The Rare Vintage Planters To Look For At The Thrift Store For A More Valuable Haul

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The most unassuming thrift store items are often far more valuable than people realize. The next time your local thrift shop has a selection of planters and pots in stock, take a moment to check them out. You never know if you'll find a highly-coveted vintage piece from Gainey Ceramics. This company was once one of the best places to find unique and stylish planters.

Gainey Ceramics was in business for over sixty years. However, it dissolved in 2013 as it was unable to compete with the cheaper imports flooding the American market. Their planters are renowned for being high-quality, well-made, and stylish. They have a timelessness that complements a variety of indoor and outdoor decorating trends, making them a great purchase even for those who don't recognize their true value. They're perfect for housing plants as well as other things to put in planters besides flowers. Before you can take a Gainey planter home with you, you'll need to know what to look for at the thrift store.

The easiest way to recognize an authentic Gainey product is by the design. This company arose in the 1940s, so the planters feature a mid-century modern style, a look that's still considered trendy today. They have a sleek cylindrical shape and are often solid-colored. However, some of the ceramics have simple patterns, such as tall symmetrical triangles carved around the outside.

Many of these prized planters have a prominent backstamp to help identify them. The words "Gainey Ceramics" are carved in large letters around the bottom rim of the pot or pot saucer. Some also say "U.S.A" and have the production location stamped alongside it. Since the company was based in La Verne, California, seeing this written on the pot is a common identifiable backstamp. Sometimes the model letter and number are included in this ring of text. The variations in backstamps can make them tricky to authenticate, so it's important that savvy thrifters familiarize themselves with the various styles.

On general auction sites like eBay, medium-size Gainey planters tend to be worth $100 or more, though one large planter sold on eBay for a whopping $3,100. Many Gainey Ceramics pieces sold on more niche auction sites like Chairish are listed for $500 and up. In any case, online prices will almost certainly be far higher than the average thrift store price. If you find one of these ceramics, it could be one of the best thrift store finds of the year. The ceramics are well worth the small investment, whether used as decor or flipped for profit.