Fiestaware Archives - Driving for Deco

Fiesta Kitchen Kraft label. Image from thepotterypapers.blogspot.com

CLICK HERE FOR PART TWO

Driving For Deco continues its series on Fiesta Kitchen Kraft. Starting with this post we will begin to look at the items individually.

Mixing Bowls

Dates of Production: 1938 – 1944

Available Colors: Red, Cobalt, Green, Yellow *

The three sizes of the Fiesta Kitchen Kraft mixing bowls.

All three sizes of the Fiesta Kitchen Kraft mixing bowls in red. Image from poshmark.com.

Kitchen Kraft mixing bowls production life lasted approximately forty years. Found in white or ivory and are plain or decorated with decals. These bowls originally came with a paper label and no other markings. Mixing bowls in the Fiesta Kitchen Kraft line featured a molded in mark on the bottom as well as special paper label.

While Fiesta mixing bowls came in seven sizes, Fiesta Kitchen Kraft bowls were only available in three. The smallest bowl has a 6 inch diameter, 8 for the medium bowl and 10 inch for the large bowl. And unlike the Fiesta bowls with their concentric rings inside and outside, these bowls were devoid of any decorations. The most notable design trait are the two “stair steps” under the rim which repeated over the bowl’s foot. The foot is another differentiating design feature from the footless Fiesta mixing bowls.

In 1938 the cost of the bowls in blue, green and yellow were: 6 inch bowl $0.35 ($6.50 in 2020) and red $0.50 ($9.25 in 2020).

Red six inch Fiesta Kitchen Kraft mixing bowl.

Fiesta Kitchen Kraft six inch mixing bowl in red. Image from replacements.com.

8 inch bowls in blue, green and yellow cost $0.60 ($11.00 in 2020) and red $0.75 ($13.85 in 2020).

: 8 inch or medium Fiesta Kitchen Kraft mixing bowl in red. Image from ebay.

: The Fiesta Kitchen Kraft mark on the bottom of the 8 inch mixing bowl in yellow. Image from mercari.com

And 10 inch bowls in blue, green and yellow sold for $0.90 ($16.60 in 2020) and in red $1.20 ($22.15).

The large Fiesta Kitchen Kraft mixing bowl. 10 inches and with its paper label.

10 inch green Fiesta Kitchen Kraft mixing bowl with paper label. Image from worthpoint.com

While not terribly expensive, they were not a real bargain either. So finding any Fiesta Kitchen Kraft mixing bowl is not easy today. And trying to find one in excellent to mint condition can be difficult. Like the regular Fiesta mixing bowls they were well loved and used and often have chips, fleabites and scratches. Current online values for these bowls tend to be higher than finding one at an antique mall, flea market.

6 inch bowls: Book value: $68.00 – $87.00 . Current market prices: $35.00 (eBay) – $95.00 (Esty). *

8 inch bowls: Book value: $82.00 – $100.00. Current market prices: $50.00 (Strawser Auction Group) – $68.00 (Mercari).

10 inch bowls: Book value: $97.00 – $125.00. Current market prices: $130.00 (Strawser Auction Group) – $150.00 (Vintage American Pottery).

* Mixing bowls glazed in Harlequin and other colors will be examined in future posts.

** Book values come from Fiesta, Harlequin, Kitchen Kraft Dinnerwares, Schiffer Publishing 2000. These reflect pre-2008 recession values. And like Fiesta values items glazed in red and cobalt have higher values than those same pieces glazed in yellow and green.

*** These prices reflect what these bowls are currently selling for online in excellent condition with no chips or cracks. Intact paper labels increases the value of pieces up to 25%.

Cake Plate

Dates of Production: 1938 – 1944

Available Colors: Red, Cobalt, Green, Yellow

If there was one item of Fiesta Kitchen Kraft that seemed to sell better than all the others it was the cake plate. There must have been a real need for this piece proven by the relatively easiness in finding one today.

For a short time Homer Laughlin produced a cake plate possibly for the Royal Metal Manufacturing company. These cake plates came glazed in the first five Fiesta colors. Never listed on any Fiesta price list, it was discontinued in less than a year. Today the “Fiesta” cake plate is a very rare piece and commands prices over $1,000.00 on the collectors market.

: Vintage “Fiesta” cake plate. The view from the top. Image from vintageamericanpottery.com.

: The bottom of the Fiestaware cake plate, showing all the rings. Image from vintageamericanpottery.com.

The “Fiesta” cake plate is heavily decorated with rings. On the top it has the same ring configuration as the Fiesta 10 inch dinner plate. But on the underside it is all rings, in fact it has more rings than any other piece of Fiesta.

The Kitchen Kraft cake plate is just the opposite, it is almost devoid of any decorations *. Only one single depressed rim along the edge on the top and three rings in the center on the bottom. The Fiesta Kitchen Kraft cake plate is approximately the same size as the “Fiesta” cake plate and the Fiesta 10 inch dinner plate. This piece was reasonably priced. Yellow, blue and green cakes plates sold for $0.50 ($9.25 in 2020) and $0.65 ($12.00) for red.

: Fiesta Kitchen Kraft cake plate in yellow. From the collection of the author.

: Underside of Fiesta Kitchen Kraft cake plate. From the collection of the author.

Cake plate: Book value: $48.00 – $67.00 ** . Current market prices: $20.00 (Green) – $50.00 (Cobalt) on eBay – $60.00 (red) on Etsy.

Red Fiesta Kitchen Kraft cake plate, with a 15 inch Fiesta chop plate and yellow Harlequin syrup.

Red Fiesta Kitchen Kraft cake plate on top of a Fiesta 15 inch green chop plate with a yellow Harlequin syrup. From the collection of the author.

* The cake plate in the Kitchen Kraft line glazed in ivory or white featured a variety of different decals.

Cake Server

Dates of Production: 1938 – 1944

Available Colors: Red, Cobalt, Green, Yellow

Fiesta Kitchen Kraft cake servers in all the available colors. Image from vintageamericanpottery.com.

Just about a year after Oven Serve was introduced in 1933, Frederick Rhead designed the cake server for the line. Unlike pieces designed later for Kitchen Kraft that did not have decoration, the Oven Serve pieces usually were embossed with floral decorations. And this is true for the cake server. The design of its handle matches the embossing found on Oven Serve casseroles and bowls. No changes were made to the cake server’s design with the introduction of Kitchen Kraft in 1937. But dipping it in bright Fiesta glazes was the only change to the piece to make it Fiesta Kitchen Kraft. Finding the cake server with decals is not too difficult, but the Fiesta Kitchen Kraft cake server is hard to find. Cake servers in excellent condition are hard to find as they are prone to have fleabites and chips due to use. And expect to pay a good deal more for it than ivory or white decal ones.

Green caker server with an intact paper label.

Green Fiesta Kitchen Kraft cake server in mint condition with an intact paper label. Image from ebay.

Cake server: Book value: $130.00 – $190.00 * . Current market prices: $43.00 – $299.00 (This is the current price range on eBay. The high price is for one in mint condition with an intact paper label.) – $155.00 – $185.00 (vintageamericanpottery.com).

*Book values come from Fiesta, Harlequin, Kitchen Kraft Dinnerwares, Schiffer Publishing 2000. These reflect pre-2008 recession values. And like Fiesta values items glazed in red and cobalt have higher values than those same pieces glazed in yellow and green.

In part four Driving for Deco will take a look at the Fiesta Kitchen Kraft casseroles.

CLICK HERE FOR PART FOUR

Anthony & Chris (The Freakin’, ‘Tiquen Guys)

Fiestaware dancing lady logo from a 1937 price list. Image from the author’s collection.

After over three years looking at vintage Fiesta at Driving For Deco, we have come to the last installment of Fiestaware 101. This post will look at the famous dinner ware line up to its restyling in 1969.

Sales of Fiesta slowed in the 1950’s and that trend continued even more so in the 1960’s. Fiesta remained basically unchanged since the mid and late 1930’s which made the line seem dated by the 1960’s.

Late 1960 or Early 1961 Deletion

The Dessert Bowl

Until the entire Fiesta line was restyle in 1969, the dessert bowl was the only elimination of the decade. In production since the introduction of the line in 1936, Frederick Rhead’s original concept for this piece was as a fruit bowl. When the 5 1/2 inch oatmeal bowl became designated as a fruit bowl, this piece became the dessert bowl. It is very easily found in the first six colors and just a little harder to find in the colors of the 1950’s. Discontinued around the end of 1960, just a year and a half after the introduction of the medium green glaze, it is very rare in that color. And the value reflects its rarity.

Two Fiestaware Dessert Bowls one in chartreuse and one in gray.

Current prices vary greatly. Most dessert bowls on ebay seem to be in the $25.00 – $50.00 range in all colors except medium green. At flea markets some can be bought for as little as $10.00. A medium green bowl sold at auction on November 23, 2013 for $250.00. But some have sold for over $500.00.

Medium Green Fiestaware Dessert Bowl. Image from Strawser Auctions.

Teacup Changes

Sometime in the early 1960’s changes were made to the teacup for easier production. The hand turned foot and inside rings were eliminated. These later teacups are also slightly larger than earlier cups.

Yellow Fiestaware teacups in early and later varieties. The one earlier variation is on the left with the hand turned foot. The cup on the right is the 1960’s style. Image taken by the author.

Yellow Fiestaware teacups showing the rings on the inside of the early style as compared to the ringless 1960’s cup. Image taken by the author.

1962 – 1965

Fiesta Casuals

Salad plates, Fiesta Casual Hawaiian 12-Point Daisy

Four Fiesta Casual Hawaiian 12-Point Daisy salad plates. From the collection of the author.

In what was probably an effort to increase flagging sales, Homer Laughlin produced an interesting variant, Fiesta Casuals. This line used white glazed dinner and salad plates, saucers and platters trimmed in either yellow or turquoise decorated with stylized, stencil flowers. Fiesta Casuals came in two different designs, Hawaiian 12-Point Daisy and Yellow Carnation.

Fiesta Casuals Yellow Carnation. Image from Strawser Auction Group.

This Fiesta variant must not have been popular as it is not that easy to find today. Prices for pieces of Fiesta Casuals are all over the place, ranging from less than $10.00 to over $150.00.

1967

Amberstone

The Amberstone version of the iconic Disc Pitcher. This piece does not have the impressed Fiesta mark on the bottom. Photo by the author.

Another variation on Fiesta in the 1960’s is Amberstone. Marketed by Sheffield as a supermarket premium in 1967 it utilized Fiesta shapes (with the impressed Fiesta marks removed). Some pieces were modernized and all were dipped in a brown glaze. Plates and platters had a black Mediterranean style medallion under the glaze. Tea cups handles changed from a ring to a “c” shape, the sugar bowl lost its handles and mugs became straight sided. Finials were modified from flared to rounded knobs.

Amberstone dinner plate showing the underglazed black decal. Image from ebay.

: Modified Amberstone mug. Image from ebay.

: Amberstone coffee cup and saucer, showing the “C” style handle. Image from ebay.

: Amberstone sugar bowl minus side handles and with knob finial and creamer with “C” style handle. Image from ebay.

Advertisement for Amberstone from the Lawton Constitution, August 14, 1967, Lawton, Oklahoma. From Newspapers.com.

Ambestone teapot. Image from ebay.

During this time, with Fiesta still in production some mistakes happened. Cups with “C” handles exist in yellow, turquoise and medium green. And some Amberstone pieces have the impressed Fiesta mark. The casserole underwent a complete revision and fruit bowls sides changed from straight sided to sloped. The retired coffee pot and marmalade were made available in the line.

The Amberstone casserole. Image from ebay.

Sloped sided Amberstone fruit bowls. Image from ebay.

: Amberstone coffee pot. Image from ebay.

: Amberstone marmalade jar. Image from ebay.

Values for Amberstone pieces vary. Plates can be found for $1.00 – $5.00. Cups and saucers have a value of between $5.00 – $10.00. Harder to find pieces like the disc pitcher, coffee pot and casserole have sold recently for about $50.00 (or sometimes even less).

1969

Finally, after 33 years in production, the bright colors and Art Deco style had become old fashioned. Homer Laughlin decided to revise the line one last time. Yellow, turquoise, red and medium green, along with the original shapes were retired in July, 1969. At the same time, Fiesta Ironstone debuted. Utilizing the shapes from Amberstone, Fiesta Ironstone only came in three colors, Antique Gold, Turf Green and Mango Red (the same red of the vintage Fiesta line).

1969 brochure for Fiesta Ironstone. Image from laurelhollowpark.com.

Fiesta Ironstone limped along for three years. On January 1, 1973 Homer Laughlin decided to drop the line and retire the Fiesta name forever.

Well that didn’t exactly happen, but that’s another story.

This concludes the series Fiesta 101. More is still to come with Fiesta 201, in which we will look at other Fiesta related china and comparisons between vintage Fiesta and the currently produced Fiesta.

CLICK HERE FOR PART TWO

Driving For Deco continues its series on Fiesta Kitchen Kraft. Starting with this post we will begin to look at the items individually.

Mixing Bowls

Dates of Production: 1938 – 1944

Available Colors: Red, Cobalt, Green, Yellow *

In 1938 the cost of the bowls in blue, green and yellow were: 6 inch bowl $0.35 ($6.50 in 2020) and red $0.50 ($9.25 in 2020).

8 inch bowls in blue, green and yellow cost $0.60 ($11.00 in 2020) and red $0.75 ($13.85 in 2020).

And 10 inch bowls in blue, green and yellow sold for $0.90 ($16.60 in 2020) and in red $1.20 ($22.15).

6 inch bowls: Book value: $68.00 – $87.00 **. Current market prices: $35.00 (eBay) – $95.00 (Esty). ***

8 inch bowls: Book value: $82.00 – $100.00. Current market prices: $50.00 (Strawser Auction Group) – $68.00 (Mercari).

10 inch bowls: Book value: $97.00 – $125.00. Current market prices: $130.00 (Strawser Auction Group) – $150.00 (Vintage American Pottery).

Cake Plate

Dates of Production: 1938 – 1944

Available Colors: Red, Cobalt, Green, Yellow

If there was one item of Fiesta Kitchen Kraft that seemed to sell better than all the others it was the cake plate. There must have been a real need for this piece proven by the relatively easiness in finding one today.

The “Fiesta” cake plate is heavily decorated with rings. On the top it has the same ring configuration as the Fiesta 10 inch dinner plate. But on the underside it is all rings, in fact it has more rings than any other piece of Fiesta.

Cake plate: Book value: $48.00 – $67.00 ** . Current market prices: $20.00 (Green) – $50.00 (Cobalt) on eBay – $60.00 (red) on Etsy.

Cake Server

Dates of Production: 1938 – 1944

Available Colors: Red, Cobalt, Green, Yellow

Cake server: Book value: $130.00 – $190.00 * . Current market prices: $43.00 – $299.00 (This is the current price range on eBay. The high price is for one in mint condition with an intact paper label.) – $155.00 – $185.00 (vintageamericanpottery.com).

In part four Driving for Deco will take a look at the Fiesta Kitchen Kraft casseroles.

CLICK HERE FOR PART FOUR

Anthony & Chris (The Freakin’, ‘Tiquen Guys)

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After over three years looking at vintage Fiesta at Driving For Deco, we have come to the last installment of Fiestaware 101. This post will look at the famous dinner ware line up to its restyling in 1969.

Sales of Fiesta slowed in the 1950’s and that trend continued even more so in the 1960’s. Fiesta remained basically unchanged since the mid and late 1930’s which made the line seem dated by the 1960’s.

Late 1960 or Early 1961 Deletion

The Dessert Bowl

Current prices vary greatly. Most dessert bowls on ebay seem to be in the $25.00 – $50.00 range in all colors except medium green. At flea markets some can be bought for as little as $10.00. A medium green bowl sold at auction on November 23, 2013 for $250.00. But some have sold for over $500.00.

Teacup Changes

Sometime in the early 1960’s changes were made to the teacup for easier production. The hand turned foot and inside rings were eliminated. These later teacups are also slightly larger than earlier cups.

1962 – 1965

Fiesta Casuals

This Fiesta variant must not have been popular as it is not that easy to find today. Prices for pieces of Fiesta Casuals are all over the place, ranging from less than $10.00 to over $150.00.

1967

Amberstone

Values for Amberstone pieces vary. Plates can be found for $1.00 – $5.00. Cups and saucers have a value of between $5.00 – $10.00. Harder to find pieces like the disc pitcher, coffee pot and casserole have sold recently for about $50.00 (or sometimes even less).

1969

Fiesta Ironstone limped along for three years. On January 1, 1973 Homer Laughlin decided to drop the line and retire the Fiesta name forever.

Well that didn’t exactly happen, but that’s another story.

This concludes the series Fiesta 101. More is still to come with Fiesta 201, in which we will look at other Fiesta related china and comparisons between vintage Fiesta and the currently produced Fiesta.

Anthony & Chris (The Freakin’, Tiquen Guys)

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Like this:

6 inch bowls: Book value: $68.00 – $87.00 . Current market prices: $35.00 (eBay) – $95.00 (Esty). *