The "Wizard of Oz" series, based on drawing from the L. Frank Baum 14-book series, was designed and commissioned by Ed Rucker through KSWader. There are 500 seets commissioned, and each sets sells for about $165.

The unicorn, part of the "Fantasy and Myth" series, will be intorduced at a Wade Fair in Washington this June. Only 250 white have been commissioned , and 25 additional unicorns will be rare, with black glaze and gold-glazed horns.

Ed and Bev Rucker collect, design and deal English Wade ceramics from their home in Hoxie. The Ruckers' ceramics collection is up to about 800 pieces.

Quenton Rucker, 6, has taken after his parents and started collecting ceramics. His collection includes nearly 100 Whimsies that he keeps on display in his room. RIGHT: The dragon will be intorduced in July at a Wade Fair in Harrisburt, PA, as part of the "Fantasy and Myth" series. Both the Dragon and the unicorn will retail somewhere between $35 and $40.

HOXIE- Ed Rucker's interest in collecting English Wade ceramic ware has grown to the point of owning a business -KSWader -and becoming a designer and dealer for the foreign company Wade ceramics date back to the 1800s in Burslem, England, when George Wade and Son Ltd., began making pottery in a small workshop with a single potter oven. During the early days, Wade ceramics mostly were bottles and related pottery items. In the early 19th century; production changed to include some industrial items, such as electric insulators. During the 1950's a line of small animal figurines - the Whimsies - were produced. These figurines were pocket-sized toys for children rang- ing in price from 15 cents to $3.

Today; the toys are selling as collectibles from $100 to $1,000, and they are part of a rapidly growing trend in collecting. A collector since childhood, Rucker's interest in the products intensified when he attended a Wade fair in Texas in 1999. It was then that he decided the Midwest needed its own fair, and he and his wife, Bev, hosted a fair at the Brass Armadillo Antique Mall in Grain Valley; Mo., in 2000. Rucker contacted the Wade company and commissioned a brass-copper glazed Whimsie armadillo to be made especially for that fair. The company shipped 846 of the 2-inch-by-2-inch limited edition design.

The Ruckers are partners in KSWader with two friends and fellow "Waders," Brian and Judi Morris, Kansas City. The couples research and design commissioned pieces to sell at retail. "We met them in a Wade chat room on the Internet, and we met them again at our fair in Missouri," Bev Rucker said. While the armadillo was the first piece Ed Rucker designed and commissioned, recent designs include the "Wizard of Oz" series and a "Fantasy and Myth" series to be introduced this summer. "The Oz series is based on the original drawings of characters in the 14-book series by L.Frank Baum. The movie is copywritten, but the book is public domain and we didn't have to go through anything to use the drawings. And, the movie we have all come to know is only a small portion of the series' story" Ed Rucker noted. The four-piece set includes Dorothy and Toto, Cowardly Lion, Tin Woodsman and Princess Ozma, a main character of the stories who is introduced in Baum's second book. The Oz series, exclusive to KSWader, is limited to 500 sets, and each set sells for $165, he said. Development of the series began when pictures were sent to the company in England. The partners received a sketch known as a visual. Next, the couples were provided a cost analysis of how much it would cost to make each piece. "They then send us a clay mold or e-mail us pictures of each piece. The pictures turn back and forth so we can see all the sides, and if approved, it's actually produced in color mock-up. From there, we gointo production," Ed Rucker said. "Judi is a big Oz fan, and she's read all 14 books. We'd go to her to make sure we were staying on track," Bev Rucker said. While 500 sets of the Oz series are available in color, 25 sets were produced in a clear glaze.

The "Fantasy and Myth" series will be unveiled in June when the Ruckers travel to a Wade fair in Vancouver, Washington.. Like the Oz series, this series will be exclusive to KSWader, but only 250 sets have been commissioned. First to be made available will be a uriicorn, of which 25 are rare because of being made in a black glaze with gold glazed horns. And, in July a dragon will make its debut at a Wade fair in Harrisburg, Pa. Both the unicorn and dragon will retail some- where between $35 and $40 each. In spite of his keen interest in the hobby,

Ed Rucker said it has a downside. "My least favorite parts of collecting Wades are dusting them and the price I sometimes have to pay to finish some of the sets I want to finish," he said. "My favorite part about collecting Wades is completing a set or finding something that nobody knows what it is. Also, that I'm teaching my kids things about animals and antiques. Quenton can already spot Wades pretty well when we go into antique shops," Ed Rucker said of his son. He said collecting is made easier through the friends he has made worldwide. And while the Ruckers' 800-piece collection has turned into a business, it has grown to include their , children - Quenton, 6, Tabor, 4, Victoria, five months, and their foster children, Kameron, 5, and Danielle, 1. Quenton's own collection now numbers nearly 100 Whimsies. The Ruckers' collection includes several figurines of women, including the "My Fair Lady" set that was an engagement gift from her husband. In addition to the small toys, Wade pottery is made into items such as pitchers and tea sets; and Bev Rucker also collects the Irish porceiain line of products made by the company. Although designed as toys, some of the items are made in sets and some of them are for display only. Whether toys or keepsakes, each family member has a favorite collectible. "My favorite piece is that 1930's playful lamb. Bev's is Lisa from the 'My Fair Lady' set," Ed Rucker said. "Quenton just likes them all. He usually says his favorite is the one he doesn't have," Bev Rucker said.