Sugar bowl. Franciscan ware. Apple pattern.

Not just the music of the Beach Boys is making a comeback. California pottery made in the 1940s and '50s is finding a new generation of admirers who are seriously collecting not just the colorful dinnerware, but decorative ceramics as well.

If names like Sasha Brastoff and Franciscan Ware are unfamiliar, now is the time to get acquainted. Objects by these makers have been listed in price guides for the last couple of years - a sure sign they're being collected. That and the fact that stores like Bloomingdale's are offering new versions.

Until the past five years most of what is known as California pottery was a staple in flea markets. It was most closely identified with the colorful, mass-produced dinnerware made in the Depression years by Bauer Pottery of Los Angeles. When the bright, opaque colored, glazed pottery was first introduced in the "ring" design it introduced casual dining and what came to be known as the "California Lifestyle." By the late 1940s, dozens of potteries blanketed California. When World War II left imports in short supply, many Southern Californians began producing dinnerware and decorative pieces.

But it all but disappeared by the early 1950s, even though the colorful pottery had been inexpensive. The emerging Italian and Japanese makers were too much competition. By the 1960s only a few California potteries were still in production.

With the revived interest in all things from the 1940s and 1950s, California pottery is being scooped up again. Prices, though still modest, are on the upswing.

A good example is the patterns in Franciscan ware. The apple pattern is one of the most expensive of the dinnerware. A four-inch jug could be priced at $195, and is considered a rarity. A rectangular baking dish could sell for over $400. While there are many ceramic creations that could languish forever in the kitsch category, others are fine decorative pieces. The late Sasha Brastoff produced many pieces of earthenware noteworthy for their unusual glazes and metallic colors. Worth the search would be his earthenware table settings using a marbleized pattern of platinum or gold against different color backgrounds. His decorative pieces sold in chic stores like Saks Fifth Avenue. Today his sculptures sell for up to $800.

The early Bauer ring pottery that was once so cheap is also going up in price. A teapot in the ring pattern can sell for more than $200. Some prices depend on color. The most expensive ring pieces are in delft blue, ivory and chartreuse. CLUES: Not every piece is worth collecting. Start by examining pieces that appeal to you. Most will be stamped with a name that sounds like it was made in California, such as Pacific or Brayton Laguna. Others will say "Calfornia." Some unlabelled pieces can be recognized by their colorful glazes.

Some potteries made both high-and low-end lines. Don't pay too much for a name, when the piece may not be a best example. The more unusual the glaze, the higher the price.

And, while many pieces were made from molds, others were hand-thrown.

Highly collectible are 1940's-era figurines Hedi Schoop made in North Hollywood. Poodles, lamp bases and gypsy dancers are among her many ceramic creations - which typically sell for more than $100.

To learn more about the potteries, artists and signatures, invest in The Collector's Encyclopedia of California Pottery by Jack Chipman. Published by Collector Books, Schroeder Publishing, P.O. Box 3009, Paducah, KY, 42002-3009.