Depression Glass – The Committed Collector

Posted on July 27, 2019July 28, 2019 by admin

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.

Posted on December 1, 2018 by admin

Santa’s Helpers Share Love of Depression Glass

Some of Santa’s little helpers were busy here in Western New York even before Thanksgiving, on the day when we happened to have our first snow of the season.

They had gathered to spend a Sunday afternoon prepping dozens of pieces of sparkling glass to be used as prizes at the upcoming holiday party for the members of the Depression Glass Club of Greater Rochester.

What’s more, it’s obvious these elves are all committed collectors of vintage glassware.

Apparently, most of them have been assigned to the glass club party detail for years, so they know how to operate among the “organized chaos” of the event, which was a revelation for the rookies.

First, furniture has to be moved and tables set up in the hosting helpers’ home. Then the larger elves lug in cartons and cartons of glassware that has been collected since the club’s last holiday party.

Once the glassware is unpacked and spread out on the tables, the helpers (who are seeing the pieces for the first time) spend some time oohing and ahhing over the beautiful choices, which have already been washed and dried by the chief elf so they glisten.

The expert elves then assess the prizes and divide them into everyday Depression Glass (which will be the prizes for the steal-a-gift game) and Elegant glassware (which is the better glass that has to be earned in bingo).

The experts deliberate to decide which is the very best piece of glass, and that one is designated as the prize for the winner of the hardest round of bingo—cover-all—which is one of the highlights among the more competitive partygoers.

Another lovely piece is set aside for the winner of a special drawing. Club members and party guests can donate non-perishables for a local food cupboard, and they receive a ticket for each item contributed. The winner of this drawing then goes home with a pretty piece filled with chocolate, which is as much of an enticement for this crowd as the glassware.

Back at the wrap party, the rest of team gets to work fitting the pieces of glass to the dozens and dozens of small boxes that the elves have stockpiled over the year, which is easy to do when they themselves frequently shop on eBay and have things—like glassware—sent to them.

Stockpiling boxes is easy, but finding enough in just the right sizes and shapes for the candlesticks, pitchers, vases, and other glass prizes is a real challenge.

Once swathed again in packing paper, and then boxed securely, each individual prize has to be beautifully wrapped in festive paper and properly identified: bows for the bingo prizes and curly ribbons for the steal-a-gift game—or was it bows for the stealing game and ribbons for the bingo prizes?

Then the bedecked presents are boxed up into the cartons again and hauled away and temporarily stored until the big party, which happens to be this Friday, Dec. 7.

Once the scene has been cleared—and some order has been restored to the host helpers’ home, which happens to have several amazing collections of glassware fit for display at The Collectors museum—the elves line up for a buffet of snacks that’s enough to fuel them back to the North Pole.

With 14 or so glass-loving elves together, the conversation naturally revolved around the prizes and the holiday party and the Depression Glass Club’s programs for next year. The talk also went back to the food a time or two since collectors love their refreshments almost as much as their collections—almost.

For members and guests of the Depression Glass Club holiday party, winning one of these prizes might be the inspiration for a new collection.

Come Friday, the festivities will begin with a buffet of heavy hors d’ouvreurs and desserts, followed by the steal-a-gift game that gets everyone up and moving and laughing at whose stealing from whom.

Then we’ll get down to the bingo, which includes a half-dozen or more variations, and some serious prize winning—and maybe a little envy and a few reasons to start a new collection or two.

Here’s to the beginning of the holiday season and all the ways our collections help us celebrate.

Patti
The Committed Collector

If your collections are a part of your holiday traditions, please leave a comment. We’d love to hear how your treasures fit into your celebrations.

Posted on October 27, 2018 by admin

What Else I Collect

I was able to attend the monthly meeting of the local Depression Glass Club this past week, and discovered yet another reason to enjoy the organization and appreciate its members.

The group doesn’t meet in November because we’re all busy using our best china and glassware to serve our Thanksgiving dinners. We don’t have a formal meeting in December either because we’ve set aside an evening of holiday merrymaking that includes feasting, playing games, and winning glorious vintage glass as the prizes, of course.

With no more formal meetings this year, the club had to consider its programs for 2019 this month. When the president asked for suggestions, the members came through a number of popular kinds of Depression Glass, including the following:

salt and peppers
pitchers and beverage sets
kitchenware
elegant stemware
candlesticks
dresser pieces
children’s sets
glass animals
holiday pieces
Vaseline glass
teacups

As a teapot collector, I’d readily vote for a program on vintage glass cups and saucers any day. When another member suggested including teapots, too, I voted with both hands.

(Unfortunately, I don’t have an antique glass teapot, so I’ll have to ask Santa to include a gift certificate for a shopping spree, which means I’ll have to work hard to stay on the nice list until then.)

In the meantime, I can take solace in the fact that the very first suggestion for the glass club’s 2019 schedule was “What else I collect,” which was met with a rousing round of applause. Okay. Maybe I just imagined that part.

Even so, I love it. I absolutely, positively love it: People who are dedicated to collecting glassware of the Depression Era area also crazy about other collectibles, too. Just like I am.

They’re my kind of people through and through, and I appreciate the time and effort, knowledge and talent they all put in to building their intriguing, impressive collections.

Why not check out the Depression Glass Club’s Facebook page and then join us for a meeting in 2019? You’ll probably like the group as much as I do.

Patti
The Committed Collector

How about you? Do you have multiple collections, too? If so, please leave a comment and tell us about the things that attract your fancy.

Posted on September 21, 2018September 21, 2018 by admin

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.

Posted on September 14, 2018 by admin

Glorious Glass

I’ve forgotten if it was the year we moved to the Rochester area or the following one when I discovered the local Depression Glass Show & Sale. I’ve also forgotten what the display theme was that year and what I bought.

What I remember, though, is how entering the auditorium was like walking into a wonderland and how the Eisenhart shone with all the sparkling glassware. What I also know is that this weekend’s glass show will be just as magical–because I’ve gotten a sneak peek.

As a member of the Depression Glass Club of Greater Rochester, I was at the RMSC this afternoon setting up my display and checking out the sales booths. Now, I can’t wait to get back tomorrow morning to start adding to my collections (even though I don’t officially collect Depression Glass, you see).

In addition to the thousands of tempting pieces of beautiful glassware are just as many other treasures, for the sale has been expanded to include vintage china and pottery, linens and silverware, buttons, jewelry, books, and other small antiques.

With all that to choose from, I might just be able to find a few new pieces for myself and a few gifts for family and friends. Who needs to wait to dream of sugar plums when the glass show is in town!

I hope to meet you there!

Patti
The Committed Collector

Posted on September 7, 2018September 7, 2018 by admin

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.

Posted on September 4, 2018 by admin

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.

Posted on July 31, 2018 by admin

My First Show & Sale

I know I’m supposed to be working my way through the journalist’s questions and discussing the who, what, when, where, why, and how of collecting, but this time I thought I’d take a break and travel down memory lane.

Have you ever noticed how some of the briefest childhood interests or quietest traits end up following us into adulthood? That’s certainly the case with me—as the story of my first Depression Glass show reveals.

Any other teenager would have preferred to stay home on a Sunday afternoon, but I was eager to accompany my mother on her quest. We’d be leaving our suburban neighborhood for Jacksonville Beach and the Depression Glass show and sale that was being held at a hotel there. I wasn’t particularly interested in going to a glass show, but I, usually an introverted homebody, was surprisingly up for the adventure.

Mom had received two incomplete sets of glassware from her own mother and wanted to learn more about them. In the early 1980s, most people had no idea how to discover anything about the antiques they owned, other than through Ralph and Terry Kovel’s newspaper column or an occasional magazine article.

Identification and price guides were being published then, but you had to know they existed in the first place to be able to look for them in libraries or bookstores. We hadn’t discovered them yet, so when Mom read about the upcoming show, she was determined to go.

Mom had been a child in 1929 when the stock market infamously crashed, so she lived through the Depression and knew of the gold-rimmed green glassware and the pink swirl pitcher from her mother’s kitchen.

Later, we learned that both kinds of Grandma’s glass are considered Elegant Glassware (which is better than a lot of the glass of the era), but my grandmother already knew that. Mom grew up with the glassware unused except for special occasions, and by the time I arrived, Grandma was keeping both sets safe in an ornate china cabinet that she had received as a gift from her brother, who had worked in a furniture store.

The grass-green set included six tall, footed sherbets and saucers, all rimmed in gold. I’ve forgotten if any of the dealers were able to identify the pattern, which I’ve since learned is called Circle and was made by the Hocking Glass Company during the 1930s.

Circle itself is an “everyday” Depression Glass pattern of average quality, but the unusual addition of gold banding makes these pieces much nicer than the typical Circle glassware. (I know: I’ve since picked up a dozen more plain green pieces including short sherbets, cups and saucers, and tumblers, and I’ve only once come across any other sherbets with gold detailing.)

Grandma’s other set included a short, stocky pitcher and six lovely tumblers in a translucent salmony shade of pink. Again, I’ve forgotten if Mom learned anything about the set, but since then I’ve been told that it’s one of the popular Swirl patterns. Even so, the only similar piece I’ve noticed is the taller pitcher, which was scarred inside from years of stirring with something metal, so, alas, I left it behind.

From the time I was in seventh grade, and my widowed grandmother moved in with us, I looked upon the same glassware kept safe in our dining room. Every once in a while, to heighten a special occasion as her mother did, my mom used the tall green sherbets to serve fruit salad or ice cream.

Once, in an impromptu party for my friends and me, Mom brought out the gorgeous green glassware with its shining rims and served something like gelatin or pudding in them. I’ve long forgotten exactly what we ate, but I’ve always remembered how the special glassware helped to make an ordinary afternoon extraordinary.

By the time I was college age, Grandma was facing some serious health issues, so perhaps that’s why my mother wanted to learn more about the glassware that had been a part of our family for so long. Perhaps she wanted to complete the sets; I don’t remember anymore.

What I do remember is being stunned by the extent of the glass show. Tables and tables filled the huge ballroom of the beachfront hotel where the show was being held, and through the windows, the Atlantic Ocean looked small compared to the sea of glass before me.

Crystal clear glass gleamed and sparkled under the lights. Glassware in lovely shades of pastel pink, blue, and yellow looked simply ethereal, while the glass in striking hues of cobalt blue, forest green, and ruby red added drama to the setting.

I’ve forgotten whatever individual pieces I noticed that day. What remains clear in my mind is the impression of all that stunning glassware. The view was simply breath-taking.

My mother was a practical woman, so she didn’t buy anything that day. Presumably, she didn’t come across any pieces to add to either set. I, on the other hand, was excitable and delighted easily among all the treasures, so I found one I couldn’t live without.

Among thousands and thousands of pieces of glorious glass, I spotted a demitasse cup, sans saucer—a china demitasse cup, that is, decorated with the logo of a French restaurant. The cup itself was darling. Better yet, both the logo and the backstamp were written en Français, which was the language I had chosen to study in high school and college, so it was meant to be.

How perfect! A darling little cup with a French name on it. Parfait! I just had to have it. I went to a Depression Glass show, yet I bought one of the few non-glass items for sale there that weekend. Go figure.

Although I adored that little cup, I lost track of it for several years after it had been packed away during one move or another. In fact, I had completely forgotten about it. By the time I found it again, I recognized what it was, and I was amazed.

In the years that had passed, I had graduated from college, found a job, and begun collecting seriously. At the time, I was actively pursuing two collections: restaurantware and logo glasses—and a look at the little cup with more experienced eyes revealed a lot: I saw that it was made of the heavy china that hotels and restaurants use.

How fitting. Even before I “discovered” restaurantware (which is a story for another day), I was attracted to it. Even before I started collecting glasses with product logos on them, I bought a piece that advertised where it was used.

I guess the collecting gods smiled knowingly when I eventually started collecting restaurantware and logo glasses. I’ve apparently been attracted to them from the start.

Both Mom and Grandma are gone now. Of course, I still have their green and pink glassware, but I gave up my logo glasses about ten years ago, and I’ve had to store away my beloved restaurantware for lack of display space at home.

Even so, those budding interests and youthful traits remain: I still check out pieces with iconic logos, and I’m always drawn to decorated restaurantware of any kind.

More important, I still feel the same way about collecting: I’m a natural hunter and gatherer. I’m always excited for the thrill of the chase, and I’m even delighted by the smallest of finds, like a demitasse set.

In fact, I have a few dozen adorable little demitasse cups and saucers in my collection now—and I don’t really like coffee.

Patti
The Committed Collector

If you’ve ever gone to one kind of show and sale and bought something else entirely, please leave a comment and let us know how that happened.