We’ve all seen a piece – that rich brown color, little flowers, wavy lines, dots.  Western Stoneware produced this old fashioned stoneware with a Pennsylvania Dutch design known as Daisy and Dot in the 50s and 60s.

A few years ago, while browsing in an antique shop, Rita Pence spotted a cookie jar identical to the one she remembered from her childhood.  That cookie jar turned into a collection which resulted in www.mar-crest.com – her website devoted to this vintage stoneware. 

A herculean gathering of photos from her personal collection and contributors, combined with history, vintage ads, photos, reminiscences, an index of pieces, photos, original boxes, marks, and more.  Did I mention photos?  Very good ones.  And you can enlarge them, which my aging eyesight really appreciates.

An absolute must for the newbie, while the seasoned collector is sure to find unexpected surprises.  “Was there ever a ‘covered Marcrest butter dish?  Can I use it in the microwave?  Where can I get a grease pot to match my salt and pepper shakers?”  A separate section has six different style cookie jars with detailed descriptions.  The index (once again – with photos), the result of a great deal of time and effort, is the answer to the Mar-crest collector’s prayer.

Visit Rita’s website at www.mar-crest.com, leave a message, ask a question, contribute a photo.

Tell ‘em I sent ‘ya ~ Victoria