Pricing Guidelines
The most common question I receive about Gonder is "What is it worth?" There are many factors that contribute to the value of a piece. In this section, I review the factors I feel important to consider when determing value of a Gonder item. Of course the value of piece is really determined by what a buyer is willing to pay at a given point in time.
Auction, Retail and Insurance Value
In the antiques and collectibles markets, dealers and buyers often talk in terms of auction value, retail value and insurance value. Auction values refer to what a buyer (in most cases a dealer buying an item for resale) might expect to pay for an item in an auction setting. Auction values are generally the lowest of the three values and buyers may pay 1/3 to 1/2 of retail values. Retail value refers to what a buyer might expect to pay in a retail setting such as an antique shop, antique show or antique mall. This value is usually based on a book value - the value found in the antique price guides. These values are assigned by experts and based on previous sales records. Book values are established to give buyers and sellers an idea of the value of the item. Insurance or replacement value is usually the highest value. It is what you would need to spend in order to replace a given item. It assumes a retail price starting point and includes any fees you may need to pay a replacement service to track down the item on your behalf.
Current Pottery Market
As
you may know, the current antique and collectible art pottery market is
down significantly from several years ago. Current economic conditions
have taken a toll on the market as many collectors choose not to part
with disposable income. I hope this proves to be a temporary situation
and prices will rebound as economic concerns are eased. Of course,
prices may not rebound to the pottery prices of the 1990's and 2000's
for quite some time. Those were indeed good years for art pottery. The
antique and collectible market is cyclical, and pottery will eventually
have it's day again as the hot commodity.
Online Auctions
The introduction of online market places has given the seller an opportunity to get their items in front of potentially hundreds of buyers at the same time. While antique shops are still viable venues, dealers can now list items online and "bring the item to the buyers". Online auctions reduce the time required to sell the item and hence reduce the sellers cost. As collectors we have often benefited as sellers are able to pass those savings onto us.
Rare items seem to do well in online venues since multiple collectors are bidding for the same item. In these instances, auction value increases dramatically and may exceed the retail or book values.
More commonly found items have suffered dramatic price drops in the online environment. In these cases, buyers often have their choice of multiple examples of the item. Sellers have been required to reduce prices in order to compete with other online sellers.
Supply and Demand
Of course the price of any item is mostly driven by supply and demand. Sadly, Gonder does not have the following with collectors that many of it's rival potteries do. While Gonder was produced down the road from such well known potteries as Roseville, Weller, McCoy and Hull, it has yet to gain in popularity. Because of this low demand, many dealers bypass purchasing pieces for resale. If and when the popularity for Gonder increases, dealers should find it more lucrative to buy and sell this often overlooked pottery. As a benefit to collectors, many dealers are unfamiliar with the pottery and often price it well below the current book value of the piece. Many Gonder pieces are still available at bargain prices - and who doesn't like a bargain!
GonderCollector.com Values
The values listed on this site are intended to be a starting point for negotiations between a buyer and seller. The pricing information available on a item detail page is my opinion of the value of the item. It is based on previous price guides and my experience as a collector. You should take all relevant factors into consideration when determining value of an item. You will undoubtedly find items priced higher and lower than my estimate. Value assumes items are in factory mint condition.
Here are the factors I feel important to consider in determining value.
Condition
- The most important factor in determining value is condition.
- Items should be free of post factory damage. They should be free of chips, flakes, cracks and repairs.
- Items should be well made. They should be well shaped and stand correctly. Details should be clear and crisp. Some larger pieces are prone to leaning or slumping due to the design and size. This should be taken into consideration when determining the condition.
- Glazes should be evenly applied and free of glaze misses or rubs. The turquoise crackle glaze often shows an uneven appearance in the glaze. This is very common and generally acceptable to collectors.
- Glazes generally show no signs of crazing in the clear top coat. White Crackle will sometimes have a cloudy appearance often obscuring the intended crackle effect. Those pieces should be considered less desirable.
- Items sold as sets should be complete. Jars should have the correct lid. Ceramic Arts figures should have the correct carriers.
- Unless an items have very limited availability most items with condition issues can be bypassed.
- In my opinion, most post factory damage reduces the value of an item by approximately 50%.
You should determine your own tolerance for any post factory damage when deciding what to buy. Some collectors have no tolerance for any damage while others can overlook a flake or two.
Availability
- What is the availability of the item in the market? Here is where the availability rating will assist you in determining how easily the item can be located.
- Items from the Original Lines are more limited and will often realize a higher selling price.
- Several items are cross collected. Figural pieces (panthers, elephants, roosters, etc), lamps and cookie jars are often sought after by non Gonder collectors often boosting the value of these specific pieces.
- Luncheon ware pieces from the LaGonda line were not popular with the buying public. Hence not much of it was produced and it is not readily available in today's market.
Geographic Location
- Variations in pricing can occur based on the location of the item. Slightly higher prices for items for sale on the east and west coasts can be expected.
Selling Venue
- The selling venue will also have an effect on value.
- Auction values may be 30-50% of book value. Be sure to include any buyers premiums in your calculations.
- Retail values are usually based on book value although some retail prices may be higher or lower than book value.
- Be sure to include any shipping charges when purchasing items that require shipping.
- Items may also be priced slightly higher in shows and sales dedicated to Art Pottery.
Glaze Treatment
Unknown to many dealers, the value of a Gonder piece can be glaze driven - meaning the value of a piece can easily double depending on the glaze treatment. I refer to these popular glazes as premium glazes. Being able to identify the premium glazes and how much they increase the value will be beneficial in valuing an item. These premium glazes are sought after by collectors which often drives up the price of the item.
In my opinion, previous estimates of these glaze increases were dramatically low. As a collector of two of the premium glazes (Red Flambe and Turquoise Crackle), I have often paid up to twice the recommended book value.
A quick review of past online auction sales will easily substantiate these values. A recent example of two auctions for the #674 Basket. The first auction presented the basket in a common glaze and it went unsold with a starting price of $9.99. The same basket in Red Flambe listed at the same time sold for $26, plus shipping.
Here are the premium glazes and their expected increase in value.
3 x Normal Value
- Yellow Crackle
- Charcoal with Squeeze Bag Decoration
- Cobalt Blue
Example: the 709 Medium Pillow Vase has a value of $20-$25.
However, when found in the rare Charcoal with Squeeze Bag Decoration,
expect the value to increase to $60-$75.
2 x Normal Value
- Red Flambe
- Pink Crackle
- Antique Gold Crackle
- Rutile Green
- Swirl Technique Glazes in Black, Brown or Green
Example: the value of H-73 Ewer is $35-$50. However, if found
in Red Flambe or Pink Crackle the value is increased to $70-$100.
1.5 x Normal Value
- White Crackle
- Turquoise Crackle
- Butterscotch
- Celadon Green
- Terra Cotta
Example: the value of the 522 Scarla Fish is $100-$150. However, if found in White Crackle the value is increased to $150-$225.
See the glaze section of the web site for more specific information on each glaze and how it affects value.
Experimental, end of day, and non production glazed pieces should be valued on an individual basis.
