Lenox Spice Jars – Cats of Distinction – A Collector’s Item

I have always loved cats, to the point where I even purchased a set of Lenox spice jars called “Cats of Distinction.”

Anyone who looks on eBay, Ruby Lane, or other sites that sell vintage items will see old kitchen items that you may have used at some point being offered for sale. 

Today, I discovered that my lovely Lenox cat spice jars are now in that category.

I discovered this little gem of information when I was responding to a comment on a recent recipe for snicker doodle bread.  The lady who wrote the comment asked me where she could purchase the cat spice jars shown in one of the photos.  

I responded by telling her that I had purchased them in Australia about 30 years ago and doubted you could purchase them now.

After I replied to my reader’s comment, I searched in Google for “cat spice jars,” and lo and behold, there was my Lenox spice jar set!  

I grow herbs year round in my yard, and dry them at the end of the season. Having a nice set of spice jars gives me a place to store them. I love the way the coloring of the cats is aligned to the color of the herb.

Also, my favorite herbs – rosemary, basil, oregano and thyme all have  jar named for them, so they are always handy when I am cooking.

Lenox Cats of Distinction spice jars gave increased in value

They were made by Lenox China in 1995 and are being offered now by many online sellers. The jars are porcelain and are embellished with 22k gold detailing

I even found out that this little beauty called “Nutmeg” was available for $40.99 one day! It appears that Nutmeg is a rarity!

The moral of the story is….don’t throw out old kitchen items until you check value of them.  I paid $2.99 each for my jars. 

Granted, this was 30 years ago, or so, but even counting for inflation, these jars have made me a tidy profit.

My daughter has dibs on my Lenox spice jar set already for when I am gone. Who knows what they will be worth then?

Do you have any household items that have turned into investments for you?  Please leave your comments below.

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Where can I purchase these Lenox spice jars?

I’ve had so many requests to purchase these, that I thought my readers might want to find places where they have them for sale.

One place to look is in consignment shops. My husband and I routinely visit these shops and wander around looking for treasures. I’ve seen them often, for sale.

There are many places online where you may be able to find them:

• • Replacements Ltd  – Have individual jars for sale. Most range from $20 to $40 each. 
  • Etsy is a good place for older household items. The last time I checked they had Nutmeg for sale for a good price.
  • Ebay has both complete sets and individual jars for sale.

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