Most old mason jars are worth $5-15, including the familiar aqua blue Ball jars from the early 20th century. They were made by the hundreds of millions, and survivors turn up in every cellar and barn. Clear jars from the 1930s onward are worth even less, often $1-5. What makes a jar valuable is rarity of maker, embossing, color or size: early jars by small glassworks, Mason's Patent Nov 30th 1858 jars in amber, green or cobalt, jars embossed with Ball's early Buffalo, New York address, odd sizes such as midget pints, and known mold errors. Those can bring $50 to several thousand. The way to date a jar is to read the embossing. The Ball logo changed several times, and each version points to a period. The famous 1858 date is the patent date, not the year the jar was made, and it appeared on jars for decades.
Quick answer
- Aqua and clear Ball, Atlas and Kerr jars are worth approximately $1-15. Most Ball blue jars land at $5-15.
- Color is the biggest value jump. Amber, cobalt, emerald and olive green jars from the 1800s and early 1900s can bring $50 to thousands.
- The 1858 on Mason's Patent jars is a patent date. Jars carrying it were made into the early 20th century.
How to check yours, step by step
- Read the front embossing. Hold the jar to a window so the raised letters show. You are looking for a maker name (Ball, Atlas, Kerr, Drey, Crown and many others), a model name such as Perfect Mason, Ideal, Improved or E-Z Seal, and any patent date.
- Look closely at the Ball logo. If the jar says Ball, look at the script. Is it block capitals? Is there a line under the word? Does the "a" drop below the other letters? Is there an extra loop that makes it look like three Ls? Each of these points to a period, shown in the table below.
- Read the back and the base. Some jars have embossing on the back, such as a cross, a keystone or initials, which can identify the glassworks. Numbers on the base are usually mold numbers, not dates. Look for city names such as Buffalo or Muncie.
- Check the color in daylight. Set the jar on a white sheet of paper by a window. Note whether it is clear, aqua, blue, green, amber or another color. Look at thick parts such as the base to judge the true shade. A faint purple tint in clear glass comes from manganese that changed color in sunlight.
- Check the closure. Note whether it takes a screw-on zinc lid, a glass lid held by a wire bail, or a modern two-piece metal lid. Check whether any lid present is original to the jar type.
- Measure the size. Note the height and whether it is a quart, pint, half pint or half gallon. Many are embossed with the size. Small pints, called midgets by collectors, are worth more.
- Check the condition. Run a finger around the lip and the threads. Look for chips, cracks, bruises, haze and staining. Check that embossing is crisp and not worn smooth.
Dating Ball jars by the logo
Ball Brothers started making jars in Buffalo, New York, in the 1880s and moved to Muncie, Indiana, at the end of that decade. The logo on the jar is the quickest way to date it. Dates overlap, because molds stayed in use, so treat these as approximate.
| Ball logo | Approximate years | Typical value for aqua or clear |
|---|---|---|
| Jars with Buffalo or early Ball Brothers embossing | About 1885-1890 | $50-300 and up |
| BALL in block capital letters | About 1892-1896 | $20-75 |
| Script Ball with an extra loop, the triple L | About 1895-1910 | $10-40 |
| Script Ball with an underline, no dropped a | About 1900-1910 | $8-25 |
| Dropped a, the "a" sits lower than the B, with an underline | About 1910-1923 | $5-20 |
| Script Ball with an underline | About 1923-1933 | $5-15 |
| Script Ball without an underline | About 1933-1962 | $2-10 |
| Modern logo, printed lids, recent markings | 1960s onward | $1-5 |
The Ball Perfect Mason name came in around 1913 and ran for decades. The Ball Ideal, with a glass lid and wire bail, ran from the 1910s into the 1960s. A Ball Perfect Mason in Ball blue with a dropped a logo is a common early 20th century jar, typically $5-15.
Other makers and Mason's Patent jars
| Jar | What to know | Typical value |
|---|---|---|
| Mason's Patent Nov 30th 1858, aqua | Made by many glassworks from the 1860s into the early 1900s | $10-40 |
| Mason's Patent 1858 with a cross, keystone or initials on the back | Marks of particular makers, some scarce | $15-75 |
| Mason's Patent 1858 midget pint | Small size, sought after | $30-150 |
| Mason's Patent 1858 in amber, olive or dark green | Rare colors | $150-1,500 |
| Atlas Strong Shoulder Mason, Atlas Mason | Hazel-Atlas, mostly clear or aqua | $3-15 |
| Atlas E-Z Seal, aqua or clear | Glass lid, wire bail | $5-20 |
| Atlas E-Z Seal in amber, cornflower blue or olive | Scarce colors | $50-300 |
| Atlas Good Luck with four-leaf clover | Glass lid, clover emblem | $10-30 |
| Kerr Self Sealing, Kerr Economy | Mostly clear, two-piece metal lid or clamp | $2-10 |
| Lightning, Putnam and other bail jars | Wire bail closure from the 1880s | $10-50, colors more |
| Early wax sealer jars, groove ring jars | Before screw threads, sealed with wax | $20-200 |
| Small glassworks and rare embossings | Hundreds of names, many made in small runs | $25 to thousands |
Colors: what is common and what is rare
| Color | How common | Typical value range |
|---|---|---|
| Clear | Very common, especially after the 1930s | $1-10 |
| Aqua | Very common before about 1915 | $5-30 |
| Ball blue (light blue) | Very common, about 1910s to the 1930s | $5-15 |
| Sun-colored amethyst (pale purple clear glass) | Common on older clear jars exposed to sun | $5-20 |
| Light green or yellow green | Uncommon | $20-100 |
| Amber | Rare | $50-1,000 |
| Emerald, olive or dark green | Rare | $100-1,500 |
| Cobalt blue | Very rare in genuine old jars | $500 to several thousand |
| Milk glass jars | Uncommon | $25-150 |
Color is where most of the money in jars is, and it is also where most reproductions sit. A cobalt Ball Perfect Mason found at a flea market is almost certainly modern. Ball itself has sold colored jars since the 2010s in blue, green, purple and amber as decorative and canning items, and they carry modern markings. They are worth $5-15 and should not be confused with antique colored jars.
Closures
Zinc screw lids. The original Mason closure. Early zinc lids have a milk glass or porcelain liner inside, often embossed with a brand such as Boyd's Genuine Porcelain Lined. Common zinc lids are worth $1-5. Original lids that match an early jar add a little.
Glass lids with wire bails. The Lightning-style closure, patented in the 1880s and used on the Ball Ideal, the Atlas E-Z Seal and many others. Look for a wire bail across the top and a lever on the neck. The glass lid is often embossed with the maker and patent dates.
Glass lids with screw bands. Used on jars such as Ball Improved and many 19th century jars, with a glass insert held down by a metal band.
Two-piece metal lids. The flat lid with a sealing compound and a separate band, introduced by Kerr around 1915, became the standard and is still used. Jars made for these lids are generally later and more common.
The rare ones
A few kinds of jars stand out from the crowd and are worth checking for.
- Upside-down Ball jars. Jars with the Ball name embossed upside down are a recognized rarity and sell for hundreds of dollars or more.
- Buffalo jars. Early jars from Ball's years in Buffalo, New York, before the move to Muncie, are scarce and sought by Ball collectors.
- Midget pints. A small size, well under a standard pint, made in several brands. Collectors pay a premium.
- Rare colors. Amber, cobalt, emerald and olive versions of otherwise common jars.
- Mold errors. Misspellings, doubled letters and backward letters in the embossing, such as a reversed N.
- Early fruit jars by small glassworks. Wax sealers and patent jars from the 1850s to 1880s with unusual closures or names.
For any jar you think is rare, check that the color and embossing look right for the period and that the glass shows age: small bubbles, slight waviness and wear on the base.
Reproductions
Colored jars are the main reproduction trap. Cobalt, amber and green copies of Mason's Patent 1858 and Ball jars have been sold since the 1970s, and modern decorative jars imitate old embossing. Clues to a reproduction include glass that is perfectly clear and bubble-less, an intense even color, sharp seams that run over the top of the lip, no base wear and modern lettering. Ball's own modern colored jars are honest products, but they get relisted as vintage.
Common mistakes
- Reading 1858 as the year a jar was made. It is the Mason patent date and appears on jars from decades later.
- Reading the number on the base as a date. It is usually a mold number.
- Treating a colored jar as antique without checking. Modern colored jars are everywhere.
- Ignoring the logo details. A triple L or block letter Ball is worth more than a later script jar.
- Pricing a common Ball blue jar at rare jar prices. Most sell for $5-15.
- Scrubbing with abrasives or putting old jars in the dishwasher. It can scratch and haze the glass.
- Throwing away old lids. An original lid that matches an early jar adds a little value.
What to photograph
- The front of the jar in daylight with the embossing in sharp focus, ideally against a dark background.
- A close-up of the logo, especially the Ball script.
- The back and base, including any numbers, initials or city names.
- The jar on white paper by a window to show its true color.
- The lid and closure, on and off the jar.
- The lip and any chips or cracks.
When to get it looked at in person
- A fruit jar collectors club or bottle show is the best source of opinions. Collectors know the rare embossings and colors and usually give opinions at no charge.
- An antique dealer can price common jars and point out unusual ones, especially in a mixed lot.
- An appraiser charges roughly $50-150 per item or $100-300 an hour. It is rarely worth it for jars, except for a large collection or a jar that looks rare.
- An auction house with a bottle and jar sale can take rare colors and early jars at no upfront cost.
Jars often come out of the same pantry as old kitchenware. Our guides to vintage Pyrex, Depression glass and old cast iron skillets cover the rest of the kitchen.