Time for Glass - Once Again. Elephants on Parade

I've been unable to do much with my glass this summer due to a family emergency that required me to be out of state for two months. Now that things are settling down I can get back into my glass which is a lot of fun.

This is one of my favorite things, a small decorated tumbler. It is in the same style as the Swanky Swigs, same size and shape, but I've not seen this particular design in the swig listings in my reference books. This little glass almost certainly originally held cheese or whatever and is cute as can be with the red elephants on parade.

Recently I bought several boxes of glass from one of my favorite eBay sellers and am looking forward to getting home and looking through it. Selling glass gives me a chance to hold and touch and enjoy glass without having to find a place to show it and then I can turn around, make someone else happy by having this available, and oh, yes, make a small profit on the way.

Bryce Line 854 Etched Goblet - Stunning Tracery Design

Bryce is not so well known as Cambridge or Fostoria, which is a shame as they made some truly wonderful etched glass. It's interesting that most of my Bryce glass has sold quickly and for good prices, which tells me that those who recognize Bryce or who have pieces already, want to get more.

This particular etching was used on other stemware shapes and one reference I found called it "Paige" when on a different blank. The line number 854 may refer to the blank and not this specific etch.

I bought this on eBay and the photo was not real good leading me to think it possibly was Cambridge Windows Border. The design is somewhat similar to the Cambridge as both have spiral like swirls, but the Bryce lacks the border and is more delicate.

We have this listed on our store Cat Lady Kate's Elegant and Depression Glass. http://www.tias.com/stores/catladykate/

Thistle Etched Elegant Stemware - Fry Glass

Fry was one of several elegant glass makers which had a thistle etching. This is the Fry Glass Thistle etch, decoration number 15.

Thistles are popular motifs, possibly due to their prevalence in Scottish designs. Fry's is particularly nice with the flowing thistle leaves and the delicate up swept stems with thistle buds surrounding a central blossom.

Fry made some very beautiful glass with rich, complex etches and quality crystal. Although they are not so well known as Fostoria or Cambridge, many people recognize the quality and cherish their glass.

Colonial Block Candy Dish - Great Gift for Collectors!

Here's a wonderful gift for someone special (maybe you?) whether they already collect depression glass or simply enjoy beautiful items in their home. This is a covered candy jar from Hazel Atlas in Colonial Block green depression glass.

One great way to ignite someone's interest in glass is to give them a unique gift which has a history. Not only does vintage glass - which someone before us used and treasured - give us an intimate connection to the past, but it is an interesting insight into lives from years ago.

And from a purely practical point of view, once someone is hooked on depression glass you have a lifetime's worth of gifts you will know will be enjoyed and wanted.

Hazel Atlas made several patterns like that that get their looks from geometric motifs instead of the mold-etched fanciful designs. You'll find Colonial Block mostly in green and pink with a few pieces in clear and white. It's one of the less-expensive patterns, another reason to make it a starter design for the beginning collector. There were not great many pieces made, either, which also makes it easier to find and complete ones' set.

We offer this candy jar in our online store, Cat Lady Kate's Elegant and Depression Glass, http://www.tias.com/stores/catladykate/

Crystal Center Handled Server Sandwich Tray

Yesterday we showed a neat cupped center handled server from New Martinsville. Today let's look at one that is more traditional shape.

This is a pretty piece of elegant depression glass from Westmoreland. It is a center handled server with the round serving portion slightly sloped up but not cupped. It is a tray with a handle in the center instead of a shallow bowl with a handle as the amber piece earlier.

Center handled servers, also called CHS, were popular serving pieces for sandwiches or small cakes or cookies. People entertained in their homes and would have used a special piece like this to make an occasion a little fancier. This one is quite nice with a tailored cutting of close lines separated by the simple flower sprays. It would be fun to use this today for anything from appetizers to cookies to sandwiches.

We have this listed in our store on TIAS, Cat Lady Kate's Elegant and Depression Glass, along with several other CHS.
Catladykate's Glass at TIAS http://www.tias.com/stores/catladykate/

Amber Center Handled Server Bowl New Martinsville

Isn't this an interesting piece? You'll see more of the center handled serving trays or sandwich trays than ones like this that are shallow bowls.

The handle on this bowl is a rounded pentagon with two little ears beneath the open center. It reminds me of an ankh. New Martinsville made this piece and the maker can be identified by the handle shape.

The handle is offset from the square sides and aligns to the corners. You can see the corners have interesting scallops and there are more scallops, albeit quite gentle ones, on the sides. This pattern doesn't have a name, and is line number 36. The color is a deep, rich amber, very nice and warm, perfect for this time of year.

We have this listed in our TIAS store.http://www.tias.com/stores/catladykate/

New: We started a blog for people who are just beginning to enjoy depression glass called Depression Glass 101. http://depressionglassguide.blogspot.com/

American Sweetheart - Beloved Pink Depression Glass

American Sweetheart, by MacBeth Evans, is one of the most popular patterns in depression glass. You can see why - the light delicate glass, the intricate scrolls and floral-like design - all combine to make this a very pretty and choice pattern.

You'll find American Sweetheart in pink, as shown here in this cereal bowl, and in a light, translucent white glass called Monax. Some of the Monax pieces were decorated with rim treatments but to me the plain Monax is the nicest. You can find a few pieces in other colors, but they are rather rare.

Mayfair Open Rose Depression Glass

This pitcher is Mayfair pink depression glass by Hocking. This pattern has vertical ribs and wide panels with open roses grouped in a bouquet. Many pieces are square as is this pitcher.

Hocking made Mayfair for several years, 1931 to 1937, and in a soft blue plus some green, yellow and clear in addition to the pink. The blue is very scarce and I've seen only a couple pieces. It is a soft blue, not cobalt.

A few pieces of Mayfair have been reproduced, notably the pitcher, shot glass, shakers and cookie jar. The handle on the pitcher shown here is a smooth curve that comes horizontally off the body. The repro handles are odd shaped. Also, the base on the originals have round mold marks with the repros lack.

Good depression glass books will give details on how to tell repros from originals. Often the repros will be poorly molded or be strange colors that were never made.

We have this pitcher listed in our TIAS store and eBay store.

Fostoria Garland - Lovely Urn and Wreath Etched Stemware

Beautiful etch is Garland from Fostoria. This dates to between 1915 and 1928 and is lovely with today's table settings.

Fostoria made a cutting called Garland also, and they used a second stemware line for this etch. If you like this you will want to be sure you are getting the etch and stemware blank you prefer. The other blank has a much wider stem and the bowl is more bulbous.

Garland features an urn overflowing with flowers and leaves that form swags around the bowl. The swags connect to round wreaths that have ribbons at the end. You can see the wreaths in this view.

During the early part of the 20th century formal dinners often included multiple wines and used separate stems for each one. This is one reason why the wine stems from early days are much smaller than wine stems one buys today. This particular wine goblet holds only 2 3/4 ounces when filled to the very brim. This is the common size for older wine stems - another point to know if you decide to indulge yourself with vintage crystal stemware.

We have this listed in our TIAS and eBay stores.
http://www.tias.com/stores/catladykate/
http://stores.ebay.com/Vintage-Elegant-Depression-Glass

New: We started a blog for people who are just beginning to enjoy depression glass called Depression Glass 101. http://depressionglassguide.blogspot.com/

Old English Depression Glass aka Threading by Indiana Glass

Yes, this is depression glass, but it has a lot of looks and is stylish even today. The pattern is Old English and it has narrow, fine ribs running horizontally. The element that makes this pattern pop is the handle shape - notice the double curlicue on this comport. Some pieces have open clover shapes, very nice and sharp.

Indiana Glass made Old English in the late 1920s. Many of Indiana's depression patterns have only numbers, but this one is different as the pattern name appears to be original with the manufacturer. This has the appearance of finer glass, partly due to the style, but also the colors and shapes. It comes in green with some amber and pink and the amber is deep and rich, very nice.

We have this piece and the matching candle holder listed in our TIAS and eBay stores.
http://www.tias.com/stores/catladykate/
http://stores.ebay.com/Vintage-Elegant-Depression-Glass

Fostoria Shirley Etch - Coming Up Poppies!

Isn't this a beautiful candle holder? It is Fostoria's Baroque blank with the Shirley etch. You can imagine how this looks holding two candles on your dining room table!

Fostoria used Shirley on other blanks, including Flame and Sceptre. The wavy curves on the arms and asymmetric center show this is Baroque, even though it doesn't have the usual fleur de lis.

Shirley etch has a single large poppy surrounded by vines of leaves and buds that swag around the open flower. It's a beautiful design that looks wonderful on the Baroque candle holder!

Chintz - Beautiful Rose Etch from Fostoria

Chintz is one of those patterns that I buy whenever possible. It is very pretty with spiky tendrils of roses and leaves etched on the classic Baroque blank. You can tell Baroque by the molded in fleur de lis; it was one of Fostoria's more popular blanks and they etched it with many beautiful designs.

Other glass companies made rose etchings and Heisey even has an etch with all over small bouquets that is called Chintz. You can tell Fostoria's etch by the spiky, angular looking etch design and, of course, the Baroque blank is a give away.

Right now we have the creamer and sugar, relish tray and candle in stock.

Pillar Optic Pink Depression Glass

Does this look familiar? This is Pillar Optic pink depression glass by Hocking. This is one of those patterns that is so simple and so attractive that it has been borrowed for years. You can find throwaway plastic tumblers that have a similar design.

This one is real depression glass and it's quite as nice to hold as it is to look at. The pattern is on the outside, so it does not qualify as an optic. (Optics have a molded design on the interior.) The panels are straight and slightly rounded to the touch. The top inch or so is smooth, making it good to drink out of.

This is one of those basic depression glass patterns that comes in pink and green and is affordable. You won't go broke buying a set of this, for example, the tumbler is about $15. Often tumblers are fairly expensive, especially since one needs multiples to make the set useful. Basic drink ware and plates are quite affordable although some serving pieces, like the oval platter, sugar bowl, creamer and serving bowl are pricey.

Pillar Optic is a good pattern to consider if you are looking to start a set or if you want glass that you can enjoy using without worrying too much.

Lido - Looks Like a Milkweed - Etch by Fostoria

Pretty etch looks like milkweed puffs gently floating in the breeze. This is Lido by Fostoria and it's on the Baroque blank. That means the glass itself has a pattern and the pattern name is Baroque. Lido is the etch.

This has been one of my favorites for a long time and I buy it when I can. This particular creamer came with the matching sugar. We have the goblet and large cake or torte tray as well.

Fostoria made Lido from 1937 to 1960 primarily in crystal but also in a gorgeous shade of blue called Azure. Years ago I saw some June tumblers in azure in the company store and couldn't afford them - such a shame as that is a wonderful color to show off etchings like this.

We have the creamer and sugar listed in our TIAS store and offered on eBay.

Catladykate's Elegant and Depression Glass at TIAS http://www.tias.com/stores/catladykate/

Catladykate at eBay http://stores.ebay.com/Vintage-Elegant-Depression-Glass

June Beautiful June! Flowers All Tied with a Bow

Beautiful stem, isn't it. This is the wonderful June etching by Fostoria and it's on the Fairfax blank. June has sprays of flowers all tied with bows and a ribbon that dips down to make a loop on the bouquet. So lovely, so romantic, so very elegant.

June etch is similar to the later Romance etching, but you can tell it apart by the little extra loop of ribbon - so perfectly exuberant - and the blanks Fostoria used. Tomorrow I'll show a Romance bowl so you can see the difference!

This is the cocktail stem and it's listed on our TIAS store and on eBay!

Elegant Stemware with a Twist! Fostoria Contour Champagne Sherbet

This is the champagne sherbet in Fostoria's Contour elegant glass. This dates to the late 1950s to 1960s as Fostoria made this pattern from 1955 to 1970. It has a mid-century modern styling with the curved stem and generous round bowl.

Swedish modern was all the rage in the 1950s and this must have been Fostoria's answer to the pricey Scandinavian art glass of the time. Contour pieces all have curves - lots and lots of curves - and the plates are cupped at the rim. They really are distinctive and you'll not mistake the stemware either with its curvy stems.

I showed the creamer and sugar in a previous blog at the end of 2007 and want to get this champagne sherbet out now for those who are looking for wedding gifts or stemware for special occasions. Vintage stemware gives us an intimate connection with the past; it's beautiful and it is useful. What more could you want?

We're listing this in our eBay store, TIAS store and offering one at auction this week.

Catladykate's Elegant and Depression Glass at TIAS http://www.tias.com/stores/catladykate/
Catladykate at eBay http://stores.ebay.com/Vintage-Elegant-Depression-Glass

Nice Retro Pitchers for a Nostalgic Touch

How's this for nostalgia? Remember the big pitchers with the neat decorations? We used to have a ceramic tilt pitcher with an ice lip that we used for Koolaid and lemonade in the summer. This reminds me of that - making Koolaid with my sister.

This particular pitcher is actually older than that (really) as it dates to the tail end of the depression, the very late 1930s and early 1940s. It is by Anchor Hocking and goes with some of their neat beverage tumblers.

I buy these whenever I can find them in good condition at a reasonable price and they sell well for me. This one is especially nice and in great condition!

If You Want to Be a Better Seller, Try Being a Buyer

Everyone has their own business model. Mine is to be a top notch seller and I define that as offering quality glass - not necessarily super expensive - photographed and described accurately, shipped carefully and quickly, and with cheerful service and a full guarantee.

It hasn't been easy to get better. What was super helpful for me was to buy glass on eBay, from both good sellers and not-so-good, and understand what that meant to me as a buyer. How can I make my customers' experience match that of the good sellers? How can I avoid causing the financial losses and annoyance that my less-pleasant buys have been?

If you want to sell on eBay, and sell successfully with profit and enjoyment, then buy on eBay. Learn what works and what does not work. Then adjust your business practices to provide the level of service commensurate with your effort, pricing and product.

Fostoria Large Star Cut - Lovely Stemware from the 1920s

Large star cuttings like this were very common in the early 1900s. Fostoria made their Cutting 81, Large Star, from about 1907 to the late 1920s, indicating the stars were well-liked. Many companies made this sort of cutting.

In fact we've seen rather crummy versions of this at the local thrift store with low grade glass and pressed stars or poorly cut stars. The particular wine stem I'm showing here is high quality crystal and the cutting is well done. I think it is Fostoria, Cutting number 81, based on the number of rays in the star and so on.

People who drank wine tended to have more than one type or one glass at a dinner or to serve sherry or wine before dinner. But compare the size of the wine stems to what we use today for wine. This one is 4 1/4 inches tall and holds just under 3 ounces when filled to the brim. That means that someone would have only about 2 ounces to drink at a time.

We have a pair of these stems and matching small table tumblers listed in our TIAS and eBay stores.

Catladykate's Elegant and Depression Glass at TIAS http://www.tias.com/stores/catladykate/

Catladykate at eBay http://stores.ebay.com/Vintage-Elegant-Depression-Glass

Heisey Waverly - Stylish Ruffled and Beaded Elegant Glass

Waverly is one of those patterns it is easy to overlook, but once you get a good eyeful you know to look out for it. It is stylish and graceful with the graduated beads on the rim and curvy lines and scrolled handles.

You may see this etched with Orchid or Rose and sold for big dollars but it is a very pretty pattern all by itself. This picture shows the wavy scalloped rim and superb glass clarity.

If you find Waverly you will need to recognize it by the beads and curvy handles. None of the pieces we've had have been marked so no tell-tale H in a diamond to give this one away! This next photo shows this same piece from the top so you can see the handles better.

These sorts of small, deep round divided dishes were marketed as relish trays originally. In today's world they would work great to hold two types of dip or two types of cheese or snacks. It's fun to get creative with vintage glass and use it in our personal styles and homes.

We have this listed on our TIAS store and are putting it on auction this week on eBay.

Just After the Depression Glass - Thousand Lines or Stars and Bars

I was a real glass snob when I was a kid. The local hardware store sold glass like this and I turned my nose up because it wasn't cut. Now I prefer etched to cut and value vintage glass like this for its history and style. This is Stars and Bars or Thousand Lines.

This is pressed glass and it's heavy. Anchor Hocking came out with this in 1941 and sold it until about 1960. It wasn't a full dinner set as there are no cups and saucers but you can find several useful serving pieces such as this large salad bowl. Some of the pieces have a bit more swirl look and you may even find this with frosted or flashed color trim. It was made after the depression and by that time colored glass was losing its fashion appeal.

You can find this less expensive than many new bowls and platters, a bowl like this will be $5 to $20 and it is solid and sturdy. What's not to like?

We are listing this bowl on eBay and our TIAS store linked below.

Catladykate at eBay http://stores.ebay.com/Vintage-Elegant-Depression-Glass

Catladykate's Glass at TIAS http://www.tias.com/stores/catladykate/

Morgantown Virginia Emblem & Swag Etched Stemware

If you've read our blog before maybe you saw the series we did on the romance of vintage stemware. Yes, stemware makes a romantic wedding gift as a way to add tradition to the new family and provide a link to the past. Champagne stems are particularly appropriate and could be used for the toast at the reception.

Here is a champagne by Morgantown, with the Virginia etching. We don't find much Morgantown glass in this area and we bought this on eBay. Virginia has a central emblem connected by swags interspersed with plumes and flowers. It is prettier in person than in the photos, although not a personal favorite.

We have the footed water tumblers and have just added these champagne stems to our TIAS and eBay store linked below.
Catladykate's Elegant and Depression Glass at TIAS http://www.tias.com/stores/catladykate/
Catladykate at eBay http://stores.ebay.com/Vintage-Elegant-Depression-Glass

Cambridge Amber Glass - Windows Border Cup & Saucer

This is one of my favorite etches and the color is superb. This is Cambridge etch number 704, which glass author Gene Florence nicknamed Windows Border. The border has little clear ovals that look a bit like windows. The main part of the design is the swirled swagged paisley like design that goes around the midriff of the cup.

The color is Cambridge's amber, which is a rich shade of gold with a touch of red It is not quite right in this photo; the background was gray and you can see it is slightly on the blue side.

This is a superb cup and saucer set. We have it listed on both our TIAS and eBay stores.

Find the Hidden Chips - Buying Depression Glass

Pretty cup, no? It is Adam by Jeannette, one of the mold etched depression glass patterns. Adam is a pattern that is hard to find in mint condition. Many of the pieces, plates, bowls and so on, have squared off rims that just beg to get inner rim roughness. I posted about my cereal bowl eBay purchases a while back that all had tiny nicks on the inner rim.

Here's a tip when buying glass. Don't just run your finger around the top of the rim. Go around the sides of the rim, both inside and outside. If there is a squared off portion or a ridge, check that out for nicks. Another place to check is the seam around the outside of the base and on the handle. Some patterns are just so prone to nicks, such as Adam, Queen Mary, Tea Room. All these patterns have sharp corners. Queen Mary has sharp vertical ribs that get nicked and Tea Room has stair stepped blocks.

So where's this mysterious nick? This particular cup has a tiny nick on the inside of the top rim and a gouge on the back of the handle. When I list this, I'll describe both nicks and give dimensions, plus show the pictures. Some nicks don't photograph and these were pretty challenging. It took several attempts to get the top rim nick to show up at all.

Pioneer - Heavy Glass from the 1950s - Embossed Fruit

This heavy glass plate is Pioneer by Federal Glass. It's a little later than most of our glass, dating to the 1940s, and it has the heavy, solid appeal that went well with the colonial and early American styles.

Pioneer has a molded in design of fruit in the center and you may find it plain, without the fruit, as well as with other center designs. We usually see it in clear but it got the usual treatments of the era, including flashing and a goofus-like gilding.

Other companies made similar patterns and we have some small bowls with fully ground bases and sand-blasted intaglio fruit bottoms that are nice.

We just listed this in our TIAS store and on eBay if you would like to take a look.

Bartlett Collins Golden Ivy Coraline - Like Retro Glass

Cool pitcher is from the tail end of the depression era, the early 1940s, by Bartlett Collins. The white ivy leaves are made of tiny little beads stuck to the glass, somewhat like Coraline. The little beads are raised above the glass and are three-dimensional, giving it a bit of sparkle.

Bartlett Collins made at least four patterns that had these white raised bead designs. This is Golden Ivy, with (of course) ivy leave. Golden Fruits had - you guessed it - pears and fruit in a band. Can you guess what Golden Grape looked like? The last design I don't know the real name as it isn't in my Decorated Tumbler book but I call it Golden Fuchsia. The white design is stylized flowers that are vaguely fuchsia-like.

I got these about 7 years ago and it may have been a coincidence, but we saw the designs at several auctions. Since then I've not come across this. Right now the ivy pitcher and fuchsia tumblers are listed on auction and are in our TIAS store.

Help! I Bought More Depression Glass!

This is Adam pink depression glass by Jeannette and the particular piece shown is the dinner plate. I have four of these, have had them for several years, yet I just bought three more.

I'm sitting here questioning whether this was the smart purchase it seemed just a little while ago, so I'm going to write down my thinking and maybe that will help me.

Depression glass has gotten hard to find. Our local flea market and antique stores, garage sales and estate sales all have super high prices on colored glass whether it's depression or dollar store imports. The only pieces we've gotten lately have been elegant glass and clear depression and that's only because few recognize it as depression when it is not colored.

My stores are called --- Elegant and Depression Glass for a reason: That is what I sell, depression glass and elegant glass. It's hard to stay in business when you can't buy what you want to sell. The last year I've bought glass on eBay for this reason, but only a few pieces of depression since I'm looking for bargains. Elegant glass seems to go for 25-35% of book value, while depression glass is 50-60% of book. Throw in shipping and it's gotten really hard to find quality depression glass at prices reasonable enough to allow a profit. The plates I bought were not cheap, but they were 40% of book value including shipping. There. Now I feel better!

Got the Georgian Lovebirds Green Depression Glass Listed!

Way back on St. Patrick's Day, about 3 weeks ago, my post was about our Georgian Lovebirds depression glass and how I needed to get busy and get it listed. Well, it's finally done. Today I got the dinner plates, smaller lunch and bread and butter plates listed, this nice serving bowl and saucers all listed on both eBay and TIAS.

That's a load off my to-do list!

Georgian is by Federal Glass and is notable for its charming design of triangular shapes joined with swags. Each triangle holds a basket of flowers or a pair of birds, thus the common name Lovebirds. This is mold-etched depression glass. Federal used metal molds that they etched the design into, then they could mass produce the pieces via pressing. Thus the design is raised on the piece, not etched into the glass as the fancier elegant glass has.
Take a look on our stores for these great pieces!

http://www.tias.com/stores/catladykate/
http://stores.ebay.com/Vintage-Elegant-Depression-Glass

More Amber Glass - Fostoria Amber Stem, Line 5093

We're on an amber glass roll this week and here is one more piece from Fostoria. This little cocktail dates to 1926 to the 1930s, putting it squarely in the time period when Fostoria made so much beautiful colored glass.

You may not be able to see it in the photo, but what made this stem easy to identify is the faceted handle. It looks round, but is actually narrow vertical bands. We have a green and crystal stem in the same design that has a Fostoria needle etch and the shape is so distinctive that when we saw this little guy we knew it right away. That does not happen all that often!

You can see the rich amber color in this cocktail stem. It is so warm and just makes you feel good to look at!

More Amber Glass - Fostoria Lace Edge Colonial Bowl

Isn't this pretty? It is from Fostoria, one of their older, small patterns, number 2183 Colonial pattern. The piece is called a cabaret bowl and it is even more stunning in person.

I find Fostoria's amber glass to be deep, rich shades of amber with a hint of red. No browns or wimpy greeny yellowish sick colors here! We have plates in the Pioneer pattern, a single stem and candle holders in amber besides this gorgeous bowl. They are all warm and delightful to look at.

We have this listed in both our TIAS store and our eBay store, both linked below.

http://www.tias.com/stores/catladykate/

http://stores.ebay.com/Vintage-Elegant-Depression-Glass

Amber Glass - Warm and Rich and Getting Popular!

When I first started selling glass in 1999 you could hardly give amber depression away. People wanted pink; they wanted blue; they like green. Amber sat there. My sales of amber glass started picking up noticeably in 2007 and this year have gone better than any other color.

I don't think it's just because I have a little more selection or different patterns as the choice seems to be across the board. In fact one customer told me she didn't want any pink Sharon because she could find it anywhere. She wanted amber or green. Until this past year I hardly ever came across pink Sharon - or most other pink patterns - at reasonable prices, but there are more auctions for pink or green and it's been available other places too.

Personally I've always liked the richer amber colors, like this Old English footed bowl by Indiana Glass. Both Fostoria and Cambridge have incredible amber colors, rich, deep, not a trace of brown or green. I'll show some amber glass later this week.

Federal Yorktown - Sturdy Glass with Colonial Flair

This is Yorktown by Federal Glass, a sturdy design that is perfect for everyday use. You'll see how the light bounces off the oval thumbprint indentations and sparkles on the scalloped rim. This is the footed fruit bowl, one of the less common pieces in this vintage pattern.

You'll usually find Yorktown in clear, but it's also available in yellow and a very nice crystal with an iridescent wash. Federal made several patterns with similar colors, notably Petal, in this time period, roughly the 1960s and early 70s.

We have this listed now in our TIAS and eBay stores.

Cambridge Roselyn Etch Ruffled Square Console Bowl

You've probably noticed we have a lot of bowls! I'm a sucker for etched bowls and have bought every one I could. This one came from eBay -

a good transaction, just as described - and is Roselyn etch by Cambridge.

What makes this a little different and special is that it is square and ruffled. It is not perfectly symmetrical and you can see the corner in the back left is raised higher than the other three corners. This reminds you that the glass from the 1950s still had a lot of handwork and took skilled artisans and craftsmanship. The bowl is beautiful!

Fostoria Vesper Etch - Beautiful Flower Etched Rim Design

Vesper is one of Fostoria's older etched patterns, made 1926 to 1934 and in green, blue and amber. We've got two console bowls in different sizes and the candleholders you see here.

Fostoria made many different candleholders, sometimes several in a given pattern, and had a few that they used for many different designs. The one shown here is what I consider a generic candleholder, rather plain shape, similar to those from other companies. Being simple this shape works wonders when etched as in this Vesper candleholder. The design is just there and the etch gets the spotlight.

Fostoria must have had a design contest or something similar to have had three etches that were quite similar, Vesper, Royal and Seville. To me Vesper is by far the prettiest and you can tell it from the others by the flowers packed into the trailing V shape. Royal and Seville both have the etched band but lack the distinct flowers that trail into swags.

We offer this in our TIAS and eBay stores.

Viking Sonata - Elegant Rose Trailing Vines Etch

Here's one of the prettiest designs from Viking or New Martinsville, yet it isn't well known. This is Sonata, also called Sonita. It was one of the etches that Viking made early after they took over the reorganized New Martinsville.

This particular piece is the oval celery bowl and what makes it so very nice is the utter simplicity of the shape -a simple oval with no molded ornamentation - combined with the graceful, pretty rose etch. I had this piece for many years and finally got help from a glass expert to identify it. It's listed now on both eBay and TIAS; beautiful as it is, I cannot keep every piece of glass and this one needs a new home!

Federal Glass - Petal Jelly Server - Retro Glass from the 1950s

Pretty little jam dish, isn't it? This is Petal from Federal Glass, made from 1954 to 1979, quite a long period for a glass pattern, 25 years. Petal is interesting to collect as it comes in a wide range of colors as well as crystal with flashed colors and iridescent treatments.

Petal was not made as a dinner or lunch set. There are no cups or saucers, creamer or sugar. You will find wide shallow bowls with smaller bowls, which make a nice salad service, and several sizes of plates. You could have a lovely dessert set with a serving plate and individual plates. The retro style is appealing.

Our daughter collects Petal and has an amazing collection of colors and sizes. She tells me the jelly set shown here is rather uncommon with the original spoon and with the holder in good condition. The little bowl is one of the small sizes and is itself quite common. We have this set in our eBay and TIAS stores. Come take a look!

Forest Green - Gorgeous Color from Anchor Hocking

Green glass is consistently my best selling color, whether it be depression glass like Sharon or Georgian, elegant Fostoria Fairfax or this retro glass from Anchor Hocking. This little vase was a 1960s era piece and the whole line was known by its color, Forest Green. It is a true green, the color of a green crayon, not teal and not chartreuse.

Anchor Hocking used this nice color in a several lines of their mid-century glass, and you will find square Charm pieces, green Bubble, Sandwich and the rounded nameless shapes like this cute little vase.

The Forest Green was similar to Royal Ruby in that Anchor Hocking used the name as a trademark, it was used on many different patterns, and the color was the main point of the glass.

We have several pieces of Forest Green listed in our TIAS site.


http://www.tias.com/stores/catladykate/

Marathon Wrapping Session - Customer Service with a Smile

I'm smiling but I'd really rather be sitting down with my cat on my lap, a cup of tea, and a book! You see, I just finished wrapping four packages and printing four priority labels and one UPS label.

The wrapping wasn't so bad except one box had 8 pieces of china, including dinner plates, the gravy boat shown here, and other serving pieces. Luckily we had a big box right there that was the perfect size. In fact it was a case of getting two wins at a time since this box was right in the middle of the floor and there wasn't any place to put it!

I read a motivational email today that said you should look at a busy evening like tonight's with this frame of mind: "I will have gotten so much done tonight!" instead of "I've got so much to do". Yes, that does help! What helps even more is thinking of my customers' smiling faces when they open their packages in a few days!

Georgian Green Depression Glass - St. Patrick's Day

Somewhere near the top of my endless to-do list is getting these plates listed. I bought several pieces of Georgian green depression glass last fall and so far have listed - and sold - exactly one piece. Georgian sells well and all my pieces are in great shape, so there's no reason not to get it done. (Except for the other bazillion things also on the list that clamor for time!)

This pattern is also called Lovebirds. You can't see it well in this photo, but those triangular designs alternate with baskets and two birds. The birds sort of look like parakeets, and it's a neat design. This is one of the mold-etched depression patterns from Federal Glass where the design was incised into the mold itself, which then could be used just like any other pressed glass mold to make pieces with fancy designs quickly and cheaply, with little hand work.

Check my store - oh, maybe this weekend - for my set of Lovebirds to fly in!

Romance of Vintage Stemware - Morgantown Virginia Etched Tumbler

Morgantown Glass went through several changes of name and ownership, beginning as the Economy Glass Company and eventually bought by Fostoria in 1965 and closed a few years later. They were known for their crinkle glass and wide color range and also produced several notable etchings, among them Virginia.

This is the footed water tumbler in Morgantown's Virginia, here etched on an optic glass shape, blank 7711. You may find Virginia on other glass blanks and of course Morgantown produced the usual wide range of stemware, plates and bowls.

Virginia is quite pretty with a central urn motif flanked by swags of leaves and flowers. To me it has a formal appearance and would go well with some of the Lenox china.

We offer this in both our TIAS and eBay stores. Come check us out at the links below.

Catladykate's Elegant and Depression Glass at TIAS http://www.tias.com/stores/catladykate/
Catladykate at eBay http://stores.ebay.com/Vintage-Elegant-Depression-Glass

Rose Point Creamer - Pretty Pieces to Grace Your Table

Rose Point was an extremely popular etching and Cambridge Glass made it for a long time. Probably the most common blank you will find is the 3121, which has three nubs around glass spheres in the stem. However, Cambridge used many of their most popular etchings on many different blanks, and Rose Point was made on several. The creamer we show here is the 3900 blank. The handle is fairly plain and the pieces lack the extra curlicues of other shapes.

This is also a little larger than some creamers, holding about 6 ounces when filled to overflowing. The matching sugar, which is also listed in our store, is the same size and holds 8 ounces.

We have a few other pieces of Rose Point to list this next week, including a small bowl and candle, and have some stems on order. Come check us out!

Romance of Vintage Stemware - Cambridge 701 Flower Basket Goblets

If you like baskets and swags of flowers this goblet is for you. This is Etch 701 from Cambridge Glass, just a beautiful design in a beautiful shape goblet. Etch 701 is one of the many Cambridge designs that never got a name and is thus less well-known than Rose Point or Elaine.

I got this on eBay, one of the successful purchases where the glass was just as described. I originally thought it was Tiffin Diana, which also has baskets, but it clearly is Cambridge. Tiffin's Diana has larger baskets and the swag is more dramatic, hanging from the top of the baskets. (Apollo Diana by Tiffin has the same basket and swag but adds a border etch along the top of the goblet.)

If you enjoy beautiful glass, take a look at our eBay and TIAS stores for many pieces from the elegant depression era.

Catladykate at eBay:
http://stores.ebay.com/Vintage-Elegant-Depression-Glass

Cat Lady Kate's Elegant and Depression Glass on TIAS: http://www.tias.com/stores/catladykate/

Something Different - Modern Ebony and Crystal Champagne Flutes

These champagne flutes are not what I usually sell as they are contemporary and moderate quality glass. The ebony stems hold the clear glass bowls and look like they are wrapped around. Rather a neat design and I could not resist getting these to resell.

It is interesting that so little glass is still made in America and I think one reason is that styles changed and stems like these, which are rather plain and do not require handwork to make, are more popular than the lovely etched glass from before the 1950s.

Flipping through my Fostoria reference books makes the point obvious. Glass before about 1960 was often etched, usually required skilled craftsmen, and was fairly intricate. Glass companies could compete on style and design and having a skilled workforce was an advantage. Glass patterns became increasingly plain during the 1960s, etchings became far less popular, and there is very little to differentiate Fostoria's patterns like Argus or Mesa from mass-produced glassware. If you pick up a Fostoria Argus tumbler the quality is obvious, but just looking, especially looking at pictures, it is not immediately clear why a Fostoria tumbler would be several times as expensive as the mass-produced glasssware.

Center Handled Server - Westmoreland Flower & Ray Cut

I'm particularly attracted to center handled servers, CHS for short. Sometimes you'll find them called center handled serving trays, sandwich trays and so on. The main point is they have a neat handle in the center and usually are round and meant to hold cookies or small cakes or sandwiches.

These are basically fancy little tidbit trays. They come in every color depression glass was made - clear, amber, yellow, blue, green, pink, red - and with satinized decorations, painted designs, cuttings, etchings, gold trim, and so on. Very pretty and lots of variety to choose.

This particular piece is by Westmoreland. We have a monograph published by the West Virginia Museum of Glass, bought on eBay, that identifies many CHS based on the handle shape and other clues. This slightly rounded handle top, plus the shape of the vertical section, are what led me to attribute this to Westmoreland. It most likely dates to the 1930s. The cutting style is older and so are the design elements.

We list this on our eBay store and TIAS store. Take a look!

Wexford - Sturdy Glass for Every Day Use from Anchor Hocking

Recognize this? Anchor Hocking made Wexford for a long time, all through the 1970s and 80s, 1967 to 1988 to be exact. You probably saw this, if nothing else in the ubiquitous canisters or goblets.

Wexford is big and heavy and sturdy and came in many useful shapes and sizes. A case in point is this small salad bowl. You could imagine using this with the larger bowl as a nice table set. Use it and run it through the dishwasher. The creamers and tumblers are also nice.

Every once in a while you may see this listed as early American pattern glass, or vintage depression glass. While it is not old, it is useful, reasonably priced and available. Something to consider if you want American-made, attractive glass.

eBay Buying - One Good, One Not So Good

Today two packages came in the mail for me.

One was a set of 5 sherbets beautifully etched. The seller communicated well and shipped quickly. They were just as described. They made it here safely although I was a little concerned. Each one was wrapped in bubble wrap but they were packed tightly without much foam peanuts between or between the glass and the sides of the box. But the fact is, they arrived safely, quickly, and most importantly, were in the condition described. I left this seller positive feedback with 5 stars in all categories.

The other box had a mixed lot of candle holders, glass jam jar and glass figurines. I bought this because one candle holder was Rose Point and another looked to be etched as well. This seller wasn't too communicative; when I asked her to confirm condition she said they were put away. Even so, I took a chance. These were also wrapped with lots of bubble wrap and some foam peanuts. One of the least valuable holders was broken but the others came safely. However, the Rose Point holder had many scratches and one Indiana Sandwich holder is badly chipped. This is disappointing. I don't care about the Sandwich holders, but I would not have bid if the Rose Point was accurately described.

So now what? The post office will not refund anything for the broken holder because the pieces were packed inadequately. My best option is to keep the glass and sell for what I can as it will be profitable on the whole. I'll leave a positive feedback, but this does not rate 5 stars.

This weekend I'll photograph these and you can see more pretty glass!

Janice - New Martinsville's Elegant Depression Glass

Janice is one of New Martinsville's elegant glass patterns that is often classified as depression glass. You may find it with various etches and in colors like blue or red. This bowl here is crystal and one of the less common shapes. It is about 11 inches across with a ruffled rim.

Janice is a molded design with a prominent drape design on the lower portion. The base is ground and formed by little scallops. It's a nice pattern that deserves more appreciation!

Happy Easter - Westmoreland Pansy Baskets

This is a really cute design from Westmoreland Glass that is super nice for Easter. Unfortunately it is white milk glass, which is not a personal favorite. Westmoreland made only this size and shape, which is a shame because it is pretty and appealing. According to my books they made it almost every color of glass and some two-tone treatments. All we have seen are the white milk glass.

I bought the first basket in my first year of business and sold it on eBay immediately. So the next time we found one, we bought it, and the one after that, too. This was about the time that eBay became a household word and the floodgates opened on collectible glass. Everyone had something in their cupboards and almost everyone decided to sell it! Pansy baskets littered the auctions and you could hardly give them away. Prices plummeted below what we paid.

Now, several years later, I'm listing all sorts of glass that we need to move out. OK, it won't return what we paid and we'll lose on each item. But that has to be better than hanging onto it and keeping our investment tied up in bad inventory!

This means that if you are looking for a nice Easter basket, hop on over to our store and our eBay auctions and take a look at these.

Happy 25th Anniversary - Silver Decorated Glass - Silver City's Springtime

Wouldn't this make an outstanding gift for your 25th wedding anniversary? It is a torte plate that would be perfect to hold cake or sandwiches or canapes at a party.

The glass itself is Caprice by Cambridge, easily told by the looped optic design and scalloped shape. The silver design, with its lavish blossoms and leaf sprays, is by Silver City. It is called Springtime, just a perfect name.

The banner reads 25th Anniversary. Silver City was one of several companies that decorated glass with silver and sometimes gold. Silver City, like Lotus Glass and others, purchased glass blanks from other companies and decorated for the gift ware market. This is a perfect example!