The Cookie Jar Matchmaker

As a child, I was always fascinated by the space program. After I began collecting cookie jars the McCoy Friendship 7 was high on my wish list. However, I'd never been able to find an example for sale in my area antique shops, flea markets, etc.

Then, I discovered ebay! The very first day I browsed the cookie jar listings I found a Friendship 7 without a lid being auctioned. Remember, I had not seen this jar actually for sale in any form, and I decided to bid on it. How hard could it be to find a lid?

I think I wound up purchasing the base for $16 plus shipping and was very proud when it arrived. However, the search for the lid was more difficult than I had imagined. The search for this lid led me to the old Mining Company site ran by Barbara Crews. She had an area for people to list lids, bases, or complete jars they might want.

After more than a year of searching and becoming more involved in the online cookie jar community, I still hadn't found my lid. Worse, I had found other jar parts that needed "matching." I talked with Barbara about my thoughts on building a site devoted to matching up cookie jar parts. I didn't really want to get into wish lists for entire jars, only lids or bases. She was very supportive and gracious enough to give me the parts listings from her site to help get mine started. The Matchmaker site went online in May 1998.

Since then, the site has made 80 confirmed matches. The number may actually be higher, but I only update the counter when someone contacts me and lets me know they found or sold a part through my web site.

There is no charge for a listing. I only ask that I be contacted if a match is made, or if the part is no longer available. The listing will have an email link so interested parties can contact you about your listing. I also regularly contact listings when I find the part they need being auctioned on ebay.

I have learned a lot about cookie jars though my web site. For example: By far the easiest jars to match are those made by Shawnee, with the exception of JoJo the Clown. In fact, the Smiley Pig lid is just about the most common cookie jar part that can be found. Next easiest to match are the jars made by American Bisque. McCoy jars are pretty difficult, and good parts can run as high as entire jars. I've seen the lid to the McCoy Boy on Football, and McCoy Globe sell for well over $100 earlier this year. I've also learned that it's split pretty evenly on whether the lid is most often broken or the base. It strictly depends on the jar. Puriton Howdy Doody lids are notorious for being dropped, while the Shawnee Smiley Pig lid is very heavy and usually breaks the base to that jar.

However, it's possible to find the matching part to most any jar if you are patient. I have several jars in my collection that I have "matched:" Sierra Vista's Train, Ungemach's Pinky Lee and Candy Baby, American Bisque Kittens on Yarn, Brownie, Magic Bunny, Boy Pig, Girl Pig, Seal on Igloo, Jack in the Box, and Pup on Pot. I've also managed to find a lid to my Friendship 7 jar-I purchased a jar with a damaged bottom and put the lid on my base.

So, if you have need of a cookie jar part, give the Matchmaker site a try. We have made matches to old jars like American Bisque as well as new jars like Hallmark's Maxine. It's just impossible to guess what parts might become available next week! http://scribers.midwest.net/kazz/matchmaker.html

My personal collection numbers around 160 jars. As it has grown, I have had to severely restrict the types of jars that I collect. I no longer collect new jars, with the exception of Disney. My favorite potteries to collect are American Bisque and Sierra Vista/Starnes. I have started selling off a few of my newer jars-primarily Warner Brother and Treasure Craft.

My current ultimate wish list jar is a Spaceman jar made by an unknown pottery and is shown below.

Deb and I have part of our house decorated in the motif of an old general store. Our cookie jars, pottery items and other collectibles are displayed as "merchandise" in the store. We collect lots types of items. I've set up a "vanity" web site showing off some of our collections at: http://www.cookiejarmatchmaker.freeservers.com/

*Editor's note: The ACJA would like to thank "Kazz" for his time in writing this article, the wonderful job he does running the Matchmaker site and for being so instrumental in helping organize the ACJA during its inception. :)