Guest Post: Enjoying Depression Glass – The Committed Collector

Last weekend was all about the Depression Glass show and sale for me and many other glass lovers in our area—or should I call them committed glass collectors?

Collecting in Rochester is always fun, but it’s particularly exciting when there’s a big event that brings together a variety of dealers and their wares. The annual glass show did just that by bringing in several out-of-town Depression Glass dealers, a number of local ones, and a number of purveyors of general antiques, which is always fine with me.

I might have mentioned in my last post that I bought a piece of china, four teapots, and a tablecloth at the show and sale. How I managed to resist all that glorious glass still remains a mystery to me. (All right. Very, very limited space might have had something to do with it—so the fear of starting yet another collection was a factor, too.)

As I said, though, I did bring home some new purchases, as did quite a few other collectors I know. Unless we’ve been diligent since then, that means this weekend is all about updating our collections.

I myself still need to unpack my new treasures, give them a gentle washing, add them to my inventory, and then decide how to use them.

Packing them away always breaks my heart. Saving them for special occasions is a disappointment, too. Squeezing more teapots into my china cabinet will be a challenge. (Did I mention lately that I’m planning to open a museum next year for those of us who have far too many items in our collections and far too little space at home?)

Since storing, saving, and cramming in are poor options, I might as well use my new treasures—and I hope you use your special things, too.

To encourage us all to enjoy our vintage glassware more often, the members of The Depression Glass Club of Greater Rochester have provided some helpful suggestions:

Enjoying Depression Glass

1. Keep your glassware easily accessible in a china closet or kitchen cabinet. However, when dishes are stacked on top of each other, be careful not to drag or scrape the top one over the one it sits on because that could cause scratches.

2. Most vintage glassware is still fit to be used or at least displayed. Enjoy displaying your vintage glass bowls or trays, for example, on tables and dressers, but avoid tossing keys and coins into them because doing so will scratch the glass over time.

3. Vintage glass pitchers come in a variety of styles, so it’s easy to find fun ones for everyday use as well as elegant ones for special occasions. At all times, though, carry and pour glass pitchers by holding both the handle and the neck or bottom, too, to avoid putting all the stress in one place.

4. Using your glassware is an easy way to control portion size because older styles are often smaller than contemporary ones. Be careful, though, serving things like coffee or soup in your Depression-Era cups or bowls because overfilling and then spilling are possible.

5. Set a pretty table by serving dinner on your favorite glassware; however, avoid putting vintage glass plates on hot stovetops and into hot ovens—and don’t put them in the microwave at all. Only bakeware and similar pieces were designed to withstand high temperatures in conventional ovens.

6. Use your glass dishware as often as you can, but consider what kinds of food you serve on vintage glass. Avoid entrees like steak or chops that need to be cut with a sharp knife because it’s easy to cut the plates as well as the food.

7. Glassware is great for storing leftovers, but be careful with which kinds of vintage glass you put in the refrigerator. Only sturdy kitchenware, like covered refrigerator dishes, was made to withstand the cold.

8. Enjoy using your Depression Glass, and then give it the TLC is deserves with a handwashing in warm soapy water. However, avoid putting cold or even cool glass in warm water. Likewise, avoid putting cold things into glassware that might be still warm from a recent washing. It’s usually better to let vintage glassware come to room temperature before subjecting it to temperature changes.

9. Although, most Depression Glass is strong enough to still be used, decorative pieces and figurines might be better off simply on display. Some dishes have fancy or openwork rims, and other pieces have fragile edges that can be chipped or broken off easily. So…use your glassware in a display and then be particularly careful when arranging or dusting it. Then sit back and admire how beautiful your glass looks.

If you love vintage glassware as much as I do, why not visit the Depression Glass Club when it meets next month? Visitors are always welcome whether or not they collect glass, and the club even allows in china collectors like me.

I hope to see you at the October meeting. In the meantime, remember to check out the Depression Glass Club’s Facebook page for more details about their upcoming calendar.

Patti
The Committed Collector

If you love using your vintage items, please leave a comment and tell us how you use them. We’re curious to know how others put their treasures to work around them.