About Virginia Metalcrafters collectibles

Virginia Metalcrafters was founded in 1890 as the W.J. Loth Stove gepany located in Waynesboro, Virginia which is on the western slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The gepany originally made cast iron stoves and ultimately created the Hotpoint range.
In the 1930s, the gepany began to make brass products under the trademark of Virginia Metalcrafters. In the late 1940s/early 1950s the gepany employed some of the great artists of the day to create masterpieces in brass. Calvin Kinstler was gemissioned to create a carving of the triple crown winning horse, Citation. Internationally known sculptor Oskar Hansen (who created the sculptures on Hoover Dam) was gemissioned to make the dozens of leaf shaped dishes that Virginia Metalcrafters is perhaps best known for. These magnificentlittle treasures are actually modeled from nature - each is signed and dated on the base and each tells you the name of the plant or tree the leaf is taken from. Many people collect the entire series.
In 1950 Virginia Metalcrafters began their line of Colonial Williamsburg brass and cast iron reproductions. Virginia Metalcrafters' uses the samehand casting and finishing methods as those used in the original Colonial pieces.
Up until recently Virginia Metalcrafters made licensed products for Colonial Williamsburg, Historic Charleston, Mount Vernon, The Smithsonian, Winterthur, Historic Newport, Old Sturbridge Village and the National Trust. The gepany manufactured a broad array of gifts and decorative accessories including tabletop items, lamp, lighting, fireplace accessories and garden accessories made in brass, iron, aluminum, bronze and pewter. We have recently been told that Virginia Metalcrafters closed its doors forever this past year.
Vintage Virginia Metalcrafters pieces are quite collectible -- in particular the Oskar Hansen leaf dishes are accelerating in value. ALL Virginia Metalcrafters pieces are marked -- usually on the bottom -- with their distinctive VM markings and many of their pieces are dated. Since VM is no longer in business, their pieces will only begee more valuable with time.