The Texas-Born Antique Dishware Brand To Search For At The Thrift Store

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Cowboys, Tex-Mex cuisine, barbecue — Texas is known for a lot of things. Here's one more to add to the list: Marshall Pottery, the chic vintage and antique dishware named for its founding location in Marshall, Texas. The city's ample access to water and white clay deposits made it the perfect location for founder W.F. Rocker to set up the pottery company in 1895. It went through a series of owners and almost folded in the 1920s, but it was revitalized by Prohibition as Marshall Pottery jugs turned out to be the perfect affordable vessels for moonshine. The company made a comeback, going on to become the largest manufacturer of red clay pots in the United States.

Moonshine jugs aside, Marshall Pottery became known for its blue and white glazed clay pieces. Some depicted patterns like small stars, while others featured a couple simple blue stripes against a white background. Marshall was also known for its quality, working with master potters like Peter Payne who made pots and jugs by hand, though its handmade division eventually closed. Whether you're looking for a bowl or butter churner, this is one type of vintage pottery you'd be lucky to find while thrifting. 

Although the company had its ups and downs, it overall had a good run, lasting more than a century before shuttering its manufacturing and retail outlet in 2015. Given the range of time these products were produced, some are vintage, while those 100 years old or older are antiques. While you can't buy Marshall Pottery directly from the source anymore, it's certainly a worthwhile antique and vintage dishware brand to hunt for at thrift stores.

Marshall Pottery was not the only company that took advantage of its area's wealth of available clay. Several other Texas-based companies also produced stoneware, some in a style similar to that of Marshall pottery. That means when you're scoping out a piece at the thrift store, it pays to know what exactly to look for.

Handmade pieces are stamped with the name of the master potter that created them, usually on the bottom of the piece. To confirm that you're holding a piece from Marshall Pottery, look for the brand's name. While not every piece has the artisan's name on it, almost all of them should have the company's name somewhere, typically on the bottom or side. You may come across dishware made in Texas that looks like Marshall Pottery, but if it doesn't have the words "Marshall Pottery" somewhere on it, there's a good chance it's from a competitor.

Don't just limit yourself to looking for one type of dish, either. Signature antique Marshall Pottery pieces include crocks and butter churners, but their wide range of dishware includes pitchers, tableware, mugs, and beyond. The value of Marshall Pottery items depends on their age and condition. Antique pieces tend to be a more valuable thrift store find than newer ones, and antique pieces with minimal wear and tear, even after decades, are usually the most valuable of all.