Most Longaberger baskets sell for approximately $10-40 today, including many that cost $50-150 or more when new. Longaberger sold tens of millions of handwoven maple baskets through home parties in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, and since the company closed in 2018 the secondary market has been flooded with them. The baskets that still bring more are early pieces from the late 1970s and early 1980s, baskets signed by members of the Longaberger family, the J.W. Collection miniatures, some Collectors Club editions, and large or unusual forms that were made in small numbers. The stamp, date and signatures on the bottom, the form and the condition of the wood decide which group yours belongs to.
Quick answer
- Most Longaberger baskets sell for $10-40, often with the protector and liner included.
- Read the bottom of the basket for the year, the weaver's initials and any family signature.
- Value rises for early baskets, family signatures, J.W. Collection pieces, Collectors Club editions and large or unusual forms.
How to check yours, step by step
- Turn the basket over. Look at the outside of the bottom in good light. You are looking for a stamped or burned in Longaberger logo, a year, and hand written initials or a signature in pencil or ink.
- Read the year. Most Longaberger baskets from the late 1970s onward carry a year on the bottom, either stamped or written by the weaver. This is the year the basket was made. Note it exactly.
- Read the weaver's initials. Longaberger weavers signed the baskets they made, usually with initials and sometimes a date. These are normal and do not add value by themselves.
- Look for a family signature. Dave Longaberger, his mother Bonnie, and his daughters Tami and Rachel signed baskets at company events and store visits. You are looking for a full name signature in marker, sometimes with a date and a short note, in addition to the weaver's initials.
- Look for collection marks. Note any words such as "J.W. Collection", "Collectors Club", "Horizon of Hope", "Christmas Collection", "Booking" or "Hostess". Some are stamped on the bottom, some on a tag or the weave color, and some on the protector box.
- Identify the form. Note the shape and approximate size: Market, Bread, Picnic, Hamper, Tote, Magazine, Cake, Pie, Wastebasket, Easter, or one of the many named special editions. Measure the length, width and height.
- Check for accessories. Note any lid, plastic protector that fits inside, fabric liner, divider, tie on or wrought iron stand. Look for original paperwork or boxes.
- Check condition. Look for broken or missing weavers (the thin wooden strips), a loose or cracked handle, water stains, dark spots of mold, insect holes, pet chewing, fading and strong smells.
The Longaberger story in one paragraph
J.W. Longaberger wove baskets for the Dresden Basket Company in Dresden, Ohio, in the early 20th century, making utility baskets for local potteries and farms. His son Dave Longaberger began selling his father's style of basket in the 1970s and opened a weaving shop in Dresden in the late 1970s. The company grew through home parties run by independent consultants, much like Tupperware, and by the late 1990s sales were around a billion dollars a year. In 1997 it opened a seven story headquarters in Newark, Ohio, built in the shape of a giant Medium Market Basket. Dave Longaberger died in 1999, sales declined through the 2000s, the company was sold in 2013, and it stopped operating in 2018. The brand name was later revived online, but the original Dresden weaving operation is gone.
What Longaberger baskets are worth
| Type | What to look for | Typical value |
|---|---|---|
| Common small and medium baskets, 1990s and 2000s | Stained maple, standard forms, weaver initials | $10-30 |
| Common baskets with protector and liner | Fitted plastic protector, fabric liner | $20-50 |
| Large utility baskets | Picnic, Laundry, Hamper, Magazine, Bread, large Market | $30-80 |
| Christmas Collection | Red and green trim weaving, dated | $15-50 |
| Horizon of Hope | Pink trim, raised money for breast cancer research, from the mid 1990s | $15-40 |
| Holiday, Easter and May series | Seasonal special editions with dated stamps | $15-50 |
| Booking and hostess baskets | Made for hosts of home parties | $15-50 |
| Longaberger pottery | Woven Traditions and other stoneware lines | $5-30 per piece |
| Wrought iron stands and lids | Fitted stands for specific baskets, wooden lids | $10-40 each |
| Baskets that bring more | What to look for | Typical value |
|---|---|---|
| Early baskets, late 1970s and early 1980s | Early years on the bottom, simpler stamps, often lighter wood and plain weave | $40-150 |
| Family signed baskets | Signature of Dave, Bonnie, Tami or Rachel Longaberger | $30-150, more with a dated event note |
| J.W. Collection | Miniature baskets honoring J.W. Longaberger, dark finish, J.W. mark | $30-100 |
| Collectors Club editions | Members only baskets, often with a club stamp | $30-120 |
| Very large or unusual forms | Cradles, large hampers, sleigh baskets, unusual commissions | $75-300 |
| Event and tour baskets | Made for company events, conventions and Homestead visits | $30-100 |
Even the collectible baskets are worth much less than they were at the peak of the market around 2000, when some sold above their original retail price. Prices fell sharply in the late 2000s and again after the 2018 closure.
Dating from the bottom
The bottom of a Longaberger basket is usually all you need to place it in time.
- Late 1970s and early 1980s. Early stamps are simple, sometimes just the Longaberger name and a year, and some early baskets carry only hand written information. Early baskets often look plainer and lighter in color. These are the years collectors look for first.
- Mid 1980s to 1990s. A standard Longaberger logo stamp with the year, weaver initials, and often "Dresden, Ohio" or "Handwoven". Special collections often have their own stamp or wording.
- 2000s onward. More printed and branded bottoms, more special editions, and more baskets made with colored weaving or trim.
- Family signatures. Signatures were added at events, not at the factory. A basket made in 1995 might have been signed at a 1998 event, and the note sometimes says so.
The year on the bottom is reliable, but a basket with an early year is only worth more if it is in good condition and is the original weave and stain.
Protectors, liners and accessories
Plastic protectors fit inside a specific basket and protect the bottom from spills. Fabric liners came in hundreds of patterns and changed every season. Both were sold separately and add value when they fit the basket and match its era. A basket with its protector, liner and lid usually sells for noticeably more than the bare basket, since buyers want a complete set. Missing protectors are normal and are not a reason to discount heavily.
The same set logic applies across mid century and later household collectibles. Our guides to vintage Pyrex and old china dishes show how complete sets and matching pieces change the price, and the antique furniture identification guide covers older handmade wood pieces.
Condition
Longaberger baskets are wood, and wood is affected by moisture, light and pets.
- Excellent. No broken weavers, firm handle, even stain, clean bottom, no smell. The ranges above assume this.
- Water stains and mold. Dark rings or spots on the bottom or sides are common after damp storage. They lower value by a third or more, and active mold makes most baskets unsellable.
- Broken weavers or rims. One broken weaver lowers value. Several, or a broken rim or handle, cut it by half or more.
- Fading. Baskets kept in sunny rooms fade unevenly. A small reduction for most buyers.
- Smoke and odors. Smoke or strong smells make baskets hard to sell at all.
- Insects and pets. Small holes from insects and chewed edges reduce value sharply.
The market after the 2018 closure
Many owners expected the closure to make Longaberger baskets scarce and valuable. The opposite happened. The company's end coincided with a generation of consultants and collectors downsizing, and many sold entire collections of 50, 100 or more baskets at once. Thrift stores, estate sales and online marketplaces now carry them in quantity, and the price of common forms dropped to where they sell mostly as practical storage baskets.
That has a useful side. Buyers today are often people who want a well made basket to use, so sturdy, clean, everyday forms in neutral colors sell steadily even at modest prices. The collector market is smaller and more selective, focused on early dates, family signatures and the rarer special editions. Selling the useful baskets locally and the collectible ones to collector groups usually brings the best total.
Common mistakes
- Pricing from the original price or old collector guides. The market is a fraction of what it was around 2000.
- Assuming every signature is a family signature. Weaver initials are on almost every basket.
- Throwing away protectors, liners and lids. They help sell the basket.
- Washing a basket in the sink or dishwasher. Water can warp and stain the wood.
- Storing baskets in basements or attics, where damp and heat cause mold and cracking.
- Selling large and unusual forms in a mixed lot. They sell better on their own.
What to photograph
- The bottom, straight on, with the stamp, year and initials readable.
- Any family signature close up.
- The basket from the front, side and top, empty and on a plain background.
- The protector, liner, lid and stand, together and separately.
- A tape measure across the length, width and height.
- Any damage, stains or broken weavers close up.
When to get it looked at in person
- A local consignment or antique shop that sells Longaberger regularly knows current demand and can take a collection. Expect them to pay 30 to 50 percent of resale or to consign for a share.
- An appraiser charges roughly $100-300 per hour, which rarely makes sense for Longaberger unless it is part of a larger estate appraisal.
- Longaberger collector groups can identify unusual forms, special editions and event baskets from photos and are often the best audience for signed and early pieces.
- A regional auction can sell a large collection quickly, often in lots, with commissions of 15 to 30 percent.
WorthPic reads the stamp, year and form from your photos, names the basket and its era, and estimates a value range, so you can see which baskets to sell individually and which belong in a lot.