Collecting Milk Glass

Milk glass was first produced in Venice, Italy during the sixteenth century and was often manufactured in pink, blue, brown, black, yellow, and the white milky color that gives it its name. One other name for it is opal glass, a name given it by later glassmakers to differentiate it from other kinds of glass and because it has hints of other color in it like the precious stone opal.

There are quite a few manufacturers of milk glass, among the most well known are the Fenton Glass Company, the Kanawha Glass Company and the Westmoreland Glass Company to mention a few. These and others produce new designs and reproductions of older designs for collectors across the world.
Milk glass is often found in antique shops, but other places to watch are yard sales, estate sales, the miscellaneous section of the newspaper and E-bay or Craigslist. There are a lot of places out there and it pays to do some research and find out more about milk glass and taking your time instead of paying too much for it.

Online sites such as the National Milk Glass Collectors Society are a great help to the beginning collector, they have a newsletter that gives a great deal of information, as does the Fersons’ book, “Yesterday’s Milk Glass Today”. Talk with someone you know that collects milk glass and is an honest dealer, they will be able to help you.

One great idea is to keep a record of each piece, noting when you bought it, any history you might find out about it. Your local library and used bookstore might have reference books that you can check out or buy to give you more information. Some collectors focus on specific pieces but many pieces of milk glass were used and will not be perfect condition.

Here personal preference and budget will be needed as well as some thought, but collecting milk glass does offer wonderful opportunities for the collector and can be a great investment for the future. Good luck in making your special collection of milk glass truly unique to what you love and value.