french creek farmhouse
vintage collecting
The Ball Mason Jar Company started in 1884.
Despite popular belief, jars marked "1858" were not actually made that year. That's merely the date of the patent!
Original blue glass jars were only made until 1937, but the company has released reproductions more recently
The easiest and most accurate way to determine the age of your Ball mason jar is by the embossed logo...
LETTERING
The lettering of the logo on the jar is the easiest way to determine the age. Swipe up to see a handy chart!
Errors in the lettering make the jar especially valuable. For example, look for jars where PERFECT is misspelled as “perffct,” “peprect,” and “perefct.”
If your jar has seams that run all the way up the sides, it was made by machine--probably after 1915.
Original lids were mostly made from zinc and included a milk glass lining. Even more rare are the solid glass “Lightning” lids.
lids
Jars with original lids are generally worth 50% more than a similar jar without a lid!
How much is it worth?
Do you have some of the oldest Ball mason jars?
Swipe up to read more and learn how to date your collection!