Question:
Hello! Today I picked up a Random Harvest 3-tiered serving dish. I have not been able to find any information about this particular item and would appreciate anything you could share about it.
Thanks!
Beth
Answer:
Collectors refer to this as a tidbit tray. Tidbit trays were not shown in dinnerware brochures or dealer price lists, but were included on “Gift or Novelty” brochures. The brochure included a disclaimer that tidbit trays could not be ordered for a specific pattern. The factory would send whatever tidbit trays were available at the time of the order.
Tidbit trays can be found in various 1-tier, 2-tier and 3-tier configurations. Some tidbit trays have a small bowl as the top tier. Red Wing made and sold tidbit trays as a way to use up surplus stock. That’s why they could not be ordered in a specific pattern.
Because they were not standard dinnerware production items, some collectors feel tidbit trays have no value; that are merely plates and bowls ruined by drilling a hole in the middle. Other collectors believe they have value because they were assembled by Red Wing workers and offered for sale as novelty items. A 3-tiered tidbit tray in excellent condition is worth around $25.
Larry