The Vintage Cookie Jar Set Collectors Should Always Look For On Thrift Store Shelves

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Thrifting is the ultimate treasure hunt. Searching for vintage pieces can be both fun and rewarding, especially if you find that valuable something special you've been on the lookout for. One item to put on your radar is an old-fashioned Shawnee Pottery Smiley Pig cookie jar. Not only is it cute as a button and a welcome addition to any kitchen counter, but it's highly collectible, too. 

The cookie jars feature a boy pig called Smiley or his counterpart girl pig, Winnie. The pigs' heads are the lids, with adorable, happy faces that have little ears, an upturned snout, closed eyes with long lashes, and a satisfied smile, as if they've just had a good meal. Both are standing on their hind legs, with Smiley wearing a bandana and sometimes overalls, while Winnie dons a Sunday-best hat and a dress (or jacket). The cookie jars vary in color and pattern and may have painted shamrock, clover, or flower designs. With such a whimsical feel, the Shawnee Pig cookie jars suit any decor, from Kitschy vintage maximalist to farmhouse country and even mid-century modern.

Shawnee Pottery Company designed Smiley and Winnie Pig, which also came as salt and pepper shakers, piggy banks, and creamer pitchers. Shawnee's other whimsical designs included Puss 'n Boots, dogs, and their best-known, ears of corn.  Based in Zanesville, Ohio, the pottery manufacturer began producing its utilitarian yet aesthetically pleasing housewares in 1937 under the management of A.E. Hull, whose father owned the nearby Hull Pottery Company. Originally, Shawnee Pottery used paper labels and an embossed "U.S.A." stamp on the bottom. Later, the brand stamped "Shawnee U.S.A." or "Shawnee" to mark the maker. The company closed in 1961, and Terrace Ceramics bought the molds to make reproductions. 

Depending on the rarity of its pattern and condition, a Shawnee Smiley Pig cookie jar can be particularly valuable. In 2002, one with unusual decals and gold trim from the collection of Ermagene Westfall, author of "An Illustrated Value Guide to Cookie Jars," sold at auction for $6,750. Today, most Shawnee Smiley Pig cookie jars on sites like eBay and Etsy fall in the $100 to $500 range, but you just might get lucky and find one for less while thrifting. Shawnee Pottery isn't the only brand with vintage cookie jars that are rare, charming, and worth the thrift store hunt. Be on the lookout for McCoy, another collectible pottery company from Zanesville, because some could be worth hundreds.