Collecting Jadeite, By Beth

   Recently, my (Bethany's) favorite thing to hunt for in antique stores is vintage Fire-King Jadeite. It is just such an adorable color, and it's very durable. Mainly produced in the 30's through the 60's, it was sold in department stores,  given away at gas stations, and in boxes of oatmeal. That would be a fun find, wouldn't it? Today, it's a little more expensive. Ever since Martha Stewart announced she had a jadeite collection, the prices have really went up. What did she have to do that for?  :)

My collection is small, but growing. I received most of the pieces as gifts, and they are not all vintage. In the picture below, the mixing bowl set, the scalloped cream and sugar set w/ tray, and the measuring cups are all reproductions. But that's fine, because I'm planning on using them all in my future kitchen some day, and with a genuine 1930's measuring cup set costing almost $200, I'm content with my $30 set. I think I would be too freaked out to use valuable antiques for everyday baking anyway.

So, here it is! Besides the previously mentioned reproduction things, I also have a batter bowl, a mug, a cereal bowl, and a Jane-Ray pattern cream and sugar set. All of those are Fire-King Jadeite from the late 1940's.

And here are my latest finds! There are actually two tea cups, but since I only have one saucer, I thought the other cup would look lonely in the picture.  :) I found the cups today, and the saucer last weekend. The saucer was a great buy for $2. The cups were a little more, $10 each, but cups are a little harder to find, so they are worth it.

Yes, they do look like a different shade of green then the others, but it's just the light. These are also the Jane-Ray pattern. Jadeite dishes come in different patterns, a few of them are Jane-Ray, Alice (This was the pattern found in oatmeal containers), and Charm. Each of them has a unique look, and are very cute. There isn't a specific reason I'm collecting Jane-Ray right now, but since it's what I've found the most of, I'll probably stick to it.

Check back, as I'll keep updating when I find more treasures!