Celebrating Ohio’s Craftsmanship: A Treasure Hunt Through Our State’s History
As an Ohioan, I take real joy in seeing—and selling—items that were made right here in our state or have a story connected to it. I’m lucky that my passion happens to be glass and pottery. I love hunting for these pieces, collecting them, and sharing them with others who appreciate the same history and craftsmanship.
Ohio’s Legacy of Making
Ohio has a long, proud history of manufacturing, especially in pottery and glass. I even wrote a blog once about what I called Ohio’s Glass Trail, where I highlighted 10 museums and must-see stops stretching from Blenko in West Virginia up to the Toledo Museum of Art.
👉 Read that story here.
But pottery and glass aren’t all Ohio is known for. There are so many fascinating companies and products with Ohio roots.
Local Legends and Everyday Finds
For example, there’s The King Cole Restaurant right here in Dayton, Ohio. I wrote about it once because we had a few of their original restaurant dishes for sale—and still do!
👉 Check out the King Cole pieces here.
And then there’s Ohio Art—yes, the same company famous for the Etch A Sketch! But did you know they originally made tin toys? We’ve sold several over the years, including this cheerful vintage spinning top:
👉 See the Ohio Art toy here.
Discovering Local History in Unexpected Places
The next time you’re thrifting, walking through a flea market, or scrolling through listings online—take a moment to check where an item was made. There’s so much local history hiding in plain sight.
If you type “Dayton” into the search bar on my website (link below), you’ll find more than just glassware—you’ll find treasures like a Dayton Tire glass from 1968, a Mike Sells Potato Chip can, and even a blog about one of my favorite Dayton authors, Erma Bombeck. (If you’ve never read her, you should—she’s hilarious and timeless.)
👉 Explore Dayton finds on Backroad Picking.
The Joy of Learning and Collecting
My point is this—history isn’t just in museums. It’s on thrift store shelves, at garage sales, in old attics, and hidden behind glass cases at antique malls. Each piece has a story, and often, it’s closer to home than you think.
I love learning about local artists, small-town manufacturers, and family-run companies that once made something amazing right here in Ohio. And I’ve been lucky enough to find and sell artwork from local Ohio artists over the years—it’s one of my favorite discoveries to make “in the wild.”
So here’s your challenge: next time you find something that catches your eye, look a little closer. Find out where it came from, who made it, and what story it carries. You might just uncover a bit of history—and fall in love with collecting all over again.
Here are a few of the items we have for sale that were made right here int he Buckeye State!
Franklin Brewing Co Green Glass Bottle
Longaberger Baskets
John A Ruthven Sha-Wnee Lithograph
Rookwood Pottery (some of my favorites!)