Betty & Dave Knutzen- ©2000 - Wisconsin Pottery Association

The following article appeared in WPA Press, Vol. 4, April 2000

Featured WPA Member — Betty & Dave Knutzen

On a dark, February evening I drove north around the big lake (one left and two rights) to the home of Dave and Betty Knutzen. I was lucky to find them with an open evening, having just returned from a Redwing festival in Minnesota. Betty and Dave agreed to talk a bit about their collecting and interest in antique pottery. The dark night brightened considerably, as the Knutzen's discussed how they got started collecting, the pottery, the ins and outs of trying to price pieces they buy and sell and what their experiences have been working with online auctions such as eBay, and finally what they, charter members of the WPA, hope for the future of the Wisconsin Pottery Association.

First of all, what got the Knutzen's started with collecting? Betty noted that she had a "few pieces of flea-market quality and Dave initially found that collecting/antiquing provided them a way to have a life away from work. Betty retired in 1988 and was looking for a good hobby (something to keep her out of trouble, no doubt). Collecting back in those days, Betty and Dave reminisced, might result in a find of 10-12 pieces of Roseville at one time!

Betty eventually became interested in repairing pottery-perhaps it was those early flea market-quality pieces? She traveled to Appleton and took a course in ceramic repair, then hung out her repair shingle. If Betty's experience is any measure, there is quite a demand for ceramics restoration.

Before this interview I'd heard from WPA members that Betty is very good at restoration work. Betty and Dave and I briefly discussed what place repair has in the collecting business. Betty showed me some pieces of pottery that she had repaired. The mended spots were barely detectable after her work was done. Betty emphasized that a good restoration should not be detectable.

This raised the question, is a repaired piece as valuable as one that has never been damaged? Obviously not, but it can be very hard to distinguish a repaired/ restored piece. A natural question then is, do people have damaged pieces repaired and sell them as like new? The Knutzens maintain that a good, reputable dealer would never sell a repaired piece without marking it "restored". They told about a piece that they bought online. It was described as excellent, but when it arrived and was examined, it was obvious that the piece had been repaired. The piece was returned to the surprised sellers, who had not noticed the repair. But it is easy to see what a delicate subject restoration can be in the buy/sell world.

On the other hand, if one had an heirloom vase from one's immigrant great great grandfather, and your favorite cat or dog knocked it over, breaking it while chasing away an intruder, you might wish that you knew someone as skilled as Betty, that could effect a nearly perfect restoration. Betty emphasized that a restorer cannot make a damaged piece of pottery new, but she/he can greatly improve the appearance of the piece. (It is important to note here, that Betty no longer does restorations.)

Betty and Dave agreed to discuss, in general terms, their experiences using the online auction company eBay (www.ebay.com). The Knutzens have been interested in eBay for over a year now. As many do, they started out just buying, but have now graduated to selling pieces on eBay as well. Any of you that have spent an evening organizing pieces to sell complete with electronic images, writing descriptions and getting it all correctly linked to the selling page know that while it's all quite do-able, it does take some time and organization to sell pieces on eBay. So, is there a reward for the effort?

Dave and Betty seem to feel that shopping and selling on eBay can be as much fun as going to a mall shop. As Dave noted, eBay is convenient, you have a large selection and a worldwide customer base, there are some good prices and you meet some really nice, trustworthy people, making for a quite pleasurable experience. One might wonder, with a shopping procedure that is somewhat anonymous and remote, what would result from the purchase of fragile, valuable merchandise that has to be shipped by mail. The Knutzens noted that through a couple of email exchanges, either as a buyer or seller, that they have actually established some friend-ships via eBay.

As sellers, the Knutzens appreciate the large, international group of buyers and the relatively short time for a sale (mall traffic is slow compared to eBay). Instead of placing things on a shelf and having no contact with the buyer, eBay results in direct communication between buyer and seller in order to close the sale and make the needed payment and shipping connections. Who says that the electronic world is a lonely, quiet place?

Online auctions like eBay can also be a very current source of pricing information. It's practical to think that pricing guides and books are getting outdated as fast as they are printed. One good way to price a piece is to search online and see what others are selling it for. This information can be very useful whether you are a buyer or a seller.

Betty and Dave talked a bit about how their collecting has changed/diversified. They generally have the same tastes in pottery, even after 10+ years of collecting. They both initially liked Weller and Roseville, but those prices climbed as the popularity of those potteries increased. They met Ray Reese, who wrote the Redwing pottery book. Interested in Redwing, they began collecting it, then the book was published and prices skyrocketed. A couple of years ago Dave's son bought a few pieces of Haeger pottery at a garage sale. It apparently caught the Knutzens' eye, as those that have seen their collection will recall. Thus they started buying Haeger a few years before it gained its current popularity. In 1939-45, as Betty and Dave note, Hickman, an excellent designer, was at Haeger. Haeger, for the uninformed, has two locations, Dundee and Macomb, IL, and is still made for and sold by florists.

Betty and Dave collect Ceramic Arts, the Madison, WI studio pottery especially popular in this part of the country. They also like North Dakota pottery.

Finally, as founding members of the WPA I thought it would be interesting to hear the Knutzen's thoughts about the state of the club, its accomplishments, and what they hope to see the club achieve in the future. Dave and Betty pointed out that several oral histories of Wisconsin potteries are currently in progress. For instance they are working with Mr. Ed Arnold on the history of Pittsville pottery.

Another long-term dream of the WPA has been to organize or create a central location for the exhibition of various Wisconsin potteries. On their travels Dave and Betty have visited locations such as the Overbeck collection, which is housed in the basement of a public library. They note that the State Historical Society in Madison has a sizeable Frackleton collection that is in storage, due to lack of viewing space. Madison, as a home to potteries such as Ceramic Arts Studio and Century House, when added to the numerous other Wisconsin potteries, begs a central museum for long-term display of these potteries. Good security and appropriate exhibit space would be essential features of such a space.

Our thanks to Betty and Dave for remaining active, supportive members of the club, and adding to our body of information by their presentations. And thanks for their time and support of the WPA Press by agreeing to this interview.

Kari Kenefick, WPA Press Editor