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Kitchenware Blues–and Reds and Yellows, Too

It’s only Saturday morning, and I’ve already had real trouble resisting all the sales this weekend. 

On my first foray through the suburbs of Rochester yesterday, what did I see but an estate sale sign. This morning, garage sale signs seem to be posted at every other corner, and The Shops on West Ridge is holding its seasonal sale, and tomorrow—Sunday—is always a big day for flea markets and antiquing in Western New York in the summer.

Oh, I’m in agony over my New Year’s resolution to do less shopping and more curating in 2019, and it’s all the Depression Glass Club’s fault.

You see, on Thursday evening, the DGC’s program was all about kitchenware of the 1930s and 1940s, and I’ve been Jadeite green with envy ever since.

I had assumed I really didn’t like kitchenware.  It was merely practical (or so I thought) and included only covered refrigerator dishes and dusty, greasy grease canisters. 

How wrong I was.

The program featured a great variety of pieces brought in by several members of the club.  The range of items was surprising, while the colors were as striking as always: lovely pastel pink, vibrant cobalt blue, and happy poppy orange.

And, oh, I have been tempted ever since to begin a new collection.  Wouldn’t red pieces brighten up my kitchen?  Beverage sets would be so useful on the porch, and everybody needs salt and pepper sets, right?  And useful things don’t count as collectible, do they?

Nonetheless, I’ve gotten about halfway through the weekend without embarking on a kitchenware collection, so, for now, I’ll continue to restrain my enthusiasm and simply itemize the kinds of Depression Era glassware available for anyone building a collection (or trying to resist starting one, as in my case).

Here, then, in alphabetical order, are the kinds of pieces that were displayed Thursday evening at the Depression Glass Club meeting:

  • batter jugs and butter dishes
  • canning jars, cookie jars, creamers, cruet sets, custard cups
  • drip jars
  • juice glasses, juice jugs
  • measuring cups, mixing bowls, moisture proof shakers
  • pitchers
  • reamers, refrigerator bottles, refrigerator jugs
  • salt and pepper shakers, skillets, spice sets, sugar bowls, sugar shakers, syrup pitchers
  • tea canisters
  • vases

Some members brought only one kind of item, while others showed off several kinds of related pieces.  All had important information as well as interesting stories to share.

Another thing that came up as the members talked about their collections was how they curate them, which I found most intriguing. 

  • Some group pieces by their colors or patterns, so their displays are made impressive by the number, similarity, or range of items.
  • Others are fans of certain manufacturers, so their collections include a variety of pieces, but their patterns, styles, or shades are often identical.
  • Still others organize their kitchenware by their use, so we saw groupings like a chorus line of syrup jugs.
  • Some of the members are collectors after my own heart and explained how they integrate their glass kitchenware with related objects like ceramic dishes and vintage linens.

All in all, the members of the Depression Glass Club put on another interesting program with many beautiful things to see.  (I might easily add that these collectors have enough to fill a museum exhibit like the ones planned for The Collectors of Western New York.)

In addition, the glass club members inspired us all to look at things with a renewed interest and see the various possibilities out there—whether we’re on the hunt for new pieces or curating what we already own and love.

Happy Weekend, Everyone.

Patti
The Committed Collector

I wonder:  Has vintage glassware caught your eye?  Are you drawn to the vibrant colors or the fun patterns?  If so, why not leave a comment and tell us about your kitchenware?  We’d be delighted to hear about it.

© 2019 The Collectors of Western New York museum
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Collecting Postcards

I don’t know how it took me so long to discover antique postcards as a collectible.

Both my father and grandfather were printers, so I was raised to appreciate printed materials. The artistry on postage stamps, paper money, and even sale ads were the kinds of things that Dad pointed out to me.

I loved the clip art in the grocery ads that Mom checked out each week. I knew the caricatures of bunnies and reindeer weren’t photos or paintings, but I couldn’t figure out what they were, artistically speaking. Nonetheless, I cut them out and glued them into a scrapbook just as my Victorian ancestors might have pasted trade cards into albums.

However, it wasn’t until I was nearly 30 that I discovered antique postcards. By then, I was fully committed to collecting china and glassware, but I still hadn’t noticed postcards at garage sales or flea markets. Ironically, I always bought postcards on my travels, but it didn’t occur to me that vintage ones existed, too.

Thankfully, a friend introduced me to the beauty and variety of antique postcards. We had planned an entire weekend of antiquing, and first on her agenda was the postcard show.

I had never been to a postcard sale before, so I didn’t know what to expect. My friend, however, brought enough cash and patience to keep us there for several hours.

She diligently stopped at each booth and asked about cats, horses, trains, and Halloween—the four categories that she and her husband collected. Then she pulled out a chair and sat down to look methodically through every one of these groups of cards. Then she changed chairs, so she could look through every card in every miscellaneous box.

At that point in my collecting “career,” I was used to walking from table to table and checking out a variety of wares. Sadly for us visual types, there often isn’t a lot to see at a postcard sale because the dealers organize their thousands of postcards in small cartons that look a lot like shoe boxes.

That means the sales tables all look pretty much alike—unless you take a seat and get comfortable. Then, there are wondrous sights to behold.

I only learned this after milling around for a couple of hours. Finally, and, I have to admit, out of boredom, I followed my friend’s lead and asked a dealer if any of the postcard might depict flowers, something I’ve always loved.

“Of course, there are cards with flowers,” he boomed. “What kind are you interested in,” he asked. “Bouquets? Gardens? Roses? Lilies? Or advertising cards—how about trade cards with pretty girls and bunches of posies?”

Initially overwhelmed by all the kinds of flowers I could consider on antique postcards, I blurted on the one that registered with me—roses. Mom loved roses; I loved roses, too, and I still do, so that was a fortuitous choice.

The dealer ushered me over to the box that had the “Flowers-Roses” tag and kindly pulled out a chair for me. Soon, I was lost in a rose bed of artistry.

Some antique cards had classically done renditions of lush, romantic roses. Vintage postcards had more stylized depictions of pink, red, and yellow blooms. Newer ones were made from color photos and showed the grandeur of places like the Hershey Rose Garden.

I was so engrossed that another hour or more went by as I decided if I preferred postcards with single blooms or full bouquets (both), pink roses or red ones (pinks), and just how many I should/could buy (more than I needed).

Eventually, it was my friend who was ready to leave and come looking for me.

She was buying for two (for herself and her husband), so she left with hundreds of postcards—and I mean hundreds. I might have left with only a dozen or so, but I had begun another collection—one that reflects all my father taught me about the artistry of printed materials.

Ever since, I’ve always managed to be selective and leave postcard shows with relatively few cards—even though I really don’t know why since I fully believe the more the merrier when it comes to collecting.

Perhaps next weekend when the local postcard show moves closer to town, I’ll finally become certifiable and leave with bags and bags of beautiful postcards.

I’ll be sure to try my best.

Patti
The Committed Collector

How about you? Do you like to pick up postcards as souvenirs of your travels? Are you among the few who actually send postcards to family and friends? If so, we’d love to hear from you—so please leave a comment.

 

© 2018 The Collectors of Western New York Museum.
All rights reserved.

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18 Tips for Collecting Roses

As a member of The Greater Rochester Rose Society, I know that most of the members are rose lovers and readily say they grow roses. Many of them are all-around gardeners, too, so they say they garden with roses. I’m probably the only one who says, “I collect roses,” but I think the other members should consider that’s exactly what they do, too.

Collecting by definition means amassing a quantity of similar or related items, and it seems to me that’s what we members of the local rose society do. Just as another collector might focus on bottles, we focus on roses, and anyone who has 200 rose bushes growing in their yard is a collector in my book.

As we buy additional rose bushes, we rose growers/gardeners/collectors also take into account features like color, size, shape, and variety—just like another collector might have green Depression Glass or miniature clocks or spherical vases or assorted marbles.

The fact that our floriferous collection is a living one—and lives outside the house, for that matter—is irrelevant to me, the committed collector, for a collection is a collection is a collection.

Consequently, I’ve asked the members of the Rose Society to consider what decisions they make as they choose new roses each season or decide which ones to add to their garden designs, and here is their advice:

Suggestions for Collecting Rose Bushes
Courtesy of The Greater Rochester Rose Society

1. Since this collection features living plants, buy rose bushes only from reputable sellers, so you start with healthy, hearty plants.

2. To assemble a collection of rose bushes that are most likely to survive our winters in Western New York, consider buying roses with their own root stock rather than those grafted onto another’s. Or, at least, talk to your neighbors who grow roses, so you can collect ones that do well in our area.

3. An additional way to choose roses for their hardiness is by noting their suitability for our hardiness zone. Being south of Lake Ontario puts most of us in Zone 6. Depending on your specific conditions, landscape, and micro-climate, you may need to collect roses that are fit for one zone either way.

4. To ensure that your collection is always looking its best, chose roses that are known for another kind of hardiness—their disease resistance.

5. If you’re new to roses, visit the website of the American Rose Society, www.rose.org. Among its valuable information is what you’ll need to decide if you want to collect Floribundas or Shrubs or Climbers or Old Garden Roses, for example. The website explains the different classes of roses, their shapes, their growing habits, and their bloom cycles, so you can decide if you want to collect some of each or specialize in one kind or another.

6. If you’re adding rose bushes to a garden or designing a new one, check out a resource like the book Right Rose, Right Place, so you can choose the appropriate roses for your yard and its conditions.

7. If you’re growing roses to exhibit in rose shows, or if you simply want a stellar garden display, collect only roses that have high ARS scores, which are compiled by the American Rose Society based on information from thousands of gardeners around the country. Roses with high scores are often thought to be among the most beautiful.

8. Consider fragrance, too, as a primary feature of this collection. After all, everyone instinctively puts their nose in a blossom hoping there’s a heady scent. Some of the rose bushes suggested for a “fragrance” collection include Double Delight, Perfume Delight, Sunsprite, and Mr. Lincoln.

In addition, make “display” decisions based on the strength of the rose’s perfume. For example, in a bed, you might display (plant) strongly scented ones away from each other, so you can enjoy their differences. Also, you might display (plant) particularly fragrant ones near your entrance or deck, so you can be around their scent often.

9. One deciding factor for many collectors is color, and rose lovers are no exception. If you love vibrant hues and many shades, consider choosing a variety of them and then alternating the specimens in your rose collection by color. (In other words, plant roses of different colors so they alternate with each other.)

10. Conversely, consider planting monochromatic rose beds or ones of complimentary colors. By choosing roses all in one shade, like pink or white, you can go for maximum impact. By buying roses that go well together, like purples and yellows, your display will have a different effect.

11. If you’re fastidious about color: (1) buy rose bushes only when they’re blooming or (2) buy a color wheel and note the exact shade of this year’s roses to have handy when you shop next year, or (3) transplant rose bushes if their flower colors clash with those next to them.

12. Another way to curate a rose collection is by having a theme, such as by planting a celebrity garden. Flower beds could include rose bushes named after the famous (like Marilyn Monroe, Dolly Parton, and Elizabeth Taylor) or the important (like Queen Elizabeth, John F. Kennedy, and Billy Graham) or the fun (like Don Juan, Santa Claus, or Graham Thomas, who’s a superhero to rose lovers). Visitors are enchanted by such a cast of characters and can have fun guessing which one is which.

13. One way to have cohesion in a rose bed is to collect rose bushes that are all of the same classes, like Hybrid Teas or English Roses or miniatures. Most of your choices then will have the same general look, growing habits, and needs.

14. Otherwise, if you’re attracted to all kinds of rose bushes, as a true collector would be, buy and display (plant) roses according to their height and overall size, as we would when arranging items in any other collections.

15. Once winter arrives, spend the time poring over books, catalogs, and websites, so you’ll know what you like when rose bushes arrive in the nurseries in the spring. Then you can shop with your design idea in mind.

16. Watch for the local rose shows in 2019, so you can see the blossoms and foliage on hundreds of different varieties. You’ll see different shapes of blooms, for example, as well as different shades of color and different edges of petals. You’ll also get an idea of how small miniature rose blooms are compared to those of standard varieties. Any of these features can be inspiration for starting a collection.

17. All collections need to be maintained, and that’s particularly true of living things, so you can contact your local rose society to find out what type of rose will suit your lifestyle. Each chapter of the ARS has consulting rosarians who are more than qualified to answer your specific questions.

18. The only thing more helpful than contacting a rose society is joining one. The Greater Rochester Rose Society usually meets at 7:00 p.m. on the first Tuesday of the month from March through December. In July, the group has its annual picnic and garden tour, of course.

For more information about the rose society, visit its website at https://greaterrochesterrosesociety.weebly.com/ or send an email message to rochrosesociety@gmail.com.

A warning about collecting roses as well as a word of encouragement from one of the rose society members: “Growing roses is a challenge, yet it’s very addictive. Somehow a few plantings can increase to 65 rose bushes, but it is a most gratifying hobby when the garden is in full flush.”

Spoken like a true collector if you ask me.

Patti
The Committed Collectors

If you’re a gardener who has a particular favorite or a scheme in mind as you choose your plants, why not leave a comment and let us know what features influence your choices?

 

© 2018 The Collectors of Western New York Museum & Gallery.
All rights reserved.

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Guest Post: Enjoying Depression Glass

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.

 

© 2018 The Collectors of Western New York Museum & Gallery.
All rights reserved.

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Guest Post: Tips for Cleaning & Storing Depression Glass

If you’re a serious collector like I am, you know that collecting is fun. We enjoy going out, hunting, and gathering. We like scoring bargains, and we love finding special pieces. However, we’ve also probably learned that there’s some work to be done once we bring our treasures home.

That’s especially true of a collectible like glassware that benefits from some tender loving care. Fortunately for us, we have a great resource nearby: The Depression Glass Club of Greater Rochester, which is dedicated to the colorful glass of the 1930s and ’40s as well as educating its members and others about it.

As a member of the DGC, I’ve learned a lot about the lovely pink and green glassware that I received from my mother, who had received it from her mother years before. I’ve also learned that some of the members of the club are pretty much experts when it comes to their favorite patterns. That’s because they’ve not only been collecting their Depression Glass for years and years, but they’ve been using it and caring for it as well.

With that much knowledge among its members, the club was able to provide so many tips for collecting Depression Glass that we have another guest post from them today. If you read last time’s post, you know that the club provided some great advice for collecting this iconic American glassware.

Today, the members of the local Depression Glass Club give us some additional suggestions for taking care of our vintage glassware.

From The Depression Glass Club of Greater Rochester…

Recommendations for Cleaning Depression Glass

1. Whether you’re just bringing home a new piece, or taking an old favorite off the kitchen shelf, vintage glassware should be washed by hand in warm water using a mild detergent and soft sponge.

2. Never use any kind of abrasive cleanser on glassware. Never scrub glassware with a steel wool pad, coarse sponge, or stiff brush—and certainly never ever scrub glass with silver overlay or any other kind of decoration on it.

3. To protect glassware while washing it, pad the basin of the sink as well as the edges of the counter with thick dishtowels. Also, be careful not to hit the faucet with the glass.

4. Take care to avoid subjecting your glass to extreme temperature changes. In particular, allow cold glass to come to room temperature before unpacking and washing it, especially in the winter when it comes inside after being in an unheated car.

5. If glassware is grimy or especially dusty, let it soak for several minutes in warm soapy water. Then use a soft sponge to wash it. Soak another time or two if needed. If crevices still remain dirty, gently use a soft toothbrush to work at the grime.

6. After washing, use a soft kitchen towel to dry and polish glassware before it completely air dries, so you can wipe away drops of water and streaks.

7. If your glassware is on display, periodically dust each piece individually with a soft cloth. Avoid using a feather or lamb’s wool duster because both their length and the swishing action make it easy to knock over pieces.

Recommendations for Storing Depression Glass

1. Whether you can display your glassware in a china closet or have to store it in a kitchen cabinet, stand most glassware upright rather than upside down since the rim is usually thinner and weaker than the foot.

2. Avoid stacking cups in each other since that puts stress on the handles and because tall stacks are often unstable and could topple over. Avoid hanging cups on cup hooks, too, because that also stresses the handles.

3. Avoid putting glasses and tumblers into each other because they, too, could become stuck together.

4. Avoid stacking all of your dishes in one tall stack because that puts so much weight on the lower dishes. It also concentrates all the weight on one side, which stresses shelves and could cause them to collapse. Instead, distribute weight evenly on shelves, and store plates and bowls in shorter stacks.

5. To soften the contact between stacked pieces, use white paper coffee filters or paper plates, napkins, or towels between them. Regular, uncoated paper plates as well as paper napkins come in a couple of sizes, and some brands of paper towels can easily be torn to size.

In addition, different paper products come in different thicknesses, so they offer varying amounts of protection. For example, thin coffee filters might offer just enough padding between smaller, lighter dishes, while paper plates are thicker, so they’re better between larger, heavier pieces.

6. In addition, even when stored, place paper napkins or paper towels between the lids and openings of canisters, candy jars, and any other pieces that have covers. Doing so will provide some cushioning and lessen any vibrations between the lid and container.

7. If you need to pack up some of your glassware, layers of bubble wrap with small bubbles is recommended for protecting glass, especially for smaller pieces. Multiple sheets of clean newsprint or packing paper also work well, but newspaper itself is warned against since the ink often rubs off onto the glass.

8. If you need to box up glassware to be moved or shipped, double or even triple all your efforts (with extra bubble wrap, packing materials, and double boxing), or seek out professional advice at local packing and shipping facilities. Remember to label boxes “Fragile” and identify what’s inside.

With the local Depression Glass show and sale coming up next weekend, I hope that what I buy there will fit in my house and not have to be packed up or moved to mini-storage—and even though I don’t officially collect Depression Glass, I do indeed expect to find a treasure or two at the sale.

As always, I’m looking forward to the possibility of finding more of my grandmother’s green glass. I’m also open to being tempted by many of the other glorious glass pieces that I’m sure to see there.

And, if all fails, I trust I’ll be able to find an irresistible piece of antique china (or two or three or maybe even a whole set) since the glass show has been expanded to include other vintage collectibles.

I’ll just have to be patient until then. For now, the details of the show and sale are below.

While we wait, take care, and take care of your collections.

Patti
The Committed Collector

2018 Vintage Glass & Collectibles Sale

• Quality dealers selling antique and vintage glassware, china, pottery, linens, silver, and more
• Glass identification, educational program, door prizes, snacks
• Free parking and handicapped accessibility
• $5.00 admission covers both days

• Saturday, Sept. 15, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
• Sunday, Sept. 16, 11:00 am to 4:00 pm

• Eisenhart Auditorium, Rochester Museum & Science Center, 657 East Avenue

• For more information, visit the club’s Facebook page at @DepressionGlassClubRochester or send an email to dgclub@rochester.rr.com.

© 2018 The Collectors of Western New York Museum & Gallery.
All rights reserved.

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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.

 

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