Fiesta and Homer Laughlin Dinnerware

Believe it or not, the Homer Laughlin China company dates back to 1871, built by a man named Homer Laughlin and his brother Shakespeare but ironically in 1879 Mr. Laughlin sold his shares to William Edwin Wells and Louis Aaron..There were add-ons to the original plant due to expansion by Wells and Aaron, but over time and with demand they were forced to invest in the building of a new plant across the Ohio River in Newell, West Virginia. This new plant consisted of the factory and offices and is what we know of the Homer Laughlin China Company today!

Homer Laughlin is best known for it's Fiesta dinnerware line introduced in 1936 which was the creation of Frederick H. Rhead who joined in the company in 1927. Fiesta was sold in large quantities. Production ceased in 1973. One may wonder why this was, and some may surmise sales were down, or that the company wanted to gain notoriety in other lines and see what could prosper without the shadow of Fiesta looming over. Or so it may have been, for a little over a decade...

An ingenious idea in 1986 made the "reintroduction of Fiesta" a craze. New colors and new accompaniments had Fiesta selling in most major department stores such as Macy's or Bloomingdale's and even consumer catalogs such as Betty Crocker Catalogs (which do not exist anymore). Part of the marketing was new attractive colors, some completely different than what consumers may have seen in the 1940's but others only a hue off of the original color. New colors were introduced and some stopped rather quickly and without warning. This made a rise in demand for those who had began collecting the color and made the items soar in prices, value and demand. To this day, new colors are being introduced and new components as well. Over time there have also been a slew of Fiesta-go-withs from plastic carafes, to metal napkin holders. There have been plastic and glass tumblers and even flatware, most of the go-withs made by outside companies to accompany the lines. It is safe to say one can spend a small fortune Fiesta-tizing their entire kitchen.

What most people don't realize is the company now dates to 132 years old and has been producing much more than Fiesta in those years. Other lines of dinnerware, vases, door knobs, tiles, special orders, restaurant ware, and other china. To get an idea of some of the patterns look here on RobbinsNest website! .

Pyramid candle holder from Nick and Nessies on Etsy.

The best part about Fiesta is you can buy place settings and mix and match them, build your own custom colors! Look at this great set of Rose, White, and Black. Rose was made from 1986-2005 so it is still readily found. White and Black are still being produced as of the time of this article.

This lovely setting by LBDK on Etsy.

Most people think that Vintage Fiesta is the only Fiesta worth any money, but this is not so. With the re-introduction of Fiesta in 1986, some colors or items were quickly introduced then retired and so they may be more sought after than others.

A few colors may be:

Lilac - produced only two years from 1993-1995 making it highly desirable.

Sapphire - Was only available at Bloomingdale's from 1996-1997.

Chartreuse - Was reintroduced for only two years 1997-1999.

To find out how long the color you have was produced, or if it is still in production, refer to this COLOR CHART provided by the Homer Laughlin China Company.

A few items may be:

Pyramid Candlesticks
Coffee Carafe

Additionally there may be items that were produced exclusively for other companies in the Fiesta patterns that may have quadrupled in value. Make sure to do your homework before giving your Fiesta away!