Are Mason and Ball jars the same?
Different Types of Mason Jars Used for Canning The mouth of the jar has threads on its outer perimeter so it can accept a metal ring when it is screwed down onto it. Other common names for the original Mason jar include Ball jars (after the Ball Corporation), fruit jars and simply glass canning jars.
Are Ball mason jars worth anything?
An antique Ball brand perfect Mason jar sold on eBay for about $80, likely because its deep olive green color is relatively rare. According to Country Living, an upside-down Ball canning jar designed to rest on its lid is relatively rare and made between 1900 and 1910. It’s valued at about $1,000.
How can you tell how old a Ball Mason jar is?
Some helpful notes to keep in mind:
- Not every jar has their manufacture date on the glass, but most have the patent date.
- There will be a large number on the bottom of your jar.
- These charts tell you the approximate decade in which your Ball jar was made.
Is Ball still making mason jars?
Interestingly, Ball no longer manufactures Mason jars, but has expanded and grown into a worldwide company that makes everything from metal containers to aerospace parts.
What’s so special about Mason jars?
Mason jars have a two-part top ― a lid with a rubber ring on the underside, which creates a vacuum seal (which is so integral for safe canning), and an outer band with screw threads that are reusable. The lids can only be used to seal once, but the jars and bands can be reused many times.
Why are Mason jars so hard to find right now?
When the 2020 pandemic created a huge demand for canning supplies, Newell Brands decided it would not try to sell Ball and Kerr products at every store handling canning supplies as in the past, but only through online giant Amazon and select major chains such as Walmart and Ace Hardware stores.
What is number 13 mason jar?
The higher numbers were used when a mold was replaced. Dealers sell jars with 13 on the base at a higher price, but fruit jar collectors and the published price guides do not consider the number on the base to make any difference in value.
What does the number mean on the bottom of Ball Mason jars?
Many Ball mason jars have a number printed on the bottom of the jar, but this is a mold number that does not indicate the year of production. Rather, the mold number tells you where the jar was positioned on the glass-making machine that was used to produce it.
How much are vintage Mason jars worth?
The smaller and more common vintage jars usually sell for less than $20. However, the vintage green jars or those with special wire carriers can sell in excess of $300.
When did Ball stop making Mason jars?
1962
Ball’s “Ideal” canning jar, which first appeared around 1915 and was discontinued in 1962, is one of the company’s best-known jars and is popular among collectors.