17 Most Valuable Cookie Jars Worth Money

For many of us, the cookie jar is a precious childhood memory. Unless of course, you had strict guardians who were constantly slapping your fingers away from the goodies.

Or worse, if you snuck into the jar, broke it, and got spanked afterward! Still, as an adult (and a collector), the most valuable cookie jars can be a sound investment. So let’s check some out!

Most rare Cookie Jars Worth Money

1. Cookie Jar McDonalds Ronald Treasure Craft 13 Tall Vintage #M25

Brands can be a good source of valuable cookie jars. They’re so instantly recognizable that you don’t have to second-guess the value of your find. This Ronald McDonald cookie jar is a good example. These items were often free give-aways when you spent a certain amount.

• Brand: McDonald’s
• Year: 1997
• Value: $165

They might also come free with a specific meal, or they may have been souvenirs for staff members. This McDonald’s cookie jar retains its bright colors and glossy glaze. Ron’s head and collar form the lid of the cookie jar. The bottom has both a sticker and an engraving.

 

2. Shawnee set of (3) Vintage Cookie Jars

You can always make more money by selling a matching set. Especially if the set has a well-known story behind it, like the fairy tale of the three little pigs. This trio of ceramics is special because individually, they’re still rare enough to make a good profit. Together? Even better!

• Brand: Shawnee
• Year: 1940s
• Value: $300

The pigs are clearly part of a unit. They have the same facial features, and their heads and shoulders form the tops of the cookie jars. But their neckerchiefs are different colors, as are the designs on their smocks. And yes, you can find replacement pig lids at vintage stores.

 

3. The Old Tick Tock Clock Cookie Jar by Brush

Printing poems on the sides of a cookie jar seems like a good idea. After all, it’ll get the kids to read more, yes? But it also means they’ll spend more time holding the cookie jar as they mindlessly snack and read. Still, this cookie jar is visually pleasing and multi-functional too.

• Brand: Brush
• Year: 1956
• Value: $85.99

The clock’s tiara forms the cookie jar lid, and it could be a cute way to limit your cookie portions … set a rule that you can only have a cookie (only one!) when the cookie clock matches the house clock. And the poem agrees with you! The clock jar is 7” at its widest.

 

4. Marilyn Monroe Bust Ceramic Cookie Jar 14”

We’ve all seen that famous Marilyn Monroe pose where her dress white dress is floating up to tease her legs. And because she was (and is) considered quite seductive, she’s the perfect model for a cookie jar. It’s not as old as you’d think though – it’s certainly not from her time.

• Brand: Unknown
• Year: 1996
• Value: $115

The jar depicts her upper body from the chest up. And to avoid breaking her smooth silhouette, the jar opening is at the back. It’s the section where her hair meets the nape of her neck. The lid has some chips on the inside, but you can’t see them when the jar is closed.

 

5. Shawnee Great Northern Dutch Girl Cookie Jar with Blue Trim and Hat

You may have grown up reading folk tales about Heidi in the Alps. Or maybe the little boy who stuck his finger in the dyke. And these stories may have given you an attachment to Nordic culture. It might be why this little Dutch girl is such a popular collectible cookie jar.

• Brand: Shawnee
• Year: Unknown
• Value: $99.99

You can tell the cookie jar is hand-painted because there are some errors and some ‘coloring outside the lines’. But these all-too-human mistakes raise the value of the item. The girl’s head and folded arms make the cookie jar’s lid. The bottom brand is embossed.

 

6. Adorable Tea Potts Cookie Jar

The Disney Company is known to be pretty litigious. They go after copyright infringers with a vengeance. But their characters are so well-loved and so easily recognizable that they’re a common subject in ceramic collections. And this mother-and-son combo is right in line.

• Brand: Disney
• Year: 1991
• Value: $109.99

You’d have to check the underside to be sure this is a bona fide Disney piece. It depicts Mrs. Potts (the teapot) and her son Chip (the teacup with a nick on its rim). They’re characters from Disney’s cartoon version of Beauty and the Beast. Mrs. Potts’s hat makes the lid of the jar.

 

7. Metlox Dog Cookie Jar

As an amateur collector, you’ll probably be attracted to pretty, colorful cookie jars. If you can recognize their images and characters from pop culture, even better. But the blatantly beautiful ones aren’t necessarily the most valuable cookie jars. Some are rather odd and ugly.

• Brand: Metlox
• Year: Unknown
• Value: $90.25

This dog is an example – it probably wouldn’t call out to you because it’s so weird-looking. But this one-foot-tall dog is a prized specimen. The dog’s body has a gingham texture while its blue eyes and pink nose are casually painted on. The lid is the head and collar of the dog.

 

8. Rare American Bisque Baby Elephant Vintage Cookie Jar

Depending on your background and cultural exposure, this cookie jar might make you think of Disney’s Dumbo. Or maybe you’ll think of Ganesha or Ganapati. The figurine isn’t intended to offend religious sensibilities or corporate copyrights. It’s just too cute!

• Brand: American Bisque
• Year: 1940s
• Value: $112.76

It’s a vintage piece but it’s still as shiny as ever, with lots of pink, blue, and yellow detail. The baby pachyderm’s rosy appearance is rather endearing and makes a sentimental connection. Naturally, the head of this baby elephant forms the lid of the cookie jar. It’s about 10″ tall.

 

9. Mccoy Ceramic Vintage Cookie Jar Spice/Coffee Grinder

McCoy ceramics are among the most sought-after collectibles. And it’s not just their cookie jars. But that’s our focus for today, and this particular one is baked in the shape of a coffee grinder. It has a crank at the top and a knob at the bottom though neither one is functional.

• Brand: McCoy
• Year: 1960s
• Value: $95

It’s a vintage piece so some of the paint has peeled off the black parts. The ‘timber’ bits are fine because any fading looks like natural wood wear. The underside of the cookie jar has a few nicks and cracks as well, but they’re well hidden. The jar stands 6″ by 6″ and is 10″ tall.

 

10. Vintage Brown Cookie Jar Barn Owl

Owls can be cute and exciting or swift and terrifying, depending on the context and coloring. This owl-shaped cookie jar isn’t exactly aesthetic, but its provenance makes it worth the price. It’s an antique from The Great Depression and is still in fair condition.

• Brand: Unknown
• Year: 1930s
• Value: $169

The cookie jar has a brand stamp at the bottom, but it’s hard to tell exactly what it says. But the paintwork is carefully done, effectively mimicking the texture of owl feathers. The owl stands about 10” tall and there’s some smudging on its chest and eyes, possibly water stains.

 

11. California Original – Tortoise And The Hare Cookie Jar

If you’d like to be a serious cookie-jar collector, it can be helpful to sort your selections into categories. You might seek a Star Trek set, or a series of characters from Oz. This cookie jar is part of a series that tells the fable of the Tortoise and the Hare. The hare has various poses.

• Brand: California Original
• Year: Unknown
• Value: $119.69

On some cookie jars, the hare is nibbling cookies. In this version, he is passed out next to his carrot. But in all cases, he’s taking a free ride on the tortoise’s back. Pieces like this can be extra valuable because they’re such an effective ice-breaker and conversation centerpiece.

 

12. Adorable Extremely Rare Vintage Great American Co. Pig Cookie Jar

Here’s another collectible that plays out a nursery rhyme. He’s all alone now, but he might be one of the little piggies who went to the market. Or maybe one of the porky siblings that took on the big bad wolf. The cookie jar is molded in a child-friendly design with cute curves.

• Brand: Great American
• Year: Unknown
• Value: $250

The piglet is depicted in a baseball cap, holding a bag of cookies. The glaze is impressive, and the pastel color scheme is pleasing. Those pale pinks and yellows will match any design theme. And the attention to detail is impressive from the sweater ribbing to the curly tail.

 

13. Vintage Cookie Jar Sack Bag Of Cookies American Bisque

American Bisque Pottery was started in 1919 and taken over in 1922. Like other bisque pieces, their ceramics were put in the kiln while ‘naked’ then glazed afterward. This helps them retain their vibrant colors and glossy top coats for decades after they’re fired.

• Brand: American Bisque
• Year: Unknown
• Value: $70

You can recognize American Bisque pieces by their curvy, bulbous designs, their warm pastels, and that remarkable shine. This one is a simpler design – a basic bag of cookies with a muffin for a lid. The shades of brown are painted to mimic scorch patterns on baked goods.

 

14. Vintage Hand-Painted Cookie Jar Collection

Mechanization and mass production made everything cheaper, including ceramic tchotchkes. But if you’re amassing cookie jars for collectible purposes, those hand-made ones fetch a far higher price. Those ‘human’ errors add to the item’s value as a collector’s treasure.

• Brand: Coors
• Year: 1930s
• Value: $320

This set of three has a simple design. The jars are barrel-shaped with a simple knobbed lid and flowers painted on the sides. Some of the color on the flower petals has flaked off and one of the lids is broken. But since it comes as a set, their combined cost covers up the flaws.

 

15. Antique Estate Magic Bunny Top Hat Cookie Jar Ceramic

Around the Swinging Sixties, American Bisque Pottery Co. released a curious series of cookie jars. The jar itself was a top hat while the lid was allegedly a bunny, the type that magicians pull out of a hat. Except the cheeky bunny has short ears and looks more like a cat in a hat…

• Brand: American Bisque
• Year: 1959
• Value: $95

(It might even be a sheep!) This specific magic bunny is black and white with rosy ink cheeks. S/he’s sitting inside a yellow top hat. The design is sold in various color combinations. It’s about 10″ tall and is 7″ across the hat brim. The jar has a USA stamp.

 

16. Vintage Animal Design McCoy Cookie Jars

Because McCoy ceramics sell for such vast sums, it can be hard to tell which ones are the most valuable cookie jars. But if you have authenticated pieces, you can sell them as a batch to maximize your price. This set of three – for instance – has two dogs and a teddy bear.

• Brand: McCoy
• Year: 1950s
• Value: $225

For the bear, his hat is the cookie jar lid. For the dogs, one has his head as the lid while the other is wagging his tail in the air and his raised tail forms the lid. The cookie jars all have McCoy stamps on their underside, so they’re originals. Their colors and glaze are still intact.

 

17. Vintage Bartlett Collins Cookie Jar Orange Flower Power

This final cookie jar looks more like an amphora pitcher than a cookie jar. And it comes in different colors – orange, blue, white, etc. Oddly, the colors are listed at varying prices, so unless you’re looking for a specific hue, you could save hundreds of dollars on the palette.

• Brand: Bartlett Collins
• Year: 1950s
• Value: $355

Of course, the price range might just be a matter of seller preference, so check the various listings before you settle on any of them. These cookie jars have a glassy quality to them and translucent tone. It has the artist’s signature hidden among the yellow floral embellishments.

 

Do you have any cookie jars that might be valuable? Show us some photos in the comments!