Guest Post: Ten Tips for Collecting Depression Glass

Do you appreciate beautiful vintage glass? Do you love all the pretty pastel shades or vibrant colors it comes in? Would you like some tips for finding the best glass at the right price? Then read on…

Today, we have our first guest post with some helpful suggestions from one of my favorite organizations, The Depression Glass Club of Greater Rochester, whose members are dedicated to collecting and learning more about that beautiful colorful glass from the past.

Although I’ve been a member for only 13 or 14 years, the local Depression Glass Club was formed 40-some years ago. With a roster of 80 or so members, the DG Club includes collectors with decades of experience among them, so they also have a wealth of information to share about buying, using, and storing this iconic American collectible.

Whether you’re a committed collector of Depression Glass (as I intend to be someday), or newly acquainted with its beauty and charm, I think you’ll find some useful recommendations here—I know I did—including some classic advice and several clever tips from local expert collectors:

Advice for Collecting Depression Glass
from The Depression Glass Club of Greater Rochester

Depression Glass includes the colorful, sparkling glassware made in America during the difficult years of the Depression Era, which is usually considered the period after the Stock Market crash of ’29 until the beginning of World War II.

Such glassware was manufactured in pretty colors or decorated with cheerful designs to help lessen the heartache of the times. Some of the more famous companies that produced such glass patterns are Anchor Hocking, Fenton, and Cambridge.

Depression Glass includes hundreds of kinds of items, such as everyday dishes (that were given away as premiums), elegant glassware (that was sold in jewelry stores), barware (that was often decorated with comical figures), and a host of other items (like ashtrays, knives, and even mousetraps) made of glass.

We’re happy to report that sources of Depression Glass are still plentiful here in Western New York, so collecting this colorful glass is easy in the Rochester area.

If you’re tempted by Depression Glass and need an excuse to start collecting it, or if you’ve been bitten by the glass bug and need a justification for your growing collection, there are several good reasons to collect this kind of glassware.

* Familiar patterns can bring back happy memories of times past with parents or grandparents and holiday dinners when the Thanksgiving turkey tasted so good.

* Better pieces, especially those bought at good prices, might go up in value, so they could be an investment.

* Particular styles or colors can fit in nicely with your current decorating scheme.

The best reason to collect glass is simply because you like it and take pleasure in owning it, seeing it in your home, or using it when you can.

The fastest way to fall for glass is to attend an antiques show or, better yet, a Depression Glass sale like the one the local club is sponsoring Sept. 15-16. A glass sale offers an amazing array of colors, patterns, and pieces, so you’ll probably find something that catches your eye, and then you can go from there.

1. Before you get serious and buy many pieces, though, research as much as possible about your new favorite collectible. Find out its history, its characteristics, and a little about the company that made it. Take the time to study the patterns you collect, so you know their features (like its colors, shapes, or sizes) to avoid accidentally buying the wrong pattern.

2. Then keep learning because the more you know, the greater the advantage you’ll have when buying from anyone who knows less. Many times sellers think they have elite pieces of glass, but if your knowledge is better than theirs, you’re not going to pay $100 for a $20 item. Likewise, you might be happy to spend only $20 on a piece worth $100 when you know more than the vendor does.

Needless to say, to learn more about glass and all that goes into finding a good buy, join the local Depression Glass Club or even the national one.

Also, ask older friends and family what they remember about the glassware that their parents or grandparents had. You can learn about things like costs and usage by simply listening to stories of the past.

To learn even more and to establish connections for your favorite patterns, talk to dealers and develop friendships with them. They’re great sources of knowledge as well as kindred spirits who share this interest.

3. Buy an identification guide or two and then keep them in your car, so you can refer to them when shopping at garage sales (or look things up online as you come across them). Again, being able to distinguish between features helps prevent mistakes.

4. When your favorite pattern and another one have design elements (like the shape of a cup’s handle) that are similar to one another, make note of distinctive features, again, so you buy pieces in the correct pattern.

5. From time to time, check what’s listed on sites like eBay and Replacements, Ltd. to find unusual pieces, compare prices, and keep learning.

6. Once you begin collecting, consider how much space you have to house the pieces you’re picking up. Some items are quite large and take up lots of room, while others are smaller or can be useful. Consider where you’ll store your purchases, how you’ll display them, or if you can actually use them.

7. Also, if you start to collect a particular pattern of Depression Glass, consider the cost of its individual pieces. Find out which ones are most expensive, whether or not they’re readily available, and whether or not you can afford them.

If you do decide to collect a whole pattern, try to buy the more expensive pieces first. When pieces are rare and hard to find, they might go up in value over time.

The more familiar pieces should be more easily available, and at lower prices, but they probably won’t rise in value at the same rate.

8. When shopping, keep in mind the three most important factors: condition, condition, condition. Considering the condition of glassware is important because vintage pieces are often damaged over the decades, but they can rarely be fixed.

* If you want mint items in your collection, or if you want to actually use the glassware you collect, buy pieces that are perfect in every way.

* If you only want to display your Depression Glass, some damage, especially if it’s out of sight, might be acceptable to you.

* If you want an especially rare item, it may pay to buy it even if it’s slightly flawed.

* If you do decide to buy a flawed or damaged piece, make sure you know enough to about the piece and its value to pay an appropriate price.

9. One way to avoid buying imperfect glass is to inspect it with “the fingernail test.” If you run your fingernail around a piece of glass, but it catches on something, the glass is nicked or cracked, so pay accordingly.

10. Another way to avoid mistakes is to check for any discoloration. For example, cloudiness in vases and cups can come from holding water for an extended amount of time. Cloudiness in salt shakers comes from holding salt for a lengthy period. Because some cloudiness can’t be removed, inspect pieces carefully and learn to distinguish between dust and actual damage.

Learning about glassware is our passion at The Depression Glass Club of Greater Rochester—as is collecting it, of course.

We meet at 7:15 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of most months at the Eisenhart Auditorium of the Rochester Museum and Science Center. Visitors are always welcome to attend a meeting, which usually includes a program about vintage glassware.

Our club has also been holding an annual show and sale, and our 2018 Vintage Glass & Collectibles Sale is scheduled for September 15 and 16 in the Eisenhart Auditorium, RMSC, 657 East Avenue:

Saturday, Sept. 15, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 16, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

* The event will feature a variety of dealers selling Depression-Era glassware as well as vintage china, silver, linens, ceramics, and other small antiques.

* The weekend will also include a display of vintage glassware that depicts images of nature as well as an educational program about animal figurines made of glass at 1:00 p.m. each day.

* There will be door prizes as well as a grand prize raffle for a set of dishes, and pie, ice cream, and beverages available.

* Those who have a piece or two of unknown vintage glass may bring them in for possible identification of the pattern, color, and manufacturer.

* Admission is $5 and covers both days. Parking is free, and the building is handicapped accessible.

For more information about the club or our upcoming sale, send an email to us at dgclub@rochester.rr.com or check out our Facebook page, @DepressionGlassClubRochester.