Fiestaware Eggplates Shrunk in the Wash!

The Fiestaware line, manufactured by the Homer-Laughlin China Company of Newell, West Virginia since 1936, with a break from 1973-1985, has a long and fascinating history.  Entire books have been written about Fiesta and the line, especially the original pieces from the 1930s-1970s are highly sought after, and consequently very highly priced, collectibles.  When the line was introduced it was intended, marketed, and sold as a low cost line that most anyone could afford to buy.  Originally, the entire line consisted of 37 different pieces, although some of them, such as the covered onion soup bowl and mixing bowl covers were discontinued fairly quickly, making them, of course, some of the most expensive and sought after pieces on the market today.  In addition to a wide variety of colors, the Fiestaware line would grow to include many different shapes and purposes over time, with some of the designs being much rarer than others.

Two Sizes of Fiestaware Egg Plates

As was also true of the original line, modern day Fiestaware has been produced in a wide range of shapes intended for different purposes, moving far beyond the basic place setting into a wide variety of service ware intended to be placed on the table alongside the traditional place setting pieces.  Over time, some of the designs would undergo changes, such as the demitasse cup changing from a stick handle, much like the original, to a rounded handle, while some designs would simply cease production altogether, such as the bud vase or water carafe.  While the introduction and removal of colored glazes is well documented in several sources, the dates of the introduction, changes to, and discontinuation of specific pieces in the collection is not readily available, even from the Homer Laughlin Company itself, so I would greatly welcome such a resource if anyone has one, or knows where to find one.

Therefore, I cannot with any certainty say when, exactly, the egg plate, or egg tray as it is sometimes referred to by Homer Laughlin, was first introduced into the line.  I first acquired one as a gift in about 2008, but based on some of the colors that the piece is available in, but which were discontinued before 2008, I can narrow down the probable introduction time to the early 2000s, as late as 2004.  But as is true of some of the other pieces in the Fiestaware line, the egg plate would undergo a significant design change.  Originally, when the egg plate was first introduced it measured a quite impressive 13 1/8 inches in diameter!  However, all Fiestaware egg plates available today have shrunk to a diameter of 11 1/8 inches!  Some sources will quote these sizes as being 13 1/4 and 11 1/4 but Homer Laughlin is specific that the size is measured to the 1/8 inch.  Again, based on the fact that both sizes of egg plate exist in a small number of colors, while other colors are available only in the smaller size, I can estimate that change had to take place about 2006 because I know that the large size was available as late as 2005, based, again, on color availability. Regardless of the specific date, the manufacturer clearly reduced the size and I can only guess that it was due to the ease and cost of production or due to consumer demand and feedback.

I have visited the Fiestaware factory, an experience highly recommended for fans of the line because not only is there a GIGANTIC sale annex featuring tens of thousands of pieces of Fiestaware at greatly reduced prices along with discontinued pieces and colors, you can also sign up in advance for a behind-the-scenes factory tour.  Because of this tour I know that most pieces, including the egg plate, are made by robots that press and mold pieces at an amazing rate of speed and accuracy.  At the time I toured the factory, about the only task still performed entirely by hand was the placement of cup handles and tea pot lid handles, although this too may have since changed.  Also, any pieces that have decorative decals are also placed by hand, but by far the majority of the work is now automated which allows the company to offer Fiestaware at very competitive prices.

So, this photo of two Fiestaware egg plates, or egg trays, presents a mystery.  The egg plate glazed with Periwinkle, on the left, is in the 13 1/8 inch size and could not have been produced any later than 2005/2006 because Periwinkle ceased production during those years.  The egg plate to the right, glazed in Peacock, is in the smaller 11 1/8 inch size and therefore had to be produced no earlier than 2005 as that was the year the color was introduced.  At some point, therefore, in the early 2000s, not only was the egg plate introduced to the Fiestaware line, it was also reduced in size by 2 full inches.  I welcome additional detailed information about the dates of both the introduction of the egg plate as well as the date of the reduction in size.  And for those who enjoy Fiestaware egg plates, all available colors are currently on sale at the factory store for $19.99, a fairly significant reduction from the original full retail price, causing me to to wonder if the timeframe for the production of Fiestaware egg plates is about to come to an end.  Other pieces, and certainly other colors, have been retired in the past to make way for new shapes and new colors so it is entirely possible that all too soon Fiestaware egg plates will become yet another “thing of the past!”