Is That Mason Jar Really an Antique

Walking into that sweet little antique shop searching for just the perfect something-something for your home decor, and…well…you fall under the spell! There are just so many beautiful things to grab your attention. There are pieces of furniture, florals, glassware, beautiful wall art and much, much more. Then, that blue mason jar catches your eye. What a perfect addition to serve as a vase, a holder of vintage spindles, or any other manner of treasure display.

But, then you lift the tag and see the shop has it tagged as an antique and they would like for you to pay $20.00 for that exquisite blue slice of heaven. You pause. Is it worth it? How can you know how much that aqua beauty is really worth. Well…

The Ball brand in particular is really easy to date the actual age of a jar. And, the actual value of the jar really depends on a few factors. Age is probably the first important factor. Color of the jar can make all the difference in what you should pay for the jar as well. Also, taking in the condition of the jar itself can raise or lower the value of the glass vessel. And, then there is the rarity of the jar itself; not just the age of the jar.

Ball changed their logo every few years (see photo). The older the jar the rarer the jar. Making the date of the jar a little easier if you take the time to educate yourself on the time period of the logo style. Let’s take a look at dating those Ball jars!

1885-1886: Ball Buffalo Jar – This is the oldest mason jar manufactured by the Ball Company.  The jars were manufactured in Buffalo, NY. Identifying characteristics includes a ground lip with a metal screw-top metal band closure. This jar will bear the “B.B.G.M Co.” Ball logo.  This jar can be found in both aqua and amber-but the amber is very rare. This jar could be worth upwards of $1,000.00

1900-1910-Ball Mason’s Patent Jars- This jar can be identified with BALL MASON’S PATIENT NOV 38TH 1858 embossed on the bottom of the jar. This jar should be priced somewhere between $50-$100; but some can be found at upwards of $200-$300.00

1900-1930s-Ball Improved Mason Jars-This jars can have embossing that include : BALL/IMPROVED, BALL/MASON IMPROVED, or even BALL/IMPROVED MASON.  During this time period Ball made improvements that included a wide-mouth, screw-thread tops, and zinc lids.  These jars sell on average of $20ish.  However, jars during this time period with errors in the embossing can go upwards of $150.00.

1913-1922-Ball Perfect Mason Jars-This is probably the most frequently found Ball jar in the Antique shops.  These jars have a pronounced “shoulder” and they have an screw-thread zinc lid that provides for an airtight seal. Embossed on the jars below the Ball logo will be found PERFECT MASON.  The common aqua or clear jars from the Perfect Mason Jar collections sell from $25.00-$125.00 depending on condition and if the lid is on the jar.  However, the rarer colors of purple, green, or even amber can easily go for $200+. Ball manufactured a rose purple jar during this time period which is very rare and could sell for upwards of $350.

1915-1962-Ball Ideal Jars-These jars can be identified by “IDEAL” text embossed on the jar.  These jars were also known as Ball Eclipse Jars and Sure Seal Jars.  Additional identifying characteristics include airtight seals, glass lids, and wire bail clamps.  The 2-4 gallon jars from this era are valued at $50-80. While the average quart jar should be selling between $10-20.00.

1926-1952-Ball Eclipse Jars-These jars are similar to the IDEAL jars with the rubber gaskets, the glass lids and the wire bail clamps.  However the mouth of the jar is wider.  ECLIPSE  or sometimes ECLIPSE WIDE MOUTH will be embossed on the jars.  This jar should be priced between $8-$40 depending on the condition and the size of the jar.

 1920-1960-Sure Seal Jar-This jar has similar characteristics of the Eclipse and the IDEAL jars with the glass lids, the rubber gasket and the wire bail clamps.  During this time Ball also produced Sure Seal jars for the Towle Maple Product Company.  The Towle Sure Seal jars are highly collectable.  The Ball Sure Seal jar sell at an average $8-20 the Towle Sure Seal jars can be seen selling for upwards of $150.00.

1910-1913-Ball Special Jars-This was a limited production and can be identified by the word “SPECIAL” embossed on the front of the jar as well as a screw-thread shoulder seal.  These jars are fairly easy to find in the re-sell enviroment.  The average price of the SPECIAL jar is between $10-25.00.

1900-1910-Ball Standard Jar-These jars will have STANDARD embossed on the lower half of the jar.  Identifying characteristics will include a fanned-out mouth edge with old wax-seal closure.  These are going to be on the lower end of the price rang-$8.00-$20.00.

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Blog Post Title Three

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.

Blog Post Title Four

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.