McCoy-Weller-USA Pottery Vases

Our farm grows and sells not only vegetables, fruits and herbs, but flowers are a huge part of our business-and it is growing.

I have always loved vases and collect a few special types, mainly McCoy Pottery vases from the 1920s, 30s and early 1940s.  There are many, many books out on McCoy Pottery, my very favorite color is "Aqua", sometimes called green. And I like the finish called "matte".  

They come in gloss and I have some, but my favorite, favorite ones are aqua, matte finish.

When I started out collecting many years ago, you could easily find a piece here and there at yard sales, antique shops or estate sales. Mostly for under $5.  I tried to buy only perfect ones, no chips or cracks, but if it was cheap enough I would purchase them as long as they would hold water so I could put my flowers in them.  In my house, the color aqua seemed to work well with any color flower, in any room that I place the arrangement.

Once the selection and availability of finding them dried up at sales, I made the mistake of looking for them on Ebay.  Yes, I found lots there and even for a while buying from Ebay, I was able to find some very good buys especially if the pottery wasn't marked "McCoy".  

You see, I didn't care if it was marked McCoy or not, it was the look, color, function-vases.  Many vases in my collection have USA or Weller on the bottom too. Some have no marks.

As with all addictions, they lead to excess,  so I needed a cabinet to put all my vases into so they could be shown off.  If I saw a yellow McCoy vase that was cheap, I would buy it with the thought that it was worth it because they were becoming collectible.  When I saw white ones, I thought how wonderful to mix my flowers between an aqua vase, or a yellow vase, or a white vase.  Get the picture???

Luckily, my addiction did end due to the higher and higher cost of McCoy and Pottery vases in general and rarity in finding them.

My cabinet that is full of the aqua vases are still the show stopper whenever anyone new comes into my dining room.  The one thing everyone has to do is touch one, it is that matte soft finish; the beauty of their lines; the discovery of the unique colors that blend from water blues, to dark aqua, to more green, each having a look so special.

Swallows on this vase

I don't go to McCoy anonymous; I have stopped buying off of Ebay; but I still do the occasional yard sales and antique shows if I have the time.  I try not to specifically think about looking for the pottery vases, but if there is one there, it does go into my hand to check for chips, cracks, color, texture AND price.  There is always room for one more flower vase!

Do you have any collection addictions?  Would love to hear about them.