Featured BIGGG Crockery Pot? Churn? Keg?

As you have found, this is a good one. This kind of decoration elevates a plain crock to an exceptional one.

 

We have sold lots of crocks over the years. Size does matter. The smallest antique crocks (people persist in calling them salesman's samples but they are most likely just small crocks) can be expensive, particularly if they are unusual. Then 2 to 3 gallon crocks are the most common and are the ones most people seem to want. They are easy to lift and fit on most shelves for display. 4 to 6 gallon crocks (in our experience) are the ones that the people who remember mom making sauerkraut or pickles and using a crock are looking for. We have had several 10 gallon and at least 3 20 gallon crocks and they can be a hard sell.

This crock has a lot going for it. Size is not too big, and it has great decoration and color and it has the "ears." People really like those ears.
A man in Roseville told us 30 years ago when crocks were really hot, that he buried them in his field for at least a year and then put a few at a time out for sale. The weathered look made folks think they were old and if he only had 2 or 3 out people assumed they were rare! He also told us he charged $10 a gallon for basic crocks. He's still selling crocks and seems to be doing well. I imagine he is doing the same thing yet.

 

I make my sour kraut in a crock about that size. I put up salt pork in one like it as well.

 

My Mom had a crock collection or two, but have/had NEVER seen a bird like THAT!!!!
JUST GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can't wait to hear what Crocker Farm has to say!!!!!

 

I did NOT see Gila's crock on that 'crock site'.....good thing....speaks of rarity.....

 

I
am
almost
speechlesssssssssssssssssssss...

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Waiting on Crocker's replyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I have my mother's crocks . She made lots of different kinds of pickles, sauerkraut, wine. I never saw one as beauteous as that. Nice.

 

Bev, here's the close-up. Still waiting on Crocker's appraisal.
Any idea what your mom would have made in a big 6-gallon crock like this? What did she cover them with? I guess that question goes out to anybody else who saw these crocks in action...

 

This is from the Old Farmer's Almanac and is pretty much what my mom did.

• Boil an old dish towel or piece of sheeting for 5 minutes and cover the crock with it. Weight this down with a flat plate the size of the inside of the crock and weight it down with a canning jar full of water. If you’re using a glass jar, you won’t need to weight it down. Let it sit for a day.

 

Wowwwwwwwwwwwww... thanks, J & G. Amazing practical science... back in the day!

 

Hi Gila,
We used the bigger crocks and they were weighted down with wooden lids and a stone. The sauerkraut crocks used to "burb" and leave a nasty smell. To this day I hate sauerkraut. After it was "done" we used to remove the top and the top five or six inches of blackened crap to uncover the white sauerkraut. My Gram made hundreds of gallons of the stuff. The local hunt clubs and society clubs would come for miles just to buy Gram's sauerkraut for their dinners.
greg

 

Greggsie, I LOVE sauerkraut! Until now, maybe... No, I still love it... I guess it's kinda like sausage: you don't usually want to see it being made.

 

Hi Gila,
Everyone in my family loves it also, except me. The smell of it "ripening" just makes me uncomfortable (really hate it). Of course everyone in my family loved Limburger cheese except me. I always thought that these horrible dirty people took off their smelly shoes and crushed it like they do grapes. LOL
greg

 

Well, the verdict is in... two in fact...

This was from Crocker Farm.
"That is a nice example of Midwestern stoneware from around the fourth quarter of the 19th century (roughly 1880's). A ballpark conservative value would be about $500, but possibly a good bit more because the design is particularly nice. I hope this helps and please let me know if we can help you further.
Best,
Brandt Zipp
Crocker Farm, Inc." (thanks to CCloset for the email address!)

And... a local fine arts/antiques dealer with whom I'm familiar was kind enough, upon seeing the pictures yesterday, to say that he would of course need to assess it first hand to be sure... but he would start it at about a thousand and not take any less than 750, due to the nice bird.

Soooooooo... you guys called it! Thanks for making sure I rescued this crock properly!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoGila

 

Can't wait to see what you are going to downsize next !!!

 

Oh, the temptation...

 

Your bird appears to be a rendition of a passenger pigeon. This was probably a retail store bin for selling them. The harvesters shipped them in wooden barrels to the big cities.

This is an interesting book of the early history of Adams county Wisconsin. It is where my dad's side came from since the late 1800s.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...heR7A9CDVpxACZnNw&sig2=o0602pN32N04vdGd8LCDWQ
Pigeon harvest is about page 43.

The county bears little resemblance today to what it was back then.

 

Oh, wow, thanks, Terry!!! I pride myself on knowing my birds, but I missed that one. They've been extinct since the 20's, or so? I bet that adds a bit of value in itself. Thank youuuuuu!!!!

 

...& you were worried that your old man would not be able to get rid of his stuff.

Peggy