California Originals Jars

California Originals started life in 1945 as Heirlooms of Tomorrow, making fine quality porcelain lace figurines. How the company changed directions from those intricate figurines to the brown cookie jars it's became known for is a mystery to me, but the name was changed, the company moved to Torrence California and the production of pottery artware began.

Several companies produced brown wood-grain color jars, but California Originals and Twin Winton were the most prolific. Their finishes are quite distinctive, when it wasn't brown, it was often in a matte finish, often with cold paint.

California Original jars are marked usually on the side, bottom portion of the jar. Several of the jars shown in the gallery have links to their particular mark.

This is the jar that started me on the road to collecting! There have been numerous Sesame Street Cookie Monster jars produced over the years, but this is the original one.

• Produced: California Originals
• Size: 12"
• Mark: Muppets Inc 970
• Values: $65. - $95.

Another great licensed jar from California Originals. Check out the original catalog advertisement for a quartet of Sesame Street jars offered for sale in 1977.

• Circa: 1977
• Size: 12"
• Original Price: $17.95
• Current Values: $40. - $65

Count Dracula has been reproduced by Hawkeye Collectibles, the mold is the same, but slightly smaller. The reproduction jar has gold trim.

• Produced: California Originals
• Size: 11 3/4"
• Mark: 975
• Values: $275. - $400.

See side by side comparisons of authentic vs reproduction.

• Shown on 1976 Catalog Sheets
• Approximately 9 ½"
• Estimated Values - $150. - $200.

This Little Red Riding Hood jar has a certain charm but is a far cry from other Little Red Riding Hood jars that are often delicate and quite attractive. This value on this jar ranks up with many of the Hull Regal jars, but is not as sought after by collectors.

• Made by California Originals
• Size: 13 1/4"
• Rarity: Hard to Find
• Values: $250 - $350
• Mark: 320

• Produced by: California Originals
• Date: 1970s
• Size: 12 ¼"
• Values: $175 - $250

See more Donald Duck Cookie jars!

• Produced: California Originals
• Size: 11.75" tall
• Values: $200 - $250

• California Originals Jar
• Marks: Walt Disney Prod U.S.A. 969
• Available: 1960s/1970s?
• Values: $450 - $800

Image Courtesy of eBay Seller Dropzone439

One of the classic jars from California Originals. It is believed this jar was sold at Sears, Roebuck in the 1970s.

• Size: 12"
• Values: $175 - $275.

• Produced: California Originals
• Values: $225. - $275.

• Produced: California Originals
• Size: 12"
• Mark: 881 USA
• Values: $90. - $150.

• Produced: California Originals
• Size: 12 1/2"
• Mark: 869
• Values: $25. - $75.

This jar has particularly good cold paint, most of the school house jars I've seen are in fairly poor condition.

• California Original
• Auction Price: $115.
• Auction Date: May 2010

Here are a few more California Original jar prices from the Snyder Auction:
California Original
Lion and Lamp -- $115.
Platypus-- $150.
Penguin -- $30.
Woody Woodpecker -- $170.
Clown on Drum -- $475.
Humpty Dumpty -- $50.

This hard-to-find California Original jar isn't seen very often. The buyer of this particular jar saw it at a Mickelson auction many years ago when Charlie Snyder won that bidding war. They looked for it ever since, never to find one. This is apparently the one missed so many years ago.

• California Original
• Auction Price: $30.
• Auction Date: May 2010

Here are a few more California Original jar prices from the Snyder Auction:
California Original
Lion and Lamp -- $115.
Platypus-- $150.
Penguin -- $30.
Woody Woodpecker -- $170.
Clown on Drum -- $475.
Humpty Dumpty -- $50.