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McCoy Pottery

© Barbara Nicholson Bell

The well-loved pottery of Roseville, Ohio known as McCoy, is actually the products of two different manufacturers. The J.W. McCoy Pottery was founded in the late 19th century, became the Brush-McCoy Pottery, and eventually the Brush Pottery. The other firm, founded in Roseville in 1910 by J.W.'s son, was first known as the Nelson McCoy Sanitary Stoneware Co. It later became the Nelson McCoy Pottery company, which was sold in 1967 to one D.T. Chase of the Mount Clemens Pottery Co. He sold his interest in McCoy to Lancaster Colony Corp in 1974. The pottery shop closed in 1985. A more extensive history may be found at McCoy Pottery Online. This site contains much vital information for new and experienced collectors.

Because production of McCoy pottery lasted approximately 80 years, there are many pieces available to collectors. However, there will never be any more, and consequently the pieces you buy will only increase in value!

Cookie Jars are the most popular items for collectors, but planters, jardinieres and tea/coffee sets are also highly prized. The distinctive McCoy mark is usually seen on the bottom of pieces made after 1938, although various marks were used prior to that date, and, later, variations on the mark were used for the Floraline dinnerware line and cookware.

With an extensive section devoted to McCoy collectors, Ohio Clay considers itself the McCoy Pottery Collectors' home page. Since it also has similar information on other Ohio potteries such as Roseville, Weller, Hull, Shawnee, etc., you may find yourself drifting off into the fascinating and useful site and forgetting why you stopped here! There are also links to an event calendar and auction sites.

Serious McCoy cookie jar collectors will want to head over to Sunshine Collectibles, Inc. to explore their vast inventory of cookie jars and reference books on the major and minor pottery companies whose cookie jars are now highly collectible. This early McCoy cookie jar is relatively common, but should give you an idea of the quality of craftsmanship evident in McCoy wares.

A McCoy Pottery Grading System is an excellent, must-bookmark site for collectors. Print this out and carry it with you when you go hunting for your next McCoy. I wish I'd had this years ago!

Learning to recognize reproductions is an essential part of becoming a "mature" collector, of anything. A particularly useful guide to McCoy reproductions is located at Taking Tea: Identifying McCoy Reproductions. You may wish to go back to one of my earlier articles, "Buyer Beware" (in two parts). A hot market for any collectible will spawn reproductions, and McCoy is a prime target.