Auction to sell pieces from Haeger Potteries

Figurines, vases and other artware made over the last century by the now-closed Haeger Potteries will be up for auction next month.

The East Dundee company ceased operations last summer after 145 years in business, leaving owners to sort through thousands of pieces dating back to the early 1900s. Many of those items had been previously unavailable for purchase and were kept in a historical museum in the factory store, 7 Maiden Lane.

After giving away part of the collection on loan to the Dundee Township Historical Society, company President Lexy Haeger Estes said they will now offer the remaining pieces to fans and collectors.

"I think it's generating a good deal of excitement," she said. "It's exciting for us, too."

The online auction, put on by Chicago-based Leslie Hindman Auctioneers, begins 10 a.m. Feb. 24. Account executive Cassia Baker said the auction will not contain a live component, but interested parties can view the available items in person Feb. 21 to 23 in the auctioneer showroom, 1338 W. Lake St., Chicago.

The roughly 2,000-piece collection includes artware made by various Haeger designers from 1914 to present day, Baker said. A 92-inch-tall hand-thrown vase previously displayed in the Haeger museum is estimated to be sold for $6,000 to $8,000. Some vases, lamps and a small grouping of figurines are running for $100 to $400. A full catalog of the collection is expected to be released soon.

"There is already a buzz among Haeger collectors," Baker said. "With something like this, we'd anticipate people to have a strong, personal connection to it."

In the months after the company's closing, Haeger Estes said she sorted through a century's worth of memories while cleaning out the Haeger building, which was sold in November to a local manufacturing company. She has also been providing Hindman with specific information about each piece up for auction, such as its designer and the year it was made.

"It's all very emotional," she said, "but we're finally taking deeper breaths, I guess you can say."

Anyone interested in participating in the auction must register for the specific event. More information on bidding instructions can be found on the Leslie Hindman website or by contacting Baker at cassiabaker@lesliehindman.com.