Which Lady Head Vase Should You Buy?

 
Sometimes when you're collecting, it's hard to know either where to start, or if you already have a collection, what direction to continue in. if you're collecting lady head vases, if there's not a particular vase you're searching for, which one would be a wise choice for your next purchase?

Believe it or not, there are at least 10,000 different lady head styles available! Some are of depict high profile celebrities from the 40's and 50's. The most valuable and highly sought after include Marilyn Monroe, Lucille Ball and Jackie O.

What a Lady Head Vase Costs

 

I Dream of JeannieTo give you an idea of prices, this rare lady head vase on the left, called "I Dream of Jeannie" by collectors, can sell into the thousands. A vase featuring Marilyn Monroe's likeness sold for $605 at an auction in the early 2000s. At that same auction, a vase of Lucille Ball as Mame sold for $495. Depending on the condition, Jackie O. vases sell on eBay for between $150 and $300.

Non-celebrity vases usually cost far less. Vases with teenage faces aren't quite as numerous as the adult lady faces, so some collectors will pay more for those; it's not uncommon for those to sell in the $75-100 range, with some reaching even higher prices. You'll find vases from 2" to 14" tall, priced between $40 and $200, at antique shows. The most popular lady head vases have fancy hats, with realistic features and pearl necklaces with matching dangle earrings. Some styles have a delicate hand with painted nails framing one side of the face.

Marks to Look for on Lady Head Vases


Most of these vases were manufactured in Japan and have marks stamped on the bottom. Some names collectors look for are Enesco, Inarco, Lefton, Relpo, Ruebens, Napco or Napcoware, and Betty Lou Nichols. There are a few other marks; many vases were unsigned or just marked with a foil sticker that has worn away over the years.

Keep in mind that having a mark doesn't necessarily make a vase more valuable, especially with the very popular collectible lady heads, but it certainly won't hurt, either, and always helps in identification. Since even some of the celebrity vases can be hard to recognize without guidance, a book on the lady head vases can definitely come in handy when you want to determine the desirability and value of a certain vase.