What Ball Mason jars are worth money?
The most valuable mason jars are:
- Van Vliet Improved Jar – $23,500.
- Black Amber Magic Star Fruit Jar – $3,000.
- 1933 Ball Upside Down Error Jar – $1,000. There are two types of Ball upside-down Mason jars.
- The 1870 Chief Mason Jar – $800. (Photo: gregspurgeon.com)
- 1858 Willoughby Stopple Jar – $500. (Photo: hoosierjar.com)
How can you tell how old a blue mason jar is?
The logo imprinted on each jar is, by far, the easiest and fastest way to determine the approximate age your Ball mason jar.
What do the numbers mean on the bottom of blue mason jars?
Not every jar has their manufacture date on the glass, but most have the patent date. There will be a large number on the bottom of your jar. This is the mold number, and unfortunately also has no relation to the manufacture date. These charts tell you the approximate decade in which your Ball jar was made.
How do I know if my mason jars are valuable?
If you have a jar with one of the older logos, it will likely be worth more than one with a newer logo. Next is the color. Clear and pale blue are the most common colors, but jars of all colors were produced. Yellow and amber jars were common.
When did Ball stop making blue jars?
1937
Blue glass Ball jars were produced in the late 1890s and early 1900s, but the company stopped producing these in 1937. There were also some brown amber jars produced in the 1950s, but most of the jars produced after the 1940s were made of clear glass.
How old are Atlas Mason jars?
What Is an Atlas Mason Jar? The glass company Hazel-Atlas, which is also known for making Depression glass, began production around 1902. The Atlas Mason jars were among some of their most important products.
Are blue mason jars rare?
The Mason jar was patented by Landis Mason in 1858 and Ball started producing these jars in 1885. Ball jars were made in various colors, but the blue and clear colors are the most common.
What do the numbers on the bottom of blue mason jars mean?
Are old blue mason jars safe to use?
ANTIQUE/VINTAGE JARS Canning jars have a life expectancy of 10–13 years. After that, you will experience more breakage because of the wear and tear of normal use. Because of this, it is not recommended to use vintage or antique canning jars for food preservation.
Why are some Ball jars blue?
Feeling Blue Those blue mason jars were mass produced until 1937 using sand from around Lake Michigan. It was that sand that gave the glass its blue hue. Those blue jars are not rare.
How do you date old Mason jars?
There are many ways to date old Ball mason jars, and one of the easiest is to look at the logo. Along with the logo, you can sometimes use the color, size, and other distinguishing marks to help date a mason jar.
What is a ball perfect Mason Jar?
Ball Perfect Mason. The Ball Perfect Mason was a brand of glass fruit jar (canning jar) made by the Ball Bros. Glass Company. Ball Bros was based in Muncie , Indiana.
What is the most valuable Mason Jar?
The Universal jar is one of the most valuable Mason jars for collectors. The jar was produced around 1937, and no more than 50 were ever made. The Buffalo Jar in amber is even rarer; only four are known to exist.
What is the value of Blue Ball Mason jars?
If the jars are “Ball Perfect Masons” or “Ball Ideals” and blue in color they are probably worth in the neighborhood of $5 ea. This will be true of many (but not all) of the old blue or aqua colored Ball jars. If they are clear they will probably be worth $1-2 each.
Where can you buy Ball Mason jars?
These jars can often be found at most big-box retailers such as Walmart, Big Lots as well as at local hardware stores, thrift stores if purchasing used and online with retailers like Amazon.com. Mason jars will often be sold individually or often in a four, 12 or 24 pack. Popular brands include Ball and Kerr.