Vintage Depression and Elegant Glass

Time for Glass - Once Again. Elephants on Parade

2008-10-01T19:27:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-26T21:05:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-19T19:48:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-09-17T20:52:00.001-07:00

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

2008-09-17T20:52:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-16T19:41:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-09T16:48:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-11T17:57:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-06T18:33:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-01T20:19:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-06-27T18:05:00.001-07:00

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

2008-06-18T17:57:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-16T19:26:00.001-07:00

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

2008-05-21T18:45:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-16T16:43:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-05T18:19:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-01T16:57:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-30T19:06:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-26T06:08:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-21T19:01:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-19T17:28:00.001-07:00

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

2008-04-17T18:03:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-16T17:28:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-15T17:36:00.001-07:00

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

2008-04-14T18:27:00.001-07:00

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

2008-04-10T17:29:00.003-07:00

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!

2008-04-08T16:56:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-04-06T16:03:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-05T19:00:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-03T17:15:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-04-01T18:14:00.003-07:00

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

2008-03-28T20:22:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-26T18:19:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-25T17:40:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-24T18:09:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-21T17:31:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-20T19:01:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-18T18:55:00.001-07:00

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

2008-03-17T19:28:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-16T08:01:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-13T17:34:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-12T17:36:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-11T18:11:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-07T18:48:00.000-08:00

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

2008-03-06T17:56:00.000-08:00

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

2008-03-05T18:55:00.000-08:00

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

2008-03-04T18:03:00.000-08:00

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

2008-03-02T18:38:00.000-08:00

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

2008-02-26T20:19:00.000-08:00

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!

Romance of Vintage Stemware: Morgantown Mayfair - Baskets Overflowing with Flowers

2008-02-25T17:18:00.001-08:00

It seems like every glass maker had a Mayfair pattern! Hocking's was mold etched roses, Fostoria's was square and this one, by Morgantown, has three baskets overflowing with flowers and connected by swags and leaves. The piece you see here is the footed water tumbler.

For some reason many Morgantown stemware patterns are less expensive than similar glass from Cambridge or Heisey. As an example, book value on this footed tumbler is about $15-20, while many etched Cambridge patterns would be $20-40. If you like the Morgantown patterns that may help make it easier to decide to collect this stemware.

To my eye many Morgantown etchings are overly complicated, but this one is nice, simple enough that you can see the design but beautiful. There are three baskets repeated around the bowl of the tumbler and they always make me think of tulips with the thin base and overflowing tops.

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

Cambridge Green Console Bowl Etch 727

2008-02-22T18:16:00.000-08:00

Here is one of the less well-known etches from Cambridge Glass; this one is number 727. It reminds me of puffs of cotton balls or clover blossoms in a wide band with leaves and scrolls. It's a very appealing design that looks exceptionally good on a piece like this bowl that is big enough to show off the pattern.

Console bowls were made to be centerpieces, usually flanked by candles set in matching candle holders, on a table, or set on a side table. Side tables were called console tables, thus the name. Bowls with rolled rims, like this one, are dramatic pieces that are great settings for the wonderful etchings. You can even get glass frogs to set inside the bowl, yet the flowers and water will not obscure the beautiful etch.

Console bowls are a personal favorite and I hope to entice you to enjoy them too!

Beautiful Center Handled Server by Cambridge Glass

2008-02-01T18:56:00.000-08:00

This is Cambridge Glass etch 732, which has large round stylized flowers flanked by elaborate scrolls and tassles. Yes, this is as gorgeous in person as it appears in the picture.

Center handled sandwich servers, CHS for short, are among the signature pieces of depression glass. They were used for small cakes, cookies or even small sandwiches. They are fun to use today and add a touch of class and elegance. Using this is one easy way to make your home memorable!

Many glass firms made center handled servers and you can distinguish them by the handle shape and other clues. This particular example has the gently rounded, slightly concave handle that you see and was made by Cambridge.

We offer this in our eBay store and our TIAS store.

Inner Rim Roughness - Bane of Rimmed Depression Glass

2008-01-30T17:11:00.000-08:00

You'll probably find listings online for depression glass with IRR, inner rim roughness. While only you can decide how important this is to you, many of the patterns with squared off rims are plagued with this.

The bowl shown here is the cereal in pink Adam depression glass by Jeannette. Adam is one pattern that is very difficult to find mint, with no damage whatsoever. You can see that the rim is square with the vertical sides of the bowl, making a fairly sharp corner. When pieces with these sharp corners are stacked, they get tiny nicks. Often the nicks are not visible and you will find them only by zealous checking. But it's more common in my experience to have nicks that don't show up easily to the eye but are easily felt.

This bowl is a case in point as the seller assured me it and the other three with it were free of any nicks. Unfortunately all four bowls have IRR, ranging from minuscule to quite evident. Needless to say the value is far less, anywhere from 25 to 75% of what a mint bowl would be.

I recommend that you always ask sellers to recheck pieces. While this is no panacea, it is one more chance for them to find problems. Personally I check when buying, when washing, when listing and when wrapping and it is simply amazing how easy it is to discover a problem only when wrapping! It is disappointing and embarassing to find a problem only after the sale!

Romantic Pink Depression Glass - Princess by Hocking

2008-01-23T20:08:00.000-08:00

Pretty as a princess! This is Princess pink depression glass by Hocking. Princess is one of the mold etched patterns that was mass produced during the 1930s. It has a good design that combines scrolls and swags that are in the vertical panels you see on the bowl of this sherbet.

Hocking's pink glass is a true pink, very pretty and just what you think of for Valentine's Day. We offer pink Hocking Princess and Mayfair as well as a few other patterns.

Come take a look and enjoy shopping for quality depression glass!

Romance of Vintage Stemware - Fostoria Orient

2008-01-21T17:45:00.000-08:00

Pretty goblet dates from 1922 to 1928, over 80 years ago. Don't you wish for such a long period of looking good? This is the Orient etch by Fostoria. Etch has swags and scrolls and a delicate lacy like netting design near the top. Some of the swags look like victory wreaths.

Don't confuse this with Fostoria's Oriental etch. Oriental has birds and is very different.

I bought this last summer, took a chance that we would eventually be able to identify it. The goblet is obviously quality glass and the etch is well done and distinctive. However, I looked through every glass book and did not see this design. (Yes, I looked in my Fostoria books too.) When this happens it means that either I looked right at it and missed the connection, or it is fairly obscure, or by a company that doesn't have a good reference book.

Last week our daughter sent me a link to an auction for the same etch and some wonderful helpful eBayer notified the auction seller this was Orient. Problem solved! Thank you, kind eBayer!

This week we are listing this single goblet on our eBay auctions and it is also listed in our TIAS store.

Romance of Vintage Stemware - Cambridge Caprice

2008-01-20T16:10:00.001-08:00

Vintage stemware adds a touch of class and romance to your home. Imagine a gift of delicate etched goblets from the depression, given with the best wishes for a marriage or life as long and gracious.

This stem is Cambridge Caprice, which is one of the last patterns released by this venerable elegant glass company. Most pieces of Caprice were pressed with graceful arched wide ribs but some of the stemware was light and airy with blown stems. This piece is one of those blown goblets.

Caprice stemware has fancy stems with the two rounded wafers and ribbed center section. You can see several colors, as if it were iridescent, in the bowl; that is due to the optic.

We're going to highlight many of our favorite stemware shapes and designs over the next few weeks, so look for more posts about stemware.

Duncan Miller Amber Basket

2008-01-19T15:35:00.000-08:00

Pretty shade of amber, nice size, attractive tooled handle - what's not to like? Baskets originally were viewed as a type of vase, and they are fun to use with flowers. This one is by Duncan Miller and has their distinctive panels and nice curvy rim shape.

Glass baskets are so pretty, why not try one yourself?

Swanky Swigs - Cute Little Glasses with Retro Charm

2008-01-17T17:09:00.000-08:00

Isn't this a cute little tumbler? This is one of the Swanky Swigs, small tumblers originally used to package cheese, that are very collectible today. Swanky Swigs come in about 2 dozen styles and in juice glass and slightly larger sizes.

This is one of the Cornflower designs. Other designs are darling children's motifs, such as a stuffed teddy bear and a real bear cub looking at each other, or are solid bright colors.

We have several Swanky Swigs listed in our TIAS store, http://www.tias.com/stores/catladykate/ and this is one of the items we always look out for at flea markets and estate sales.

If you like nostalgia, you'll enjoy these small vintage decorated tumblers!

Prelude Etch - New Martinsville Begun, Viking Continued

2008-01-16T19:33:00.001-08:00

Isn't this pretty? It is the bon bon with turned up edges and two handles and the etch is Prelude by New Martinsville. New Martinsville was reorganized into the Viking Glass company near the time that Prelude was begun. Prelude was a successful etch for New Martinsville and Viking continued it, and in fact produced more pieces.

Some of the later pieces have less elaborate shapes or less careful finishing and I've read that you may even find pieces where the design was applied externally, as a paint, instead of etched. This piece has a ground base rim and likely dates to the earlier part of the production.

We offer this on our eBay site and our online store within the TIAS collectible mall.

Lido Etch - Firework Puffs on Glass

2008-01-14T18:38:00.000-08:00

Are these fireworks? Or are they milkweed puffs? Hard to tell, but this etch is Lido by Fostoria. Here we show the water goblet, which is Fostoria's Sceptre blank. The poofy etches puffs (try saying that fast 5 times) are twined around the sides of the goblet bowl.

This is a favorite etch of mine and we have the water goblets, flared Baroque bowl and Baroque torte plate. I just sold the mayo set this evening.

Go ahead and take a look at this lovely etch by Fostoria! It may become your favorite, too!

So... You Would Like Me to Identify Your Glass?

2008-01-08T17:08:00.000-08:00

I get many requests to identify glass for people. This is flattering of course, but I am hardly an expert. Of course, the definition of "an expert" is someone who knows more than you do. So by that very generous definition, maybe I am!

Anyway, I will always try to help someone if I can. If the person asks nicely, I will gladly look at a clear photograph and do my best. What I will not do is first identify it, then provide a valuation and then agree to buy it. I may offer a range of book value, with the caveats that pricing depends on condition and that actual values vary and so on. And I may in rare instances offer to buy.

It is unethical to first offer a valuation and then offer to buy. I won't do it. And I am not a qualified appraiser; I only know what my books suggest and what I see items sell at online auction.

If you want me to help you, here's what to do.
1. Ask.
2. Take one very good picture, ideally of the pattern.
3. Send it.
4. Say "please" and "thank you".

If I cannot identify it or you don't agree, please don't argue. I did my best.

Oyster Cocktails - Fostoria Colony Crystal

2008-01-07T18:45:00.001-08:00

Isn't this cute? It is the oyster cocktail in Fostoria's elegant crystal pattern Colony. Oyster cocktails are usually among the pricier stems, probably because they are less commonly found than sherbets or water goblets. On the other hand, what do you use them for?

Unless you eat a lot of oysters, you probably don't need a separate piece of glass for your dinner table. But wait! This is just the perfect size for today's dipping sauces, or small doses of salsa for your chips, or cocktail sauce for your shrimp.

Problem solved. We now have a very pretty piece of elegant glass stemware that is useful, ornamental, and just the perfect size. After all, those dipping sauces are rather high in calories and you want to control portions. What better way to do that than with using a piece of vintage stemware?

Newport Cobalt Blue Depression Glass

2008-01-06T15:13:00.000-08:00

This is the footed sugar bowl in Hazel Atlas' cobalt blue depression glass. The pattern is Newport and also called Hairpin. You can find Newport in cobalt and amethyst depression glass.

Hazel Atlas used these molds with their colored Platonite opaque glass during the 1950s but it is apparently not common here in mid-Michigan as we've never seen it!

Newport is a neat shape with the design causing small scallops in the rim that are echoed in the foot of this sugar. The blue is especially attractive; to me the amethyst lacks sparkle.

If you like blue or amethyst glass, consider Newport as your pattern of choice!

Georgian - Lovely Honeycomb Glassware

2008-01-04T17:34:00.000-08:00

This is the footed sherbet from Viking Glass in their Georgian pattern. Almost every glass company made a Georgian pattern and it can be difficult to tell them apart, especially the water tumblers. Some pieces, like this sherbet or the matching goblet, are much easier.

We got a large set of Viking amber Georgian this summer and it is slowly finding new homes. There is an abundance of it available so it sells slowly and is not very expensive.

Viking made Georgian in many colors, as did Cambridge, Paden City, Fenton, Hocking and others. One way to tell makers is by the number of mold seams and whether the base is ground. Viking did not grind their bases but Cambridge and other elegant glass companies did. My grandmother had a set of ruby Georgian water tumblers and I still like this design.

Burple - Horrible Name for Nice Depression Glass!

2008-01-03T17:13:00.000-08:00

This nice pattern with an icky name has curved ribs between rows of dots in ascending sizes. It is quite attractive and has a vintage look. The pattern name? Burple. Isn't that an awful name for something nice?

This is from Hocking Glass during the depression. All we have ever seen here were the bowls, usually the larger bowl, about 8 inches across as shown here. Replacements shows two sizes of plates and a cup and saucer in addition to this larger bowl and small individual bowls. You are most likely to find this in clear but Hocking also made Royal Ruby and Forest Green. We had the green and it is quite attractive but to my mind doesn't show off the deco style as well as the clear.

Let's Try Again - Another Central Glass Lovely Stem

2008-01-02T17:23:00.000-08:00

I had high hopes for my Central Glass Thistle etch cocktail but no luck; the auction expired without a nibble on New Years Day. We're going to try another unusual stem from Central Glass, this time the Floral Trumpets etch champagne sherbet. Even the blank (glass shape) is somewhat uncommon. Floral Trumpets is etch number 22 and the blank is number 364.

My reference book shows this blank in an ad which is how I know what it is! Central Glass had some unusual and very pretty etches. This one is unlike any other with the flower sprays blooming from the trumpet-like shapes.

In 2005 my biggest sales week was between Christmas and New Years and January 2006 was one of my best ever months. In 2006 November and December dragged right until the last week, in fact New Years Eve was as much as the rest of December. Then sales plummeted in January 2007 and stayed low until mid-November. In 2007 December was pretty good and steady, but there was no surge at the end. I saved many of my best - and most expensive - items until after Christmas but they did not sell. We'll try again.

Fostoria Coronet Elegant Glass

2007-12-30T17:28:00.000-08:00

Fostoria's Coronet is one of their less-well known patterns, which is hard to understand since it is far more classy and elegant than some of their best known patterns. Coronet has the three wavy lines that you can see in our ice bucket and many of the pieces have scalloped rims.

Fostoria made Coronet from 1939 to 1960 and it was used for a few etchings, notably Mayflower. The handles on pieces like creamers and sugars look like rams' horns, all twisty and neat.

If you are looking for a very attractive set of vintage crystal you may want to consider Coronet. You'll be glad you did!

Guarantee and Return / Refund Policies on eBay

2007-12-28T18:16:00.000-08:00

I buy glass on eBay and so far have had mixed results. Some pieces have been far more worn than described, some have had big chips or came broken due to poor packing. And some have been wonderful purchases, just as described, shipped quickly and carefully.

I only started buying glass in 2007 and it gave me a new appreciation for a good refund / return policy and careful descriptions. Now when I find appealing glass I email the seller to confirm condition. Sellers respond almost always, although a few don't bother, and most of the time they report everything is fine. About 1 in 4 comes back with a damage report. It's interesting to see whether they update their listings - some do and some do not.

Even with the extra checking there have been some unpleasant surprises. Since those experiences I have liberalized my guarantee policy and now offer full refund on return, including shipping both ways, if the piece does not match the description. A few pieces with damage that is described in the listing are specifically restricted to item price only with shipping not refunded. That's in case someone doesn't read the description (yes, it happens) or doesn't realize how something looks in person. Buyers do have a responsibility but sellers need to be reasonable and accurate.

Despite this liberal guarantee a recent buyer left me a neutral due to a scratch. I checked the piece over before shipping and didn't see anything wrong, but he must have been disappointed. He didn't contact me to complain or ask for a refund. That puzzles me since I always complain if pieces are not as described, but we're all different.

So sellers, if you want to see why buyers are fussy, go be a buyer yourself.

Fire King Mugs - Retro Fun

2007-12-27T19:22:00.000-08:00

Fire King was Anchor Hocking's line of oven proof dinnerware and bake ware. One of their successful lines was mugs. Fire King made a huge variety of mugs - several sizes, a zillion decorations, many colors and themes - and these are collected today for obvious reasons. Mugs are fun, relatively inexpensive, useful and neat.

The one shown here is part of the Game birds series, this one featuring two Canadian geese flying over a pond on a fall day. You can find humorous mugs, cartoon character mugs, like Snoopy, plain colored mugs. There are some hideous ones too, including some rather ghastly avocado green or mustard and brown combinations. Of course there are people who like those colors. There truly is a mug for everyone!

Fortune Pink Depression Glass

2007-12-24T14:18:00.001-08:00

Fortune - isn't that a great name for a glass pattern? It evokes visions of fancy stemware and gorgeous glass. Actually Fortune was a small depression glass pattern made by Hocking Glass from 1937 to 1938. It is a simple pattern with alternating wide and narrow vertical ribs.

Most of Hocking's patterns came in quite a few pieces - think of Cameo or Block Optic with their huge array of shapes and sizes - but Fortune was an anomaly. Hocking made a small lunch set of cup, saucer, lunch and sherbet plates, two tumblers, several bowls and a covered candy dish. There is no creamer, sugar, shakers or dinner plates.

Sometimes people confuse Fortune with Old Cafe, which is another small Hocking depression pattern. Fortune has one wide and one narrow rib. Old Cafe had two narrow ribs between one wide rib.

Fostoria Heirloom White Opalescent Candle Vase - Art Glass

2007-12-21T19:33:00.001-08:00

Looks high end contemporary art glass, doesn't it. This is Heirloom by Fostoria, made from 1959 to 1970, thus once again proving that styles come around. This is a particularly nice design with a white opalescent glass that has a lot of fire, giving it a blueish tint in some lighting. The design is completely simple, with ribbing and classic shapes.

This is called a candle vase because the inside has a candle holder so you could use it for candles, and it would look great with flowers. If you wanted to use both flowers and a candle at the same time you would need a tall taper!

We have this listed on eBay this week and on our online TIAS store.

Sharon Cabbage Rose Depression Glass

2007-12-18T20:29:00.000-08:00

Sharon, or Cabbage Rose, is one of the most popular depression glass patterns from Federal Glass. It has a mold-etched design of large open roses in an asymmetric spray on the center and more roses on the rim. Rose designs are always popular and this one is nice. The asymmetric design gives it a bit more punch than many patterns.

Sharon comes in pink, green and amber mostly and we have all three colors. Plates, like the dinner plate shown here, are thicker than many depression patterns.

Like several other patterns that are highly collected, Sharon has been reproduced. I worried about telling the repros apart but it really is pretty easy. The ugly, misshapen creamer shown next is a repro. I got carried away one evening on eBay and the photo was awful and I thought it might be Mayfair. The green Mayfair creamer is quite valuable so I took a chance like a dummy. You can tell that this is a bad repro by the strange color, lumpy shape, and poorly molded pattern.

Central Glass Thistle Etch Stems

2007-12-17T19:28:00.001-08:00

I'm really excited about these stems. They are Thistle etch by Central Glass. Central went out of business towards the end of the depression, 1939, and Imperial Glass acquired some of their molds. Central is best known for their Morgan etch, which has a fairy on a swing, Harding etch, which has two griffins, Balda etch and Frances pressed pattern. They made many other etches besides these.

The etch shown here is Thistle which is intricate. This is a plate etching, where the glass was coated with wax, the design applied by tracing through the wax and then the piece was immersed in acid. The acid dissolved the glass where the design had been applied through the wax. It is called a plate etching because the design was on sheets of paper that were carefully laid onto the surface. It took skill and hand work to position these just right.

There are other Thistle patterns by makers such as Tiffin. Central's is distinctive with the thistle in the center pointing down. Our stem here is the 4 inch tall cocktail and will be listed later this week.

Fostoria Contour and Raleigh - Less Known Elegant Glass

2007-12-15T18:24:00.000-08:00

Almost everyone who enjoys glass has heard of Fostoria - makers of fine elegant glass they had many gorgeous etchings on colored and crystal glass. Here are two of their less known plain designs, Contour and Raleigh.

Fostoria's Contour has the space-age lines of the early 1950s, perfectly fitting the mid century mode and style preferences. Contour is line number 2666 and you are able to buy a full line of stylish serving pieces. There is no plain dinner or lunch plate although there are canape and snack plates that have an interesting upwards twist, and a plain lunch sized plate that is cupped. Fostoria used Contour for several of their most popular decorations, notably Holly and Nosegay cuttings.

You can find this same shape in a heavier glass that was introduced a couple years earlier; the heavier pieces are not as readily found nor are they available in a full line of dinnerware. This heavier line is number 2638.

The second pattern we'll show is Raleigh, which is very different from Contour, with its squared shapes and log handles. Fostoria made Raleigh from 1939 to 1965 and used it for many of their Colonial styled etchings, such as Sampler and Colonial Mirror. You can tell Raleigh easily by the rounded facets and the little log shaped handles.

We have pieces of both these patterns in our store, which is linked below. Recently we bought some of the sherbets in Contour which have really neat stems, but we'll show them another day.

Depression Glass Candy Jars - Doric Pink and Others

2007-12-13T18:27:00.001-08:00

Isn't this pretty? This is the footed candy jar in Jeannette's pink depression glass Doric pattern. This is a traditional look for a candy jar - footed, round, with a tall lid topped off with a finial. The Doric pattern alternates plain squares with squares that have a stylized design in the corners. Even the finial has the little squares, making it just the perfect touch.

Jeannette Glass made Doric from 1935 to 1938, primarily in pink but you can find green and some pieces in delphite opaque blue. We've had mostly pink here in mid-Michigan.

One interesting piece that is far more common is the 3-part flat candy that is shaped like a pansy blossom. It surprises me that this is considered part of the Doric line instead of part of the similar Doric and Pansy, but that's what it is. You may find this in pink, ultramarine and delphite blue, but by far the most common is an iridescent carnival like color. Jeannette remade the flat candy in iridescent glass during the 1970s. We show the delphite blue candy.

Petalware - Pretty Depression Glass with Fanciful Decorations

2007-12-10T19:02:00.000-08:00

Petalware is one of MacBeth Evans popular depression glass patterns and it comes in pink, cremax, monax, Ivrene, plus a few pieces in crystal or other colors. Monax is a soft white, translucent glass; cremax and Ivrene are tradenames for a darker shade of cream. MacBeth Evans eventually became part of Corning but was independent during the depression. Petalware dates to the 1930s but was made into the 1940s as well.

It is a very pretty pattern in any color, but my favorite is the white monax with the Florette red flower design pictured on a salad plate. These were hand painted and should be hand washed to preserve the design.

If you like this pattern, you may want to seek out various other designs. There is an Iverene decorated with pastel bands that is popular and chic, and several flower-bedecked cheerful designs on monax. Find your favorite, or mix and match. You'll be glad you chose fresh happy Petalware!

Plate shown is available in these two sites:

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

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

Block Optic Depression Glass Creamers and Sugars

2007-12-09T17:01:00.000-08:00

Block Optic is a neat depression glass pattern from Hocking Glass that has an art deco style. It combines rounded shapes with square blocks and has a lot of looks. Hocking made Block Optic for only 4 years, from 1929 to 1933, although it comes in a wide range of shapes and pieces. It is one of the most popular depression glass patterns because of its looks, the fact that is is moderately available and moderately priced and the huge collecting appeal.

One point to be aware of is there are Five different creamers and sugars! There are three basic shapes, cone shaped as with the green creamer, rounded, as the yellow sugar bowl and a flat squarish shape that I've not seen. Then there are three different handle shapes, plain, which the creamer has, fancy scroll as on the sugar, and pointed. You can find the angled and plain handles on the cone shaped pieces, and the plain and fancy handles on the round pieces. Now that is a lot of collecting opportunity!

Plus Block Optic came in green, pink and yellow, plus some was satinized and decorated, and you can find clear pieces, too. Wow! That is a lot of pieces for the depression glass lover!

Fostoria Eilene Needle Etched Champagne

2007-12-08T18:33:00.000-08:00

Isn't this pretty? The pattern is Eilene, etch number 82, by Fostoria. This is a needle etch; each line is traced continuously. Needle etches were perfected earlier than plate etches and this champagne dates to about 1930. It's a little more elaborate needle etch than some.

The 5082 stem is also quite nice. In fact this is so distinctive that I was able to pick up a plain amber one without worrying about identifying it. The stem is rounded as you can see, but what doesn't show well in the photo is that it is hexagonal, six sided. There is a flat round wafer at the top and the bowl is cupped. Very very nice!

I like most shades of green and Fostoria's green glass is gorgeous, emerald in tint but not quite as dark as emerald, and it has a lot of life. You can see this on my TIAS store and it will start on eBay auction on December 9.

Olive, Line 134, Depression Glass from Imperial Glass

2007-12-06T19:37:00.000-08:00

Maybe you can tell I have my box of Imperial Glass out to list. This is another pattern from Imperial that is usually classified as depression glass - it was mass produced - and yet is fairly nice quality glass. The pattern is Olive, or line number 134, and Imperial produced it during the late 1930s. According to my reference books, you can find Olive in red, light blue, emerald green and pink, but we have seen only blue and only this particular piece, the footed fruit bowl. This is one of my favorites, partly because the color is a soft rich blue, and partly because the design is just plain cute. The elongated oval thumbprints are simple but go well with the scalloped rim and raised ribbed foot.

If I get time I want to list this on eBay as it is a super nice piece of glass. It is in my TIAS store already.

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

Customer Service

2007-12-05T19:20:00.001-08:00

This has not been a good week for our customer service and that is a problem since we try to differentiate ourselves by accurate descriptions, clear photos, careful wrapping and fast shipping. We (I actually) made several listing mistakes.

Somehow I had 8 plates, sold 4 and figured we had 6 left. The buyer who wanted 6 is not happy to only get 4. Sure we can make it right on the financial end, but it's still disappointing. These are the plates in question, Wayside by Syracuse.

Another lady bought a cup and saucer. When I listed the cup I took pains to describe a flaw and totally missed the chip in the rim. This happened the same day I found the plate mistake. Not a good day.

To top it off, someone has an offer for stems that I am just not seeing in my inventory boxes. These stems have not sold (we just got them so I definitely know that!) but where are they?? OK, that's it. Tomorrow better go better than this!

Bartlett Collins Golden Ivy Beverage Pitcher

2007-12-03T19:03:00.000-08:00

Bartlett Collins made lots of tumblers during the golden age of decorated tumblers, the 1940s-1970s. They had all sorts of cute designs, including hand painted fruits, silk screened poodles, flowers and more.

The design on this juice pitcher is Golden Ivy, and the white ivy leaves are formed by raised speckles of textured material. This is similar to Coraline and gives a sparkly retro look. Bartlett Collins made a whole series in similar styles, using grapes, fruits, flowers and the like.

Of course you would wash this by hand, but wouldn't it be a great way to serve your morning OJ?

Heisey Empress Etched Sahara Tall Champagne / Sherbet

2007-12-02T16:20:00.000-08:00

This is even more beautiful in person than in the photo. It is the Empress etch on Sahara Old Dominion tall champagne. Heisey Glass called their light yellow Sahara and it is simply stunning in this piece.

This is one of the pieces I bought on eBay. Someone offered this with some other stemware and the picture suggested that it might be etched. Yes it was, the seller sent me a photo of the etch, and that was all it took to make this glass lover put in a bid!

We are listing this on Monday, picking the date to be one full week before the second Monday in December. That second Monday has been one of the best days each year for online sales. We shall see. While many people collect Empress and Sahara Heisey glass, a smaller number are in the market on any given day. My hope is that by combining a desirable item with a high traffic sales day we will make two people happy - the buyer and me!

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

Tiffin Classic - Scarve Draped Dancer Etched Pink Beauty

2007-12-01T19:42:00.001-08:00

Several etched glass patterns from the elegant depression era incorporate dancers, notably the Springtime by Monongah etch and Tiffin's Classic. When Hocking Glass bought out Monongah during the depression, they converted the lovely Springtime dancer plate etching to a mold etch which could be mass produced. That pattern became the beautiful Cameo depression glass.

The design shown here, with a dancer draped in flowing scarves surrounded by swags and scrolls, is Classic by Tiffin. We were fortunate to acquire a few pieces in the pink; this is scarce and quite valuable.

The piece shown here is the small footed juice tumbler. This footed cone shape was a classic depression-era tumbler, and to me embodies the vintage look of elegance and grace. The tumbler has a subtle vertical panel optic that enhances the beauty of the design.

One reference attributed the dancer to be Isadora Duncan an early modern dance pioneer. Whether the lady in our Classic by Tiffin is Isadora or not, this is a beautiful etch that is simply gorgeous in Tiffin's pink!

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

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

Candlewick Candleholders by Imperial Glass

2007-11-30T15:57:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we showed depression glass by Imperial and today we're looking at a couple pieces of Imperial's Candlewick. Candlewick has beads - around the rim, on the handles, on the base - almost every piece has beads. It is one of the easiest patterns to identify and it also is one of the harder patterns.

Imperial made Candlewick for almost 50 years, from 1936 to 1984 when Imperial closed. It was their most extensive and popular line and no wonder. The simple beaded design is easy on the eyes and attractive.

This top candleholder is the three-light, beaded center oval candleholder 400/147 style. You may find other candleholders that are similar as Imperial made several styles. The one most alike has the same beaded oval center but is missing the top holder.

This next candleholder is the rolled rim style, meant to hold a single candle. To me it looks more colonial style. You can see why people like collecting Candlewick - they have a lot to choose among!

If you want to read more, these two candleholders are described in the store linked below. Many dealers offer extensive selections of Candlewick.

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

Diamond Quilted - Pink Depression Glass from Imperial

2007-11-29T19:33:00.001-08:00

Even though we think of Imperial Glass as making Candlewick or Cape Cod, they also made several patterns of true depression glass. These were mass-produced, made in colored glass, came in full tableware sets and had the usual little mold marks that give depression glass its charm. One pattern is Diamond Quilted, shown in the sherbet to the left.

Look at the stem. It is not the photo that is off kilter - the sherbet really does lean! The plates that we have had all had little wrinkles in the rim. Yes, this is depression glass!

Diamond Quilted came in pink and green primarily, and my book shows blue, amber, crystal and black as well. It is a pretty pattern with nice shapes. The glass is decent quality, pretty colors and good clarity. Yes, there are little mold marks but you won't find lots of sharp edged rims that chip easily and the designs are crisp. This is glass you can enjoy for a long time.

Imperial's other well known depression glass pattern is Twisted Optic. Both patterns are sadly under-appreciated. Take a look at both patterns in our store, Cat Lady Kate's Elegant and Depression Glass, and see what we mean.

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

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

Cambridge Rosalie Etched Stemware - Beautiful Floral Etch

2007-11-27T19:43:00.000-08:00

Cambridge Glass' Rosalie etched pattern is even more beautiful in person than in the photos. We found a few pieces this fall and have been listing them slowly. The odd thing about our pieces is that the blanks are not the usual Cambridge shapes that Rosalie is usually found etched. The blank is the basic glass without the etching and usually makers used more than one blank for their most popular etches. My books show Rosalie on six different stem shapes!

The goblet shown here is the number 3051 blank, quite plain with a nice shape bowl, slightly tapered stem and subtle optic. It is very pretty. My books show this in the cordial size yet we have the water goblet. Not surprising given Cambridge's range of stems, but interesting.

Rosalie has a flower and leaf scroll and swag etch but the easiest way to tell it from the myriad other flower and leaf etchings is by the squarish spiral. I don't know of any other pattern that has that motif.

We have this goblet and a matching flat tumbler listed in our store in the TIAS online collectible mall. http://www.tias.com/stores/catladykate/

Metlox Poppytrail California Ivy Dinnerware - What a Difference 3 Years Make

2007-11-25T18:09:00.000-08:00

In 2004 I bought a small set of Metlox Poppytrail California Ivy dinnerware that had no serving pieces and sold it all on eBay easily, fast and for a nice profit. About half of the pieces sold on auction and the rest in my store.

That first set had lunch plates and soup bowls, which turned out to be the most profitable items. Soup bowls are usually pricey and sell well but it's odd to have lunch plates be selling standouts. We were able to buy a second set in 2005 and of course were glad to do so, thinking it too would sell well.

Unfortunately that second set had no soup bowls or lunch plates. More, there were a lot of competing auctions on eBay. The serving pieces, like the vegetable bowl shown in the picture, were suddenly quite common. So far I have not even recouped my initial purchase price.

It's now late 2007; we still have most of the new set left and are trying once again to list it. Fall and winter have been my best times for china, so let's see how this goes. Several pieces are on auction and others will be in the store. Since eBay increased their store commissions store listings are less attractive financially but often buyers don't look for china every day and you need to have it listed when they wan to buy it. For me that means putting most pieces in the store and trickling something out on auction almost every week.

Wish me luck!

MacBeth Evans Monax - the Other White Glass

2007-11-24T17:10:00.000-08:00

When is white glass not milk glass? Sometimes it is lovely monax depression glass from MacBeth Evans. MacBeth Evans was eventually bought out by Corning and you can recognize its legacy in the Corelle dinnerware. Monax is different.

The earlier monax white depression glass was thin, translucent with opalescent rims. MacBeth Evans used monax with its pure white to great effect with mold etched designs like American Sweetheart and Petalware. American Sweetheart is already quite ornate because the molded design is complex, but Petalware was a simple pattern that cried out to be decorated. And decorated it was!

We show two pieces, a salad plate with the red flower and green leaf spray handpainted design called Florette, and the saucer with a gold decal. Both are pretty and both look very different, hardly like the same pattern at all. Yet both are Petalware monax depression glass by MacBeth Evans!

Cat Lady Kate offers both of these in the TIAS store Cat Lady Kate's Elegant and Depression Glass, http://www.tias.com/stores/catladykate/

Leaf and Laurel Cuttings - Depression and Elegant Glass

2007-11-23T18:54:00.001-08:00

One design that stays popular year after year is the simple leaf spray or band. Some of these are laurel cutting; usually these are bands of leaves such as the cordial pictured. This is Fostoria's Laurel cutting, which is classic and elegant. This sort of design has a formal feel to me.

A cute design that is much less formal is a stylized leaf band cut that is shown here on the Boopie wine glass. This simple band is from Anchor Hocking, from the 1950s or 60s and the pattern is Swedish Modern. By the way, Boopie glasses are not Candlewick. They were mass produced and are ordinary table glass, perfectly nice, quite cute and meant to be used. Candlewick is fine crystal.

Anchor Hocking made several pieces with the Swedish Modern cut, so if you like this you can choose among several pieces.

Lots of glass companies made leaf spray cuttings and it is often impossible to tell who made what. We have plates in clear, green and pink glass with almost the same simple leaf spray around the rim. They are all pretty!

You may find pieces sold as "etched" that were actually cut. Both of the pieces shown in our pictures were cut. Etched designs will feel different; if you find that the design feels like it is all the same depth, then it is probably etched. If the edges feel shallower than the center it is cut.

Regardless, these are pretty and remain classics! Come take a look at our TIAS store, Cat Lady Kate's Elegant and Depression Glass, and our eBay store, Vintage Elegant Depression Glass, to choose laurel leaf glass for you!

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

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

Console Bowls - Elegant Glass Shapes from the Depression Era

2007-11-22T19:30:00.000-08:00

Elegant glass companies in the 1920s and 30s produced patterns that included decorative pieces, stemware and dinnerware, but most people who could afford glass such as Fostoria or Cambridge used china dinnerware. Thus glass firms made many interesting bowl shapes for decorations and centerpieces. Often these decorative bowls matched stemware lines, extending the market appeal. Thus the console bowl was born!

Console bowls were wide, shallow bowls that were meant to display on a side table or in a hallway. They are usually 10 to 12 inches wide and are flared. Some console bowls are deeper than others, but they are usually not so deep as salad bowls. Console bowls were often flanked by matching candleholders, and if you see something called a console set, it would be the console bowl with two candleholders. Console bowls could be used to hold fruit or flowers, but were styled to have enough presence and size to look great empty as well.

The bowl in the picture at the top from Fostoria is the Baroque blank, with the Chintz etching. You can see that this is flared and quite fancy. It looks like it belongs on a table as a centerpiece. This particular bowl is referred to as a 12 inch flared round bowl. You might see these listed as console bowls, centerpiece bowls, or simply 12 inch round bowls.

One of my personal favorites is the rolled edge console bowl. Instead of flaring the rim to make a very wide, shallow opening, the rim gracefully arcs over to form a wide bowl with a much smaller opening. These bowls have looks! Usually the etching or design is on the rolled rim. Since the interior of the bowl is rolled to the outside, the design shows beautifully from any angle. These are meant to be fancy and are one of the signature pieces of the elegant era.

The green bowl is a classic shape console bowl also from Fostoria with the Vesper etch on the edge of the rolled rim. If you saw the profile you could see that the rim on this bowl does not roll fully over to touch the table top.

Fostoria Loop Optics and Drape Optics - Neat Effects in Glass

2007-11-20T16:44:00.001-08:00

The green vase is from Fostoria, made in the late 1920s. It doesn't have any etching or other decoration so the pattern is from the optic pressed into the glass.

Optics are shaped on the inside; they are a molded design that makes the piece look shimmery. Some optics are vertical, like panels, others are spiral, or dots or like this example, look like festoons or drapes. Usually the optic will be named something you can recognize so they are not as difficult as some etchings to remember.

Fostoria used optics in several designs. Besides this vase, they used the loop optic in the stemware pattern Cellini, and the ice tea in that design is shown on the right.

Most glass companies used optics. Some are subtle and you will hardly notice them while others jump right out at you. Even depression glass patterns used optics. Block Optic, for example, has vertical lines on the outside and horizontal optic on the inside, making the design look like stacked blocks.

We have all of these listed in our eBay store and our TIAS store, linked on the left. Happy Glassing!

Glass and China – eBay Store vs. Auctions

2007-11-19T19:56:00.000-08:00

You can get advice from lots of people, many who sell successfully on eBay and online. You need to decide what works for you, and that’s the hard job. I thought about this a lot and concluded I don’t know the answer. But here’s what I’m thinking today as I prepare my listings for next week.

It's rewarding when a customer says how glad they are to finish a set of dishes that they inherited. Until the internet if you broke something that was it, but now people can complete that cherished set and can actually use it. That is the plus side of selling glass and china!

We bought china at estate sales and sold quite a bit of it, but lately it has not done that well. People often know their pattern name and search for the pieces they need and will buy if the price and condition are right and the seller appears trustworthy. Most patterns appeal to a small number of buyers who may be in and out of the market; they don’t collect the dishes and they just want to augment their set.

I usually put my china in my eBay store. Most of the pieces are offered individually, so you can buy one soup bowl or one dinner plate, but I also try listing some in twos or fours, so you would buy two plate or four bowls. Offering in twos or fours helps keep the shipping cost more reasonable relative to the value of the china. No one likes paying $5 for a plate and $10 to ship, but china is heavy and bulky and has to be wrapped well and insured. Lately I have tried selling in place settings, say one each of the plates - dinner, lunch, bread and butter – cup and saucer. That has worked well so far. Checking my past years’ sales, though, most people bought one or more of a single item even when I had multiple pieces listed and combined shipping.

The cereal bowl is Harker China Godey Prints and we're starting a set of 6 tomorrow.

We'll see how it goes this winter.

Heisey Recessed Panel Candy Jar Etched with Wheeling's Pheasant and Stump

2007-11-18T17:40:00.000-08:00

This gorgeous candy jar with lid is from Heisey Glass and it has the Pheasant and Stump etch with gold and cobalt blue. The candy jar is Recessed Panel which was made with a smooth band near the top. Wheeling Decorating Company would have etched the design on the broad band that is perfect for decorating. This is most unusual; I couldn't find any similar glass.

This was a common shape for candy jars during the depression era and most glass companies made something similar. The sizes were based on the weight of candy one would hold, so this jar, which is a little over 10 inches tall with the lid on, was a one pound candy jar.

I listed this today in my TIAS store, Cat Lady Kate's Elegant and Depression Glass and it is starting on auction tomorrow night on eBay. This is one of those pieces that I have mixed feelings about selling. I sell glass because it gives me an opportunity to see and hold and enjoy a lot of different pieces, but each one moves on to a new owner. I want to keep the most beautiful ones for me!

Romantic Holidays with Vintage Stemware

2007-11-17T06:05:00.001-08:00

Beautiful stemware with a history! You can add romance and a touch of nostalgia to your holidays by using vintage stemware. Whether you enjoy goblets treasured by your parents and passed down to you or you purchase stemware to start your own family tradition, lovely stemware adds a touch of elegance and sets you apart from everyone else.

The goblet shown on the left is beautifully etched with open roses and flower blossoms. This is called a plate etching, with the design inset into the glass surface. The particular goblet shown is Secretaries Primrose made by Monongah glass sometime before 1931. The flowers and simple shape make this fresh and appealing even today.

Other stemware, such as the amber Georgian goblet by Viking, is more suited to family meals as it is heavier and comes in a huge range of shapes including the goblet shown, plus tumblers, ice teas, juice and sherbets. Georgian has a honeycomb look to it and I remember my grandma had a set of red tumblers. Many glass companies made this design and you can find a rainbow of colors. I like this rich honey amber color which is perfect for fall. It makes you feel warm all over!

If you like the idea of adding a touch of charm and tradition to your family, please check our store, Cat Lady Kate's Elegant and Depression Glass, for these and other vintage stemware.

Dogwood Pink Depression Glass - Large Flowered Beauty

2007-11-16T18:25:00.000-08:00

Recently I got a large set of Dogwood by MacBeth Evans from an antique dealer. This is pink, thin glass with a design of large four-petaled flowers and leaves. It’s quite pretty. I thought long and hard about buying all this, as you can imagine, because it was expensive and because this came from the ex-dealer. After all, she couldn’t sell it, so why would I? Anyway, I took the plunge and now have a nice set of Dogwood.

The valuable pieces in almost any depression pattern are the cereal and soup bowls, tumblers and some serving pieces. I got the cereal bowls, larger serving bowl, and best of all, four tumblers! Dogwood sherbets are scarce and we got some of them too. The cereal bowl and sherbet are shown in the photos.

MacBeth Evans made Dogwood in pink and green from 1929 to 1932, so it is one of the earliest depression glass patterns. Sometimes people call this Apple Blossom or Wild Rose because of the open flowers with wide petals, but this design has four petals, not five as would an apple or rose blossom. Dogwood is mold-etched, which means the design was etched into the mold and not into the glass. This method allowed glass companies to mass produce fanciful designs with intricate patterns quickly and with no hand work. Dogwood looks a little like the gorgeous brocade etches with its all-over pattern.

MacBeth Evans is the same glass company which made American Sweetheart and Petalware. Dogwood may be slightly less well-known than American Sweetheart, but it shares the same thin glass, pretty shapes and beautiful design.

Good Books for Glass Identification - Stemware

2007-11-15T19:12:00.000-08:00

Last time we showed how I identified a Lenox goblet we bought at an estate sale. We used online sites to find the matching picture, but only after going through our stemware identification book. Personally I find it easier to flip through books than go through a gazillion websites, so I start with my trusty shelf of books first.

The book I mentioned yesterday, Stemware Stemware Identification Guide, was written by Page and Fredericksen. It has line drawings or photos of goblets – 250 pages worth of goblets, about 20 per page. That is a lot of goblets! And that’s one of the downsides of this book, the sheer number to check. Also, the line drawings sometimes emphasize style points that are less noticeable when you hold the piece in your hands. For example, when I hold my Libbey Rock Sharpe’s Crystal Leaf stems shown in the photo, the cutting looks like cattails and the big design point are the little protruding nubs at the top of the stem. The drawing doesn’t convey this. This is minor carping, though, and I use the book a lot. You just have to be aware that you may look right past the exact piece the first 3 or 4 times you search.

Another stemware book is Cordials by Gene Florence. While I like Florence’s other books, this one hasn’t been as useful. It’s good for the overall shapes but not the design details.

If you think your stemware was contemporary – Royal Doulton, Waterford, Lenox, etc. – then you don’t have a lot of reference books to choose from. There is a Waterford book but I don’t have it. Other than that, if you cannot find in the Replacements stemware guide then you will probably have to either trudge through websites. The good news is that newer glass is often marked, which really helps.

If your glass is older, say pre-1984, then you may find it in one of the many books that cover elegant glass makers. For example, there are books about Fostoria, Seneca, Tiffin, and more that focus on stemware, plus others that are more general. I’ll share my experiences with these another time.

Researching Glass to Sell on eBay

2007-11-14T17:28:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I identified a wine goblet we had as Lenox Crystal’s Hanover. This is contemporary crystal with a cut paneled bowl and molded stem; it’s heavy and the glass is beautifully clear. We had a good photograph of this already so I listed it to start later this week.

We’ve boxes upon boxes of glass that needs a name – if we can name it we have a better chance of selling – so it’s a happy event when we get one more piece identified. Here’s how the identification worked:
This goblet was marked Lenox which made it easy. First step, check the crystal stemware guide by Page and Fredericksen, Crystal Stemware Identification Guide. The stem shape wasn’t there.
Next step, try the Replacements online catalog. They have tiny pictures of many patterns and it takes time to go through the list, click and open any that look possible, then rule out and go onto the next. There it is, Hanover.

Now for pricing, there are several sources, including eBay listings, Replacements, TIAS stores, Ruby Lane stores, other stores through Google and my own best guess. eBay completed prices are reasonable guides if the same item sells consistently but is chancy if it’s uncommon. The downside to using eBay completed is if two bidders happened to find the same item and got into a bidding war the price may be too high, and if a seller listed with a low opening bid but only one person felt like buying, then the price is low.

I tend to use my judgment plus other retail sites for items like this. For this goblet, I looked at when it was made, 1985 to 1989, figured that people ought to want to complete their sets and am listing for $29.99 with buy it now of $32.99. This is not a super popular pattern so it will likely do better in my store where it can wait for a few months, but we’ll try the auction path first.

We’ll look at how this goblet did on auction next week after it closes.

If you would like to watch too, here is my eBay store: http://stores.ebay.com/Vintage-Elegant-Depression-Glass and here is my store on TIAS online collectible mall: http://www.tias.com/stores/catladykate/