The addition of pottery to the Longaberger product line was a natural progression for The Longaberger Company. Just like baskets, pottery has a rich history and was an important commodity in Ohio. In fact, J.W. Longaberger's Ware Baskets were crafted for local pottery companies.
As you begin building your collection of pottery, or as you add to your current collection, there are some details to keep in mind to ensure you are getting an authentic Longaberger product.
HOW TO IDENTIFY ...
Most Longaberger Pottery is easy to spot because of the distinct basket weave design, traditional located around the center of the item, or around the edges. The Woven Traditions four-petal motif can be found on the original Classic Blue, Traditional Red and Heritage Green pieces. All Longaberger Pottery is either embossed with the woven "L" logo, Longaberger name or decal. Pottery that does not include these attributes are not authentic Longaberger. Several different embossed logo and logo decals have been used throughout the years. Contrary to popular belief, pottery that does not meet Longaberger's stringent quality standards are NOT more collectible or worth more than the first-quality products.
ROSEVILLE POTTERY ...
From 1990-1991, Friendship Pottery in Roseville, Ohio produced Longaberger Pottery, giving these collectible pieces the name "Roseville Pottery". Available only in Classic Blue, each piece was dated and initialed. Roseville pieces have a unique embossment distinguishing it as made in Roseville Ohio and the body of the pottery is a creamy white.
HALL, STERLING & PFALTZGRAFF ...
In 1992, Longaberger moved production to Hall China Company and Sterling China Company of East Liverpool, Ohio. These pieces have both embossed and decal logos and the body of the pottery is brighter white. Hall primarily produced "hollow ware", referring to mugs, pitchers and the like, while Sterling produced dinnerware.
With the introduction of bold solid color pottery in 2002, Pfaltzgraff Pottery in Thomasville Pennsylvania joined the Ohio pottery companies in producing the Longaberger pottery. Even though pottery was being made in multiple locations, there was absolutely no difference in quality and attributes. With the new partner, Longaberger began to introduce new styles of pottery, such as Proudly American and American Craft Originals lines.
THE MOVE TO CHINA ...
Over the years, these individual suppliers struggled to keep up with the demand for Longaberger pottery, as well as the strict quality standards set forth by Longaberger. During 2005, after Pfaltzgraff announced they would be closing, the Longaberger Company began to seek and working with top quality pottery companies from around the world to produce their pottery, primarily from China. While this allowed them to continue to meet the growing demand from their customers as well as opened up exciting new and exclusive pottery pieces, such as Vintage Vine, Sunflower or Majolica Pottery, the use of foreign suppliers did not sit well with their 'Made in the USA' imagine. Many collectors rejected the move and refused to buy anything not made in the United States.
WELCOME HOME ...
Starting in 2006, the Longaberger Company adjusted their plan and promised that all Collectors Club exclusive pottery and the American Craft Originals pottery would be handcrafted and produced in the U.S.A. In the summer of 2012, the Company pleased their base of customers with an announcement to bring ALL pottery production back to the US. As a major step in what they referred to as "Project Eagle" effort to move to an all U.S. made line, Longaberger invested into a 300,000 square-foot facility for LongabergerPottery Works, located at Niagara Ceramics in Buffalo, New York. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held May 20, 2013.
This move to bring the pottery production 'home' continues the remarkable tradition of offering unique, handcrafted American-made products to the world.
