Tip of the Week: If you own expensive glass collecting resource books and want to annotate your Depression Glass patterns and descriptions without ruining these valuable books, try using Highlighter Tape. This inexpensive product is handy for teachers, librarians and collectors who want to write notes in books without destroying them!

I don’t know about you but my favorite season is fall. Possibly because of the crisp air and the falling leaves. Even with a bit of the warmth of spring in the air, I still reminisce about the last fall with its crisp cool nights and the brilliant colors.

I find myself, while on the hunt for dinnerware or other glass treasures, hunting for ones that are mindful of my favorite season, and using them for things like Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, particularly if there will be company at my house for the holidays.. Lets face it, with some of the patterns we collect, its never too early to get hunting for the things we want, since we’re likely not going to be able to gather up the entire set in one fell swoop unless we are really, really lucky.

When I went out to the department store to find enough dishes for the last gathering in a pattern that I liked, the price tag had me gasping for air. While I love Royal Doulton, gathering up service for 15 on my budget just wasn’t what you might call practical … The price tag at the store was a bit on the exhorbitant side, the reasonably priced white bone with the gold rims won’t go in the microwave and I did have to draw the line at eating Thanksgiving from pretty patterned paper plates,  so I went internet shopping. Don’t you just LOVE shopping on the internet? What on earth did we do before we could buy up our favorite old glass pattern from someone in Virginia or California and have it sent to us in a week or less.

There are always bargains aplenty on the internet, the trick is knowing where to start, and more to the point, what to start with. How do you get the best buy for what you have to spend?

The answer is invariably depression glass. Depression glass, which is in essence, dime store glass thats yesterdays answer to the people who had no money to speak of, and wanted something pretty to put on their table. It was passed out as a premium in many cases, at gas stations, in laundry soap and many other areas, and there were literally thousands of different kinds and hundreds of different patterns.

I”ve found that the gorgeous fall colors are among the least collected oddly enough and the most reasonably purchased, so that you can find a beautiful amber, topaz or deep green , and the patterns may range from Columbia, Diana, Florentine, Iris and Herringbone, Lincoln Inn, Diamond, Waffler, Camero, Jubilee, Lorain, Princess, Rosemary and many others.

If you start shopping now, chances are you’re going to have found enough of your chosen pattern and color and purchased it, to have it all in stock by the time that autumn rolls around again, and no matter what you use it to serve, it will never look quite so pretty.
Happy Shopping.

I hadn’t been married very long and I used a platter that held deviled eggs for an evening meal. It was knocked from the table and broken( amid scrambled deviled eggs may I add)  I went in search of one that looked like it and found a green one that was close to what I had broken.

Unknown to me, it was depression glass, someone recognized it as such and told me what I had.. The patterns, the colors and the pieces were amazing to me and started me studying intently to see what else was out there. My husband, always one to encourage my forays into something new, purchased a book for me that gave me some insight into the many pieces that were out there, including some others, china teacups.

Literally thousands of items and trips to the flea market later, I have to wonder if he regrets that simple little gift. I’d say the answer is probably a resounding yes.

One of the things I’ve seen and become interested in  that was made by Jeannette, is a depression glass, that might interest some of you too.

Iris and Herringbone: Made by the Jeannette Glass Company, it was, in the beginning, crystal, for about four years between 1928 and 1932, but of course, there are exceptions and there were also a few pink and greens made in this time span as well. Likewise, there were some crystal pieces made in the forties, along with special treatments that included satin and flowers painted on, and some other coloration. You’re going to see these most commonly on the fruit bowls, nut bowls, the candlesticks and the sherbert dishes that are that luscious red with the gold decoration. Jeannette focused largely on giftware type glass in this time span, as opposed to their tableware, which is one reason why you’re going to find it difficult to gather in the plates bowls and tumblers from this time span.

Some Iris pieces will be hard to deal with for the novice, being a little confusing from the beginning. The goblets came in two different sizes, 4.5 and 5.5 inches, and each one has two different bowl sizes as well. The footed tumblers also came in two different sizes, with only half an inch difference in them, making it hard to really envision if you don’t have something to compare one of them to.

Ruffled Bowls. There were made in five inch, nine and one half inch and eleven and one half inches. There is a cereal bowl thats also five inches but it has a straight edge rather than ruffled. THe price difference between the two is not neglible, as the ruffled one goes for about 20 dollars as opposed to the cereal bowl, which prices out at about 165-175.. so thats a definitely expensive mistake.

There are nut bowls and fruit bowls, which contain a hole in the middle and a chrome base which may have a satin type finish on them, and a lampshade a well.

In about 1950 Jeannette started making iridescent Iris and Herringbone pieces.Most of them were the same shape as what was their original crystal, however not all of the pieces were made, and some were redone, so not all will be the same. There are minor differences between the two, which doesn’t mean its a reproduction.

The goblet that had measured 4.5 was changed to four inches flat, while the candy jar was produced without a lid to it.

In my home area of Pennsylvania, Iris is a common thing to find, even today but in Nebraska, where I currently live, its just not the case. What you can expect to pay is going to change subject to how available something is to you.

Some of the reasons why Jeannette is so popular are the remarkable pattern pieces they’ve made over their years of production. Among the most ardently collected of Jeannettes patterns are:

• Adam
• Anniversary
• Cherry Blossom
• Cubist
• Doric
• Floral
• Flora-gold
• Holiday
• Iris and Herringbone
• Poinsettia
• Sierra
• Swirl
• Windsor

Below are some examples of each pattern, so that you know what you’re looking for when you decide its time to branch out into Jeannette glassware

Candlewick
Dalzell viking had made some candlewick pieces in colors that were never originally made. (recently, a pastel frosted line in pink, blue, green, lilac and yellow were sold.) Boyd also made some items – marked with their b. Items in odd colors are new. Some czech glass also resembles candlewick.

Caprice
Mosser made a miniature line in caprice as well. As children’s pieces were never originally made, these pose no problem. Summit art glass presently owns some caprice molds – check gene florence elegant book for detailed listing. Boyd has also produced the covered dolphin footed box in many colors – all marked with the b.
Kitchenware/other glass

Akro agate
Bennett glass company is reproducing 6 inch oval planter (#654)and 5 1/4 inch lilly planter(#657) these items are marked with a ‘b’ in a triangle and come in colors never originally made by akro. The bell is also being reproduced. (check for paneling on the handle as the repro has paneling that stops short of the body: akro bells are paneled all the way down to where the handle attaches.) The 2 handled basket is also being found in non-akro colors.
Bottoms up tumbler set
Original says “pat 77725? right under the feet. Skokie green, crystal, seville yellow, black, cream ivory, and french ivory are the original colors. All other colors are new. Coaster should match tumbler. Old colors show opalescence when held to light.

Criss cross
Cobalt items, including the 1/4 pound butter dish, are being sold through various catalogs. These new pieces are poorly molded, the glass is too thick and has a greasy feel as well as an overall poor quality look.

Kitchen glassware
Much kitchen glass is being reproduced now including: measuring cups and pitchers (with and without reamer tops), hoosier canisters and shakers, reamers, baby reamers, kellogg’s 3 spout measuring cups, rolling pins, sugar shakers. Generally found in cobalt, pink and green – many other colors are out there – they are of poor quality, too thick, and badly molded. Know from whom you buy!!

Shirley temple
Mugs, bowls and cream pitchers have been reproduced and other items never originally made – like salt shakers – can be found. The cobalt color is too dark, the silkscreen design is too white and grainy, and the glass is too thick on these new items

Pressed glass
Higbee “paneled thistle” pressed glass pieces are being made by the l.e. smith glass co. The reproductions are good – with just slight blurring of the pattern. Some have the higbee “bee” symbol in the bottom. They are being made in a variety of colors.

For many years depression glass has been reproduced by companies all over the world. Some of the patterns and things you may see from those companies are listed below. (We gratefully acknowledge the research work of the Glass Reproduction website, as well as About.com  for some of this information).

Adam
Butter dish- on the green reproduction you will see that the veins in the leaves on lid do not join or touch in center of leaf, bottom: on the old, large leaves point to center of each side (north, south, east, west) on the reproduction, they point off center (northeast, etc) very poor mold quality will show up  on both top and bottom.

Avocado
Avocado was originally made in pink, green and crystal: white pitcher & tumbler sets  were made by Indiana Glass in the 1950’s. Yellow, red, blue, amethyst and frosted colors are all reproductions which were made by Tiara  from 1974 through the 1980’s. Pink and green were also made by Tiara but are different from the original colors as follows: new pink has an orange-ish tint rather than the soft pink of the old color. The newer  green is darker than the original one was.

Baltimore pear
Compote, marked with a paper label on the base, made in France.

Cameo
The Shakers have been made in green, pink and cobalt.  On the reproductions the patternis weak,  with a little too much glass in the bottom of shaker, and additionally the  cobalt was never originally made. Above the foot is filled in with about 1/4-1/2 of glass. Mosser company has made a line of children’s miniature sets (called ‘the Jennifer line’) with the cameo pattern. As children’s dishes were never made, these miniatures don’t present a problem telling reproductions from originals.

Cherry blossom
The following pieces have been reproduced in any or all of these colors: pink, green, light blue, delphite, cobalt, red and iridized colors. The only original colors that were made were the pink, green and delphite, and some of these reproductions are quite good so they may fool you. The round 2 handled tray, footed cake plate, cereal bowl, footed tumbler, butter dish and a divided platter are among those things that have been reproduced. As a general rule you’re going to find that the reproduction pieces are less carefully molded, with the pattern more crudely in place, branches and leaves on the blossom pattern will lack the original serrated texture of the leaves and the bark of the branch. The flowers will not look as detailed to you. The pieces are also somewhat heavier in glass than the originals.

Columbia
Juice glasses will be marked “France”

Floral Poinsettia
These shakers can be found in colbalt blue, red and deep green, which are all reproductions as none of those colors were made. The pink however was made originally and the pink reproduction is very close to that original color.
The reproduction shakers will give you a continuous threading on the screw on top, while the older one will have a pair of threads that will end prior to the mold seams.

Additionally, you will find that the pattern is on top of the base on the new shakers and under the base on the old ones, so that you have to turn them over to see the base pattern.

Florentine 1
Shakers have been found in pink, red, and cobalt. The pattern is very badly done, red & cobalt are not original colors.

Florentine 2
Pitcher & tumbler sets in red, dark green, cobalt, and two different pinks have been made. None of these colors were originally made.

Iris & herringbone
The reproduction iris & herringbone, 6?, crystal, water tumblers, and the originals are both the exact same size. They both have the smooth rays on the foot. Although the repro’s ray edges may be just slightly sharper than on the originals, but it’s probably way too close for the novice collector to tell the difference. The herringbone pattern is one key. It’s not even near as clear, sharp and vivid as on the originals. But still close enough to fool even a good eye.
Now…just like on the 6 1/2? ice tea tumbler, one quick way to tell the difference is, flip your tumbler upside down. Can you see the “mold” line at all on the foot? On the originals, the “mold” line is “very” visible when you look at it from this perspective. However, with the reproduction tumbler, if you have a very good eye and or an magnifying glass, you might could see the “mold” line when looking at it from the bottom side. If you have to look that hard to see it, it’s probably an reproduction.

One other way to tell is, on the original 6? water tumbler, just like on the original 6 1/2? ice tea tumbler, there are (4) sides to each of these tumblers. Let me explain. There are (4) iris flower designs. The two opposite each other should be exactly the same identical design, matching each other perfectly. If there’s any difference at all, then it’s probably an reproduction.

You can’t tell the difference between the two by feeling the hole in the bottom of the tumbler foot. They both have the exact same type and style of hole in them both, with the exact same number of rays on the foot as well.

One sure fire way to tell if your 6? water tumbler is the “real deal” or not is, just to the right of the iris flower design, you have a very long stem, kind of thick one, coming from the bottom of the tumbler to the top edge of the flower on the right side of the flower, curving slightly to the left at the top as it ends. It has been crossed, or x ‘ed towards the top of the stem, with a partial stem. If you turn the tumbler to the exact opposite side it should match exactly. If it doesn’t and it’s only half x’ed, or not x’ed at all, it’s an reproduction. The opposing sides will not match this side, the pattern is different, but should match each other exactly perfectly as well.

Lorain
In the 1950’s, the footed sherbet with an open lace edge was produced in milk glass and avocado for use as a florist bowl – colors never made during the depression. These were probably made by anchor hocking instead of indiana – who produced lorain originally – as some have been found with hocking’s paper labels.

Madrid
In 1976, federal reissued this pattern for the bicentennial under the name “recollection”. Pieces were made in amber, but marked with a 76 in the design to distinguish old from new. Indiana glass bought the molds when federal closed, removed the 76 and made crystal. Since then, pieces have been made in blue, pink and a light ‘coke bottle green-blue’ color. The new blue is brighter than the original color, the new pink is too light. Many pieces have been made, some by combining two old items into a new one: the candlestick on a 10 inch plate became the pedestal cake stand; a tumbler on the candlestick base is sold as a hurricane lamp/vase, and the butter dish on the candlestick makes the footed candy dish. Reproductions of old pieces tend to be too heavy, the wrong color and sloppily molded. Study your depression glass encyclopedia so you know what’s original and what’s not.

Manhattan
Similar to manhattan, anchor hocking produced ‘park avenue’ from 1987-93 and then again in the late 1990’s in crystal and light ’sapphire blue.’ light blue was never made, and shapes were changed so as to maintain the integrity of the original crystal pieces. If you find something that’s not listed in the depression glass encyclopedias, it’s part of the park avenue line not manhattan.

Mayfair (open rose)
Cookie jars, shot glasses, small juice pitchers and salt/pepper shakers have been reproduced in pink (more orange than the original, green (both too dark and the wrong shade), cobalt, amethyst, red, amberina, and pink slag. The pattern is very weak on all items; pitcher and cookie bottoms lack the circular mold mark on the bottom, the shots have too much glass in the bottom.

Miss America
Reproduced in pink, green( wrong shade) red amberina, cobalt, crystal and ice blue as follows: repro flat tumblers have 2 mold seams instead of 4. Repro pitchers are missing the ice lip and the ‘hump’ in the top edge that old pitchers have by the handle to help grasp when pouring. New shakers are 3 1/4 inch tall and have too much glass on the inside – old are 3 3/8 inch tall and fill all the way to the bottom with salt. New butter dishes have a lump of glass sticking out (convex) under the knob; old are concave (curved in).

Pineapple & floral (no 618)
Indiana reissued the diamond shaped comport and the 7 inch bowl in pink, cobalt, avocado, and crystal with sprayed on colors. Only crystal was originally made so the other colors are no problem. Both items tend to be roughly molded and heavier than the originals. The new 7 inch bowls also have smooth rims instead of the wavy rim that the old bowls have.

Princess
Candy jars and shakers have shown up in cobalt, amber, light blue, pink and green. Both are poor quality, badly molded with bubbles and a greasy feel to the glass. The colors are wrong and some are marked ‘china’ with a paper label.

Pyramid (no.610)
In 1974-5, indiana produced the berry bowl, 4 part relish, and tumbler, in blue and black as part of their tiara line. These colors were never made originally.

Royal lace
The cookie jar, juice and water tumbler have been reproduced in cobalt blue. Cookie jar: the mold is very poor, with lots of bubbles in the glass and a very weak pattern. Old lids should have a mod seam running across the knob (divides the lid into 2 halves.) New ones are missing this seam. Tumblers: some are missing the design in the base. Thicker glass and shorter than the originals with too much glass in the bottom of the tumbler.

Sharon
Reproduction items in pink, dark green, blue, light green, opalescent blue, red and dark amber have shown up. Butter dish, covered candy, cheese dish, sugar & creamer, salt & pepper all have been made and can be found with “made in taiwan” labels. As only amber, pink and light green are original colors, they are the only ones to pose a problem for collectors. New sharon is poorly molded, too thick with a greasy feel and lots of bubbles in the glass. The knobs on the butter, cheese and candy lids are too high – look stretched instead of the squat, hard to grasp older pieces. The pattern on the shakers does not look like roses; instead it looks like a pinwheel. The sugar & creamer are too light and of such bad quality that they are obviously new.

Thistle
Butter dish, pitcher and tumbler.

Bubble/ruby
Anchor hocking reissued the 8 inch and 4 1/2 inch bowls in ruby. Most are marked with the anchor trademark. Hocking has also produced the ashtray, punch cups and some vases recently – all marked with the anchor trademark.

Charm
Charm reissue: charm was originally made by anchor hocking from 1950 to 1954. Complete settings – all 11 pieces – could be purchased in jadite(opaque green), azurite(opaque blue), and forest green. A 5 piece luncheon service that included the cup, saucer, 8 3/8 inch plate, 4 3/4 inch bowl and 7 3/8 inch bowl was also produced in royal ruby during this time. Occasionally, a piece of charm will turn up in white or ivory but, as these colors were not part of the normal production, they remain oddities to highlight collections of the other colors.
Charm’s square shape is very popular with today’s collectors. So great is the demand for the original issue, that anchor hocking has brought the charm shape back for the new millennium with the name “union square contemporary glass service.” touted as “an updated version of a design from the 1950’s to bring style to your table,” hocking has brought back this popular pattern. But collectors have no need to fear being taken by repros pretending to be the real thing: union square is only available in crystal(clear glass), a color that was not produced in the 1950’s. Five items are currently being sold: three sizes of bowls(4 3/4?, 6? and 8 3/4?) a 9 inch plate and a 12 inch square platter. These new items are slightly larger than the comparable original issue pieces, and the square platter is an item that is completely new to the ‘charm’ line. In the past, hocking has maintained the integrity of their older glass when they re-introduce patterns from the past. Hopefully, they will continue this practice of ‘responsible reproduction’ with union square and stay away from the original colors if they expand the line.

Early american presscut
A powder jars with lid in two sizes – 4 inch and 5 inch – have turned up. This item was never made by anchor hocking, and they are marked “italy” in the glass on both top and bottom

English hobnail
The hexagonal creamer & sugar and the oval pickle dish are being made by brooke glass and marked with a circular westmoreland glass mark. They are of very poor quality when compared to the original. The small footed nut cups are also found in many colors, some marked with an “s”, and are again not the quality of westmoreland originals.

Heritage
Both the large and small berry bowls have been reproduced for mccrory’s in amber, crystal, and an avocado-ish green. Marked with mc in the center, they are of very poor quality and mold and are easy to spot.

Jade-ite
Both martha stewart and cracker barrel stores have their own lines of jadite glass – some marked, some not. Buy from someone you trust and study your books so you know what was originally made!

Laurel (fireking)
A cup and saucer/plate (no cup ring) have turned up in a translucent green that is supposed to look like jadite. The color is too light and nothing like fire king jadite. Both pieces are marked with a diamond shape, and the numbers 402 and 4 on the bottom.

Paneled grape
Summit art glass is producing the large canister in an orange slag – never originally made by westmoreland – and milk glass. They do have the wg mark on both top and bottom, but the mold is very poor on the milk glass and easy to spot.
Sandwich – anchor hocking
The cookie jar in crystal has been recently reproduced. These are sold in catalogs with nut/candy assortments, especially around the holidays. The repro jar is larger than the original – 10 1/4 inches tall, 5 1/2 inch opening and 22 inch diameter at the widest part of the jar. The old cookie jar is 9 1/4 inches tall, 4 7/8 inch at the opening and 19 inches in diameter at the widest part. Those extra inches make the new jars seem huge.
Sandwich – indiana
Indiana reissued their sandwich pattern as part of the tiara line. Tiara exclusives was sold at home parties and touted as ‘tomorrow’s collectible glass – made from original molds.’ this basically means that they made new glass using old molds, not that the glass was old. Amber, crystal, smoky blue, teal, chantilly green, milk, and red were all produced. Most of the crystal and all the amber you find today will have been made since 1970.

At that time (1956) Hazel Atlas was purchased by the Continental Can Company, themselves a monster in the container industry, in a move that was challenged by the US government under the Antitrust laws.

The case was, in the end, decided by the US Supreme court. (United States v. Continental Can Co.)

The glassware produced by Hazel Atlas remains a popular collectors item today, and among the things you may see in your collecting travels are some of those viewed below:

The Federal Glass Company was established in 1900 in Columbus Ohio and operated their glass making by  hand, making pressed glassware, some of it with needle etchings.

Federal Glass had the business acumen to anticipate the publics need for a large amount of glassware for a reasonable price and made the step over to automated productions as soon as they were able, becoming one of the best and most prolific companies to produce cheaper glasses and pitchers and jugs by machinery.

The 1930′s saw Federal Glass emerge as one of the leading producters in machine pressed, molded tableware in various colors, and in the forties they expanded their operations to include service to the food service, or restaurant industry.

During the next decades after the forties the Federal Glass company emerged as a lead supply house to many commercial food institutions not only nationally but world wide.
In the late 1950′s Federal Glass became a division of the Federal Paper Board Company, and continued to produce glassware until the very late 1970′s when they ceased operations.

The company even remade one of their popular glasswares, Recollection, as part of the American Bicentennial celebratory pieces, coloring it a bit darker and embossing the numbers 76 on the pieces.(on thing to note is that after Federal Glass went out of business, the molds were taken in by Indiana Glass, who did produce the same pieces in blue and pink colors, so if you’ve got one, it may not be Federal Glass)

Patterns which the Federal Glass company made include:

Colonial Fluted "Rope"- (1928-32) (Crystal, Green)

Columbia- (1938-1942) (Crystal, Pink)

Diana – (1937-1941) (Amber, Crystal, Crystal Decorated, Pink, Frosted Colors)

Fruits – (Crystal, Pink, Green) (1931-1936)

Georgian – (Amber, Crystal, Green) (1931-1936)

Madrid – (1932-1939) (Amber, Blue, Crystal, Green, some Iridescent, Pink)

Normandie – (1933-1940) (Amber, Crystal, Iridescent, Pink)

Parrot (Sylvan)- (1931-1932) (Amber, Some Crystal, Green)

Patrician – (1933-1937) (Amber, Crystal, Green, Pink)

Rosemary (Dutch Rose) (1935-1937) (Amber, Green, Pink)

Sharon (1935-1939) – (Amber, Crystal, Pink, Green)

You can see much resemblance between Sharon and Federal’s Mayfair and Rosemary patterns for good reason; Mayfair was also the name of a Hocking pattern and so, due to copyright issues and after redesigning the pattern twice, Federal renamed the line Rosemary in 1934. But the Rosemary line sold poorly and was followed soon after with Federal’s introduction of another open rose motif, the Sharon pattern, in 1935.

Of the three lines, Sharon, with its smooth edges and ornate rose garland, proved by far to be the most popular, winning the War of The Roses at the Federal Glass Company and still winning hearts with collectors today as one of the most sought after Depression glass patterns!

Colors produced in the Sharon pattern included Rose Glow (pink), the most desirable in the pattern by collectors today, Springtime Green, which is the hardest to find today, and amber, called “Golden Glow” in the original Federal catalogs, and a few pieces in Crystal (clear).

Federal’s Sharon floral pattern was made using the Chip Mould process. Among the 32 pieces made in the Sharon pattern, some of the more difficult pieces to find include the thick tumbler, flat soup, cream soup, and pitchers. The jam dish in pink is rare, while the uncut footed tumbler made into a lamp is nearly impossible to find today.

Pieces available in crystal include the cake plate, a footed tumbler, and 7 and 1/2 inch plate. Some of the Sharon cake plates are indented for a metal lid, while others are flat, and may be found with flowers painted on the underside.

Though quite popular, pieces in the Sharon pattern are still reasonably priced and, with a little patience, you can still put together a full service, especially in amber or pink, although pink pieces typically run about twice the cost of amber.

If you want green pieces, you’ll need to be very patient as there aren’t many pieces available, although it is less popular with collectors than pink. Flat soup bowls, the jam dish, pitchers and tumblers, will require some hunting but you should be able to track them down.

The pitcher comes with and without an ice lip and remarkably, it’s the plain variety that’s slightly harder to find. Tumblers were made in 9-oz and 12-oz size, and come thick and thin. The thin ones look mold blown while the thick variety looks pressed. The thick ones are harder to find; of course, if you’re willing to mix thick and thin, you’ll complete your set faster.

The 15 oz footed tumbler was added to the line in 1937, making it the hardest to find of the three sizes made. Finding a cheese dish will test your patience, and if you collect pink Sharon, be prepared to spend in the $1500 range for one.

Many reproductions of Sharon were made in the 1970s, so be sure pieces you buy are originals, unless you are intentionally out to collect the replacements, in which case be sure you pay accordingly.

Some tips on identifying Sharon reproductions pieces versus originals:

• There are six Sharon pieces which have been reproduced; the salt and pepper shakers, the sugar and creamer, covered candy dish, butter dish, and the cheese dish, which is hard to find original.
• If you find any of these pieces in a color other than amber, green or pink, you will know it’s a reproduction immediately. Unfortunately, the three original colors were also reproduced, so you have other criteria to check; the reproduction amber is too dark and green and pink reproduction pieces are too light, making them fairly easy to identify as replacements.
• The quality of the reproduction glass is also inferior, with bubbles and poor mold work.
• On fake shakers the pattern is crudely done; the roses look more like concentric circles than open blossoms, and the rosebud that tops the design looks like a pinwheel instead of a bud with three leaves.
• The pattern is equally bad on the candy dish and sugar & creamer, with the mold line on the creamer running to the side of the spout rather than down the center.
• The sugar bowl lid is the easiest way to tell real from fake: the old lids have a mold seam running around the edge of the knob while the new lids have a smooth knob. If the sugar bowl has no lid, look inside where the handle attaches to the bowl: old handles make a teardrop shape where they meet the bowl while the attachment in new ones is a circle.
• The candy dish is so crudely done that the bubbles and poor mold design should give it away immediately.
  The butter dish and cheese dish give collectors the most concern, but they are very easy to expose. As both use the same top, check it first.
• Original butter and cheese lids have such a squat knob that your fingers cannot grasp it securely. When you pick up an old lid by the knob, you can barely get the tips of your fingers into the space between the knob and the flat surface of the top, explaining the shortage of original tops remaining today.
• The counterfeiters fixed this problem; on new lids the knob is stretched up so you can wrap your fingers safely around it. If you can grasp it comfortably between your index and middle finger, put it down and walk away. On both of these bases, the glass is too thick and of poor quality.
• Fake butter bottoms have a very sharp inner rim to hold the top in place – on the original, this lip is less pronounced so the top slips off more easily.
• On a fake cheese dish, the bottom is a bowl with a rim instead of a flat plate.

Depression glass was made in a dazzling variety of colors and over 100 patterns.

During the Great Depression, people of course had very little money, so expensive tableware like china, stemware or crystal generally could not be afforded by average Americans.

Many of the Depression glass patterns were either sold very cheaply at retail, or else distributed as promotional items during this time period; given away with soap, cereal and other products, local movie houses, banks, gas stations and other businesses.

Just prior to the beginning of the Depression, there were over one hundred glassmakers in the United States; by the end of the era, less than half remained in business, with many suffering bankruptcy, mergers, or their plant being destroyed by fire, simply shut their doors.

The important factor that distinguishes pieces as being Depression glass is that it was produced during this era, which extended from the mid 1920s, through the Depression years and up until World War II primarily.

Although most Depression glass pieces were made cheaply and of inferior quality, their timeless beauty and nostalgic value have made them very collectible.

Depression Glass PricesIn general, the quality of glassware was low, with mold flaws and other characteristics that collectors of high quality glass would describe as poor quality. However, this has not stopped the pieces from becoming highly collectible, increasing significantly in value.

In fact, if you read advertisements from the era, you find that pieces were often priced in groups or sets, with a dozen pieces being sold for as little as $1.50 or single pieces being offered for ten to fifteen cents each. Today, a piece that may have sold new for less than one dollar in the 1920s may be worth over $1,000 USD in mint condition, depending on the maker, pattern, color and rarity of the piece!

In general, the earliest pieces fetch the highest prices among collectors, since many of those pieces were used daily and thus, have become more and more difficult to find over time. As with most collectibles, supply and demand determine prices.

Depression Glass Versus Elegant Glass

Today, collectors tend to classify glassware from the Depression era as being either Elegant or Depression glass.

Elegant Depression glass was produced using hand finishing techniques once the glass came out of the mold, while Depression glass entailed little or no hand finishing work.

Thus, it stands to reason that pieces which required more labor are more desirable, rarer and generally command higher prices today.

Hand finishing treatments included techniques such as acid etching patterns into the glass after pieces were cooled, cutting patterns into the glass with a cutting wheel, fire polishing pieces to remove mold marks and grinding the bottom of pieces so that they would sit flat.

Ruby red is one of the many vibrant colors in which depression glass was produced.

Many colors were used in the production of Depression glass. The most common colors include amber, yellow, pink, green, blue and crystal (clear).

Less common colors include alexandrite (lavender that changes color depending on the light), tangerine or bright orange, and other shades of the predominate colors that were less often used or which mixed colors to produce various effects.

Ironically, many colors introduced during the era, which were not then popular and were quickly discontinued, have made these shorter run pieces quite rare today and therefore among the most popular and expensive pieces to add to a collection!

Adam to Windsor: Depression Glass Patterns

Well over one hundred patterns are commonly identified as being within the realm of Depression glass collecting.

These are typically classified in alphabetical order, from A (Adam) to W (Windsor), thus the term Adam to Windsor refers to the entire range of machine made Depression glass patterns, not including the hand finished Elegant patterns.

With over 100 depression glass patterns to collect, you will enjoy adding pieces to your collection over time! With hand finished details, elegant glass pieces are generally more valuable than machine blown Depression glass.

The Seven Most Recognized Depression Glassware Manufacturers:

• Federal Glass Company
• Hocking Glass Company
• Hazel-Atlas Glass Company
• Indiana Glass Company
• Jeannette Glass Company
• MacBeth-Evans Glass Company
• U.S. Glass Company

Other Depression and Elegant Glassware Manufacturers:

• Anchor Hocking Glass Company
• Bryce Glass Company
• Cambridge Glass Company
• Central Glass Company
• Consolidated Glass Company
• Co-operative Flint Glass Company
• Dalzell Viking Glass Company
• Dell Glass Company
• Duncan and Miller Glass Company
• Fenton Glass Company
• Fostoria Glass Company
• Fry Glass Company
• Hawkes Glass Company
• Heisey Glass Company
• Imperial Glass Company
• L.E. Smith Glass Company
• Lancaster Glass Company
• Louie Glass Company
• McKee Glass Company
• Monongah Glass Company
• Morgantown Glass Company
• Mt. Pleasant Glass Company
• New Martinsville Glass Company
• Paden City Glass Company
• Paden City Glass Company
• Rainbow Glass Company
• Seneca Glass Company
• Tiffin Glass Company
• Viking Glass Company
• West Virginia Glass Company
• Westmoreland Glass Company

The Jeannette Glass Company operated for nearly 100 years and was well known for the Depression glass kitchen and tableware patterns they produced.

The Harp pattern by the Jeannette Glass Company is just one of the many well known patterns this company made.

• Adam
• Anniversary
• Cherry Blossom
• Cubist
• Doric
• Floral
• Flora-gold
• Holiday
• Iris and Herringbone
• Poinsettia
• Sierra
• Swirl
• Windsor

Royal Lace is one of the lovely patterns produced by the Hazel Atlas Glass Company, which is known for many great Depression glass patterns.

The pattern looks very much like lace and was made in amethyst (rare), crystal (clear), cobalt blue, pink, and green. Called Ritz Blue by Hazel-Atlas, the cobalt blue is the most popular color among collectors.

The Ritz Blue color came into being by happenstance when General Mills ended a business deal with Hazel-Atlas that promoted Shirley Temple in 1936. Having leftover inventor of the blue glass, they decided to pour it using the Royal Lace molds and it became an immediate success.

One of the most extensive Hazel-Atlas patterns, the hardest Royal Lace pieces to find are the butter dish, cookie jar, large pitcher and ice tea tumbler.

The Royal Lace Depression glass pattern.

• Eight bowls
• Butter dish
• Three candlesticks
• Cookie jar
• Creamer, cups and saucers
• Five pitchers
• Five plates
• Platter
• Salt and pepper shakers
• Sherbet
• Sugar bowl with lid
• Four tumblers in different sizes

Cameo Depression glass pattern produced by Hocking from 1930 to 1934.

Cameo was produced by Hocking Glass Company of Lancaster, Ohio, from 1930 to 1934 and was available in the colors crystal, green, pink, and yellow.

Legend has it that the pattern was released in honor of Isadora Duncan, the famous modern dancer who was killed in a tragic accident when her long scarf, which was a trademark of hers, got caught in the wheel of her Bugatti roadster and choked her to death!

From 1930 to 1934, the Hocking Glass Company produced glassware that is, for all intents and purposes, truly representative of Depression era glass.

It began in Fairmont West Virginia, where the Monongahela Glass Company had its roots. The company was sold to Hocking, or more correctly, to Lancaster Glass, which had been acquired by Hocking in 1924.

Their new Springtime pattern was just what the doctor ordered to boost the flagging sales that Hocking and in fact every other business was experiencing at that time.

Hocking copied the pattern almost exactly and made for it new molds so that they could make them by machine.

In 1930, Cameo became the first etched molded dinnerware in Hockings line and today remains one of the most collected and popular pieces of Depression era glassware patterns ever made.

The dancing girl is what truly distinguishes the Cameo Depression glass pattern.

Of these pieces, pink will be the hardest to find and also the most expensive of pieces if you choose to collect them. Yellow was only made from 1932 to 1934. But it was sold in boxed sets that included the cup, saucer/sherbet plate, dinner plate, grill plate, and footed tumbler, making these pieces common.

To the collector, Cameo also offered many pieces other than the basics, such as candy jars, a vase, candle sticks and sandwich servers, which being so rare have sold for over 5,000 dollars at auction or sales.

Only one piece of cameo has been reproduced in an attempt to fool collectors. This was the salt and pepper shaker set. New shakers, according to a glass expert, have a very faint pattern on the bottom and too much glass, and so are easily recognized as reproduction pieces.

Quite popular today among collectors and enthusiasts, the Cameo set includes:

• Eight bowls
• Butter dish
• Two cake plates
• Candlesticks
• Two different candy jars
• Cocktail shaker
• Compote
• Cookie jar
• Two creamers
• Two cups styles
• Decanter in frosted and clear
• Two domino trays
• Three goblets
• Ice bowl
• Jam jar
• Three pitchers
• Ten plates
• Platter
• Relish, salt and pepper shakers
• Sandwich server
• Two saucers
• Three sherbets
• Two sugar containers
• Nine tumblers
• Two vases
• Water bottle

The Indiana Glass company began about the turn of the twentieth century, or a bit earlier. It was originally part and parcel of the Ohio Flint Glass company, which were them consequently sold to the National Glass company. It incorporated as the Indiana Glass Company in 1907 and has operated under this name since that time.

Indiana Glass Company made their first line of tableware by molding it by hand, and it consisted of some very heavy crystal glassware which was made to sell specifically to tea rooms, soda fountains and restaurants.

The names Avocado, Tea Room, pyramid and Old English, fires appear in company records in 1923 and run to 1933, being among the first patterns produced by the company.

Their next addition to follow was colorization of the glassware in 1925, when amber glass was added, followed by pink the following year and in 1930, topaz came into play.

Later in the twenties, when the arrival of mechanized creations entered into play, they added molded, thinner dinnerware and glassware to their lines.

Three new patterns; Horseshoe, Vernon and Lorain, were introduced in the time between 1929 and 1930. These three patterns would prove to be the only molded dinnerware ever produced by this company.

For a brief time span, the Indiana Glass Company was producing both machine made and hand pressed glass.

Then the Depression hit the Indiana factory very hard, and by 1933 they had ceased production of all of the patterns as well as colored glass.

Today, all of the vintage pieces are in short supply and much sought after with the prices reflecting this fact.

If you are lucky enough to find it, hold onto it tightly and pass it along to the next generation of glass collectors at your house.

Often, glass companies tended to follow the same trends much as car manufacturers tend to follow design trends, so that it is possible to date the glassware you are purchasing by the shape of the glassware or the coloration of the piece.

Serious collectors may have dozens or even hundreds of depression glass pieces.

The elegance of the items is what catches the eye and captures the imagination of those who want to collect this type glassware.

They were produced for many years and among those items which were produced were candy bowls and dishes, relish trays, as well as ashtrays, egg dishes and many other items.

Some coloration you may find are clear blue, orange type iridescent, deep or sage green a well as frosted glass.

Many pieces can be found for sale at show, antique dealers and even in junk sales or yard sales. Most of these will be the clear crystal variety.

Some collectors do collect only that variety and no other, while many specialize in one or another color.

Depression glass is highly collectible.

The colors that seem to be most prevalent aside from the clear are cranberry and yellow colors.

Depression glass is clear or colored translucent glassware made available either free or at low cost in the United States during the Great Depression. The Quaker Oats Company and other food companies often included a piece of glassware in food boxes as an incentive to buy their brands. Movie theaters and other businesses often gave away glass pieces.

Most depression glassware was manufactured in the mid-west United States, since the raw materials and power significantly reduced manufacturing costs in the early part of the twentieth century.

Depression glass is one of the most popular glass collectibles.

Over twenty manufacturers put more than one hundred patterns. Complete dinner sets were available in certain patterns.

Original Depression glassware is now a very popular collectible and rare piece can sell for several hundred dollars. Some manufacturers made the most popular patterns available even after World War II or released similar patterns, with reproductions being made even still.

Some of the most popular patterns collectors seek include Cameo, Mayfair, American Sweetheart, Princess and Royal Lace.

Serious collectors usually avoid reproduction pieces, but finding originals in good condition can be the toughest element of the Depression glass collector’s job. Finding reasonably priced pieces can be a challenge, but finding ones in mint condition can seem nearly impossible. Since the glassware was often regularly, the pieces will many times have scratches, chips or cracks.

You can find undamaged items by running a finger around the edges and rims to inspect for chips. Holding the piece up to a light will help find any cracks. Pieces with the least amount of scratches left by knives or other utensils will have the best future resale value.

Also avoid cloudy glassware etched by automatic dishwasher use. This is sometimes referred to as “sick” glass, and gives the piece a much lower resale value. If you buy Depression glass online, be sure the dealer is reputable and offers returns in the case that a piece does not match the condition expected.

Collecting Depression glass is a fun hobby that adds interest and color to any home decor.

Canterbury is one of the best known patterns that was produced by Duncan and Miller.

Two years later a man destines to become a great designer joined the company where he worked for over fifty years. His name was John Miller.

For two years (1890-92) the company had to close due to a fire. However, the new factory started out with a bang, making the Mitchell pattern on the first firing.

It is from this point forward that we get into the Duncan and Miller period; Ernest Miller being a partner, and Harry Duncan taking on the role of President after his father’s death.

From a collectors standpoint there are specific lines for which to watch, namely Teardrop, Sandwich, Hobnail and Canterbury.

There are also hues specific to the Duncan and Miller line including rose, light blue, ruby, cobalt blue, black and green. Their products get classified along with “elegant” products thanks to the overall excellence.

Duncan and Miller closed in 1955. Most of the equipment and molds were sold to United States Glass in Ohio, who diligently reproduced some patterns until 1980 when they, too, closed.

Additionally the Hugs Corn Flower Company also bought some patterns (swans, candlesticks, flower bowl), and utilized them as recently as 2001.

Best known Duncan and Miller patterns and designs:

• Canterbury – produced during the 1930s, some of the Canterbury pieces were overlaid in silver or gold.
• Canterbury #115 – produced by Duncan Miller from 1939 to 1955, these are heavy glass pieces that were made in various colors.
• Charmaine Rose – a lovely rose pattern.
• Caribbean – rings of wavy glass distinguish this interesting pattern.
• Dover – an “Elegant” Depression glass pattern produced by Duncan and Miller.
• First Love – an etched floral pattern used with different glass forms, produced from 1935 until the company closed in 1955.
• Tear Drop – a crystal or clear glass pattern with very small glass balls in a distinctive pattern.