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How to Collect Antique Fruit Jars

In a dark musty basement the faint reflection of something smooth, something once shiny, beckons. Dusting off the old glass, it's apparent it once held fruit or pickles. Tiny bubbles, forever enrobed in the dark amber surface appear as you savor the thought of another set of hands, years ago, carrying this same jar to the dinner table. The antique fruit jar fever bug has just bitten you.

Instructions

- 1
  Begin hunting for antique fruit jars by visiting flea markets, yard sales and auctions. Still considered an overlooked collectible by many, antique fruit jars are often found when someone cleans out the attic and sells them in a garage sale.
- 2
  Color code your searching. You will find desirable jars in many colors but the most sought after ones are amber, olive green and cornflower blue. The amber and green colors were used to block the sun from spoiling the contents. The darker the color, the more valuable a jar is with the exception of purple, caused by a chemical reaction in the glass.
- 3
  Look for cracks and chips in the glass. Run your fingers carefully over the rim and the bottom, feeling for chips. A jar without damage is worth more, but collectors will still pay for a jar that has only tiny chips or a scratch.
- 4
  Familiarize yourself with the names of the antique fruit jars as you begin your quest. The biggest manufacturers were Ball, Kerr, Mason and Atlas. Different embossing can be more valuable; "Ball Perfect Mason" and "Ball Ideals" are 2 examples of limited runs, worth more to collectors. Be sure to check spelling. Ball misspelled the word "perfect" on a few, making them highly collectible today.
- 5
  Determine an approximate age by turning the jar over and looking at the bottom. Although many Mason jars bear a date of 1858, they are likely much newer. Instead, look for a ring of hardened glass on the bottom, signifying the jar was blown, instead of molded in a press. Seams indicate the jar came from a mold, sometime after 1900.
- 6
  Invest in a good resource. Recommended by collectors for all the up-to-date trends, you can subscribe to Fruit Jar News by sending $14 to FJN Publishers Inc. 364 Gregory Avenue, West Orange, NJ 07052-3743.

Antiques