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Thursday, 13 July 2017

Enjoy American Vintage Glassware Collectibles

By Amanda Patterson


It's rewarding to learn about early housewares, even if you don't collect yourself. Useful or decorative items made of glass are especially fun, because you can see examples of them in antique centers, flea markets, and even yard sales. You may not want vintage glassware collectibles on your dining room table, but then again maybe you fall in love. This is an inexpensive and enjoyable way to make browsing through junk shops and antique malls more interesting.

If you find the terms antique, vintage, and collectible confusing, don't worry. Basically anything that people want is 'collectible', and there are always crazes and fads going on. Vintage means 'older' - think grandparents' style. Antique is probably over 100 years old and pricey, but vintage can be anything from an attic find to a yard sale treasure. It helps if you can give the item a date or at least a decade.

Collectibles are more fun than investment. Glass dishes are pretty, and if they're 'vintage' rather than 'antique', you won't mind using them. Once you start looking at glass from the twenties, thirties, and forties, you are sure to find patterns, colors, and styles that you admire. Even if you don't want a complete set, consider nut dishes, vases, or dessert plates.

Carnival glass was mass produced and so inexpensive that it was offered as prizes at fairs and carnivals. Cobalt blue and ruby red were popular colors for drinking glasses, platters, plates, salad bowls, vases, and tabletop ornaments. It's fun to see these useful give-aways now prized as part of American history.

Depression glass was a poor-man's imitation of the cut glass popular in earlier, more affluent times. It was colorful and shiny and brought sparkle to the otherwise grim times. Housewives bought it at dime stores or tried to fill out a set by buying certain brands of cereal or detergent. This molded glass is easy to recognize once you're familiar with different methods of manufacture.

There were many American companies turning out glassware during the war years, when imported tableware was unavailable. Names like Fostoria, Heisey, and Cambridge identify higher end glass. Many of these lines were hand-made from molds, rather than machine produced, as well as hand colored. The better lines were called 'elegant glass'.

Maybe you have glasses packed away in the attic, those old-fashioned ones your grandmother used. Get them out and identify them by maker, pattern, color, and date. You may have fairly valuable collectibles or you may just have charming heirlooms to use, as well as knowledge to pass along to your children.

Once you know your glass, trips to yard sales, flea markets, and antique malls are more fun than ever. You can add flair to your table, display pretty plates in a cabinet, or find the perfect vase for the hall table. Decorating with historic things is fun and helps you develop your own unique look.




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