the peak of production saw the sale of over 250,000 units a year.
In the early 1950s Ransburg issued a line of tole painted enamelware for the home. These pieces offered in Chinese red, sunshine yellow, pink, black and white were an instant hit with the public. Kitchen wares included round cake carriers, paper towel holders, roll top and slant door breadboxes, adorable little nut grinders, a recipe box and 4 piece canister sets. For the bath there were sets of matching tissue holders, soap dispensers, towel racks and trash cans.
Their line of wrought iron was introduced in the mid-1930s, but was short lived as metal became needed for the war effort. The line was picked up again in 1946 and continued through 1955.
Not all Ransburg pieces are marked. This is not as much a hindrance to identification as one might think because their bright bold colors and floral motifs are easily recognizable. Once you see your first few pieces of Ransburg pottery, iron or enamelware the “look” will be obvious at a glance. More difficult to discern are the wicker and wire ware lines from the 1950s and the plastic lines from the 1960s that look very much like the work of their competitors. The later lines, while achieving moderate sales, never reached the level of success of the pottery, iron and enamel wares.
Today’s collectors reflect the buying attitudes of their grandparents with “usable collectibles” accounting for many of their purchases. When you combine their brilliant mid-century colors with their practicality it is easy to see why Ransburg sales are holding strong. Until next time . . . Linda
Linda Kennett is a professional liquidation consultant specializing in down-sizing for seniors and the liquidation of estates. Linda is not taking clients at this time.
