My name is Barbara Schwarz and, along with husband Mike, own Past & Presents We are the largest independent retailer of new cookie jars in the U.S. Mike and I also collect character, transportation and holiday jars. I write a column for the Cookie Jar Express about new cookie jars, and until recently did the same for Cookie Jarrin'. Barbara has asked me to share some of the information we have about new cookie jars with her Internet readers.

Mike and I started to collect new cookie jars for a number of reasons. First, we got discouraged with the prices of the older cookie jars. Then we started to realize how quickly some of the new jars went up in value. As an investment, the new jars seemed to be a better value than older jars. If you invest in a $50 jar, and after it is discontinued, it goes up to $100, you've doubled your money. For older jars, it may be a long time before a jar in the $500 range doubles in value. And, most important to us, the newer jars seem to be more clever designs, and of characters that had never been made before.

1998 is going to be a banner year for new cookie jars. Mike and I just returned from the Los Angeles gift show, and we can't believe the great jars coming out this year. Each year, at the end of the year, I pick the 10 jars that I think are the best ones of the year.

This year is going to be tough, but there is one that I can tell you is definitely going to be on the list. Don't miss out on the Honeymooners Bus from Vandor. First, Vandor made the I Love Lucy jar - and it was great. Then they made the Elvis in the Cadillac, with a resin Elvis character in a ceramic car. It was even better than the I Love Lucy, because the resin allowed them to really capture the look of Elvis. Resin allows a lot more detail than ceramic. Now comes the Honeymooners Bus. This jar is a gold and green bus, with the four characters leaning out the windows. All the characters are done in resin, so the details of their faces are wonderful. And the bus is really detailed, with bus doors on the opposite side and even a Honeymooners billboard on the back.

Another one in their "famous vehicles" collection is the Grateful Dead bus. This is a tie-dyed bus with "Grateful Dead" across the front and great graphics. This one will be a limited edition, and will be priced in the range of the Elvis and Lucy jars.

Vandor is also doing a new Betty Boop jar, with her and Pudgie posing with the Empire State building. I was pleased to see a new Betty Boop jar, since the other two in their line (the Betty Boop Chef and Betty Boop Holiday) have both been out for a while. This one also looks more like Betty Boop (she shows her legs ). They are also coming out with a Curious George jar, and I think it is a big improvement on the Treasure Craft Curious George Jar. This one is a space ship, with Curious George coming out of it. For those who like Space jars, as well as characters, this is a great jar.

Clay Art came out with some real winners last year. The Gumby/Pokey jar and the Three Stooges were both great jars. Then just before Christmas they came out with their Felix jar. Benjamin/Medwin came out with a Felix jar a few years ago, but it was nothing compared to this jar from Clay Art. This jar really feels animated. Felix is sprawled in an overstuffed chair and has a great expression. There are wonderful S&P's to go with this jar. Felix is laughing. One shaker stands and the other is laying down, laughing. This year, Clay Art is coming out with Batman and Superman jars. Unlike the Batman and Superman jars from the Warner Bros. stores, which are based on the Saturday morning characters - these are more like the DC characters. Both have matching S&P's , and banks as well. Clay Art is also coming out with Mr. Potato Head, though no pictures are available yet. There will also be another addition to Clay Art's series of Black Americana jars. This series, which started with the Baking Time Mammy, Jazz Player, Amazing Grace Gospel Singer, and the Ragtime Piano Player. This year's jar is a Jazz Quartet, called the Soul Tones. Clay Art is also coming out with its second transportation jar (their first was the Road Hog jar of a pig riding a motorcycle). This one is called Catillac, and it is a 57 Chevy (not a Cadillac) driven by two cats.

Treasure Craft is continuing with its Gallery Series, and the first ones out this year are Babar the Elephant and Howdy Doody. Then there will be Steamboat Willie, Paddington Bear, Raggedy Ann and Dennis the Menace.

In their regular line, the McDonald's jars are fantastically popular. This set of four jars includes Ronald, Hamburgler, Grimace and a 50's-style McDonald's restaurant (with the arches). These jars are great, and the first McDonald's jars (except for the Christmas Grimace jar that came out from Cavanaugh last Christmas). Treasure Craft is also coming out with a 50's Appliance line, starting with a chrome toaster.

Lotus has burst onto the scene this past year. They came out with the Hippy VW Van and the Pink Cadillac with the 50's kids in it last year. This year they are adding to this transportation line with a VW Beetle, a Woody with Surfboards (and more kids), a sportscar, a VW Beetle with a Bunny driving it, and a GREAT Golf Cart (that's a new one for transportation!) with two people driving it. They are all currently available except the Golf Cart. They are also going to make two more of the sportscar, one in a dark color with a man in it, and one in a light color with a woman in it. And there will also be a taxi cab with people it in. There hasn't been a really good transportation line made, so this is a great collection.

Like Advertising jars? The new Coke jar from Enesco is a Coke Dispenser. The Enesco Coke jars are really well made, as you can tell from the first two (the Coke Machine and the Coke Six-Pack), and this one is sure to be popular. The 1998 Limited Edition Coke Polar bear is the bear leaning on a six pack.. But there is a New Coke jar out, and it's one of the most original ideas I've seen. The base is a square ceramic piece with the Coke Logo raised on one side, with the Coke Bottle on the other. The jar has INTERCHANGABLE LIDS. It has different lids for different times of year! What a great concept! The jar comes with a plain lid (with Coke on it), but you can purchase the lids separately for Back to School (a school bus, ruler, crossing guard, apple and coke bottle), a summer Beach scene (a Coke bottle in a plastic pail filled with ice, a beach umbrella and shovel are in the sand) and a winter Polar Bear scene with three Coke Polar bears playing the snow (one is headfirst in a cooler of Coke). They are working on a Halloween scene, and who knows what else. It's a great idea (and definitely helps solve that space problem - one jar, many looks!).

We'll have more next time! If you have any questions for us, please e-mail us at pastprs@cwnet.com You can visit our website to see the jars at www.pastnpresents.com.

The above article was written, and information supplied, by Barbara Schwarz. ,