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

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.

Fortune Pink Depression Glass

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.

Sharon Cabbage Rose Depression Glass

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.

Petalware - Pretty Depression Glass with Fanciful Decorations

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

Olive, Line 134, Depression Glass from Imperial Glass

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/

Bartlett Collins Golden Ivy Beverage Pitcher

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?

Diamond Quilted - Pink Depression Glass from Imperial

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

MacBeth Evans Monax - the Other White Glass

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/