The Real McCoys:
McCoy and Cookie Jars go together and because they do, many unscrupulous sellers try to take advantage of collectors. This is especially prevalent through Internet sales when buyers think they are bidding or purchasing an authentic jar from the real McCoy company.
Side by Side Comparisions:
Compare authentic jars, produced by the old companies, with fakes that are many times meant to deceive.
Guide to Fakes and Reproductions by Mark Chervenka:
Learn more about fakes from the one person the experts go to! An excellent addition for your library shelf!
The Story Behind the New McCoy:
From the Collector's Encyclopedia of Cookie Jars, Book III: There appear to be four major manufacturers of reproductions.
Not McCoy, But They Say So:
Because McCoy is one of the most commonly known names in the pottery world, when a maker wants to fake a jar, McCoy is a mark most often used on the bottom of the piece. This partial list are jars I've personally seen marked McCoy, but are not the real deal.
McCoy Figural Jars:
A list of the known figural REAL McCoy cookie jars. Because of the large number of crocks, cylinders, and teapot shapes, those jars are not shown. They are usually not reproduced.
Roerig's List of Reproductions:
Courtesy of authors Joyce and Fred Roerig, "Collector's Encyclopedia of Cookie Jars", Book III.
Although this list is not complete, you'll be surprised at just how many jars have been reproduced over the years.
The Bottom Line:
Be wise and beware when it comes to reproductions!
There are many reasons why a collector would purchase a reproduction or commemorative jar. A reproduction jar should be both quite a bit cheaper and easier to find than the real thing. In my personal opinion, there is nothing wrong with having a reproduction of an older jar in your collection, as long as you know it's a reproduction when purchasing it. AND as long as the jar is marked permanently and well enough that later on down the line there will be absolutely no question about it being a reproduction.
Some jars that fit into this category would include the Midwest Sailor, the Department 56 series of look-a-likes and Jonal's Cookie Jar Classic series. There are also authorized reproductions made of limited edition artist jars for the mass market.