17 Most Valuable Atlas Mason Jars Worth Money

Something about mason jars makes it tough to toss them out. You’ll find yourself hoarding them even when you have so many that they need a special maintenance regime!

But glass collections aside, you can make a lot of money from the most valuable Atlas mason jars. You just have to know which ones are profitable. So let’s check out some of the top examples.

Most rare Atlas Mason Jars Worth Money

1. Antique Atlas Strong Shoulder Mason Aqua

Two of the most popular fruit jar manufacturers were Hazel-Atlas Glass (1902 to 1964) and Ball Brothers Glass Manufacturing Company (1884 to 1962). Back then, they were called fruit jars and were used for canning and pickling sauces, jams, jellies, sauces, and preserves.

• Brand: Atlas
• Year: 1920s
• Type: Strong Shoulder
• Value: $54.33

Hazel-Atlas made a lot of aqua-colored jars, though they were described as ‘common green glass’. They’re prettier than clear mason jars, but because they made so many, they’re not as valuable as a collectible. Setting the price this high is a newbie error, so don’t overpay for it!

 

2. Vintage Mixed Lot Jars (1-Pint Atlas + 3-Quart Kerr)

Have you ever wondered why they’re called mason jars? The name came from John Lands Mason, a tinsmith who patented the screw-top jar design in 1858. Sadly, when his copyright expired in 1879, other companies took up the prototype and improved it without paying him.

• Brand: Mixed
• Year: Mixed
• Type: Mixed
• Value: $48.99

Kerr and Ball were equally successful as mason jar providers, so if you want to raise the value of your haul, you can slip some of them in. This set has an Atlas jar, a Kerr jar, and two unbranded jars. Two have lids, two don’t, but their joint value will drive up the bidding price.

 

3. Vintage Atlas EZ Seal Mason Jar Wavy Glass

Technically speaking, EZ-seal jars aren’t mason jars because they have a glass top and a wire bail instead of a screw-top lid. But by the 1920s, John Mason was broke, dead, and gone. Atlas, Kerr, and Ball were the major players, and they categorized glass corks as mason jars.

• Brand: Atlas
• Year: 1920s
• Type: EZ-Seal
• Value: $129.99

If you can find an EZ-seal mason jar in amber, you’ll get a remarkable rate for it. They were first released in the 1910s and can fetch astronomic prices. But even this aqua-colored one is a prize. The air bubbles mark it as Depression Glass from the 1920s, so you know it’s valid.

 

4. Hazel Atlas Mason Jar Lot – No Lids

Having original lids can raise the price of an Atlas mason jar. But if you check on auction sites, you can find lots of lids without their jars, pun intended. Carry a note (in a notebook or your Notes App) that confirms the diameter of your jar rims. That way, you can match them.

• Brand: Atlas
• Year: 1915
• Type: Square
• Value: $49.95

Square Atlas jars had unusual lids though. The lids were made of two pieces – an outer rim and an inner seal. The seal was meant to be thrown away after use, which is why these square jars only have that open external rim. The jars are about 7″ tall and have the famous AH logo.

 

5. Unmatched Pair Atlas E-Z Seal Blue Mason Jars

Atlas jars typically sell for less than $20. But if you can sell them in batches, you can raise your rate. This pair of jars pushes their combined price to $100, which isn’t bad for jars so small. They’re both aqua-colored, which at the time was referred to as common green glass.

• Brand: Atlas
• Year: 1910s
• Type: EZ-Seal
• Value: $100

Both jars have their original lids and wire bail. The bails are rusty and worn, which adds to their authenticity and supports your asking price. The jars are roughly 4” in diameter and 5” to 6” high – one is slightly slimmer, the other is a little taller. The lids are in working order.

 

6. Vintage Atlas E-Z Seal Clear Glass Mason Jar with Glass Lid Metal Bail

While EZ-Seal jars don’t fit the description of mason jars (due to the glass lid), collectors don’t seem too fussy about that distinction. Besides, colored EZ-seals came out in the 1910s while translucent ones were released from 1936 onwards. So where does this specimen fall?

• Brand: Atlas
• Year: 1910s
• Type: EZ-Seal
• Value: $25

This is where it can be useful to physically inspect the jar before buying. In the first photo, the jar has an amber tinge, and amber Atlas jars are considered premium. But it could just be the light, in which case this is a fair price for a colorless EZ-seal. They all have lids though.

 

7. Atlas E-Z Seal Jar Antique 1920s

When you’re new to antiquing, you may be influenced by the prices on auction listings. But remember, these items might not get bids at their asking price. This jar, for example, is often listed at $20 to $30 so you’re unlikely to sell it at this price. But there’s no harm in trying.

• Brand: Atlas
• Year: 1920s
• Type: EZ-Seal
• Value: $150

Just like the earlier jar, the background lighting in the photo gives it an amber tinge. But the other photos clearly show the absence of color. That’s why it helps to buy from sellers that have multiple close-ups and angles. The photo offers a ‘serving suggestion’ of fairy lights.

 

8. Vintage Atlas Mason Half Pint Clear Glass Top Insert

Is there any way to improve your pricing options on vintage Atlas mason jars? Here’s an idea. It’s a square, so naturally, only the metal rim has survived. To remedy this, the seller found a glass top from an EZ-seal jar. You can find easily find these glass lids sold as lots.

• Brand: Atlas
• Year: Unknown
• Type: Square (with glass insert)
• Value: $29.95

The glass cork was then used as an insert to fill out the missing portion of the rim. A serious collector may not go for this. But maybe you’re attracted to the visuals of mason jars. Or you plan to display the jar with flowers, ornaments, or fairy lights. In that case, the jar works fine.

 

9. Glass Jars Metal Carrier Atlas E-Z Seal Ball Jars Vintage

Unless you’re an Atlas purist, any mason jar will do the job. Especially if you’re buying them for display rather than monetary value. This lot, for example, has jars that seem identical and fit beautifully in their metal carrier. It would be a cute way to display candy or crafting gear.

• Brand: Mixed
• Year: Mixed
• Type: EZ-Seal
• Value: $179

Some of the jars are Atlas and some are Ball, but because they’re the same size and design, they still look good together. The jars all have glass lids, wire bails, and EZ-seal mechanics. But remember, these jars aren’t watertight. They’re best for dry goods and non-consumables.

 

10. Cornflower Blue Atlas Strong Shoulder Mason Jar

Colour is relative. Some of us can tell our aqua from our turquoise while others are limited to green and blue. As we said earlier, in advertising copy and product packaging, the color of this jar was defined as common green glass. And it was mass-produced to flood the market.

• Brand: Atlas
• Year: Unknown
• Type: Strong Shoulder
• Value: $60

Because so many blue/green mason jars were sold, it fetches lower prices as a collectible. But because beauty is in the eye of the jar-holder, customers are attracted to this pretty corn color and may pay more than the market suggests. So if you find these jars, list them!

 

11. Lot of 10 Vintage Jars Mason Milk Dairy Lincoln Bank Ball Atlas

How much would you be willing to spend on a starter kit? This set of 10 canning jars (or fruit jars, as they’re called in the biz) gives you a broad selection of collectibles. You have EZ-seal mason jars from both Atlas and Ball, with their glass lids and wire bails in working condition.

• Brand: Mixed
• Year: Mixed
• Type: Mixed
• Value: $100

You also get two bona fide mason jars, complete with their screw-top lids. One of the jars – a Lincoln Canning jar – has a wire handle in addition to its metal top. Then you have milk bottles. They’re a different collectors’ category but they’ll pleasantly complement your jars.

 

12. Vintage 6 Six Atlas Mason HA Clear Pint Canning / Fruit

In the online stock trading world, there are two categories. Day traders go for short-term profits while investors hold their stocks for years. The vintage market is similar. Traders buy with the intent to sell while collectors purchase items that they’ll one day pass to their kids.

• Brand: Atlas
• Year: 1910s
• Type: Square
• Value: $29.99

If you’re buying mason jars for resale, this is a good batch. And you can pair it with a batch of Atlas lids so you can raise their combined value and make even more money. These are square jars though, so while these lids may fit, they’re not the original two-piece jar covers.

 

13. Fruit Jars Atlas Good Luck Pint and Qt

Most Altas mason jars were branded with the AH logo or with various iterations of the brand name. This included Atlas Simplex and Atlas String Shoulder. Some were even marked Atlas Wholefruit. But one beloved jar is the Atlas Good Luck, complete with a four-leaf clover on it.

• Brand: Atlas
• Year: 1940s
• Type: Good Luck
• Value: $80

These jars are rare, just like natural clovers. And of course, they’re thought to cause good fortune. But even as a visual specimen, these mason jars look gorgeous in your display case. The seller has two sizes so they must have quite a collection. They usually sell for $10 to $15.

 

14. Atlas E-Z Seal Canning Mason Jars Blue Quart

How did glass makers achieve that pretty blue shade in their pieces? Usually, it came from sand that was naturally infused with iron, giving the jars that blue-green tinge. Jars were made by hand and later by machine, but the jar molds were soft metal or dense wood.

• Brand: Atlas
• Year: 1910s
• Type: EZ-Seal
• Value: $39.99

These jars have wavy shadows in them, sometimes described as a whittled look. The effect was unintentionally created when hot steam touched the cold molds, forming imperfections in the glass. But this appearance now authenticates these mason jars as period pieces, so yay!

 

15. Hazel Atlas Strong Shoulder Mason Canning Jars w Presto Lids

What happens when you’re trying to move lidless Atlas mason jars from your inventory? Yes, they can sell without covers, but lids raise the price. Here’s an alternative – Presto lids. These were made by Good Housekeeping and have metal rims with a glass cut-out disc underneath.

• Brand: Atlas
• Year: Mixed
• Type: Mixed
• Value: $52

This batch has three jars and three lids, each with a capacity of three pints. And it’s a mixed batch – an aqua square jar, a clear round jar, and a clear square jar. The two round jars are both strong shoulder jars, meaning they have an extended rim to hold the lid in position.

 

16. Atlas Mason Jars 2 W/Lids E-Z Seal Green Clear Canning

While lots of aqua Atlas glasses exist, they’re not all the same shade. The one in this batch – for example – leans closer to green than blue. It’s an EZ-seal jar but it has no lid, so you may need to find a batch of glass lids to go with it. The glass inserts work with metal rims as well.

• Brand: Atlas
• Year: Mixed
• Type: Mixed
• Value: $89.99

The square jars in the collection have their original zinc lids though, so that helps. And the final lid is easily replaced. But when you’re buying substitute lids, check that they have Atlas written on them. Generic lids and Ball lids fit fine, but original covers get you a better price.

 

17. Atlas Blue Jars Collectable Atlas

For our final listing, check out these three Atlas mason jars. They seem identical, but you can tell they’re from different years because the logo looks different. The jars have zinc lids, but while the glass is branded, the tops are not. And these are all strong shoulder mason jars.

• Brand: Atlas
• Year: Mixed
• Type: Strong Shoulder
• Value: $58

Do you have valuable Atlas mason jars in your collection? Show us photos in the comments!