Vintage Fiestaware

[mojogirl]

I just inherited several pieces of (what I'm fairly certain after a few hours of research) vintage Fiestaware. Can I use these like normal dishes? Dishwasher, microwave, storage, etc? I've read yes and I've read no, if its vintage. Are they more susceptible to breaking being older? Should I take any special precautions? I really don't want to stick them in a box in the attic and forget about them. They are beautiful and remind me of the special lady they came from. But I also want to take care of them. Any advice is much appreciated!

Below is my inventory. I have one of each of the 6 original colors in the plates, bowls and cups (some colors I have two of). Most of it is marked and in excellent condition.
11 - 6" plates
10 - 7" plates
11 - 9" plates
8 - 4 3/4" bowls
10 - 5 1/2" bowls
14 - teacups w/ saucers
10 - water tumblers
2 - tripod candle holders (cobalt, unmarked)
1 of each of the following: sugar bowl w/ lid (cobalt), ring handle creamer (red), gravy boat (ivory), salad bowl (unlisted promo, yellow), 8 1/2" Nappy bowl (yellow)

I've posted a few pictures here, with examples of some of the markings:
https://plus.google.com/photos/103987747787413102231/albums/5710957616008995201

 

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[diggummup]

clovis97 is the expert on fiestaware around here. Here is what he said about some stuff I found once- http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,426782.0.html

 

[mojogirl]

welcome! I found this site that should have the info you seek, so gl .http://www.bauerpottery.com/

I don't understand what this link has to do with my question about using vintage Fiesta china. It appears to be a site wanting to sell me a newer knock-off version of what I already have. Am I missing something?

 

[diggummup]

Here- http://fiestadishes.info/collectors-questions/fiestaware-identification-vintage-or-new
http://www.fiestaware-pottery.com/

 

[Sterling]

lmao, I just noticed that I gave the wrong site. my apologies.

 

[clovis97]

Wow!!!!!

That is a nice lot of Fiesta!!!! It appears to all be vintage Fiesta.

I have to admit that some of those pieces make my heart skip a beat!!!!

I love the large mixing bowl, the TUMBLERS, the cobalt candle sticks...

Vintage tumblers are so very hard to find, and you have 10 of them? Mixing bowls are getting harder to find without chips.

(If you are selling, the collectors will love the small nappy bowls too.)

Oh, and by the way, generally speaking, tea cups are very common, but your cups appear to have the very uncommon bottom, making them fairly rare. If you look at the outside profile of your cups in the pics, the base of the cup slants out, making the cup sit higher. Eight to ten years ago, these cups were highly prized and sought by serious collectors. I used to see those cups bring c-r-a-z-y prices. ($30-$50 each, just for the cup.)

With all that said, while I still know vintage Fiesta, I haven't followed vintage prices and the current selling market. Collectors might not even care about those rarer tea cup bottoms these days, for all I know.

 

[clovis97]

Can I use these like normal dishes? Dishwasher, microwave, storage, etc? I've read yes and I've read no, if its vintage. Are they more susceptible to breaking being older? Should I take any special precautions? I really don't want to stick them in a box in the attic and forget about them. They are beautiful and remind me of the special lady they came from. But I also want to take care of them. Any advice is much appreciated!

I would only use them for special occasions.

The vintage Fiesta made before 1986 all has a lead based glaze. Anything after 1986, called Post-86 is lead free.

FWIW, all old dishes contain lead in the glazes...adding lead to paint or glaze allows it to hold its color, and not fade.

Will you die if you use vintage lead glazed Fiesta? No probably not. Millions ate off of it daily, for years and years.

*I would not allow kids under the age of 12 eat off of vintage Fiesta. If you read some real studies about what lead can do to a child's brain development...you'll see what I mean. Why take the chance, at all?

The big no-no with vintage Fiesta is not to store anything acidic in them...and don't use them as storage containers for food. The acidic nature of some foods will eat away at the glaze, and we all know what the glaze contains...lead! The heat of a microwave would also be hard on the leaded glaze.

I would personally not use those in the dishwasher or microwave. Those dishes weren't made for that. The heat is just too much for the old dishes. If you have cracks, glaze skips, or crazing, the hot water of a dishwasher could ruin them very, very quickly, if the heat doesn't ruin them first.

Unlike the new Fiesta, the vintage stuff was a cheap dish. It was meant to be a colorful, inexpensive, and mass produced line of dishes for the masses. They are much thinner and lighter than the new, really high quality Fiesta that is being manufactured today. Therefore, they are much more prone to chipping than new Fiesta.

All new Fiesta is commercial grade china, is vitrified, meaning that bacteria can't grow in it if it gets chipped. The new stuff wears like iron too. As well, any new Fiestaware item made today is dishwasher, microwave, and oven safe.

Hope this helps...and please enjoy that wonderful Fiesta collection!!!!!

 

[clovis97]

8 - 4 3/4" bowls
10 - 5 1/2" bowls

8 1/2" Nappy bowl (yellow)

The smaller sized bowls...I can't remember which, are the the nappy bowls.

The 8 1/2" bowl is a serving bowl.

 

[mojogirl]

Thanks so much for your replies, clovis97, I really appreciate it and thank you for the compliments on this wonderful collection I've acquired.

Yes, I have 10 of the tumblers. Although one of the yellow ones has a pretty bad chip at the lip and two appear to have some kind of calcification around the lip. We have hard, salty water in my area so I imagine these two may have sat for an extended time with water in them (my friend liked to grow water plants). Any tips for cleaning these? Vinegar?

I, too, love the mixing bowls. The large bowl does have chips on the underside, around the unglazed part of the base. So far, the one tumbler and the mixing bowl is the only real damage I've detected on any of the pieces.

I'm looking forward to doing some more research on the teacups, as I've seen a couple briefings on this uncommon bottom, which mine do appear to fancy. I'm not sure if it matters but the teacup saucers do not have any markings as one might expect.

I truly appreciate your advice on how to use my new dishes. With only two adults in the house, hopefully we can use them sparingly without causing any damage. Our new love of Fiesta has encouraged us to go buy new Fiesta for everyday use and to only use the vintage on occassion and with extra TLC.

It has prompted me to remove all of my cabinet doors to display the collection and now my whole kitchen pops with vibrant color!

And for the record, none of my pieces are for sale, nor will they ever be while I'm still alive. Their value is so much more to me than the money they may be worth.

 

[clovis97]

Mojogirl-

Again, you have an awesome collection!!!!

I think it is wonderful that you've purchased new Fiesta...what an awesome way to remember that special person everyday, while keeping the vintage Fiesta for special occasions.

My wife uses a few pieces of our vintage Fiesta on special occasions too, and often, it is just one or two pieces. It is not only a great conversation starter when you have guests, but also just a reminder of that person. We've collected over the years, and it is fun to reminisce about the times we've purchased the items...and more importantly, about the people we bought them from.

FWIW, not all vintage Fiesta was marked. Sometimes you will hear people say that it was, but they couldn't be more wrong about it.

I'm not sure I would soak any old Fiesta in vinegar, especially if it has chips in the glaze. The old ceramic china will soak the vinegar up and discolor it.

I think I would use a rag with vinegar, and just work at it.

If your plates have utensil marks on them, I've had awesome results with Soft Scrub, the bathroom cleaner stuff. Maybe that will remove the hard water too...I had a stack of Post-86 plates with hard water marks, and the Soft Scrub took it right off, making them look perfectly new.

I hope this helps...and I am thrilled to see another person love their old Fiesta as much as I do!

 

[mojogirl]

Thanks again for your feedback, clovis. The vinegar is working great! I've been using a baby toothbrush with vinegar for about a minute or so a day on the two stained cups, it's been two days and I think two more days and they'll be spotless! Thanks for the tip on the Soft Scrub. It's not a problem now, I'm certain they haven't been used for probably decades, but as we start to get them through the rotation your tip will come in handy. Thanks again! Love Love Love My Vintage Fiesta!!!

 

[clovis97]

I am happy to hear that the vinegar is working.

Please enjoy that wonderful collection, and don't forget to use it from time to time.

Let me know if I can be of assistance...I love talking about Fiesta!

 

[AKiwi]

I haven't come across that type of china before, the colours and style are Fantastic!
Lucky You!

Cheers

 

[Keppy]

I just inherited several pieces of (what I'm fairly certain after a few hours of research) vintage Fiestaware. Can I use these like normal dishes? Dishwasher, microwave, storage, etc?

I have a lot of older Fiesta and a lot of the newer fiesta..... And i use it all i put it in the dishwasher and i put it in the microwave................. The only problem i found with the older Fiesta in the microwave is it gets a little hot so i have to use hot pads when i handle it................ But i have no problems with it in the dish washer........... I have been going to the Fiesta factory in West Virginia for years ......And that is were i buy all my Fiesta.............. I do find some at yard sales some times but not very often........

 

[Joan D.]

Dear Mojo Girl,
I am new today to TreasureNet; signed up because I'm looking for help finding a particular Fiestaware lid (red dimitasse). Anyway, put your concerns away. My mother bought her Fiesta during WWII, and she & my father (and all 5 children) ate off the Fiesta every day of our lives. Mother made it to 85, Father to 92. After the "urban legend" scare in the 1980's about Fiesta containing too much lead (and the issue of "radioactive red"), REAL scientific research concluded that Fiesta is, indeed, safe to eat off of, out of, etc. According to the article I saved, one would have to actually EAT numerous place settings (not eat off of) for ill effects.

I use the "new" Fiesta for everyday use, but use Mother's Fiesta, especially the serving pieces, for company. I do a lot of entertaining, and put the vintage Fiesta in the dishwasher regularly on the "china" setting. None of my hundreds of vintage pieces have been harmed by this. I don't use the vintage Fiesta in the microwave - better to use new Fiesta there if necessary - better yet use Corningware/Pyrex and transfer to Fiesta before serving.

I peaked @ your collection - very nice. As you become attached to beautiful vintage Fiesta, as we all do, I'm sure you'll be adding to your collection. For standard prices today, a good site is Happy Heidi's...

FIESTA POTTERY: Vintage Fiesta, Riviera, Harlequin American Pottery

She sells vintage Fiesta online, and has a comprehensive price list for every piece, in every color (as prices vary by color), whether she has the piece in stock or not. It's a great starting place for new collectors, as so much on eBay and similar sites, is mis-identified and over-priced.

Good luck, have fun w/your Fiesta, and if anyone out there can help me hunt down a vintage red demitasse lid, please contact me! I've been on this "treasure hunt" for years (since I inherited Mother's Fiesta) with no luck. Thanks!

 

[0121stockpicker]

Your exactly right about no potential for harm. But it will set off a gieger counter interestingly enough. Visited a company that handles radioactive waste and they had a display full of weird items that they had been sent. Fiestaware, rock collections, early night vision equip etc. you would be shocked at how much stuff is "radioactive " but harmless. Also check out what's called vasaline glass. It also has trace radioactivity. Btw, the radioactive Fiestaware definitely are the best colors!

 

[diggummup]

Hello All,
Many thanks.

Welcome and it's only $20 for the year to become a charter member. http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/payments.php