McCoy Pottery So Cheerful and So Special: I Love It!

A colorful collection of McCoy Pottery clustered on a table such as pots, vases, pitchers, and planters. The vintage ceramics are in different shapes and sizes and Spring colors (aqua blue, soft pink, yellow, and light green).

Oh Boy McCoy!! Well, it was love at first sight! It truly was! The second I saw a McCoy piece of pottery I was hooked. It was like a breath of Spring! McCoy pottery is so cheerful and so special!

I remember browsing through a fancy Antique shop and spied a fabulous green vase with double handles, and when I flipped it over it read “McCoy” in bold embossed letters. I wasn’t able to purchase it…it was a bit out of my price range. But, all was not lost! Within the same week, I was also browsing at my local thrift store and something caught my eye. I smiled immediately! It was a large yellow curved dish with a small green bird perched on the rim. The tail of the bird was broken, but even with the imperfection, it was so beautiful. I quickly flipped it over and saw the big bold McCoy stamp, and right next to it, written in a Sharpie marker was the price of $4. I thought I died and went to heaven. And so my collection began!

A close-up of a McCoy Pottery light green jardiniere decorated with a pattern of leaves and flowers.

What’s not to like about McCoy? The moment I see a piece I just know it’s McCoy. It’s cheerful, colorful, and creative. This pottery speaks to me -whether it’s a bit worn with a few chips or completely pristine, it’s always gorgeous to me. With its soft pastels and vivid colors, the perfect pink, the very vintage green, the sunshiney yellow, and wintery whites, it brings JOY to all my rooms as well as a bit of functionality.

Two ceramic McCoy planters, one yellow and one pink, both with a relief of 2 pink blossoms and green leaves.

History

So where did it all begin? All the way back in 1848, J.W. McCoy founded a stoneware company in Roseville Ohio, just outside of Zanesville Ohio. There was a supply of local clay that he could mine, sell, and use in his functional stoneware jugs, pitchers, and bowls. In 1933 the company was renamed the Nelson McCoy Pottery Company after his son. They began to specialize in a wide variety of art pottery items: vases, urns, and jardinieres. A few years before this they had begun to mark their pottery, oftentimes with either NM for Nelson McCoy or later McCoy in a stylized mark.

The bottom of a yellow ceramic vase, with the words McCoy USA embossed.

The bottom of an aqua blue ceramic vase, with the words McCoy USA embossed.

The little town of Zanesville, Ohio was a true hot spot for mid-century pottery. McCoy competed with many local pottery companies, including Weller, Roseville, and Shawnee. Who knew that all these wonderful ceramic makers were practically in my own backyard? McCoy Pottery reached its heyday in the 1950s and had over 500 people working at the company. McCoy is one of the most collected brands of pottery in the United States.

More of my collection

Pretty

A close-up of a shiny aqua blue McCoy Pottery two-handled vase with relief of a bird, leaves and berries made in 1948.

A McCoy Pottery bowl with a stylized leaf pattern in a green blue glaze holding a conch shell.

A large pink McCoy Pottery vase with wagon wheel handles and a tulip relief on the front.

Pastels

A closeup view of a McCoy Pottery yellow planter with pink blossoms and leaves in relief. A yellow beehive pitcher is in the background.

An aqua blue McCoy Pottery planter with a lotus blossom pattern holding dried pine sprigs.

A variety of Yellow colored McCoy Pottery ceramic pieces including a large vase with handles, a pitcher and a planter with a bird perched on the top.

practical

A vintage McCoy Pottery flower pot. It has a quilted diamond pattern in aqua blue and is filled with colored pencils.

Two cream colored McCoy Pottery flower pots with plants. One has a pattern of wavy lines the other has a leaf and hobnail pattern.

A pale pink small planter by McCoy Pottery with a pink rose and green leaf relief. The planter is holding several pairs of glasses.

The Start of something new

I have been an admirer for over 20 years and through those years my love has never changed but my collection sure has. I have bought and sold many McCoy gems and given many away as gifts. I’m always on the lookout for new and different pieces to add to my collection or to sell. These days you can find McCoy at numerous places (garage sales, thrift shops and online) for affordable prices too. Right now I’m searching for lamps, wallpockets, and mixing bowls. It’s always a thrill to find one that I haven’t seen before! So, if you are looking for something pretty, pleasant, and practical to add to your decor, and you have never owned a McCoy piece…this could be the start of something new! Why not put McCoy on the top of your shopping list? McCoy Pottery is so cheerful and so special! I could sing its praises all day long…McCoy, McCoy my favorite song!

A collection of McCoy Pottery in a variety of blue hues and designs: flower pots, planters, vase and cookie jar.

If you enjoyed this article, see my post, “From Vintage Shops to Antique Malls: My Colorful Treasure Finds“.
I happen to be selling a few McCoy pieces as well as some other nice pottery on my HomeyBlueHeron eBay Store, so please visit the store.
A great resource for further information on the history of McCoy Pottery is the McCoy Pottery Collectors’ Society. They have loads of information on this site!