New Orleans Hornets 3D Logo Pilsner Glass Glass

A very important rule to remember when buying Murano glass, particularly the clowns, is that sellers will tell you ANYTHING if they think it will sell their item.

I have been collecting Murano glass clowns for over 20 years. A couple of years ago, some seller decided to come up with a "new" idea to help sell their Murano glass clown. They were touting what they call "scorpion marks". What rubbish this is!!!!!! These "scorpion marks" are nothing more than sloppy workmanship when the glass was removed from the rod leaving odd marks that were never polished off. These sellers are suggesting that these marks increase the value of the clown. I would bet that the old Master artisans who have died and left us with their wonderful artistry, would roll over in their graves at the deceipt which goes on today not only with the glass clowns but glass in general.

Browsing around the internet, I found a site that touts itself as selling GENUINE Murano glass. They have a whole page of glass clowns. When I saw the clowns I was a cross between snicker, because they are so absurd, and, angry, because of their false advertising. A few years ago, I worked for a store who bought merchandise cheap from countries like China, and then marked up the prices. The buyers for this store bought a whole shipment of glass clowns from China, complete with a sticker that said "made in China." These clowns were a step below junk compared to the Murano clowns, however, it was this junk that was being sold on this web site touting GENUINE Murano.

Over time, I have had a lot of contact with fellow glass clown collectors, especially the Murano collectors, and especially the newbies just starting to collect. These poor folks are so confused about what is genuine and what is fake due to the false advertising that goes on by sellers. Fortunately, there are those of us who are veterans and can help guide the new collectors, but, there are many out there that get deceived every day.

Of course, if one just collects glass clowns in general, then none of this matters. For the serious collector all these lies that sellers tell are deceitful.

I think the worst sellers are those who sell glass objects and occasionally find a glass clown, put it up for auction touting it as genuine Murano and then get incensed when it is suggested that the clown was made in China not Murano. They think that because they sell glass items, it make them the worlds leading authority on EVERYTHING. No matter that they are using false advertising.

We live in a buyer beware world! You have to be the one looking out. Do not hesitate to ask the seller questions. If the seller doesnt give you suitable answers, look elsewhere and don't wast your money.

Manager giving bar staff bollocking they served fosters in a carling glas

Shipping supplies

unprinted newspaper
bubble wrap
newspapers
styrofoam packing peanuts
cardboard boxes
tapes (several widths, from scotch type to 2" wide packing tape)
mailing labels (optional)
Instruction

First, give the item a final inspection. Make sure there is no damage that was not mentioned in the auction. Next, wrap it in plain, unprinted newspaper. These roll-ends are available at all local newspaper offices. They generally run from free to $2 for a roll-end depending on how much paper is left on the roll. An added bonus to this paper is that it makes a great background for your photography when you're listing, too! Wrap it firmly around your item and secure it with narrow, scotch-type tape. Do not use newspaper that has been printed on. The ink will come off onto your item and you will have a very unhappy buyer!



Your next step will be to enclose this in bubble wrap. Bubble wrap is available in several sizes, and vary from the size of the bubble to the size of the sheet. A good source for purchasing Bubble Wrap is the wholesale suppliers on eBay. If you're packing small items I would recommend the 3/8" bubble size. Larger or heavier items will need more protection and therefore you might want to get the 1/2" bubble wrapping. If you're selling a variety if items, like many sellers, you may wish to have a selection of sizes of wrap on hand. Again, secure with tape.

Now, you will be environmentally friendly and re-use your morning newspaper. Use several layers as an outer protection for the bubbles. This will help prevent them from being accidentally deflated and thus leaving your item with no protection. Newspaper is an excellent wrapping media when used properly.

An extra step I take here is to use stretchy Plastic Wrap. It comes in a large spool, and you can purchase it at on eBay too. It bundles your package nicely and adds an extra layer of protection. It's cheap, will tuck in any loose ends, and adds no weight to the package. It's also great for bundling together several items, say for example a set of tumblers, so they don't bang around inside the box and damage each other.



Now our package is ready to go into a box. Be sure there is 2" of space in between your well-wrapped package and the walls. All cardboard boxes carry a weight rating so you'll want to be sure to not exceed the recommended capacity. Chose a box size that is appropriate to your item. A box that is too large will not only cost extra postage, but if you have insufficient packing around the outer edges, can do more harm than good to your item. A thin-walled box like a standard shoe box will get crushed in the mail. Why would you re-use flimsy boxes when you can order co-branded eBay / U.S.P.S. approved boxes free! eBay's Shipping Center can be reached at the top of every page.



If your item is extremely fragile, you should also consider double-boxing...again, making sure there is adequate space between the boxes should the outermost box get accidentally crushed. DO NOT re-use empty beer boxes or any box that held any liquid as the post office will not accept them.

When it comes to packing your item, you will need to fill up that 2-3" of space with something. I use a combination of scrunched newspaper and styrofoam peanuts. I find that this particular combination is light enough so as to not add extra charges for heavier-item shipping but will give superior protection in the event of damage. You want your wrapped item to float in the middle of the box. If you use only peanuts your item will shift to the bottom and will eventually end up with no wall space so this is why you need both materials. Try it yourself: pack your box then give it a good shake for a few seconds. If the item settles to the bottom, you haven't packed it properly.



Now you will want to seal your box. If the box is slightly flimsy, you can utilize reinforced strapping tape along the edges, although if you're using USPS approved boxes this shouldn't be necessary. Use a good quality, clear packing tape. Do not use duct tape or masking tape.

At this point I re-weigh my item and use the Print Shipping Label through my eBay. It's fast and convenient and provides free online tracking for both you and your customers. Your buyer will even receive a memo (that you can personalize, if you like) that the item is enroute. Affix this label to your package and now it's ready to go. Sometimes I take the packages to my local post office, other times I hand it to my letter carrier. Either way I am secure in the knowledge that I have done my best to pack the item well and have done all that I can to make sure it gets to the recipient in one piece.

Here are a few more tips



SCALE: when listing, place the item on a scale along with a box and several sheets of newspaper to get the 'packed' weight. Use the shipping calculator option when you're creating your listing so potential buyers can see what it will cost to have it delivered to them. You can select more than one shipping method.

UPS vs USPS: Generally, Items weighing 10 pounds or more are cheaper shipped on UPS than USPS Priority. You can check at both places online. Be aware however that some Privately run UPS / Shipping centers add an additional surcharge to your freight. I've paid double the advertised fees at times to ship from a nearby private storefront. If you use the UPS Shipping calculator, those rates are applicable only to UPS Drop sites.

HANDLING FEES Don't be afraid to charge a small amount to help defray the cost of these items but do be up front about it in your listing description. I charge 25 cents per item. Don't over-charge or gouge your customers, they won't be back: or worse, leave you negative feedback about your high Shipping and Handling fees.When listing on eBay your item will be disadvantaged in search if your quoted shipping is higher than your competitors, too.

CLAIMS FOR DAMAGE If you do have an insured package that is damaged, be sure to handle the response in a timely fashion. Your seller will want to know you will help them file a claim. Tell them to save all the packing material and you will get the paperwork off to them. Get to the post office and ask for form PS 1000, Claim for Damage. Fill out what you can, prepare a letter addressed to the postmaster in your customer's area explaining the claim, and print off the auction page from eBay that shows the item description, buyer's i.d. and final price. Send all this to the buyer so they can complete the forms and process the claim and follow up with your customer, don't leave them hanging with that glass vase in pieces wondering what to do next.

Summary

Selling is easy: good packing is a challenge but is well worth the headache of having an item arrive broken or damaged. I've had a few breakages over the years, both as a buyer and a seller and these techniques I've developed can be adopted for even the most fragile antiques. Taking an extra step or two in packing tells your customers you care about them, and the merchandise you sell to them. Those collectors will be back!



Did you like this guide? I'd appreciate your vote! It'll keep it on top of the search engines so others can take advantage of this information

Glass Necklace Blue Green Purple Lampwork Sterling Silver Crystal

it is believed that glass was invented around 3000 BC during the Bronze Age. It is formed when certain rocks melt due to high temperatures and cools and then solidifies rapidly. From the discovery of glass, I believe is the proper theory, many products have been produced; windows, glasses, bottles, mirrors, decanters, dishes, and jewelry. Glass has been used as weapons and tools. Glass has become an integral part of our daily needs. We all have at least one mirror in our home, and personally I dare not leave the house without viewing my image.

There are 3 main steps to making glass.

1. Sand (which apparently is the main ingredient 75%) and other raw material (sodium carbonate 10%, limestone 5%, and alumina 5%) are heated in a furnace to about 1500C. When this melts it forms molten glass.

2. The molten glass is transferred , molded or shaped and placed in a kiln. You have the "blow blow" techniques. (Of course I am describing today's methods) This technique uses compressed air to give bottles its form. Then they use the "press blow" to give the bottle its final shape. The glass is then reheated in a kiln to cool the glass evenly to give it a smooth finish and make it strong.

The original methods were, blown (freeblown or offhand blown), pattern molded or blown molded glass (molten glass blown into a mold) and blown three mold (the glass was blown into several molds and seamed together) and finally pressed glass (molten glass placed in a mold and pressed down with a weight) no blowing in this technique.

3. The glass is inspected, packaged and shipped.

Many inventions and techniques have been created to create glass and shape a variety of glass. It is overwhelming when you realize the importance of glass.

Soooo, what makes glass objects a commodity, a collectible, an antique, precious and priceless? Well glass is a challenge it has gone through changes and fads, and some are just difficult to identify and place a time to. So here are some tidbits. The most important tidbit to keep in mind is that in the past 50 or so years glass has been reproduced, and many from the original molds, and are difficult to identify and time.

For dating glass remember that colored glass became popular after the Civil War. Yes colored glass was produced prior but the main focus at the time was transparent glass.

If your piece has blobs of glass added to it, it's more than likely a late 19th century piece. Blobs are also known as threading, lily pad and prunts.

1894 - 1935, iridescent glass; Louis Comfort Tiffany, glass signed L.C.T. or Tiffany, or L.C. Tiffany or Favrile. If mark missing can only be ID'd by an expert.

Quezal glass 1901 - 1920, all is supposed to be marked.

Durand glass 1897 - 1935, mark is "V" most not marked though

Aurene, 1904, marked "Steuben" or "Carder"

Golden iridescent 1890 - 1924 by Union Glass Company, signed "Kew Blas"

Carnival Glass, 1900 - 1920, cheap pressed glass, (has been greatly reproduced). Marks are "I" & "G" overlapping, , "N" or "N" in a circle.

Pressed Glass, late 1820's. Pieces made prior to 1840's are in demand, (ribbed and heavy looped), 1860's flowers, 1870's clear and frosted more elaborate patterns such as daisies, grapes, and figures.

Cut Glass, 1715, 1760, 1771 -1830), What's the difference between cut and pressed glass? Cut glass has sharp edges, and when tapped it rings with a clear tone, cut glass is heavy, sparkles and reflects light. Pressed glass edges are rounded (from being in a mold) and dull to the touch, and when tapped the tone is dull and flat.

Depression Glass, late 1920 - 1940's. This was glass produced during the Great Depression. Manufactured by Federal Glass and Hocking glass companies Depression glass is a popular collectors item. Colors include pink, green, cobalt blue, green, white, amber, iridescent and many more. One way to recognize Depression glass is little bubbles in the glass; mold marks and imperfections...remember Depression glass is a cheaply made glass that was purchased in Five & Dime stores.

Vaseline Glass, 1870's greenish yellow, originals contain uranium. Called Vaseline glass because it resembled the blue-yellow color of petroleum jelly. Also called canary glass.

Milk Glass (Slag), 1870 - 1880's. Called milk glass because it resembled milk. Comes in various colors of blue, (light and dark) green, amethyst, and black...no chocolate milk for this glass. Difficult to determine age and there is a lot of it out there. Old ones can be identified by a "C" rough spot on the bottom, and old pieces have less blue in them, and the glass is heavier. NOTE: some new pieces have been made from old molds.

So what the difference between milk glass and slag? Slag has steaks running though it like marble, 1880 - 1900's it was reproduced in the 1960's. Think of fudge marble ice cream on a "slag" of cake.

Satin Glass, late 1880's, velvety finishes with white lining.

a portrait of Henry VIII in stained glass, 1525, bit OOF. Check out the ginger curtains

I am very fortunate to be able to attend several auctions that specialize in Heisey every year and have been for many years. I collect Heisey and also sell a good bit of it through my eBay store and on eBay auctions.

Heisey was one of the first glass houses to mark their glass back in the early 1900's. However, MOST Heisey is NOT marked. Some patterns are and some patterns are not. Even within patterns, some pieces are marked and some are not. In the hundreds of pieces of Heisey Glass that I've handled through the years, I would say at least 60% of Heisey is NOT marked!

NO blown ware is marked. None of the earliest patterns are marked. Fandango and sunburst are not marked. Most of the stemware is NOT marked!

Many people think that IF there is a mark, then they know it is Heisey and NOT Imperial. NOT TRUE!!! Imperial used the Heisey mark many times. They used it when they were making glass for Heisey when Heisey was so busy that they couldn't keep up with production. Then when Heisey was closed in 1957 Imperial continued making quite a bit of the in-line pieces with the Heisey mark.

So how do you know if it is Heisey if the mark isn't an indication? Buy from a reputable experienced dealer. Learn how to look at a piece to tell the quality of the glass. Imperial is usually a bit wavy in appearance. Imperial colors on re-issues are not the same colors as the original Heisey colors. Heisey glass is by far the best glass ever made for the pressed glass trade and the quality and clarity of the glass is unequalled except for maybe early Duncan and Cambridge. If you ever have a chance to pick up a large animal figurine, it will tell you what Heisey is all about as the glass is so perfect it appears to be hollow when in fact it is solid glass!

Buy books! There are some very good books on the market, but start with the Bredehoft book first. It is the best all around book on Heisey.

So when you wonder..... is it really Heisey??? Just because it isn't marked, throw that thought away! The mark does not make the glass!

I learned to choose my diamond. Pieces of glass has not fool me more.

Beads have been around for a LONG time. They have been made from many different substances including clay, paper, metals, bone, shells, porcelain, wood, ivory, gemstones and glass.

Bead making is a highly valued art/skill throughout the entire world from very early times onward. Many of the skills and technics used have been hidden for centuries and if the method was revealed, the craftsman possibly risked death. Even today, some secrets are still highly valued in some countries. Some countries rationed the export of beads because there were only a few skilled workers. This of course, raised the value of the beads immensely.

HANDMADE LAMPWORK glass beads are made on a metal rod or copper wire. Molten glass is wound on the rod and then designs are added to enhance the bead. Millefiori is used to decorate many beads. It is a type of mosaic work involving many layers of glass to create a pattern and then the large design of glass is pulled out into a long thin rod and then cut to reveal the beautiful designs within. These designs are then placed onto a bead or other glass work and melted into it to create multiple complex designs in a very small space.

AddictedToMyTorch-Ebay Store

After the handmade Lampwork Glass beads are made, they are then put into an oven to heat all parts evenly and then allowed to cool slowly to reduce the stress in the bead. This is called annealing and it is a necessary part of beadmaking.

After the bead is cooled, if a copper wire was used, the bead is immersed in an acid bath to free the wire , but in our American made beads we generally use a steel rod called a Mandrel which is coated with bead release, which is a type of kiln wash specially made for beadmakers, which allows the bead to come off the rod when immersed in water.

MASS PRODUCTION of beads came about when cheaper materials such as glass allowed everyone to wear beads. As far as glass is concerned, the invention of a molding process produced a perfectly round identical bead. In the late 1800's Swarovski invented an automatic process for cutting quantities of quality glass beads. Even today, workers are not able to access all parts of the factory so as to guard the secret.

Once a bead is shaped, most are tumbled in a large drum to remove the molded seam, or to add different effects depending on the medium added to the beads.

Some beads are coated with different finishes, depending on the type of material used for the bead. Color is either a part of the beads natural or synthetic material. Oxides are mixed into glass to give different colors or enamels are used to enhance the colors. Precious metals are also used sometimes, especially on handmade lampwork beads to give them a different effect.

Some Precious stones are also dyed or heat treated to enhance their colors.

Since beads first appeared over 40,000 yrs ago, they have been made on every continent from local materials. Many regions developed their own designs and technics. As under the Roman rule, the beads and technics spread through trading especially from the 15th century onwards when the world was flooded with European beads...

SOUTH and CENTRAL AMERICA have a long history of bead making traditions and technics from their natural materials such as quill and wampum. These beads were sometimes replaced by imported beads when the continent was colonized but many of the traditions have survived the ages.

NORTH AMERICAN beads were introduced to the natives by traders and explorers such as Columbus. His first act upon landing in 1492 was to offer beads to the native indians.

In EUROPE, beadmaking was present in France since 38,000 BC. It flourished with the Romans, Byzantines and Vikings.

In FRANCE the plastic bead trade replaced the 19th century horn industry.

GREECE produces silver Filigree, worry beads and many types of ceramic beads highly decorated.

ITALY evolved into a glass bead center on the Venetian island Murano and dominated the world bead trade from the Renaissance. Millefiori, chevron, seed beads and decorated lampwork glass beads are a large part of the tradition. Artists would face a death penalty if they talked of the trade. The island was isolated for just that reason. Even today, some secrets are still guarded. Most of the beads made by American Art glass artists use the very same Moretti that has been used for centuries. This glass is imported and is of high quality.

INDIA imported European beads in earlier centuries, but now produces large amounts of well done beads in metal, lampwork and wound glass and wood for a fraction of the cost of Venetian and Czech beads.

India has a natural supply of semiprecious stones such as quartz have been traded for centuries and is highly valued. Beaded jewelry plays a large part in Indian life, either worn in precious materials or imitations.

JAPAN is the center of the pearl industry.

It invented the commercial cultured pearl in the early 20th century and produces a large portion of the worlds supply. Japans mass produced beads include plastic beads in many colors and finishes. They also export top quality porcelain, rocailles and seed beads.

CHINA'S beads and materials include jade and coral as well as cloisonne beads. Also, many freshwater pearls are Chinese.

THE FAR EAST

Mass produced beads in factories and can cheaply imitate those from India and Europe. In Korea, factories stamp many beads from sheet metal.

The PHILIPPINES produce beads from shell, horn and bone. The bead maker, working from home and paid very little has an intermediary deliver the raw materials and collect the beads weekly. Various types of coral are fished off the coast and mother-of-pearl is carved or cut and inlaid as a decoration on beads.

The USES of Beads

Beads are used the world over for many different things. The word, bead, comes from the Anglo-Saxon, biddin, meaning, to pray. Rosaries, a set number of beads for counting prayers are used by over half the worlds religions.

Beads are worn as a show of wealth and a form of currency. Many of the worlds leaders had jewelry made from precious metals or stones and they could sell it in times of need.

A cowrie shell belt on some Pacific islands is actually a currency and increases in value as it changes hands.

Beads are also used as STATUS symbols. This can indicate rank, age, marital status and place in society. In Africa, a Zulu girls love letter to her love is a complicated mix of colored beads. There are 40 words for different types of Maasai beadwork.

Amulets such as eye beads are worn to deflect the evil eye. Worn as a source of luck and protection and to appease spirits. Beads were scattered on the crops in Asia to bring a good harvest.

MODERN trends

In the 19th century, a middle class market for beads developed and there came new materials and techniques such as steel, cast iron, plastics and more. This enabled more people to wear jewelry. At the end of the 19th Century, art nouveau introduced a new breed of beadmakers. Tiffany invented luminous style fumed glass.

As people demand more and more diversification in their jewelry and as demand for the "one of a kind" art beads increases more and more artists are producing the handmade American "Art Beads" such as you have seen here. Since each bead is an individual creation and some artists skills are beginning to approach and even in some cases overshadow the skills of the Venetian artists due to technology and the willingness of artists to share their knowledge, the American Art bead reflects an investment in truly wearable "One of a kind" art.

Christmas Gift Shop Matching Genuine Dichroic Glass Pendant + Earrings Se

I have a big sign over my desk: EVERYONE HATES THE SHIPPING! Here’s a handy link for the most frequently asked question on eBay: How much will it cost to my zip code? http://ircalc.usps.gov/ This is the USPS shipping calculator. It will tell you everything you need to know and it’s not that hard to use. Just ask the seller: What’s your zip code and how much does this weigh??
There are two things that a buyer should keep in mind. What an item weighs will differ from what it will weigh after it is packed. The second thing is that there are plenty of “hidden” packaging costs that the seller absorbs that are expensive. Tape, bubble wrap, labels, printing costs, bubble mailers... these have an impact on any seller’s bottom line. Many sellers use the shipping calculator to include the cost of these fees and other sellers don’t. Not only are packing supplies expensive, but packing items for mailing is labor intensive.

That’s why that link is a good buyer’s tool. It give you a good indication of the shipping costs prior to bidding.

Any seller can now schedule a pick-up service through the USPS within 24 hours to pick up a Priority Mail package right at their front door. The price of gas shouldn’t be an excuse unless the seller lives in a rural area where this service isn’t available. I changed my own handling time from one day turnaround to a two day turnaround to utilize this service.

There are two flat rate Priority Mail services: The flat rate large envelope costs $4.05. There are two sizes for the flat rate box and they’re both $8.05. After that - everything is calculated by weight. You know your zip code - ask what the seller’s is.

As a buyer, you have the right not to bid. But don’t complain about the shipping costs after the fact if you didn’t do your homework first. That’s the buyer’s responsibility. Furthermore, not everything gets shipped via Priority Mail. The USPS has limits on what it will accept. If you are buying an oversized item - don’t expect delivery in three days time. Don’t expect delivery in 10 days time. Ask the seller - how will this be shipped and what is the turnaround time?

I am always horrified at how many negatives large powersellers receive because their shipping is done through a warehouse. These sellers ship thousands of items on a daily basis. Please! Show a little respect for large, wholesale operations. There is a reason why they can sell items at such a low price. I am also amazed at how many times a buyer will bid without reading the listing first. Every seller has the right to list their terms of sale as long as they remain within the eBay guidelines. This includes shipping terms, handling fees, turnaround time, and refund policies.

Instead of searching with the “time ending soonest” option, try the “time newly listed” option instead. This allows you as a buyer to ask plenty of questions prior to bidding. Any seller is more than happy to answer questions regarding rates, turnaround time, and especially return policies. If a seller doesn’t respond - then pass. If a seller says “I don’t know” then pass. As a buyer you will be pleasantly surprised - most sellers DO know and WILL respond!

Do you know that eBay prohibits sellers from answering questions during the last few hours of an auction? If you ask for details 2 hours before an auction ends - you are flat out of luck because the seller is prohibited from responding to questions - it’s a serious violation of the rules.

Do you know that as a buyer, you can join Square Trade? It is a good service that protects both buyers and sellers and treats both parties fairly. Check it out. It’s worth every penny. And do post the Square Trade emblem next to your eBay name. It gives sellers confidence that they are working with a savvy and RESPONSIBLE bidder! As a buyer, you have the right to figure it out for yourself in advance - and when in doubt - ask questions first. Both buyers and sellers have obligations - and we all play by the same set of rules.

Before I became a seller I never paid insurance. Now, I wouldn’t think of purchasing anything over $25.00 without it. Why take the risk? It’s no bargain if an item is lost during shipment. Delivery confirmation is one thing, but replacement value is quite another. Should you receive an item that is damaged, then the seller should be able to provide you with all of the insurance information. You are required to keep the original packaging for inspection. Work with your seller - and your seller will work with you.

Dorothy Thorpe began as a music student at University of Utah

I've been collecting and researching Dorothy Thorpe for about 10 years now and have an extensive collection of what I consider to be some of the most beautiful sand carved glassware. From time to time I'll contact eBay sellers about their pieces, mostly when they've misidentified a variety of flower or list something as Thorpe that isn't Thorpe.

Before I continue, I will provide a condensed biography of Dorothy C. Thorpe (source to be listed later today):

"Dorothy Thorpe began as a music student at University of Utah. During the depression, her husband's career suffered many reversals. Dorothy chanced upon a broken wine bottle in the street which was the beginning of her very successful career and her own glass designing and sandblasting company. Dorothy Thorpe was born January 5, 1901 and died August 4, 1989. While Dorothy is better known for her glass designing, she also designed dinnerware. Dorothy's work is seen on many types of Elegant glass including Heisey, Tiffin and more."

To help folks know what is and is not Thorpe, I thought I'd put this little guide together to help people understand what Dorothy Campbell Thorpe did and did not do, so they are less likely to be mislead about buying items listed as Thorpe, that are not Thorpe. :)

Most Importantly - Dorothy Thorpe DID NOT MANUFACTURE ANYTHING. Blank, undecorated glassware cannot be listed as Dorothy Thorpe because Thorpe did not manufacture Glass. Thorpe used existing glass made by any number of manufacturers and decorated that glass. The same applies to ceramics such as dinnerware. For those lines of stemware that Thorpe did design, she did not manufacture them. Instead, Thorpe bought large lots of blank dinnerware and decorated them.. There are very few items of stemware designed by Dorothy Thorpe for Dorothy Thorpe. There are a lot of Thorpe decorations on pieces by other makers though the debate over whether those pieces were not signed because they were designed for another maker or because they were overlooked rages on. Among those pieces are various and unique designs of stemware. Perhaps the most famous and highly prized stemware manufactured by Heisey was designed by Dorothy Thorpe. It is called "Hydrangea" and features a line of stemware with a base created in the form of a hydrangea flower. These were offered by Heisey in a few shades, they are truly beautiful. Not all Dorothy Thorpe Pieces are marked. This inconsistency has the capacity to drive some folks crazy when trying to differentiate Thorpe from other sand carved glass artists of the same period. In most cases, Thorpe sandblasted her trademarked logo into her pieces. The logo shows a small, upper-case D next to a larger upper case T which has an exaggerated top bar making the T go over the upper case D and a smaller, upper-case C opposite the D, on the other side of the center T. In some cases it will look like DTD but upon closer examination it looks like DTC. In some cases, Thorpe used a label. There does not appear to be any logic or reasoning behind which pieces were labeled or marked with the trademark logo. It is thought that pieces that missed the sand blast process were labeled, other thoughts are that it was simply what the company policy was at the time a particular piece was made while other pieces were decorated for the company who manufactured the glass. Like Grosz, Billie Rae and other artists of the time, including some Verlys for Heisey, these pieces would not be signed by the artist if offered for sale by the manufacturer. Dorothy Thorpe also decorated tableware for companies like Crown Lynn in New Zealand as well as several of her own lines. It is not uncommon to find sets of dinnerware with some plates marked with a manufacturer's mark as well as Dorothy Thorpe's mark and some dishes in the same set bear only the Dorothy Thorpe mark. Some people may be confused or think the plates with two markings are counterfeits. This is not the case at all. Simply, Dorothy Thorpe did not manufacture anything, she purchased blanks from any number of other companies and added her own stamp before decorated dinnerware was fired after decoration was applied. In the middle of the century, Dorothy Thorpe began to experiment with lucite and began to add it to some of her regular pieces as well as creating new pieces. Among the most common are the "pretzel" silver band candles. Recently, a number of lucite and glass items have been showing up such as glass cake trays with twisted lucite stands. Dorothy Thorpe did not manufacture these. There are no known examples of any Thorpe lucite and glass work that were not either part of her Allegro, Silver Band or sandblasted floral pieces. It's important to remember that Thorpe was a decorator, she did not make blank glassware. The pieces showing up on eBay are not Thorpe and they have no provenance.



When items appear that have never been seen before, and they are contrary to a known artist's typical method of operation, such as undecorated glass sitting on a piece of twisted or rolled lucite, you should be suspicious. The piece shown below, which literally appeared in abundance and was and is listed as Thorpe, is NOT Thorpe. In addition to her line of Silver Band, Thorpe also made a line called "Allegro". The difference in these designs is that Silver Band used a band of 1" sterling silver around the top rim of most pieces. Some serving pieces might have an additional line. This sterling will tarnish. Allegro used a band of metallic material that does not tarnish. Allegro has a mirror like appearance. That said, that is the only difference. The same 1" band would be applied to the top of the Allegro pieces. There are a number of West Virginia Glass pieces with a mirror finish that extends down most of the piece. Those are not Thorpe. Almost all barware in the Silver Band and Allegro lines had paper labels or foil labels. They are not sand etched with the logo. There is also a gold band decoration. Thorpe ceramic dinnerware most commonly seen is "Persimmon" and "Periwinkle" which are named for the colors used in the dishes and not the design itself. There are complete dinnerware sets with accompanying serving pieces in both decorations. There is also a crystal (clear) colored line known as "Spring Harvest" which is a transferware (not hand painted) decoration of spring flowers in a wreath around the plates, bowls and on serving pieces. Larger pieces will be signed with Dorothy Thorpe in yellow. Another Thorpe odd practice was taking some of their most popular decorations and stenciling them on to glass. This has been seen in the Thorpe Iris decoration which has been stenciled on to glass as well as sandblasted on to glass. The stenciled glass is not signed, but the pattern is identical. These likely came with a paper or foil label. As you can see from the photos above, the Iris dish on the left is a stencil, an exact replica of the sandblasted Iris dish to it's right. The stencil has color, the sand etch does not. Very few Thorpe pieces have color, but there are a number of smaller trays featuring iris and other flowers that have some pale greens, blues, pinks. etc. Resin: There are a number of resin pieces which bear labels marked Dorothy Thorpe, Inc. Mexico. Their date of manufacture is unknown and the fact that they were manufactured at all calls their authenticity into question. Also interesting is that none of these sculptures are of any of the flowers or floral items that Thorpe was best known for. Also interesting is that the label used is typically only seen on Silver Band or Allegro pieces in that they are white with silver lettering with a silver band around the edge. The labels say "Dorothy C. Thorpe, Inc. Mexico which implies that Dorothy Thorpe's company was located in Mexico. Otherwise, the items should say "Made in Mexico". In fact, Dorothy Thorpe's company was located in San Fernando, California and there is no reference in any biography about her ever doing resin pieces in Mexico. I consider these to be whimsies manufactured at some point after her death until I hear otherwise. Beware imitations! Companies are making new items that look nearly identical to old Thorpe decorations. This has already been seen in the Eucalyptus sand carved design on a brand new "Vintage Modern" piece by "Thomas O'Brien". It is a low quality item, the decoration poorly done and very cheap. But the inexperienced or beginning collector could be easily fooled. When paying for Thorpe pieces, the rule of supply and demand applies. I've been to one site with a floral etched glass and lucite tray is listed for $1,200, where I list the same item for $200. Allegro and Silver band are plentiful so there's no reason to spend a fortune with the exception of complete barware sets. A complete barware set, including stand and coasters, can be very hard to find, expect to pay more. The rule for Thorpe floral decorations is the larger the piece, the higher the price, the rarer the piece the higher the price. There are some very rare one of a kind pieces that command high prices. These include clocks, coffee pots, etc. If you're a collector, you know what you want to spend and you'll weigh the odds of finding the piece again. New collectors should stick to the more common pieces as they are easier to come by. Common pieces include Eucalyptus, Iris, Roses and Narcissus. Unommon pieces include Hibiscus and Pine. The most common decorations include: Poppies, Calla Lilies, and Azaleas. I am always happy to help anybody identify a flower or piece as I have a huge collection of my own. Rare and hard to find decorations are those etched into painted glass, and those etched into uncommon pieces like mirror.

porcelain and the tramps - king of the world

I would like to take this time and hope to help buyers be aware of what they may or may not be buying when they purchase an item that is like or marked Federal Glass.

We are not professional collectors, but hope what we have learned by looking and reading will help others that enjoy the same hobby and passion that we do for old, vintage, or antique glass.

Federal Glass is one of my favorites to collect and over the years, I have seen many things that are "real" and many that are what many think are "fake".

Until we went out and researched the different glass companies, we were lucky to know what any makers mark on any glass piece meant. The symbol for Federal Glass is the Shield with an F in the center. Very recognizable.

With the research we have done, we learned that Federal Glass bought many molds from other glass makers, so we might see an item done from another company and think it is a fake or reproduction of a Federal Glass item, but, as we have learned, it isn't necessarily a bad fake or a fake at all, it may be something Federal Glass itself bought a mold of from another glass company.

Some history about Federal Glass:

Federal Glass was started in 1900 by George and Robert J Beatty. When the company was started, it only advertised tumblers. After a few years, they expanded to jars and bottles. By the 1940's and 1950's, they were making full tableware sets of colored pressed glass.

In 1980, Federal Glass was closed down.

I am writing this so that you can make sure you do your research. The image I have attached is of a Federal Glass Pearl Lustre Stein that is marked and another Stein that is unmarked. They are identical except for the makers mark of the shield with the F in it. In case you were wondering, the Stein on the left is the real Federal Glass example, the one on the right has no makers mark.

There are many resources on the internet that will help you learn more, but this is a small guide to help you see that to be sure, look for the Federal Glass mark.

On the internet search, simply type in Federal Glass Encyclopedia. You will be happy with what you find and learn.

One thing we have learned with the buying we have done, is research and being informed at the point of purchase is so important. It is very easy to "think" something is what you want it to be, just to find out when you get home that is isn't.

Please continue our tradition, go out and shop, have fun and educate others as you learn.

I'm selling Lenox Bowl Pierced Porcelain Scroll Pattern

I'm writing this Guide to use for INSTRUCTIONS on HOW TO PROPERLY PACK & SHIP GLASS-without BREAKAGE!

After receiving far too many Broken pieces of Antique Glass etc., I've decided to share my TIPS on Packing and Shipping this stuff! I've Never had any shipping breakage using this method.

WRAPPING: Wrap each item Tightly in Minimum 3 Layers of Bubble wrap(small-medium size bubble). Do not Tape excessively, as it can lessen the effect of the air bubbles.

BOX SELECTION: Not too Big a Box! Select a Sturdy Box which will accommodate just a maximum of 2 inches of space all around the object.

PEANUTS: Start to fill the Bottom 2 inches of the Box with Peanuts, not Newspaper(shredded or otherwise), Rags, wee-wee pads, disposable diapers etc.,!

PLACEMENT: Position item in Center of box so it will receive the best equal amount of peanut cushioning...I often place on a Diagonal.

NO WIGGLE ROOM: Fill all the sides FIRMLY with peanuts, working your way to the top. Don't scrimp on those peanuts, you want a TIGHT SOLID PACKAGE... THAT'S THE KEY!

SHAKE TEST: There should be ABSOLUTELY NO SHAKING Contents when package is sealed closed!

DOUBLE BOXING?...Not necessary if packed well, but it is a UPS Shipping/Claim Requirement. It does add about 1 more pound to the weight/Cost. *ALSO, the outer Box must be about 2 inches Larger and that additional space must also be peanut filled.

Follow same directions when shipping no more than two items per box. Make sure to bubblewrap each item SEPARATELY.

Vintage The Leonardo Collection Porcelain by thesecretcupboard

True depression at it's finest, comes in crystal clear, delphite blue (very rare), green, pink, yellow. My personal favorite is yellow. Many of these colors have been reproduced time and time again - except for green. Everything must be mint, if it has a chip or a crack or rim roughness you might as well deduct 75%.

The pink Sierra butter dish is a fine example of the beautifully heavy Sierra lines. Both patterns compliment each other on the top of the butter dish as well as the creamer lid. Bottoms are the normal size and design. The tops has Sierra on the top and the underside of the top has the Adam pattern. Very unique and beautiful.

Adam lamps are difficult to find in either pink or green. They had a frosting look. They were the size of a sherbert glass. The bulbs are equally hard to find.

Cereal bowls and candy dishes which came in pink and green and proved also to be illusive. Along with iced teas in pink and sherbert plates in green.

Two different pitchers, one with a round base and the other with a square base. Anything Adam in crystal is very rare but not in high demand.

DELPHITE BLUE

Butter dish - complete $159.00

Creamer lid - $159.00

CRYSTAL

Square Base Pitcher - $45.00

GREEN

Adam lamps - complete - $874.00

Butter Dish Combination Adam/Sierra pattern complete - $451.00

Candy Dish - $159.00

Cereal bowls - $44.00

Sherbert Plates - $59.00

PINK

Adam lamps -complete - $874

Ash Tray - 4 1/4" - $24.53

Bowl - 10" - Oval - $23.00

Butter Dish Bottom - $24.00

Butter Dish Top- $46.00

Butter Dish complete - $127.00

Butter Dish Combination Adam/Sierra pattern complete - $1,266.00

Candy Dish - $159.00

Cereal Bowl - $44.00

Coaster - 3 1/4" - $23.44

Covered Bowl - 9" - $51.00

Creamer - $142.00

Cup - $27.31

Dessert Bowl - 4 3/4" - $16.00

Footed Cake Plate - 10" - $17.00

Ice Tea - set of 8 - $559.00

Ice Tea - Single - $59.00

Pair of Candlesticks - 4" $64.00

Pitchers - round base - hard to find - $133.00

Sherbert Plate - 6" - $14.00

Tumbler - 4 1/2" - $26.00

Relish Dish - 8" - divided $17.00

Uncovered Bowl - 7 3/4" - $75.00

Does anyone know how to clean up an old porcelain kitchen table and make it shine?!

Identifying marks on Tiara glass are almost non-existent. The company used Tiara Exclusives paper stickers to mark their glass. These labels were usually applied by the associates which sold the product.

Of course, this raises many questions about accurate identification. Due to the fact that Tiara's glass was mainly pressed from the original molds of other companies.

How can you tell the original company's glass piece from the Tiara piece? Examine the colors and the catalogs for the answer. Tiara's colors were often unique and different from the colors used on the same items by the original manufacturer.

The only permanent marks one may find on a piece of Tiara glass are initials from a few of the Indiana glassworkers. At one time, Tiara requested that the glass finishers initial one item - the handmade baskets. This was to add an extra prominence to the popular product. It also made for easy employee identification. If a flaw ws noticed on this difficult, yet popular piece, the correct glassworker could be questioned. I am listing name which correspond to the initials you may find on some of the Tiara handmade glass baskets.

M.D. Milford Davis, T.W. Tom Walker, M.B. Marlene Baker, P.W. Paul White, J.C. Jim Clay, B.M. Benton McCowan, D.B. David Bales, M.R. Mike Robinson, J.T. John Thompson, J.D. Jim Dunlavy, E.T. Ed Templeton, D.T. Darrell Templeton.

Please refer to my Tiara Color Guide for color identification.

cleaning a vintage porcelain kitchen table and making a burlap table runner

pression Glass: a category of glass. The term "Depression Glass," according to author Ellen T. Schroy of Warman's Depression Glass, embraces colored glassware made from the early 1920's up to the 1970's. A stricter definition of the term, and one embraced by many collectors, would limit "Depression glass" to glassware made from the 1920's to the end of World War II (1945). Depression glass is usually (but not always) transparent, and most frequently found in the colors pink, green, yellow, blue, amber and red -- notwithstanding Warman's definition, Depression glass also may be colorless clear glass. Depression glass rode the currents of mass-production made possible by the machine age, and thus Depression glass was typically machine-made, rather than mold-pressed by hand like earlier carnival glass and EAPG. Accordingly, Depression glass pieces exemplifying a particular shape and pattern tend to show little variation from piece to piece -- and yet, Depression glass often displays an elegant simplicity that makes it beautiful. According to Gene & Cathy Florence's Collector's Encyclopedia of Depression Glass, 18th ed. (2008), Depression glass has the most modest of origins: it was "inexpensive dinnerware turned out by machine in bulk and sold through smaller stores or given away as promotional or premium items for other products. Depression glass was often packaged in cereal boxes and flour sacks or given as incentive gifts for buying tickets at the local movie theaters or products from gasoline stations and grocery stores" (p. 5). Prominent manufacturers of Depression glass included such companies as Anchor Hocking, Diamond, Federal, Fostoria, Hazel-Atlas, Imperial, Indiana, Jeanette, Lancaster, Liberty, MacBeth-Evans, McKee, Morgantown, New Martinsville, Paden City, L.E. Smith and U.S. Glass. Depression glass and Art Deco: Depression glass design was influenced by Art Deco, the decorative arts movement of the 1920's and 1930's that celebrated a machine-age aesthetic characterized by spare and geometrical forms. Many Depression glass patterns feature Art Deco inspired designs such as streamlined trapezoidal and conical shapes, angular chevrons, stacked concentric circles or zigzagging lines: examples are Anchor-Hocking's Manhattan, and the Indiana Glass Company's Tearoom and Pyramid patterns, which mirror the Art Deco architecture of 1930's skyscrapers like the Empire State and Chrysler buildings. Indiana's Tearoom pattern is shown in the above photograph. Fluorescent Depression glass: As shown in the photographs below, some green Depression glass glows bright green under a black light: this results from the glass's uranium content. Iron oxide added to the glass mixture prevented it from having the yellow-green coloring of fluorescent vaseline glass, and thus green Depression glass is not technically "vaseline glass". Nevertheless, such fluorescent green Depression glass often is found in vaseline glass listings on E-Bay. If you're interested in Depression glass, we recommend the website of the National Depression Glass Association (ndga.net); Joyce E. Krupey's article at that website titled "Patterns Important to the History of Depression Glass" is especially informative (http://ndga.net/articles/krupeyarticle.htm). See also Art Deco in this glossary, and "elegant glass" below; and see vaseline glass.

Although technically not "vaseline glass," Depression glass

with green coloring often glows bright green under a black light.

photos courtesy of curculiosglass

Double-etching: a glass-making technique. According to An Illustrated Dictionary of Glass, double etching is "a decorative technique by which a design is etched on an object of cased glass and then an added design is produced by a second dipping in acid while the first design is covered, creating two depths of etching." Frederick Carder of Steuben Glass in Corning, New York, developed a method of double etching white alabaster glass cased between two layers of colored glass, so that an etched pattern in three shades of color could be seen on the outside of the glass. See "acid-cutback glassware" in this glossary, and see "etching" below.

A Durand glass King Tut vase, circa 1924-1931 (left),

with detail of King Tut pattern (right).

photos by *treasurehunter* (left) and curculiosglass

Durand Glass: Art glass produced by Vineland Flint Glass Works after the end of the Art Nouveau movement. Vineland Flint Glass Works was founded by French immigrant Victor Durand in Vineland, New Jersey in 1924. The company was short-lived, but in the seven years it operated, it produced high-quality art glass known as "Durand glass" that garnered Vineland Flint the Medal of honor at the 1926 Philadelphia Art Exhibition. Martin Bach, the son of the founder of Quezal Art Glass, joined Vineland Flint's staff during its first year of operation. Initially, Durand glassware imitated Art Nouveau glass created by Tiffany, Steuben and Quezal. Vineland Flint produced, for example, iridescent Lustre ware like Steuben's Aurene, Peacock Feather designs like those found in Tiffany's Art Nouveau glass, and iridescent ware with trails of web-like glass similar to Quezal's. According to Miller's Twentieth Century Glass, however, Vineland Flint soon began producing its own distinctive colors and patterns. Durand glass was distinguished by the company's use of simple shapes and forms, rather than Jack-in-the pulpit and other floriform vase-shapes popularized by the Art Nouveau movement. After the discovery of King Tut's tomb in 1923, Durand glass catered to the American public's obsession with Egyptian-inspired fashions and produced "King Tut" vases, which were decorated with a pulled feather design that added a swirled effect suggestive of the curl in King Tut's beard (shown above). Other Durand ware featured iridescent finishes that dripped down vases' sides to create random designs. In the late 1920's, Durand issued ice glass vases under names such as "Moorish Crackle" and "Egyptian Crackle". According to An Illustrated Dictionary of Glass, Vineland Flint was best known for a yellow glass called "Ambergris," for threaded and feathered glassware, and for its King Tut vases. Durand pieces commonly appear in blue, green, cranberry, white, pumpkin and clear glass. Victor Durand died in 1931, and the company ceased operations soon thereafter. Vineland signed its later Durand glass with "Durand"; the name is occasionally signed across the letter "V". Early Durand ware is unsigned. See also "Quezal," "Steuben" and "Tiffany" glass in this index.

An example of EAPG: an 1897 George Duncan's Sons & Co.

4-ounce child's mug, made in the pattern known as Button Arches.

The mug features ruby staining, with engraved pictures and lettering.

photo courtesy of jetcitykid

EAPG or Early American Pattern Glass: a category of glass. EAPG can be defined as glassware that meets three requirements: (1) it was formed by being pressed into a mold; (2) issued in sets of pieces with matched designs or "patterns"; and (3) made in the United States between 1850 and 1910. This period of U.S. history falls roughly in the Victorian Era, and thus you sometimes will see sellers refer to "Victorian" pattern glass. According to Reilly and Jenks, authors of Early American Pattern Glass, thousands of EAPG designs were issued between 1850 to 1910. More than a hundred American glassworks produced EAPG. Among the most prominent were companies such as Atterbury, Dithridge, Gillinder & Sons, Heisey, Hibbey, Libby, National and Tarentum. Most EAPG is in the form of pressed glass tableware and novelty items related to tableware sets: sugar bowls, creamers, spooners, butter dishes, berry bowls, compotes, salt-and pepper-shakers, syrup jugs, celery vases, mugs, tumblers and pitchers. EAPG pieces typically are transparent colorless or colored glass, but EAPG also appears less commonly in a variety of opaque colors such as milk white, chocolate, purple slag, custard, jade green, black, blue, lavender and black amethyst. Colored transparent EAPG was made in a vast array of hues, including (but not limited to) amber, clambroth, canary, amethyst, pink and an assortment of blues and greens. A variety of decorative techniques were used on EAPG: in addition to bearing pressed patterns, the glassware was embellished through frosting, gilding, etching, acid-finishing, engraving and enameling. Clear EAPG was often colored by staining -- by the application of ruby, cranberry, pink, amber, green and even platinum stain to the surface of the glass. Many EAPG tumblers and mugs feature ruby staining that allowed pieces to be customized with etched or engraved dates, people's names or place names commemorating events: the child's mug shown above is an example: the mug is engraved with the name "Brooksie," the date "1899" and a picture of a deer leaping over a fence. (The reverse side of this mug is shown under "ruby staining" in this glossary). Several other EAPG pieces can be found in this glossary: the spooner shown under the definition of "custard glass"; the Cambridge tumbler under the definition of "gilding;" the covered hen dish under "milk glass"; the large tankard pitcher under "pigeon blood;" and the sauce dish under "slag glass". If you're interested in learning about EAPG, we recommend the websites eapgs.org and patternglass.com.

An elegant glass ice bucket, featuring an Evangeline etch design,

sterling silver overlay and a sterling silver rim (left), with detail photo (right).

photos courtesy of catladykate

Elegant Glass: a category of Depression Era glass. Depression glass, defined above in this glossary, is inexpensive machine-made glassware (usually transparent and colored) issued from the 1920's to approximately 1945. According to Debbie and Randy Coe, authors of Elegant Glass, 3d ed. (2007), the term "elegant glass" was first coined by Depression glass authority Gene Florence, to distinguish high-quality glass made during the same period. The Coes define "elegant glass" as Depression Era glass that was "hand made, either pressed, blown or a combination of the two processes". Elegant glass was distributed by fine department and jewelry stores and made by a limited number of companies, sometimes called "hand houses," which added hand finishing and decorative treatments to glassware. Such treatments included fire-polishing pieces to remove mold marks, grinding the bottoms of pieces to make them sit flat and decorating cooled pieces through acid-etching or cutting with a copper wheel. Elegant glass appears in a wide range, from pieces that are simply pressed, without etched or cut designs, to pieces whose handiwork is quite refined and elaborate, such as the ice container shown above. Prominent makers of Elegant glass included, among others, Cambridge, Central, Consolidated, Diamond Glass-Ware, Duncan & Miller, Fenton, Fostoria, Heisey, Imperial, Liberty Works, Morgantown, New Martinsville, Paden City, Viking and Westmoreland. In some cases, glass pieces were manufactured by one company, and then purchased by another company that applied such decorations as etched patterns with silver overlay (see ndga.net/rainbow/1979/79rrg02a.htm). Thus, the same decorations are sometimes found on pieces issued by several companies. For example, the above ice bucket has been attributed to Liberty Works of Egg Harbor, New Jersey; the bucket's etch pattern, however, which is known as "Evangeline," appears on pieces made by Paden City and Diamond Glass-Ware as well. If you would like to read more about Elegant glass, we recommend the articles of David Adams and Kathy Eickholt at the websites of the National Depression Glass Association (ndga.net/dgarticles.php) and news-antique.com (news-antique.com/?id=782496&keys=Elegant-Depression-Glass). For help in identifying Elegant glass patterns, a superlative website to consult is the Glass Etch and Pattern Gallery (clicksnipwow.com/chataboutdg/index.php).

Enameled Glass: enameling is a glass-making technique. In enameled glass, ground glass powders (usually metallic oxides with frit) are mixed with oil and applied like paint to the surface of glassware. Firing burns the oil away and melts the powders, fusing them with the glassware. Below is a carnival glass tumbler enameled with a pattern known as Daisy & Little Flowers, issued by Northwood Glass Co., circa 1907-1920. An encyclopedic array of such enameled tumblers can be found at the website Tumbler World (tumblerworld.com/Enamels1.html). Compare "frit" in this glossary.

This blue Northwood carnival glass tumbler

has been decorated with enamel.

photo by *treasurehunter*

Engraved Glass: engraving is a glass-making technique. Engraving is done by cutting into the surface of a cooled glass object. Cutting may be done by scratching the glass with a diamond, or by holding the glass against a rotating copper wheel fed with an abrasive. The writing on the child's mug shown above under "EAPG" was done by engraving. Illustrations demonstrating the use of a copper wheel can be found in the Glass Making Techniques section of the Corning Museum of Glass website (cmog.org/index.asp?pageId=736). See also "cut glass" in this glossary.

An etched glass tumbler with ruby staining

photo by *treasurehunter*

Etched Glass: etching is a glass-making technique. An Illustrated Dictionary of Glass defines etching as "decoration on the surface of glass by the use of hydrofluoric acid". Acid-etched glass is made as follows: the glassmaker coats a glass piece with acid-resistant wax or varnish and then uses a sharp tool to scratch or cut a design in the wax or varnish; next, hydrofluoric acid is applied to the surface; the wax or varnish resists the acid, but the acid passes through the carved portions and eats the design into the underlying glass. The depth of the etching is determined by the length of the glass's exposure to the acid. The above tumbler was etched with acid that ate through ruby staining on the surface to create a recessed, clear design against the ruby foreground. Acid-etching methods: There are several methods of acid-etching glass. First, the glassmaker simply can carve a design by hand into the acid-resistant wax that coats the glass piece. A second method is needle etching, in which a hand-held or mechanized needle is used to delineate a design through the acid-resistant wax or varnish. A third method is called plate etching. This method was used on Depression Era glass such as the elegant glass ice bucket shown under "elegant glass" on this glossary page. In plate etching, the artisan engraved or etched a metal plate to create a design in relief. He then inked the plate, transferred the inked pattern to a special paper used for etching, and pressed the paper against the glass piece to transfer the ink. The artisan next coated the glass in beeswax, but left the the inked areas delineating the design exposed. Finally, he submerged the glass in acid, which corroded the design into any area not covered with wax. Illuminating photographs of metal plates used by the Morgantown Glass Company for plate etching glassware can be viewed at the website of The National Depression Glass Association (ndga.net/articles/feb04showsetup.php). A note on mold etching: Mold etching is an interesting term usually associated with machine-made American Depression glass. Mold etching (shown below) was done beginning in the 1920's by etching a shallow pattern into a metal mold. Glass was then pressed mechanically into the mold. The mold transmitted the pattern to the glass, giving the manufactured piece the appearance of acid-etched glass. The etched effect that this created was relatively inexpensive to produce, while acid etching done by hand is expensive and labor intensive. On machine-produced mold-etched glass, the pattern is raised; on true acid-etched glass, the patterns are recessed. Mold-etched Depresson glass reached its heyday from 1930-1934, when at least forty mold-etched designs were invented; examples of mold-etched Depression glass patterns are Jeanette's Adam and Floral, Hocking's Cameo and Hazel-Atlas's Florentine and Royal Lace.

A mold etched Cameo pattern on a Hocking

Depression glass plate, circa 1930-1034.

photo by curculiosglass

Click here to continue to F - L of the glossary.

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Many thanks to E-Bayers catladykate, desertkool, jetcitykid and *treasurehunter* for generously contributing photographs to this page of the glossary. Rights to all photos belong to the photographers, and pictures should not be used without their permission. Text is (c) 2007 curculiosglass, all rights reserved. To locate any E-Bay seller mentioned here, just click on "Site Map" at the bottom of your E-Bay screen, and then click on "Feedback Forum" at the right top corner of the large menu that pops up. Type or copy the seller's name into the Feedback Forum's search blank.

Chicken roast dinner, bread sauce, stuffing roasted veg, gravy, glass of Sauvignon

u can break everything I am, like i'm made of glass, like i'm made of paper

Digitizer LCD Screen Glass Replacement Apple ipod Touch 3rd

Digitizer LCD Screen Glass Replacement Apple ipod Touch 3rd Gen Digitizer + Chassis Bezel + Pre Assembled: Di...

i don't really like kids in glass houses that much to be honest.

Whoever made the original glue for these labels knew what they were doing! :-) Removing the back paper labels is tougher than removing the front labels. GooGone and WD-40 - usually sure fire treatment for sticky labels did not work well. The best way to remove torn or partially missing paper labels is to soak them in warm or hot water. If you can get one edge up, run warm/hot water under that edge and repeat until the entire label is wet. Once the label is completely saturated, you can gently scrape it off using a dull implement. Start at the top edge, and scrape under the label from side to side, across the top. Then , continue scraping under the label moving slowly underneath, from side to side until the entire label is free from the jar. If you want to preserve the label, gently pick it up and lay it out flat to dry. The paper behaves like hand-made paper when it is wet so, lay it out on a clean, flat surface, smooth out the wrinkles, mend the tears, flatten with your finger. The label will be intact after it dries. Clean the remainder of the glue off the jar using warm, soapy water and a scrubby or plastic sanding sponge, not a metal scrubber!

While Anna will break his fast with a glass of amla juice

"Opalescent glass is a generalized term for clear and semi-opaque pressed glass, cloudy, marbled, and sometimes accented with subtle coloring all combining for form a milky opalescence in the glass. While Rene Lalique may be recognized by most as the pinnacle of opalescent glassmaking, stained glass first evolved in the late 1800's and early 1900's during hte Art Nouveau period when American glassmakers transformed European stained glass used in cathedrals into the translucent milky glass we now refer to as opalescent. John LaFarge and Louis Comfort Tiffany were two American artists who first experimented with opalescent effects, driven by their desire to use glass in creating beautiful visual scenes in art without painting. Opalescent glass was first developed and patented by John LaFarge in 1879, but it was Tiffany who created the masterworks in glass for which he is still so well known today. Tiffany created totally new colors in glass and used glass in new forms that evoked the forms of nature.

The opalescent effect is a glassmaking technique used by many manufacturers to greater or lesser degrees of artistry, produced in the cooling process, which creates the milky opalescent effect, which illuminates any coloration when light shines on it. Sometimes the opalescent effect was created along the edge of a piece, often coupled with wavy effects and making for an elegant yet subtle look. This opalescence is also created in the glassmaking by alternating heating and cooling of the glass and with the addition of chemical additives to create the desired effect. Many U.S. manufacturers made this type of opalescent glass, most notably Fenton, Northwood, Hobbs, and American Glass."

Don't forget to tape up all glass

Carnival glass: a category of glass. All carnival glass by definition is iridescent -- that is, it has a rainbow-like play of light on its surface. This effect was created by spraying liquid metallic salts on the glass while it was still hot. Carnival glass was an American invention -- it was first issued in 1907 by the Fenton Art Glass Company of Williamstown, West Virginia. American "carnival glass" is defined as iridescent glass issued in the United States between 1907 and the late 1920's. American carnival is a variety of pressed glass: molten glass was poured into a metal mold, and then a metal plunger was used to press the hot glass against the mold, so that the glass took on the shape and design of the mold. After the still-hot glass was removed from the mold, the glassmaker was able to continue shaping the glass piece by, for example, giving it a crimped or ruffled rim, or pulling it to a taller size. Thus, there is great variety among individual pieces cast from the same mold. Carnival glass was manufactured in an endless array of colors -- the bowl shown above, an example of Northwood's "Nippon" pattern, is the carnival color known as "marigold". The major United States manufacturers of carnival glass were Dugan/Diamond, Fenton, Imperial, Millersburg, Northwood, Westmoreland and, to a lesser extent, U.S. Glass. There were also a handful of other companies with a very small carnival glass output: Cambridge, Fostoria, Hazel Atlas, Heisey, Higbee, Jenkins, McKee, and Phoenix. After the carnival glass era in the United States, carnival glass makers emerged in Europe, Australia, Latin America and Asia. If you're interested in learning about carnival glass, we recommend that you visit the phenomenal and encyclopedic website of the renown carnival glass authority, David Doty (ddoty.com), who provides information on every aspect of American carnival glass, including the sales prices of carnival glass pieces sold on E-Bay in the last few years. For information on international carnival glass, we recommend the website of authors Glen and Stephen Thistlewood

They are in glass and burn slowly

I think Yahrtzeit candles make good emergency lighting sources during outages

Now rest up with a glass of wine at a cafe lol

made it to argentina. Two 5+ hour flights have killed my knees

7 best happy hour places to have a glass of wine in South Denver

I'm either going to be playing host to a 'star guest' from Twitter tonight, or drinking a glass of water alone, like last night.

Can someone PLEASE tweet me some cookies and a glass of milk?

1 describing the item as antique . Milk glass items were manufactured in the US by many companies 1870-1910. enormously popular originally because the first wave of items were truly white and resembled fine china. they "went with everything in the home." 1890 found numerous companies such as Atterbury, Chalinor Taylor, Dithridge, Eagle Glass, Flaccus,Gillinder, Hobbs Brockunier, all racing to fulfill the demand for table sets, lacy edged, and covered animal dishes now truly antique. fancy colors such as blue enjoyed limited popularity. green did not sell well and now is considered rare.

Next came Milk glass that no longer resembled dense white china.. but had a translucent quality - perhaps more truly having the look of milk. and includes the early westmoreland & mckee covered animal dishes that originaly held mustard and were available in early general stores as time went on factories like Imperial Glass, Indiana Tumbler and Goblet, John E Kemple , Westmoreland Glass (no longerWestmoreland Specialty co) continued to make milk glass in quantity up to and including the 1950's . This last span can generally be honestly referred to as "vintage' rather than reproduction in the true meaning of the word. A pale yellow milk glass manufactured in table sets, as well a souvenier items came into fashion in the very early 1900's . Kown as Custard glass.never as popular as milk glass but due to its showy qualities much gold trim and limited hand painting is popular and scarce and pricey. Westmoreland and FentonGlass continued to make quality milk glass into the 70's, Westmoreland closed their factory abou 25 years ago, Fenton manufacturing quality gift items is still in limited production.....once more in a truly white quality of milk glass in their well knwn hobnail line.

this is a general description to help you with labeling your milk glass as ANTIQUE, VINTAGE OR OLD due to the popularity spanning almost 100 years.!!!

Trust is like glass. Once it is broken it cannot be repaired, only replaced.

Definition of Vaseline Glass:

Different parts of the world have different definitions for Vaseline Glass, but in the U.S., the basic definition for Vaseline Glass is that 2% Uranium Dioxide (by weight) has been added to the formula as a coloring agent, thereby giving us that lovely yellow color without UV lighting and also a brilliant green fluorescent glow that collectors (me included) can't get enough of when under blacklight.

Uranium Glass is another name for Vaseline Glass. Therefore, if it does not have Uranium in it, it is notVaseline Glass.

Chilling in the kitchen with my family

Chilling in the kitchen with my family, a glass of champagne and jimi hendrix in the background.. Oooh yeah

jack's auto glass is Hollywood at 9:00am

jack's auto glass is Hollywood at 9:00am, Christopher Walken is answering the telephone and Sinbad is on the bench next to me

Raise Your Glass

"Raise Your Glass" foi o melhor clipe de The Glee Project! Melhor até mesmo que "U Can't Touch This" e "Ice Ice Baby/Under Pressure"! *---*

1. Are there any flakes, chips, flea bites, or nicks?

Ask about all four because it leaves no chip unaccounted! Sometimes things are overlooked by the seller when the glass is first examined. Sometimes the damage occurs after the seller takes pictures. Nevertheless, this question should make the seller re-examine the piece to be sure there is no damage. Several times I have had someone find a flaw after I've asked this question.

2. Are there any rust stains, water stains or spots, or cloudiness?

Rust stains may come out of glassware but water spots and cloudiness are most likely permanent. This type of damage comes from washing glassware in dishwashers, leaving water in or on the glass for extended periods, and even from humidity. (Humidity stains sometimes look iridescent.) The glass is considered sick glass. The severity of the cloudiness determines how much of the value is affected. You want your glass to sparkle!!

3. Are there any cracks or repairs?

Cracks have the greatest impact on value because the integrity of the piece is at jeopardy. I have bought only one piece of glassware knowing it was cracked. My purchase was an informed decision with no regrets because I am not going to resale the item, the price was very low, it is a rare piece, and the crack is difficult to see when displayed.

4. Are there any major scratches?

Light scratches should be expected in old glass - such as utensil marks on dishes and scuffing on the base from sitting. However, you do not want the scratches to be distracting from the beauty of the glass.

Also, a scratch is not the same as a strawmark. The latter is considered a manufacturing flaw and common among pressed pieces. A scratch feels like an indent into the glass; a strawmark is usually raised from the surface (like it was embossed).

A good seller will mention all problems and provide photos of the flaws. But even if the description says perfect condition, ask what the seller means by that phrase. Also, a seller who rarely sells a piece of glass may not know to look for all the things mentioned above. It is better to ask questions beforehand than to have regrets later.

Is it half full or half empty?

One day, some1 showed me a glass of water dt was half full. he said, "Is it half full or half empty?" So I drank d water. No more problem.

Hot water Small glass Working on a day off

Hot water Small glass Working on a day off

I am calling the color alexandrite as that is the name given the color by Moser, who invented it around 1930. But this can cause much confusion because that name was already in use. Thomas Webb, and Stevens and Williams in England were already using the name alexandrite for their late 19 century art glass that was characterized by various shades of color produced by refiring crystal. So even though it is confusing, Moser called the color alexandrite as will I. Just in case you are not confused already, each Glass company chose it's own name for alexandrite. Heisey who I have read was the first to acquire the right to produce the color, called it alexandrite. Cambridge called it heatherbloom, Fostoria called it wisteria. Tiffin is the worst, they called it twilight, unless they made it from a old Duncan and Miller pattern, in that case they called it Dawn.

Currently it is produced in China, I have mostly seen paperweights and storage items. Block has produced a tulip shaped goblet, Cristal d’Arques also did goblets. I have seen vases from Bohemia and Murano as well as the american companies mentioned above. Boyd has recently made a sitting kitten, Bohemia a cat, Paden City did a goose, and I have a bunny I am so far unable to place!

For the practical eBayer the best way to tell if a piece you have is alexandrite is to take it to a room without windows. Use only one light source and see if it changes color. Stick a florescent bulb in your lamp then a regular incandescent light bulb. The color change is striking, you cannot miss it. On another practical note, because they have to mine the stuff, neodymium does not grow on trees! So you rarely see bargain alexandrite. I have never sold a piece for under $10.00. But older alexandrite by Heisey, Steuben or Cambridge can sell in the $500 to $1,000 Dollar range. But just the color is no guarantee. Like all antiques rarity and popularity of the individual piece drives prices.

Personally I find all elegant glass attractive! But I would have to say that Tiffin achieved the best color control, possibly because they were producing that color later, or just because they had a excellent eye for color. Fostoria’s Wisteria tends to be a little grey under, fluorescent lighting, and heatherbloom is sometimes a bit pale. But I have never seen a flaw in the Tiffin color.

Finally to be fair I should mention that Vaseline glass, obviously has the same property of changing color under different lighting. It has also been produced for a longer period, so more variety is possible in a collection. I am just not fond of florescent green!

reharsing wen dey ask me

fried rice n chicken wit salad n sme garnishes wit a glass of milk will do pls(reharsing wen dey ask me)

As many of you know, the Indiana Glass Company closed it's doors in 2002 after nearly 100 years of glassmaking in Dunkirk, IN. What you may not know is the Indiana Glass name is being used on glass products made today. The current Indiana Glass products are being produced at the Bartlett & Collins factory. Lancaster Colony (parent company of Indiana Glass) still owns and uses the Indiana Glass name. The majority of the glass products produced (mainly candle holders and vases), bear a sticker on the bottom proclaiming Indiana Glass as the maker. Below is a vase currently being sold by Walmart:

Please note the sticker above. IF an item bears this sticker on the bottom, it is NOT an original Indiana Glass product. The Indiana Glass factory is located in Dunkirk , IN. It is closed and no longer producing glass. Items with the Cincinnati, OH sticker were made at the Bartlett & Collins factory.

Will Bartlett & Collins be reproducing any of our favorite Indiana patterns such as Harvest, Heirloom, Diamond Point, etc, etc? No, Bartlett & Collins produces mainly mould blown glass items. Fenton purchased all of the original Indiana Glass moulds.

Above is the Indiana Glass Pattern 123, known as Paneled Daisy and Fine Cut to EAPG collectors, Heirloom to 1970's carnival glass collectors, Monarch to Tiara collectors and now Hobstar to Fenton collectors. Fenton has reproduced the 123 pattern punch bowl and base matching it with tumblers instead of punch cups. The set is made in a very beautiful aquamarine opalescent carnival glass. And all pieces are clearly marked with the Fenton logo.

Will Fenton be reproducing any of the other Indiana Glass patterns? Probably, but Fenton is a very responsible company. Any Indiana Glass reproductions will be beautifully done and clearly marked with the Fenton logo.

It is a very good thing that Fenton purchased ALL the Indiana Glass moulds. When a glass company closes, the glass moulds are usually scattered to the four winds via a large liquidation auction. This was the fate of the Imperial Glass Company when it closed. No ones knows where all the Imperial moulds are and some of the companies who purchased the Imperial moulds did not use them responsibly. They flooded the market with poor quality Imperial reproductions and most did not bother to remove the old Imperial mark. Fenton will treat the Indiana moulds and collectors with the respect they deserve. TEN VERY LOUD CHEERS FOR FENTON!!!!!!!!

This is for those on the east coast

This is for those on the east coast. Cuddle up with someone for the next few days if u can. If u can't then get a cup or glass of something.

she's made out of glass

I really dislike when my teacher stands right in front of the morning outline like she's made out of glass.

Green Glass Lady Mannequin Head Hat or Wig Holder

Green Glass Lady Mannequin Head Hat or Wig Holder: Green Glass Lady Mannequin Head Hat or Wig Holder measures 11 in. high x 5.5 in. w...

The internet has done a lot to change what is "RARE" or "SCARCE."

*A bruise is a starburst pattern found after a direct hit, with the possibility of eventually leading to a chip, crack, or even a hole, depending on handling after the event. Under the heading of "chipped," come several variations:

-CHIPS (vague to say the least when designated as "large" or "small"...unless pictured or stated in inches)

-FLAKES (shallow chips which are less distracting),

-NICKS

-FLEABITES (see above),

-SCRATCHES (not unusual, but sometimes very distracting, therefore worthy of mention),

-ROUGHNESS or ROUGH MOLDLINES, this latter being least objectionable, since they can be construed as a result of manufacture (see fins above). Many EAPG edges were not FIRE-POLISHED, so the edges are very susceptible to "roughness." IF, however, a pattern is known to have a fire-polished edge (the object was reheated to smooth out the mold lines), then there should be no roughness! Here is where your own knowledge about your pattern is important.

*Hint: FEEL the edges of glass with your fingers. Your fingers can often find irregularities (chips) before your eyes. Obviously, do this VERY carefully, lest you cut your little fingers! ;)

-An additional type of DAMAGE not addressed, is "SICK" glass. This is a condition where the top layer of the glass turns foggy almost frosted, a pale GRAY HAZE. This is not the intentional acid frosting seen in specific patterns, on specific areas of the pattern. Sometimes there is a linear demarcation, since standing water can cause this damage. Most commonly sickness is seen in bottles or jars, although any form can become sick. Sometimes there is an accompanying sheen, the latter due to dishwasher heat & chemicals. (NB: One should NEVER put EAPG in a dishwasher or even very hot water!). Generally, sick glass is a permanent condition. Expensive special handling by a professional repairer might restore the grayed glass to clear. Only occasionally can graying be a temporary condition due to hard water staining or spotting. If Iron-Out or any other hard water treatment does not remove the gray, the glass is sick. In my experience, MOST grayed glass is sick!

-Yet one other type of damage not mentioned is "SUN PURPLING," a condition fairly unique to EAPG because of its chemical composition & age. Of course, some sun purpling in clear glass could be a natural phenomenon from 100 years of exposure to light. But the majority of it seen today (especially the really dark stuff) has been artificially altered to that color. As such, it is not in the condition which was intentioned at manufacture: colorless clarity. To many dedicated EAPG collectors, sun purpled glass is considered a tragedy and is not collectible.

ALL of these types of damage should be mentioned in a description of glass being sold! And it doesn't hurt to put in some of the accepted "normal" findings listed under "Mint," since these can reinforce the acceptance of a piece as being legitimately EAPG in origin.

-The value-condition issue relates to something which I call "SHELF" or "FILLER" status. Ex: I don't have the piece. It could be rare or scarce, or not. It has a big chip on one side. It's appealing in appearance. I can display it so that the chip doesn't show or is not the center of attention. The price is quite low, relative to BV. This has shelf or filler value, which depends on...you & your burning need to have it! :) (hopefully until you can find a better piece to replace it)

-The internet has done a lot to change what is "RARE" or "SCARCE."

If you see 2 of something in one or 2 weeks on ebay, which is listed in a book as scarce, does that make it less scarce? Not necessarily! If, however, over a period of time, say a year, you see one a week, or 3 or 4 every month, then it's certainly not scarce. OR, it's being reproduced (repro'd/copied/remade). Seeing 2 of something "scarce" in a week or two could be coincidence, OR occasionally: someone has seen a similar piece hit a sky high price one week, so he/she pulls his/hers out too, to catch the price wave. The price could be good even beyond 2 or 3 pieces, until the existing buyers at the time, or "wanters" are satisfied.

-A lot of what price an item hits on ebay has to do with how many "INTERESTED EYEBALLS" are watching that week! Sometimes it comes down to just 2 bidders, both who have deep pockets and/or who are desperately determined to have that one particular item.

If you have any questions or don't understand any of the above, please feel free to ask me for clarification. I believe that EAPG is a wonderful collectible, not to be feared. It should be admired, studied, and cherised for its age, history, and beauty. I offer this guide because of the many times that I've gotten glass in misrepresented condition. I've also gotten many poorly packed pieces, but that's a whole other topic! As mentioned above, condition is very important for value. And knowledge is power...for both buyer AND seller.

Relationships are glass

Sometimes it's better to leave them broken than try to hurt yourself putting it back together.

These include tumblers and milk glass baking and serving dishes

Currier & Ives Dinnerware is the most popular pattern ever produced by the Royal China Company of Sebring, Ohio. This dinnerware, with scenes from Currier & Ives prints, was produced from 1950 to 1986. It was given away as a point-of-sale premium at A&P markets with extra pieces available to complete the set and was also sold at department stores.

I've only been collecting for a short time so I cannot claim to be an expert. However I have done quite a bit of research and am happy to share the results with you. I was first bitten by the C&I collector's bug at a thrift store. I spotted a set of C&I china and recognized the pattern as one that had been owned by my grandmother. I was immediately transported back to those happier simpler days when the whole family would sit at the table for a home-cooked meal. I think that's what attracts most people to this dinnerware. The nostalgic prints and vintage china bring back the 'good old days'. For those who would like more information I highly recommend A Collector's Guide for Currier & Ives Dinnerware by Royal China Co. by Eldon R. Aupperle. This book was out of print but happily has been brought back. You can purchase the guide online through PayPal at Big Ed's Dinnerware. Another good source of information is the Currier & Ives Dinnerware Collector's Club. They have a website, newsletter, and an annual convention for collectors.

A History of Currier & Ives

The original Currier & Ives prints were lithographs, printed with designs etched in stone. Nathaniel Currier apprenticed in a lithography shop at age 15 and afterwards set up his own successful lithography shop. But he suffered from bouts of depression brought on by personal tragedy such as the loss of his first wife and later the death of a child and his business suffered because of this. He was introduced to James Merritt Ives in 1852 and hired him as a bookkeeper. Ives reorganized the business and brought even greater success and they became partners in 1857. They billed themselves as "Publishers of Cheap and Popular Pictures" and produced many categories of prints designed to appeal to the public.

A History of Royal China

Royal opened in 1934. At first they produced mostly overglaze decal ware. An overglaze or decal is applied on top of the glaze and then fired. The problem with overglaze is that because it is on top of the glaze it tends to wear off with time. The company also produced a small quantity of hand-stamped underglaze prints. Underglaze is applied to greenware (unfired pieces) or bisque (fired but unglazed pieces), then the glaze is applied over it and it is fired again. Because the design is under the glaze it is protected and does not wear off. In 1948 a Royal employee invented a machine that could stamp the underglaze design on bisque. This revolutionized the industry, allowing Royal to produce beautiful, intricate, yet highly durable designs in mass quantities at a low price. By 1950 Royal had stopped using decals altogether and was producing only underglaze designs. In 1969 the company was sold to Jeannette Glass, which was in turn purchased in 1975 by the Coca-Cola Corporation. In 1981 Coca-Cola sold Jeannette to the J Corporation, and finally in 1984 Jeannette was purchased by Nordic Capitol. Jeannette filed for bankruptcy in 1986 and production at Royal stopped at that time.

Currier & Ives Dinnerware

Royal introduced Currier & Ives Dinnerware in 1950. It was an immediate success. The copyright on the Currier & Ives prints had passed into the public domain and they remained as popular as ever. At the same time, Early American décor was enjoying a revival and the Currier & Ives dinnerware fit right in. The designs are a combination of C&I prints or parts of prints along with the famous scrolled border designed by Gordon Parker, Art Director at Royal. The basic dinnerware was offered as a premium at A&P groceries with additional pieces for sale or redeemed for coupons or stamps. Later it was also sold at department stores. It was produced until 1970 when Jeannette discontinued it as too old-fashioned. It was brought back in the mid-seventies and production continued until Royal closed in 1986. C&I dinnerware came in four colors, blue, pink, green, and brown. The blue dinnerware was produced in much larger quantities than the others and it remains the most popular. While there are not as many of the other colors available, demand for them is lower than for the blue pieces so the prices remain about the same for all colors.

Backstamps

Backstamps were stamped on the back of some pieces to identify them. Several different styles of backstamps were used over the years. Some pieces rarely or never had backstamps, some almost always have backstamps, and some are mixed. Green is the most frequently used color for backstamps but blue, brown, black, and even red were used.

The backstamp usually includes the Currier and Ives name, the name of the print, the manufacturer (Royal or later, Royal by Jeannette), and sometimes includes letters and numbers. There is speculation that the numbers indicate year of manufacture, but Aupperle states in his book that he personally interviewed several Royal employees and was told no dates were ever included in the backstamp and that they probably indicate batch or pattern. However, the Currier & Ives Collector's Club website states that they were told the numbers DID stand for year and surmise that the letters stand for month. Aupperle lists the combinations he has seen and which pieces they are associated with. He also shows the different backstamps in chronological order in his book, which may help to approximately date your piece. Some pieces have a large "S" stamped on the back. I have heard that this indicated a sample piece but have not been able to confirm. The 'S' may also indicate seconds since many of these pieces seem to be flawed in some way.

Of special interest to collectors are errata, pieces that were stamped incorrectly Aupperle notes several irregularities in his book including the "Early Winter" backstamp from the soup bowl on the luncheon plate. In my own collection I have a dinner plate with the "Early Winter" backstamp and another with the "Maple Sugaring" backstamp from the vegetable bowl.

Other Manufacturers

A number of pieces were produced by companies other than Royal but were designed to go along with the C&I dinnerware. These include tumblers and milk glass baking and serving dishes.

Clear glass tumblers were produced in two designs, one with a blue design on white and the other with a white design on blue. These came in four sizes, 13 oz, 9 oz, 6 oz, and old-fashioned or rocks. The manufacturer is unknown. Frosted glasses with hand-painted C&I designs were produced by Gay Fad Studios. I have seen these in blue and white, and pink and white, but by far the most numerous are the multi-colored glasses and pitchers in many different prints. Some of these are marked Hazel Atlas or Federal. Hazel Atlas also produced some milk glass tumblers and coffee mugs. The milk glass tumblers appear to have come in a set with a metal carrier for the glasses. The Hazel Atlas tumblers and mugs have a much darker blue print than other manufacturers.

Other milk glass ware was manufactured by Glasbake and Mar-crest. Most of the Glasbake pieces have the words 'Currier and Ives' printed at the bottom right of the picture and the Glasbake name on the bottom. Many of the Mar-crest baking dishes have the scroll design on either side of the picture while the Glasbake designs do not. Most Mar-crest pieces do not seem to have a manufacturer name, logo, or any type of backstamp. Glasbake has the Glasbake name and usually a number on the back. Some of the Mar-crest designs have multiple shades of blue while the Glasbake designs have only one color. Mar-crest also produced vinyl placemats in the C&I design.

Other Pieces

Some odd pieces have been found but there appears to be some controversy over whether these were produced by Royal or were made by someone else later out of Royal pieces. These would include things like a clock made from the dinner plate, sconces made from cups, and a cake stand made from a dinner plate with an upturned bowl for a pedestal. There was a fire in the Royal building in 1970 and the early records have been lost, so we may never know for sure.

Anchor Hocking C&I Dinnerware

There is a similar looking set of dinnerware with C&I prints that was distributed by Anchor Hocking. This set even has the same scroll design on the border, except the scroll is in white instead of blue. This set can be distinguished from the Royal set by the white scrolls and the much wider white border. On Royal C&I dinnerware the design goes all the way to the edge and over and can be seen from the sides, except for the Hostess set with the rope border. The Anchor Hocking pieces have a wide white border and you only see white from the sides. Most of the Anchor hocking set does not have backstamps except for the dinner plate so you have to identify it by the look of the design.

Buying and Selling C&I Dinnerware

My advice, whether you are buying or selling, is to do your homework. Find out what similar pieces are going for, both on eBay and on other sites, to get an idea what your piece is actually worth. Condition plays a role as well, nicks, chips, cracks, crazing, or stains will reduce the value of your dinnerware. If you are buying, ask about the condition of the piece before you bid. If you are selling, disclose any flaws to avoid negative feedback from buyers who were caught unawares.

I am listing below the pieces I am aware of, the C&I print which appears on each, and any other information I have such as size and backstamp. This is by no means an all-inclusive list. There may very well be pieces I have not come across. If you have additional information by all means share it and I will add it to the list. I have not attempted to list prices as these fluctuate constantly.

Place Settings

Bowl, Berry/Dessert; "The Old Farm Gate"; Early bowls had backstamp, later issues did not

Bowl, Cereal, no handles; "The Schoolhouse in Winter"; Later issues have more white on the sides and are larger

Bowl, Cereal, tab handles; "A Suburban Retreat"; Rare

Bowl, Soup; "Early Winter"; 8 1/2", most have backstamps

Cup; "Star of the Road"; No backstamp. Some cups have a scroll on the handle

Mug, Cocoa; "The Express Train"; No backstamp

Mug, Coffee; "Fashionable Turn-outs in Central Park", Rare, early issues have backstamp

Plate, Bread & Butter; "Harvest"; 6 3/8", also called pie or dessert plate

Plate, Dinner; "The Old Grist Mill"; Many different backstamps depending on when produced. 10" (Americana by Jeannette is 10 5/8")

Plate, Luncheon; "The Old Grist Mill"; 9", more rare than 10" plates

Plate, Salad; "The Birthplace of Washington"; 7"

Plate, Snack; "The Old Grist Mill"; Very rare, has cup well in plate

Saucer; "Low Water in the Mississippi"; Early issues had backstamps, later did not

Serving Dishes

Ashtray, "Central Park, The Drive"; No backstamp

Bowl, Vegetable, Large; "Home, Sweet Home"; Backstamps are rare

Bowl, Vegetable, Regular; "Maple Sugaring"; Early issues slightly thinner

Butter, Covered; "The Road, Winter"; Some covers have "Fashionable Turn-outs in Central Park" and are sometimes called "Summer" but all the trays have the Winter design

Casserole, Covered, "Fashionable Turn-outs in Central Park"; Some have scroll on handle, some have tab handles, in later issues the lids are all white, several variations on lid design including handle design turned 90 degrees from lid design

Creamer, "The Express Train"; Tall creamer also produced

Gravy Boat; "The Road, Winter"; No backstamp, some have white tab handles instead of pour spout

Gravy Boat Tray; "The Old Oaken Bucket" ; The tray for the tab handled gravy boat has "The Birthplace of Washington"

Gravy Ladle; None; All ladles are white with no print and were made to go with several Royal designs

Lamp, Hurricane; "The Old Grist Mill"; Clear globe, no backstamp

Pie Baker; These had several designs:

"A Snowy Morning"

"The Old Grist Mill"

"Early Winter"

"American Farm Scene #4"

"American Homestead Winter"

"Getting Ice"

"The Return from the Pasture"

"The Old Inn-Winter"

"Maple Sugaring"

"A Home on the Mississippi"

Some have backstamps, some don't. Not all designs were produced in all colors. Earlier designs have white sides until Royal came up with a way to print on the sides

Plaque, Wall; "The Rocky Mountains"; Rectangular. Some have holes for hanging. Some don't have holes and have been called spoon rests.

Plate, Calendar; Scrolled Border; no records as to the years these were made but at least 1973-1986

Platter, Chop, 11"

"The Rocky Mountains"

"Getting Ice"

Usually has backstamp

Platter, Chop, 12"; "Getting Ice"; Usually without backstamp

Platter, Chop, 13"; "A Snowy Morning"; Usually without backstamp

Platter, Oval; "The Old Inn-Winter"; No backstamp

Platter, Cake; "The Rocky Mountains"; Has tab handles, usually has backstamp

Shaker, Salt & Pepper; "Fashionable Turn-outs in Central Park" No backstamp, some have scroll on handle, some have open carriage, others have coach

Sugar Bowl; "On the Mississippi"; Printed lid was replaced with all white lid in the 70's, some do not have handles and are taller than handled style

Sweet Server; "A Snowy Morning"; 13" Chop Platter on wooden legs with brass ring handle

Teapot; "Clipper Ship Dreadnought-Off Tuskar Light"; Some have scrolls on handle or spout, some spouts appear "droopy"

Tidbit Server; Print Varies; Can have two or three tiers, some have 2 plates or 2 bowls, some 3 plates, some 2 plates and a bowl, with silver or gold toned hardware

Hostess Set

These pieces are distinguished by having a white border around the edge, which usually has a scalloped or rope design. This replaces the usual scrolled border.

Bowl, Candy; 7 3/4"

Bowl, Dip; 4 3/8"

Mug; plain white, (included in the 9-piece cake and coffee set)

Pie Baker; 11"

Plate. Cake; 10"

Plate, Cake, footed; 10" (foot is the dip bowl)

Plate, Cake; 11", various prints such as Red Velvet Cake or German Chocolate Cake, the plate with the cake and coffee set has "Winter in the Country-Getting Ice"

Plate, Cake, individual;"American Homestead Winter"; 7" (4 included with Hostess set)

Plate, Egg; 11"

Milk Glass Ware

Bowl, Cereal; "The Old Farm Gate"; Mar-crest, no scrolls

Bowl, Chili/Soup with handle; "Star of the Road"; Mar-crest, scrolls on sides of design

Bowl, Mixing, 1 qt; "The Express Train"; Mar-crest, has scrolls on side of design

Bowl, Mixing, 14 oz; unknown; Glasbake J-2427, has "Currier & Ives" at lower right of design

Bowl, Mixing, 1 1/2 pt; unkown; Glasbake J-2354 on bottom

Bowl, Mixing, 1 1/2 qt; "The Express Train; Mar-crest, has scrolls on side of design

Bowl, Mixing, 1 1/2 qt; "Early Winter"; Glasbake, has "Currier & Ives" at lower right of design, J-2355 on bottom

Bowl, Mixing, 2 1/2 qt; "The Rocky Mountains", Mar-crest, has scrolls on side of design

Bowl, Mixing, 2 1/2 qt; "The Birthplace of Washington"; Glasbake, has "Currier & Ives" at lower right of design, Glasbake J-2356 on bottom

Bowl, Mixing, 4 qt, unknown, Glasbake J-2357 on bottom

Casserole, Covered, 1 1/2 qt; "Early Winter"; Mar-crest, scrolls on either side of design

Casserole, Covered, 2 qt; "The Old Inn-Winter"; Glasbake, has "Currier & Ives" at lower right of design

Casserole, Divided; "The Road-Winter"; Glasbake J2352 on bottom, has "Currier & Ives"at lower right

Cup, Custard/Desert; "Star of the Road"; scrolls on side of design, Mar-crest

Cup, Custard/Desert; unknown rural scene; Glasbake, "Currier & Ives" at lower right & "Glasbake USA" stamp on bottom

Mug; "The Old Farm Gate"; Mar-crest, no scrolls, no backstamp

Mug; "A Suburban Retreat"; Glasbake, has Glasbake J-2402 on bottom

Mug, large; "The Old Grist Mill"; Glasbake

Mug, varied designs, Hazel Atlas, HA stamp on bottom

Pan, Baking, Rectangular, 10 1/2" X 6 1/2"; "The Harvest"; Mar-crest, has scrolls at sides of design

Pan, Cake, Round, 8"; "The Old Grist Mill"; Mar-crest, has scrolls at sides of design

Pan, Cake, Square, 8"; "A Good Day's Sport"; Glasbake, has "Currier & Ives" at lower right

Pan, Cake, Square, 8"; unknown; Mar-crest, has scrolls at sides of design

Pan, Loaf; "Harvest"; Mar-crest, has scrolls on sides of design

Pan, Loaf; "Harvest"; Glasbake, has "Currier & Ives" at lower right of design

Tumbler, Print Varies, Hazel Atlas