Due to the lack of interest for a longer time, in collecting this high quality, well made china, the prices you’re going to find are not nearly as exhorbitant as other chinas of the same quality.

It is in fact possible, and probable to find some superb pieces on places such as Ebay, where those who aren’t collectors will let it go literally for a song, being not quite sure what they have or what its worth.

Here are a few of my own pieces of Lefton, as well as some I covet.. 

Of particular interest and quite lovely is the VIolet Chintz pattern that several readers of the site have asked about.

 Libbey Glass Company began their business life named the New England Glass Company.
They produced a wide variety of glassware, and in the end expanded their business to sheet glass and windshields, but are more widely known for their cut glass and shaped drinking glasses.

The company was, in the beginning producing multiple items including mercury glass, colored art glass, pressed glass, and a wide array of things like doorknobs and railroad lamps.
The glassware of the Libbey company was quite often decorated with gilding but was  also  decorated with cutting and engraving as well, making it well sought after.

Though the products were quality,  the company found itself in over their heads financially and was sold in 1877 to William Libbey, and was renamed accordingly, and when the purchaser passes away just five years later, it was passed along to his son.

 Edward Libbey moved production to Toledo, Ohio in 1888, where raw materials were readily available and was instrumental in making Toledo Ohio synonymous with glass production.

It was also at this point that the company became more lucrative, with the invention of a machine that could do a great deal of the world.. Workers were fired and the company, while popular, became less so in the immediate area.

(excerpted from History of Ohio )" The Libbey Glass Company became even more profitable after Michael Owens, an inventor from Newark, Ohio, joined the firm. Owens developed a machine that could automatically produce bottles, tumblers, and glass chimneys. This invention dramatically increased production. It also lowered manufacturing costs, as the company was able to fire workers now that machines could do the work instead."

The sword under the  old signature in Libbeys glass mark is their silent nod to the renowned city of steel,  Toledo, Spain, from which the name of the city in Ohio originates.

Libbey hired Joseph Locke in 1882, who was a designer from England to take over the design works and while he worked at Libbey he patented several items that are quite collected .  Some of those items include Peach Blow, Maize and Pomona,as well as Amberina, the Victorian era glass that offers the very distinctive amber to red shading as its trademark

 Libbey produced it  right up to the new century.
 It was a difficult type of glass to make since the red shading came from the use of actual gold and it was costly to make, making it quite expensive to produce, but it did give the company recognition world wide.
 In the 1920s, Amberina was in production again for a short time, and is signed quite often so the collector can identify it.

Libbey was  also the number one producer of what was called  Brilliant Cut glass from about 1878 to 1915 or 1916.The Brilliant cut was extremely highly leaded, and rumors had it using as much as sixty percent lead in the formula for its creatioin.
Lead softened the glass, making it easier to cut and added sparkle, weight and giving it that wonderful clarity of ring when lightly struck.
At the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904 the company won prizes for exhibitions of their fine glass.

The war years were slim for everyone and LIbbey stuck to making hard to break glassware for hotels and restaurants, however in about 1933 they began producing fabulous stemware, which today is sought after for collection world wide.

 The designer Douglas Nash, a former Tiffany’s man, was employed to breathe life into the  market for hand crafted high-end stemware.
 Some of the new offerings of the Libbey company that were made under Nash’s tutelage included  the Art Deco  stems, among them American Prestige, Knickerbocker, Syncopation (an ice cube shaped stem, is one of the rarest to find  today), and Embassy. Embassy was an eagle-and-star etch  that was designed especially for the US Pavilion at the ’39 World’s Fair.

The Silhouette line c.1933 by Douglas Nash had a different animal decorating the stem of each type of glass including cats, greyhounds and monkeys, with each different type of glass featuring a different animal.
 The Silhouette glassware stems came with a selection of colors: black, opalescent, or frosted crystal.

The Skyscraper stemsare very collectible and one type of Nash’s designs, the Victoria cameo etch, took more than 80 hours of engraving per glass and sold for about 2000 dollars per dozen glasses. This of course wasn’t a big seller during the depression and production of it ended in 1935.
All of these glasses, including the Brilliant cut are sought after by collectors today and fortunately with the companies mark, can be readily identified.
Libbey glassware has left its mark on collectors and given us a great deal to look for.

One of the main considerations will of course be the cost of the item. If you want to buy something that is antique, or older and well documented such as a tiffany window, you will spend several thousand dollars for it and it is always best to get a professional to appraise your item prior to your final purchase.

Stained glass windows will add color and texture to your home windows.

Be very certain to check it for structure. Is the window stable in its structure and unbroken? One or two small break can cost well in excess of a hundred dollars to repair, and the structure of it can cost even more to make the window able to be used.

Inspect the window carefully to make certain that it has not been repaired and if it has, that the repaired area is sound and holding up well.

Look at the joints where the solder lies and check if any are newer looking than the others, which will tell you that the window has been repaired.

This does not mean not to purchase the window as many repaired windows can be stronger than they were originally, however it will command a lower price than it if were entirely original.

Check the glass to make sure it’s not a different shade than other areas of the pieces.

Use common sense when you buy one. The chances of finding a hidden treasure are remote; however do be sure that you get what you pay for a sound, secure window that is worth what you paid.

If it ends up being worth more in the long haul, then so much the better.

As the name might tell you, the most important aspect of them is their ability to provide for additional warmth and saving of energy in your home.

It is made of two or sometimes more panes of glass, which will usually be filled with air or a gas, such argon that can provide better insulating properties than air alone.

Very often the space contains what is called a desiccant that will keep the window from gathering condensation and help with the insulating aspects of the windows.

Double glazed windows add style, comfort and efficiency to your home.

Used much less often, the air is completely removed, or as completely a possible, leaving a vacuum that will reduce the heat transfer dramatically, which is termed evacuated glazing.

The gap between the panes is usually about 12 to 20 millimeters thick. The thickness of the gap does make a very big difference in the overall insulating properties of the pane and what is considered to be optimal for the best insulating properties by most of those who use insulated or double glazed windows is about 16 mm thickness.

The one drawback of insulated glass is that it cannot usually be cut in the field as plate glass can be, but has to be manufactured to the correct size in the shop which has special tools, and then transported to the house so proper measurements are of paramount importance when considering double glazed windows.

The heat insulating properties of the glazing can also be improved by the means of a film or coating of types that can be applied to the surface of the glass.

This film can be made of polyester or metal and will give an appearance of reflectivity, or a one way mirror effect, from the outside aspect of the glass.

The application of this coating will improve both the heating insulating properties as well as sound. It will also prove to be safer in the event of breakage as it prevents shattering in most cases. The film will also in many cases partially color the glass, which color may be blue, brown or sometimes gold in tint.

They have the advantage of making a window shatter proof, which is wonderful for older, more brittle window, while they add decorating savvy and also hide an unsightly wavy glass or a bad view without taking away the light source.

Add color and privacy to your windows with decorative window films.

Decorative window films come in a wide array of designs and sizes, and are removable should you change your mind or your style.

Decorative window films are designed to give the look of frosted glass, etched glass or a stained glass appearance for less than a tenth the price of the real thing, while increasing the safety of your window.

Installation is easy, and nearly everyone can do it themselves to save further money.

Decorative window film gives you the look of frosted, etched or stained glass for a fraction of the price.

Window film can easily be trimmed with a razor blade or scissors to fit almost any size or shape of window or glass panel.

Most films are sold by the running yard (3 ft) or by the running foot. If a quantity of more than 1 yard or foot is purchased, the design will come shipped in ONE CONTINUOUS ROLL!

Decorative window film can be used on smooth, flat glass and mirrors:

• Windows
• Plexiglas (will become permanently stuck to Plexiglas)
• Shower doors (outside of door)
• Entry doors
• Side lights
• Glass cabinet panels
• Arched windows

The original stained glass was primarily used for those whose homes were very upscale. The church, the nobility and wealthy merchants were in fact the only ones who could afford the stained glass in the days when it became most popular.

Today’s stained glass has undergone changes in both the styles, the images it portrays as well as a cost reduction permitting those who are neither wealthy nor noble to be able to boast a stained glass window of their own.

Modern stained glass windows may depict scenes or take on more abstract forms.

The most popular glass windows now are scenes of not just the nativity, or Biblical scenes, but also scenes from nature or flowers and birds, which sporting people enjoy having in a den or living room.

The cost is affordable for nearly anyone, and the styles are so diverse that there is something to please anyone who is looking.

Stained glass is also durable, as easy to install as a regular window and while helping the home owner to maintain their privacy, is still transparent enough to permit the light to enter the home.

Some of the more modern pieces in production now, feature designs that can be used with nearly any type of decor from Victorian to country style.