You’ve seen them everywhere. Estate sales, your aunt’s dusty attic, or maybe sitting on a shelf in a suburban Ohio basement. Those maple wood splints, the distinct weave, and that tiny signature on the bottom. Longaberger. For a minute there in the late '90s, these things were basically currency. People were buying them like they were the next Apple stock. But then the bubble popped, the "Big Basket" building in Dresden became a ghost town, and now everyone is asking the same thing: how much is Longaberger basket worth today?
Honestly? It depends. A lot.
If you’re expecting a retirement fund, I’ve got some bad news. Most of the "common" baskets you see at garage sales are going for $5 to $20. Some people are literally offloading entire collections of 100+ baskets for $750 just to get the space back in their garage. But—and this is a big but—there are still specific pieces that make collectors lose their minds. We’re talking $200 to $900 for the right rarity.
The Brutal Truth About the Current Market
The market is flooded. Let's just be real about that. During the peak, Longaberger was a billion-dollar company. They overproduced. Because everyone thought they were "investments," they took care of them. That means there are thousands of "mint condition" baskets out there. In the world of collectibles, if everyone has a "rare" item, nobody does.
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However, we are seeing a weird shift in 2026. Younger generations are starting to dig the "Grandmillennial" or "Cottagecore" aesthetic. They don’t care about the investment value, they just think a well-made, hand-woven basket looks cool for holding sourdough or yarn. This is keeping the prices from hitting zero.
What Actually Drives the Price Up?
If you're looking at a basket and wondering if it's a jackpot or a donation bin candidate, check these factors:
- Signatures: Every basket is signed by the weaver. That’s standard. But if you see a signature from a family member like Dave Longaberger or Grandma Bonnie, you’ve just added $50 to $100 to the price.
- The JW Collection: This is the "Holy Grail" for many. The 1983 Original JW Market Basket, for instance, has been seen hitting upwards of $900. Why? Because they only made about 6,300 of them.
- Completeness: A basket by itself is just a basket. A basket with the plastic protector, the fabric liner, the tie-on, and the original box? That’s a "combo." Combos sell for double or triple what a naked basket does.
- Condition: If the splints are cracked or there’s a "hairy" texture (which usually indicates cheaper materials or poor aging), the value tanked. Collectors want that smooth, aged maple patina.
Real-World Values: What’s Selling Right Now
I spent some time looking at actual realized prices on eBay and Etsy recently. It’s a wild range.
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A 1991 Extra Large Harvest Basket recently moved for over $300. That’s a big, functional piece that looks great in a modern farmhouse kitchen. On the flip side, those tiny little "May Series" or "Mother's Day" baskets that everyone and their mother bought in 1995? You’re lucky to get $15 for those.
Interestingly, the new Longaberger company (yes, they’re back in a different form) is selling new 2025 and 2026 designs for $150 to $350. These "New Era" baskets, like the 2025 Americana Sort and Store, are actually holding value because the production runs are much smaller than they were in 1999. It's the classic supply and demand curve.
Rare Finds to Watch For
- Larry Longaberger Pieces: Baskets specifically woven by Larry (Dave's brother) are incredibly rare. I’ve seen these listed for $500+.
- Jelly Belly Festival Baskets: Some of the oddball collaborations from the mid-2000s have a cult following. The 2007 Large Jelly Belly basket with the giant bean hanger? That’s a $120 item all day long.
- Inaugural Baskets: The 1993 Inaugural basket is a bit of a niche favorite, usually hovering around $20 to $40, but it moves fast because of the crossover with political memorabilia.
The "Bentley Guide" and Beyond
For years, the Bentley Collection Guide was the Bible for this stuff. You could look up any SKU and see a price. But keep in mind, those prices were often "insured value" or "suggested retail," not what a guy in a parking lot is going to pay you.
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Nowadays, the best "guide" is the Sold filter on eBay. Not the "Listed" price. Anyone can list a 1994 Pie Basket for $500. It doesn't mean it's worth that. It's worth what the last three people actually paid for it, which—spoiler alert—is probably closer to $40.
How to Sell Without Getting Ripped Off
If you’ve inherited a mountain of these and just want them gone, you have a few options. Selling them one by one on eBay will get you the most money, but it’s a full-time job. You have to photograph them, find boxes that fit (shipping air is expensive!), and deal with picky collectors.
Local auctions or Facebook Marketplace "Buy/Sell/Trade" groups are usually the better bet. You might get 20% less per basket, but you won't lose your mind in the process.
Final Check Before You Sell
- Look for the Burn Mark: Real Longaberger baskets have a logo burned into the bottom.
- Check the Year: Anything pre-1980 is generally more valuable because the company was still small.
- Smell It: Seriously. If they were stored in a basement with mold or a house with heavy smokers, the wood absorbs that. The value drops to almost nothing because you can't "wash" a basket without ruining the wood.
Actionable Steps for Your Collection
Check the bottom of your baskets for the initials "JW" or any family member signatures. If you find one, set it aside; it's your high-ticket item. For the rest, group them into "combos" with their original liners and protectors to maximize the appeal to modern decorators. If you're buying, stick to the large, functional shapes like laundry or harvest baskets, as these have the highest utility and resale potential in the current "vintage-modern" home decor market. Log into eBay and filter by "Sold Items" for your specific basket year and name to get a 48-hour accurate pulse on what the market is actually willing to pay.