This Victorian grouping of a Renaissance Revival platform rocking chair with vintage ladies’ hat in seat, and walnut side table with period items shows some of the many and varied collections belonging to the late Mildred Yates Farriorm that will be sold at auction on Saturday, Dec. 3, by The Specialists of the South

CHIPLEY, Fla. – The many and varied collections belonging to the late Mildred Yates Farrior—a long-time resident of Chipley who, along with her late husband Daniel, amassed a number of collections in a rainbow of categories—will be sold at auction on Saturday, Dec. 3.

The auction, to be held at the Farriors’ former residence, located at 755 4th Street in Chipley (zip code: 32428), beginning at 9 a.m. (CST), will be conducted by The Specialists of the South, Inc. Chipley is located about 40 miles north of Panama City, in the Florida panhandle. For the most part, the auction will be absolute (everything sells, regardless of price), with just a few items carrying reserves (minimums). Online bidding will be facilitated by LiveAuctioneers .

“Mildred Farrior was a beloved member of the community who taught second grade for more than 40 years,” said Logan Adams of The Specialists of the South, Inc. “Her late husband, Daniel, was the former owner of Dan’s Trading Post in Chipley. Many of their collections sprang from his business, but Mildred was very active in selecting items and knowing their value.”

Mr. Farrior passed away in the 1990s; Mrs. Farrior in August 2010. The couple had no children and would spend their spare time scouring the flea markets and yard sales of Panama City and Washington County, looking for that next big find. In addition to their collections, the couple also accumulated some wonderful furniture items for their home. These will be sold, too.

The furniture will include Heywood Wakefield bedroom chests, 20th century mahogany bedroom pieces, a cedar chest, a sandalwood carved chest, china cabinets, a chaise longue (reclining sofa), an occasional table, side tables, Brentwood side chairs, a mahogany Federal dining room table with three-turned standards and reproduction Victorian side chairs made by the Liberty Chair Company.

The collections, amounting to between 400-500 lots, are astounding in their variety and depth. They include Carnival Glass, Milk Glass (to include Open Lace), Depression Glass, Haviland China (to include a large service in the mostly Berkeley pattern but with some Oxford as well, white, with gold edge and pen line), Nippon pieces, Fenton Glass, more than 30 ladies’ hats, some nice artwork, tons of costume jewelry (some of it to be sold in multiple lots), hand-painted china, ceramic milk bowls, quilts and more.

Individual items of note will feature a gorgeous stoneware pitcher, a wonderful Seth Thomas mantel clock and a steeple mantel clock, a Gone With the Wind-style Milk Glass floor lamp with painted globe plus a variety of other table and vanity Milk Glass lamps, a Weller vase, an Eastlake platform rocker, a wrought-iron bench, a hand-painted Nippon chocolate set, a vintage daguerreotype and more.

Rosepoint crystal pieces, second quarter 20th century, to include a large pitcher with ice lip, double-handed compote and various size platters.

Heavily decorated, hand-painted and gold-encrusted Nippon china pieces.

Single- and double-handled nappies, including examples in the Vintage Leaf, Stippled Rays sand Leaf Rays Patterns.

Also sold will be a World War II-era parachute and uniform (no insignias), Coca-Cola collectibles (mostly recent), vintage children’s books, over 40 collectible teapots (many of them antique), primitives (to include crocks, Mason jars, about a half-dozen insulators, an egg scale an old washboard and vintage tools, to include hand-saws and planes), Goofus glassware, a huge collection of Rosepoint glassware, Herringbone and Iris glassware (marigold and clear), other glassware in many desirable patterns (Floragold, Cabbage Rose, Cherry Blossom, Mayfair Open Rose, Sandwich, Manhattan), fur coats (including two mink stoles, a full-length mink coat and a cashmere coat), sterling silver (to include a large flatware service, Alvin Chateau Rose), rugs (not Persian antique), beautiful handbags (including evening bags), and vintage camera and movie equipment.

The Carnival Glass will include highly collectible single- and double-handled nappies. Also sold will be wall pockets (Hull Art and Japanese Castle), Goebels (angels and Madonna), sad irons (molded cast-iron triangular irons, about 6 inches on each side), cast-iron skillets and other cast-ironware, punch bowls and cups, and vintage linens.

Hand-painted and beautifully accented Nippon chocolate pot with six cups and saucers.

Hand-painted, 6-piece lemonade set in paneled glass.

Lovely Milk Glass lamps, including two rose-decorated Gone With the Wind-style lamps and a nice floor lamp.

Returning to furniture, other lots will include a mahogany dumbwaiter and drum table, a diminutive oak entry table with two drawers and backsplash on an overshelf, rocking chairs, a medium-sized mahogany fall-front secretary, a sturdy 20th century Windsor chair, several nice Renaissance Revival chairs, and an upholstered Victorian sofa with coffee table and end tables.

Daniel and Mildred Chipley were both lifelong residents of Chipley, Fla. Mildred was active in organizations such as the Garden Club, the Women’s Club, Friends of the Library and the Daughters of the Confederacy. She was also a staunch, lifelong Democrat. Declining health forced her to spend the years 2005-10 in a long-term care home, leading up to her passing.

Daniel came from a long line of professionals in the area—doctors, lawyers and judges—and his father was sheriff of Washington County. Daniel broke the mold by becoming a retail store merchant, but the business thrived and without it he and Mildred might not have been the dedicated collectors they became. Mr. Farrior succumbed after a long battle with lung cancer.

In addition to the online bidding component, phone and absentee bids will also be accepted. Previews will be held the week prior to the auction, by appointment, and on the morning of sale, Dec. 3, from 8-9 a.m.

For more information about this auction, call 850.785.2577, e-mail to specialists [at] knology [dot] net or visit The Specialists of the South website.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

A pair of “Iris” pattern Depression glass tumblers, made by the Jeannette Glass Company, often sell at auction for less than $10 each.

The next item in this series of Unloved Antiques is 20th century is crystal Depression glass, which gets its name from the fact the bulk of it was mass produced during the years of the Great Depression (1929-40). Depression glass is a form of pressed glass—both in clear or colored varieties—that was originally distributed free, as a premium or low cost give away. Some theater chains offered different pieces on a weekly basis to draw crowds during these lean years. Some companies, such as Quaker Oats and other packed food companies, offered glassware as a marketing method by placing it in the boxes (also saving the amount of product needed to fill the box).

Most glassware of this type was made in the central and midwest United States, an area with existing industrial manufacturing capacity with ready access to power and raw materials. Depression glass was also made in Canada for similar reasons. There were hundreds of patterns produced in clear and colors such as green, blue, pink and amber, rarer colors include cobalt blue, ruby, black, canary yellow and jadeite. Being what it was—a low cost or give away item—the quality of Depression glass isn’t top notch, but it’s always had a group of collectors since the 1960s. While some of the more unusual colors can be fairly valuable, the clear glass types like the examples above are very inexpensive, even some 80 years after its introduction.

The examples above, two tumblers from a water/lemonade set are in the “Iris” pattern, so called for its relief pattern of leaves and flowers that covered the main body of the pieces, along with a herringbone background. The pattern in clear glass was first issued circa 1928 by the Jeannette Glass Company, which was located in Jeannette, Pa.

Judging by the sheer numbers of these examples one sees at antique markets and shops, these items must have been produced in staggering numbers. The Iris pattern covered about 40 different pieces of tableware, including bowls, teacups, water/cordial sets, candelabras, light shades and plates. This pattern was revived after the Second World War and again in the 1970s, but in clearly different color variations.

The Jeannette Glass Company closed for good in 1983, after being in operation since 1898. In today’s market, the Jeannette Iris pattern tumblers above often sell at auction for less than $10 each.

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Previous “Unloved Antiques” articles:

• Unloved Antiques: ‘Limited Edition’ Collectors Plates
• Unloved Antiques: Singer Sewing Machines
• Unloved Antiques: Decorator Prints
• Unloved Antiques: Commemorative Whiskey Decanters
• Unloved Antiques: ‘Bronze’ Flatware
• Unloved Antiques: 1847 Rogers Brothers Flatware
• Unloved Antiques: Hummel Knockoffs
• Unloved Antiques: National Geographic Magazines
• Unloved Antiques: Dragonware
• Unloved Antiques: 19th Century Religious Prints
• Unloved Antiques: Depression Glass

Mike Wilcox, of Wilcox & Hall Appraisers, is a Worthologist who specializes in Art Nouveau and the Arts and Craft movement.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

–noun

1. A category that is collected by such a small number of individuals that it is in danger of becoming extinct.

There are endangered collecting categories. Those who are unwilling to acknowledge this should consider the Borg’s signature phrase—Resistance is futile. Dozens of 2010 collecting categories will not be collected in 2050. By the 2100, that number will exceed 1,000. Collecting without Avon bottles, collector edition bells, figurines, plates, scale model vehicles and lusterware (copper, pink, and silver) is easy to imagine. Collecting without cast iron toys, Depression glass, Fiesta, Hummels, 18th- and 19th-century English soft-paste ceramics, and “Playboy” is more difficult.

Endangered collecting categories are not new. The concept has existed for centuries. Collectors failed to recognize this phenomenon in the past because the categories disappeared gradually. The process took centuries, driven by a growing lack of merchandise in the secondary marketplace and changing collecting tastes. Today, the disappearing process can and often does take place within the lifetime of a single generation of collectors.

The following is a checklist of 10 signposts to determine if a collecting category is approaching or has reached endangered status. If five or fewer of the signposts apply, the collecting category is nearing endangerment. If eight or more apply, the collecting category is endangered. It is critical that a person using these signposts not allow personal feelings to cloud their application.

SIGNPOST 1: The average age of collectors exceeds 60. An average age of 55-60 is a warning. New collectors must be attracted to the collecting category to keep it viable.

Why not 65 instead of 60? Value within any collecting category reaches its peak when the first generation of collectors is between the ages of 45 and 60. The ability to replace collectors who die or lose interest steadily declines once the average age exceeds 60.

SIGNPOST 2: It is possible to count the number of major collectors on two hands and/or the number of collectors is 50 or fewer. The pool becomes smaller and smaller. Death is only one of the enemies. Reduced living space, less and less contact between key collectors (the social aspect), and decreased discretionary income are others.

A collecting category’s vitality depends on everyone knowing the players. Everyone means collectors within the category as well as major collectors from spin-off and other collecting categories.

SIGNPOST 3: A collectors’ club or clubs disappearance. This is happening with alarming frequency, not just for 19th-century-focused collecting categories but for 20th-century-based collecting categories as well. I included the addresses for collectors’ clubs in the category heads for the price guides that I edited and authored. The decline in the number of collectors’ clubs began in the mid-1990s. Recently, I tried to confirm the existence of a Roseville collectors’ club. I did not find one. I failed to locate a Roseville discussion group on eBay. I did find a Roseville Web site, but this is a far cry from the connections a collectors’ club offers through its newsletter or journal, annual convention and other social networking opportunities. There was a time when it appeared as though there was a collectors’ club for almost every collecting category. It is not true in 2010.

SIGNPOST 4: Objects from the collecting category are no longer available or found in limited quantities at antiques malls, shops and shows. This is a Catch-22 situation. Dealers will not offer merchandise if it does not sell. Merchandise does not have a chance to sell if it is not offered. This is just one of a growing number of damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-do-not situations developing in the antiques and collectibles trade.

Enthusiasm is essential to the survival of any collecting category. Collector enthusiasm is a given. Collectors love their things. Dealer enthusiasm is the key. Dealers sell the sizzle as well the as merchandise. Their role as collecting category champion is more important than that of the collector. When dealer enthusiasm disappears, sales flatten.

SIGNPOST 5: The sell-through rate on eBay drops below 20 percent. While there are many antique collecting categories where eBay is not the principal sale source, eBay is the primary sale source for mass-produced objects manufactured since the last decade of the 19th century. It is responsible for the explosion of collecting categories. More than 90 percent of these collecting categories focused on 20th-century objects.

Supply now exceeds demand in thousands of collecting categories. In hundreds of collecting categories, collector/buyer fulfillment has reached 100 percent. As a result, there are no buyers for new material listed for sale from the collecting category, no matter how cheap the initial bid request is.

“There is a price at which an object will not sell” is one of the marketing principles that evolved from the 1988-1990 recession. “An antique or collectible can reach a point where there are no longer buyers” is a 21st-century marketing principle. Its application will only broaden.

SIGNPOST 6: Nothing is able to check the steady decline in value. Value decline affects only the middle and low-end items initially. In 2010, many collecting categories are experiencing a major decline in value at the high end. Historically, the high end was immune from price decline. Now there are hundreds of collecting categories where high-end prices have peaked and are in decline.

Likewise, there are some categories such as baseball cards, gold coins, Gold and Silver Age comic books, and firearms, where the high end continues to set record prices. Investors appear blind to the speculative bubble on whose surface these prices rest. There is always a day of reckoning.

SIGNPOST 7: Objects disappear or are sold in lots at auction. Major collectors refuse to sell their collections in a declining market. They pray for a price reversal. It will not happen. When these collectors die, their heirs are more willing to accept whatever an auction brings.

It is hard to watch 18th-, 19th-, and early-to-mid-20th-century objects that once sold by the piece now being offered in lots. Lot sizes of two or three are in the past. Today lots include four to 10 examples. The local auctioneer’s goal is to exceed an average of $100 to $200 per lot. Christie’s and Sotheby’s have raised their lot minimums to more than $3,000.

SIGNPOST 8: No new specialized price guide or reference book on the collecting category has appeared within the last five years. Five years suggests endangerment. Fifteen years is the kiss of death. Ten years is the divide.

Reference books, with or without price guides, are checklists. They are an essential tool of the new collector. They are critical to keeping collecting interest alive. Check the 2010 Spring-Summer lists for Collector Books, House of Collectibles, KP (Krause Publications) and Schiffer Publications. Compare the title count to 2005. The 2010 number is greatly reduced. Antiques and collectibles price guides and reference books are tough sells in the electronic/Internet age.

SIGNPOST 9: Trade periodicals provide little to no coverage of the collecting category. Trade periodical editors are not the saviors for any collecting category. Their job is to publish articles their readers want. The periodicals focus on what is hot. What is not is ignored. Little wonder the readership of the “Magazine Antiques” is decreasing.

SIGNPOST 10: The collecting category disappears, is grouped with other collecting categories, or is totally ignored in general antiques and/or collectibles price guides. The number of antiques and collectibles categories has grown so large that it is impossible to list all of them in a general price guide, even one limiting its coverage to antiques or collectibles. Many of the specialized general price guides—such as toys, for example—are experiencing a similar problem.

Information fuels interest. When information about a collecting category is no longer readily available, the collecting category is approaching endangerment. When information vanishes, the collecting category is endangered.

Apply these signposts to the collecting categories you collect. Then again, maybe you should not. It breaks my heart to see grown people cry.

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Rinker Enterprises and Harry L. Rinker are on the Internet. Check out his Web site.

You can listen and participate in Harry’s antiques-and-collectibles radio call-in show “Whatcha Got?” on Sunday mornings between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Eastern Time. It streams live on the Genesis Communications Network.

“Sell, Keep Or Toss? How To Downsize A Home, Settle An Estate, And Appraise Personal Property” (House of Collectibles, an imprint of the Random House Information Group), Harry’s latest book, is available at your favorite bookstore and via Harry’s Web site: http://www.harryrinker.com.

Harry L. Rinker welcomes questions from readers about collectibles, those mass-produced items from the 20th century. Selected queries will be answered on this site. Harry cannot provide personal answers. You can e-mail your questions to harrylrinker [at] aol [dot] com. Only e-mails containing a full name and mailing address will be considered. Please indicate that these are questions for WorthPoint.

Copyright © Rinker Enterprises, Inc. 2010

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Join WorthPoint on Twitter and Facebook.

Affordability has multiple meanings to the collector. Collecting is fun when the collector has adequate discretionary income to purchase anything his heart desires. Few are this lucky. Most collect on a budget. I buy using the “God wants me to own it” method—a three-part method consisting of (1) finding the object in fine or better condition, (2) priced at or below what I am willing to pay, and (3) money in my pocket. Few things distress a collector more than finding an object that meets the first two criteria but not the third.

Collectors take no pleasure from just looking. Pleasure comes from the buy. When “look but do not touch” relates to the inability to buy, the collector’s heart is torn asunder. When discretionary income is tight, collectors do not attend antiques and collectibles shows and take a vacation from eBay and other Internet buying opportunities.

Affordability also relates to the unit cost to buy objects for a collection. When the unit cost is low, buying is fun. The collection grows. The average price per unit rises within a collecting category as it becomes more popular or trendy. Collecting categories price themselves out of the market when the unit price increases beyond the average collector’s willingness and capability of paying. Graniteware is an excellent example.

There are collecting categories where the starting unit price is above $500. I was tempted to use $1,000, but $500 is ceiling enough given the current recession. A general rule in the trade is the higher the average unit price, the fewer new collectors a collecting category will attract.

Advanced collectors own the low-end and middle market objects within their category. They need the upper echelon and masterpiece (ultimate) units to complete their collection. These are expensive. In many cases, collectors can afford the low-end and middle examples but not the high-end pieces.

Collecting is a continuing process. When a collector can no longer add to his collection on a regular basis, he stops and turns to another, more affordable collecting category. It is a rare collector that can kick the collecting habit “cold turkey.”

The value of objects in many traditional categories, for examples cast iron toys, TV cowboy collectibles and cut glass, are in decline. In the past, collectors held on to their collections believing interest would eventually return. Alas, this is not going to happen. There are dozens of endangered collecting categories where neither interest nor value will ever recycle.

A Feb. 8, 2010, e-mail from DD notes: “My mother collected Depression glass in the 1970s when it was poplar and expensive. I have now inherited her collection. I tried to sell some pieces, but there seems to be no interest right now. I would hate to sell it for less than she paid over 30 years ago. I have already been victimized by an auctioneer who took some pieces, then sold them for literally pennies . . . When I put pieces out for tag sales, no one even looks at them. This gives me the impression that the Depression glass market is depressed itself.”

Depressed is too gentle an assessment. The secondary market for low-end and middle range Depression glass is in the toilet. It is depressing. Even worse, the prices received today will seem generous compared to what the same pieces will bring 10 to 15 years from now.

Collectors are prepared to die with their collections rather than sell them for less than (a) they think they are worth or (b) they paid. Heirs who keep the collections in hopes of a recovering market are deceiving themselves. The auctioneer who sold DD’s mother’s Depression glass did not victimize her. He sold the Depression glass at its market value at that moment.

Collectors do not understand the “some money is better than no money” concept. They have values in their head that depart significantly from market reality. Collectors have every right to live in a dream world. Collecting has a dream-like quality. It is my ardent wish that every collector never have to face reality.

Availability, the third primary category in my “why collectors stop collecting” list, has two subcategories—market flooding and the increasing difficulty of the hunt. Prior to the Internet, collectors could only speculate about the survival rate of objects within a collecting category. The Internet eliminated speculation and provided cold, hard numbers. To the surprise of most, if not all, collectors, the survival rate of objects is far higher than they imagined, even in their wildest dreams. America’s attics, basements, closets, garages and sheds are loaded. As more and more objects flood Internet auction sites, such as eBay and storefront Web sites, scarcity within all collecting categories has to be redefined. The end result is that almost all antiques and collectibles are common.

The law of supply and demand applies to the antiques and collectibles trade. Today, supply exceeds demand for almost every collecting category. High-end objects are the exception. However, the number of objects designated as high-end, often tied to value, has decreased in almost every collecting category. Further, the supply has become so great in some categories that all demand has been eliminated. Collectors do not want what everyone else has. Bragging rights come from owning examples others do not. Although collectors are loath to admit it, there is an elitist aspect to what they do.

With the large amount of material available on the Internet, the logical assumption is that the hunt has become easier. The opposite is true. Search engines are becoming less and less effective. As more material floods on to the Internet, the search increases in complexity. Asking the right question or inserting the correct search pattern is not enough. Final results usually number in the hundreds. The object or information sought is more likely to be on page 5 than page 1.

Collectors often talk about the “old days” on eBay, when a search almost always resulted in one or two pages of objects. As eBay broadened it search engine to incorporate material from its power sellers, especially those offering new and discounted merchandise, the search results grew to the point where 50 percent or more of the listings are worthless.

Internet search engines sell position. Bought positions often occupy the first page results. Many of these are for companies who charge for access to their data. The Internet becomes less “free” with each passing day.

The hunt also has become more difficult in the field. Dealers stock what they can sell. As the number of collectors in a collecting category decreases, demand for objects in that category lessens. Dealers get the message—there is no sense stocking “x,” it does not sell.

As more and more dealers specialize (it is impossible to be a generalist dealer in today’s antiques and collectible environment), they have little to no interest in stocking high-end material from other collecting categories, no matter how desirable it may be. If they acquire it, they are far more likely to pass it along to another dealer who specializes in that collecting category or put it in an Internet storefront.

Just as the collector base is aging in many collecting categories, so are the dealers who specialize in that category. In the 1980s, you would find dozens of specialized Depression glass dealers set up at a flea market. In 2010, the presence of one falls into the miracle class. Specialized dealers in many collecting categories are dying faster than their collectors. Tales of collectors going to a show and finding a favorite dealer MIA (missing in action) are increasing.

Finally, the auction hunt also is becoming less productive. Historically, collectors relied on major collections turning around every 20 to 30 years. Collectors are living and holding on to their collections longer. A decade or more can pass before a specialized collection featuring high-end pieces appears on the market. While old-time collectors hunt for a lifetime, they maintain their enthusiasm by hunting continuously. Gaps, delays and other problems with the hunt discourage them. The 2010 hunt is far different from the hunt 20 years ago.

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WHAT DO YOU THINK? I would like to know your thoughts about why people stop collecting. The stack of e-mail responses from my readers continues to climb. Again, my thanks to those who have e-mailed. If you did not, please do. Send your thoughts to me at harrylrinker [at] aol [dot] com or Stop Collecting, Rinker on Collectibles, 22 Stillwater Circle, Brookfield, CT 06804.

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Rinker Enterprises and Harry L. Rinker are on the Internet. Check out his Web site.

You can listen and participate in Harry’s antiques-and-collectibles radio call-in show “Whatcha Got?” on Sunday mornings between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Eastern Time. It streams live on the Genesis Communications Network.

“Sell, Keep Or Toss? How To Downsize A Home, Settle An Estate, And Appraise Personal Property” (House of Collectibles, an imprint of the Random House Information Group), Harry’s latest book, is available at your favorite bookstore and via Harry’s Web site: http://www.harryrinker.com.

Harry L. Rinker welcomes questions from readers about collectibles, those mass-produced items from the 20th century. Selected queries will be answered on this site. Harry cannot provide personal answers. You can e-mail your questions to harrylrinker [at] aol [dot] com. Only e-mails containing a full name and mailing address will be considered. Please indicate that these are questions for WorthPoint.

Copyright © Rinker Enterprises, Inc. 2010

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Join WorthPoint on Twitter and Facebook.

The reproduction Cherry Blossom butter dish is on left—the actual butter dish is on right.

Cherry Blossom was produced by the Jeannette Glass Co., located in Jeannette, Pa., from 1930-39. It was produced in the standard pink and green, but a great set can also be put together in Delphite. Additionally, a limited number of pieces can be found in Crystal, Jadeite and an Amberina shade. Pink is most prevalent, however, as it was produced for the entire production run, where green was discontinued after 1935. Is green impossible to find these days? No, but it will be just a little more challenging to complete your set.

Cherry Blossom is also one of the Top 5 most-collected Depression Glass patterns! The beautiful pattern is not only eye catching, but has a variety of pieces making it quite useful. It also can be found just about everywhere, making it a little easier to collect than some patterns. Unfortunately, this has also made it a target of copiers, as it is one of the most reproduced of all depression patterns.

When I identify a reproduction (repro) in a person’s collection, I always hear “it can’t be, as it was my grandmother’s, and she wouldn’t have reproductions. She had this set 50 years!” Unfortunately, they were making repros in the 1970s, and in some cases, even earlier. If the collector was alive and possibly buying replacement pieces, it is quite possible many collections have reproductions among the genuine articles.

Trying to figure out if it’s real or a repro can be difficult with this pattern, as there is not really a common thread to look for in the pieces. I’ve also found there are different levels of repros with this pattern! Some of the older reproductions are very good and have slipped by the best of us, while the latter made repros coming out of China are very bad and easily caught.

My first recommendation to anyone collecting a pattern is to buy a book! Barbara & Jim Mauzy’s “Comprehensive Handbook of Depression Glass” (a Schiffer book) is a good place to start. The hardback book has great pictures and each piece is identified so you’re not guessing what you’re looking at. There is also a pocket guide that you can carry with you when you shop. The pocket version does not have as many photos, but it has a place where you can keep track of the number of pieces you have so you know what you need (as long as you keep it updated). Both books list detailed information on the pieces that are reproduced. Of course there are many other great books out there, but I find this is the most comprehensive and informative.

I recently helped a dealer identify some Cherry Blossom glass, and the set included a reproduction version of a butter dish. These are a big seller since they are a high-ticket item. She felt bad she had been taken, but was kind enough to let me photograph the piece to use in this article! So let’s study how we can tell if the butter dish is real or a repro!

The first things I try to tell people learn your pattern; learn how it feels in your hands as well as what it looks like. Study your pieces. There is a feel to Depression Glass that is different from all other glass. That’s something that cannot really be explained but you will learn over time. Just as Depression Glass has a certain feel, reproduced glass has a certain feel of its own. Many of the cheaply made repos feel oily. When you touch the glass it just has a slick feeling to it. I always say I want to wash my hands after touching it! But be careful though with this rule, as French Opalescent Glass can feel oily, too, and it’s not a reproduction! Cherry Blossom though should not feel oily!

Many times on repros the coloring is off. It can either be too light of a pink, too orange of a pink or too deep of a green. Some colors were never made in certain patterns, so that is the biggest give a way! You will also find there are exceptions to every rule, so be careful. Sick glass—glass that did not process correctly or glass that has been “reheated”—can have an orange shade to it. The color of glass is derived from how hot the furnaces were during manufacturing. In those days, they did not have a perfect measurement for temperature, and because of the nature of this glass, they didn’t really care, either. The shades may not match because of this reason alone.

I’ve also purchased a collection of Depression Glass and asked the women what had happened to her glass? All her glass, all different patterns, had an orange tint to it. Many pieces and patterns were never reproduced, so I knew this wasn’t the reason. She couldn’t believe I knew something happened, but she had suffered a very intense fire. The glass had been “reheated” and had developed an orange tint to it. I’m not a chemist and can’t explain how that happens (probably something to do with molecules). Just to show you there are exceptions to every rule, so you have to look further when identifying a reproduction. I can’t stress this enough.

Now, let’s break down how I identified this butter dish as a repro. First, the pink color was just a tad lighter than usual; almost a washed out pink. The feel of the glass was heavy, and the base had an especially rougher feel than Depression glass usually does. When I say rougher, I don’t mean rough edges; I mean the entire feel of the glass. Again, these two identification points are something that comes with time; don’t expect to run out tomorrow and say this feels like a repo as you may pass up some great glass, I did when first starting out.

Next, one of the common threads in the reproduction of this pattern is the flowering portion of this pattern. On some of the repros the flowers look as if your 7-year-old drew them! I always worried how was I ever going to be able to tell this, but when you see it for the first time, you will say, “Oh, that’s what they mean!” If you have any piece of Cherry Blossom with this type of flower, it is a repo. Take a look at the flowers on this butter dish.

Two views of reproduction Cherry Blossom butter dish lid panel. The flowers above look like a child’s drawing.	Notice the outline of this flower; the pistils and stems look hand-drawn, while the center is just a circle.
Two views (above and right) of an actual Cherry Blossom butter dish lid panel.	The flowers have a more realistic look, filled in and definitely not hand-drawn.

In this case, you can really stop at the flower identification. But let’s look at a few other hints. The pattern impression on the repro butter dish lid starts approximately ¼ inch from the edge. This impression can also be found on the footed tumblers. Also, when you look at the lines going around the dish, the genuine piece will have the impression of three lines. This feature is something that was missed on many of the reproduction butter dishes, where you will only find one line going around. Be careful with this, though, as sometimes the real butter dishes were not filled into the mold properly, or pressed hard enough and the three lines do not go solidly around the lid. Don’t discount it as real for that reason.

The reproduction Cherry Blossom butter dish on left has only one visible mold line around base of lid, as compared to the genuine Cherry Blossom butter dish lid, which shows three mold lines around the lid.

Now let’s look at the ways to tell if the bottom is authentic.

The oily feel we mentioned previously carries through to the bottom, as well as the “childish” flowers. Here, however, to find those flowers you need to look on the rim that goes around the edge of the butter dish, where you would hold it. There is only a small section of flower, but is easily spotted.

The flowers on rim of this reproduction base again look as if they were drawn by a child.

The flowers on rim of this genuine Cherry Blossom butter dish base are more realistic.

The final test for authenticity would be the pattern on the inside of the bottom of the butter dish. This comes in two forms. First, the pattern of leaves, branches and cherries again has an authentic look to it on the actual butter dish, where on the repo the leaves look hand-drawn, the cherries are more like round circles on a repo. The biggest give-a-way though is on the actual butter dish base the pattern extends to where the base meets the sides of the dish, but on a repo base the pattern stops approximately a quarter-inch in from this point. This leaves a small circular border of plain glass around the bottom.

The leaves on a genuine Cherry Blossom butter dish base have an authentic look to them, with the cherries shaded for a realistic appearance. The pattern of the branches and cherries, as well as the tip of the leaves, also extend out to the edge of the base.

The leaves, cherries and stems in the reproduction Cherry Blossom butter dish base appear to have been hand-drawn. Additionally, the leaves do not extend to the edge of the dish, nor does the stem; they leave approximately a quarter-inch of empty space around the dish.

Now you are armed with a few ways to tell if your Cherry Blossom is real or a repo, especially if you come across a butter dish. As time goes on you will learn the feel of the glass and be able to tell maybe by that alone. If you’re not sure, however, it’s better to pass up a piece than to pay too much for a reproduction. Even when I know a piece of glass is not a reproduction, I’ve had times where it just didn’t feel right to me, so I passed it up. I’ve made some big mistakes, but on the other hand, I need to please myself first in buying glass.

Take your new-found knowledge and test it out. However, until you’re sure you have perfected it, don’t tell someone their dish is a repo. Wait until you can tell for sure. Some will take you at your word and some will never believe you no matter what you say to convince them. I refer back to the famous quote “this came from an estate where the woman was in her 90s; it must be real!” Now you know the truth!

Linda Carannante is a WorthPoint Worthologist specializing in Depression Glass. Visit Linda at www.TLCAntiques.net to find authentic Cherry Blossom Depression Glass as well as many other patterns.

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My obsession with glass began at the age of 16 with a pink Cherry Blossom Cup & Saucer that I purchased for $ .25!  Over the years as I began a family & it grew, so did my collection!   My husband, who I met when I was 17 jumped right in too!   His philosophy has always been if you like it, buy it!  Ladies you can’t find one better than that.

One of my early goals was to have at least one piece from every pattern which I quickly began.  As my family grew I decided I wanted to bring them into the appreciation of this glass I loved.  I began putting a complete set together for each of them and picked my favorite patterns so that I could share my love with them.  Each special occasion, family dinner or birthday the collections came out and we used them!

In the beginning the children didn’t understand, all they knew was the pink dishes with the cherries on them belonged to the oldest, the green ones that looked the same were for my daughter and the baby got the pink dishes with the holes in the edges!  For years that is what my prized pieces were referred to!  For those that can’t guess the patterns from their expert naming; in order we have Pink & Green Cherry Blossom and Pink Open Lace, also called Lace Edge or Old Colony!  As they got older, the name changed just to “the dishes we can’t put in the dishwasher!”  But whenever we walked through an antique store, or went to a flea market they would run around and look for a piece then run back to find out if we needed that.  The game they would start to play was run back and announces “I found a piece for my sister’s pattern but I’m not going to tell where it is!”  Then she would beg and plead; when the tears were about to begin he’d tell her.  Of course she did her share of getting even with him.  The younger one just ran after them both.  Every Christmas when they found a piece with their father they could hardly sit still until I opened the box.  Most years my daughter couldn’t hold it in and would say Papa didn’t know if you needed this or not but he said we can always use an extra!  (Husband is from Italy so kids always call him Papa just to be clear it isn’t Grandpa!)

When we set the table we would alternate colors, green dinner plate, pink salad plate, green sherbet plate and finally pink sherbet dish on top.  Then the next place setting would be the reverse.  This not only looked beautiful, we used everyone’s dishes and it also kept the kids busy for hours trying to get the setting correct while I did the cooking with no one under foot!  (See I had ulterior motives!)  Also I understand I’m ahead of my time as Oprah now says it’s better to set a table with different place settings.

Every special dinner every guest would know just who’s dish they were using and were politely told how delicate these dishes could be so be careful!  (At this point I would slide under the table in embarrassment)   As they grew they began to realize the value in those colored dishes and a new joke era began.  One of the kids would yell at the other not to scratch their plate, don’t cut your meat like that because that plate belongs to me; oh if it’s your plate then I can drop it; put ice in that pitcher because it’s his and so on.  I got them good one year as we were having a large gathering, making sure everything was absolutely perfect with the glass, large elegant candlesticks, silver polished and cleaning for weeks.  The kids were going on how strangers would scratch their dishes and ruin them.  When dinner was announced everyone came to the table going on about how beautiful it was, “Oh that’s Depression Glass I didn’t know there was so much still around”, then sat down and politely looked at each other.  My children however started rolling off their chairs as I had set the table with all my beautiful glass and plastic utensils!  After the Shrimp I let them use real utensils but the memory is laughed about every gathering we have!

My personal favorite was one year for my anniversary my husband bought all 16 of the tall Cherry Blossom tumblers, which are quite expensive.  The new rule was when we do cheers no banging the glasses as hard as they usually did, which was actually trying to see if they could shatter them.  Well they secretly made a pact and when we did cheers they all put their hands between the glasses so this has become our new way to toast!

I hear so many people tell me their children want no part of their collections.  When asked do they use them the common answer is, NO!  It’s too expensive, I can’t put them in the dishwasher, they may get scratched and so on.   Maybe if there was more of the above we’d have less of our children not being interested in them?  If the reason you began your collection was a special memory of someone you cherished don’t you want your children to have that same special memory?   I would wash a 1000 more hours of dishes, if I had to, just to keep those memories.

Depression Glass vs. Elegant Glass: What’s The Difference?

By Linda Carannante

One big misnomer that I often hear is the assumption that all Pink and Green Glassware is Depression Glass. This isn’t always the case, and the pieces in question may very well be Elegant Glass. So what is the difference and where did these names come from?

Depression and Elegant is actually a modern name bestowed by price guide writers who had to find an easier way to describe the glass they were writing about. In the end, both names were appropriate. Both types of glass began production around the same period of time; the late 1900s. The overall “recipe” to make the glass was basically the same. Some companies even made both types of glass, and, to confuse you even more, they used the same molds to produce them!

The name “Depression Glass” was given to a period of glass whose production began around 1920 and continued until the late ’40s. However, some patterns which are still considered Depression were still being made into the 1980s. Throughout glass collecting circles, Depression glass is typically American-made glassware, but we must not forget that this glass was also being produced throughout Canada, Europe & Australia.

If not made only during the Depression years, why then is it called Depression Glass? I’ve heard several assumptions over the years as to why it acquired the name. The most accepted reason seems to be this is a form of “pressed” glass, originating during a “depressed” era, thus the name was born!

The simplest way to explain it is that for the most part, Depression Glass is machine-made glass that was mass produced and did not have to be touched by human hands. Imperfections were a natural part of the process and often left alone. It was usually a premium item or sold in a dime store.

Depression Glass was produced in a variety of colors in addition to pink and green; blue, amber, yellow, crystal and even white to name a few. Jeannette Glass, MacBeth Evans, Anchor Hocking, Imperial, Hazel Atlas, U.S. Glass were just some of the companies that produced Depression Glass.

Elegant Glass

Elegant Glass—although it has many of the same characteristics such as color, production and era—had to be touch by “human hands” in its production. Elegant Glass, unlike Depression, was polished to get rid of the imperfections in the glass. These same imperfections are one of the things we expect to find in Depression Glass. The base of bowls, platters, etc. in Elegant Glass were ground so it would sit evenly on your table; acid etching or hand etching was used to create the pattern, one more beautiful then the next.

Another, and probably the biggest difference, is the way in which two were distributed. As we said before Depression was usually a premium item or sold in the 5 & 10 stores. Conversely, Elegant Glass was sold in the finer stores and never given away.

These patterns were marketed as wedding patterns, as early on china was not really used. One reason may be it was much more expensive and American Companies were far behind Japan and other foreign countries in producing colorful, attractive china in a large variety. Elegant glass provided a variety of beautifully etched designs in an equally attractive array of colors as well as pieces. There was a piece of glass created for every possible use, and available in many patterns! This was something else Depression Glass did not offer. The more successful an Elegant pattern was, the more pieces you would find. Take Candlewick for example. You have your standard table setting, but you also have a Card Tray, which the lady of the house would have her cards on and setting in the middle of her bridge table when her guests would arrive; lights were made for every room of your house; not only the glasses were made for your cocktails, but the decanter, the bitters bottle, and even the muddler was made; All you needed to serve a proper drink!

Elegant Glass was made by several glass companies; Heisey, Fostoria, Cambridge, Imperial, just to name a few. Because of the the onset of World War II, many glass companies went out of business or were bought out by other companies. Molds continued to be utilized and patterns went on just under other names.

One more thing: Where Depression Glass, for the most part, was fading away in the 1940s, it was the opposite for Elegant Glass. The momentum for this type of glass was increasing. Think about it: Families were benefitting post war and wanting to add the finer things. People disposed of their Depression Glass as it represented a time they couldn’t afford anything else! Elegant Glass represented status, change and an individual affluence. I remember when I was 16, I purchased my first piece of Depression Glass and my mother’s first words were: “What did you buy poor man’s glass for?” My response was if she would have kept hers, she would have been a rich darn woman! However, that shows you the mindset of a particular item. A single piece of glass represented a status to many.

There is beauty in both types of glassware as well as an economic building of a nation. Their common threads are stronger than their differences, although great. These two sets of glass were developed early in our history, their production kept this country going during a hard time, and they lived on for future generations to cherish!

Well, now that you know the definitions of each. Aren’t they a perfect fit?

Reference: The Collector’s Guide to Depression Glass by Marian Klamkin 1973

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During the first decade of the 20th century, Consolidated Lamp and Glass Company continued to enjoy the sweet success of an established business with quality products. But in the 1920s, with electricity now in most homes, the need for oil and gas lighting lessened and profits began to slow. In order to increase sales they had to diversify.

A lead designer, Reuben Haley, convinced management to launch an affordable giftware line. It was his innovative designs that led Consolidated to regain profits and reestablish itself as a premier glass house. From 1926 to 1929, Consolidated introduced over seven giftware lines that were sold in department stores all over the country. I have chosen to focus on three very different lines: “Martele,” “Catalonian,” and “Ruba Rombic.”

The “Martele” Line

Ruben Haley’s designs were influenced greatly by an exposition in Paris in 1925. The exposition had the top designers from all over the world competing and showcasing their “moderne” wares. One glass designer emerged overwhelmingly as the best at this exposition – Rene Lalique. Reuben brought back Lalique’s ideas and actually copied some of his patterns. In 1926, Consolidated introduced their “Martele” sculptured artware line. This line had raised molded designs of birds, flowers, insects, fruit and people. Their Love Birds vase was an exact copy of the Lalique Perruches design. Other pieces, such as the Bird of Paradise, Le Fleur, and Katydid vases had close connections to Lalique originals.

They not only made Martele vases, but also expanded to tableware and smoking sets. This line was popular and the original molds were passed to other glass companies (Phoenix and Fenton) when Consolidated closed its doors.

The “Catalonian” Line

“Catalonian” was introduced in 1927 as a “reproduction of old Spanish glass.” The design, also by Haley, consisted of swirls and bubbles that gave it a crude, rustic feel. Haley was granted several patents for his design and manufacturing processes of the “Catalonian” line. This glass was blown and generally has rough pontil marks. They produced a full line of dinnerware, serving pieces, and gift items. It was available in green and crystal glass as well as a variety of finishes from common light color washes (yellow, purple and green), to less common darker washes (cobalt and ruby), to rare rainbow highlighting (a combination of three colors). “Catalonian” was Consolidated’s most popular and profitable line.

The “Ruba Rombic” Line

In 1928, Consolidated launched a spectacular and unique line that created a quite a stir when it was launched at a glass show in Pittsburgh. “Ruba Rombic” was so innovative that the company touted it (actually adding the phrase to its label) as “an epic in modern art.” The name comes from “rubiay,” which means epic, and “rhomboid,” which means irregular in shape with no parallel lines. This original design by Reuben Haley was granted three separate patents.

The line was very extensive, consisting of tablewares (plates, tumblers, pitchers, serving pieces), powder jars, perfumes, cigarette boxes, and even fishbowls. The color names that the company chose were just as captivating as the glass: Jungle Green, Smokey Topaz, Jade, Lilac, Sunshine, Silver, and Silver Cloud. (Rare pieces have been found in red, black, vaseline and opal.) “Ruba Rombic” epitomizes the Art Deco era with its irregular angles and strong forms.

Even though the glass had fascinating appeal, it was not a success. It was expensive and time consuming to produce. In the manufacturing, the pieces often broke when coming off of the molds because of the acute angles of the fragile glass. The nation was beginning to enter the Depression, and Consolidated stopped producing “Ruba Rombic” three years after it was introduced.

Consolidated Ceases Production

With the Great Depression in full swing, Consolidated Glass Company closed its doors in 1932. “Ruba Rombic” and “Catalonian” would not be produced ever again, but many of the “Martele” molds went to Phoenix Glass Company in Monaca, PA. Phoenix produced the glassware until Consolidated was reopened in 1937 and they returned the molds.

Consolidated Glass made from 1926 to 1931 is highly sought after by collectors. Many museums (Metropolitan Museum of Art, Brooklyn Museum, Greentown Glass Museum, and the Corning Museum of Glass) have Consolidated’s art glass in their permanent collections. Even though the company has closed its doors, it lives on through its timeless works.

References

National Depression Glass Association

Article on Ruba Rombic by Barbara Norman

Phoenix and Consolidated Art Glass By Jack Wilson

Kirkland Museum Collection – Denver, CO

Phoenix and Consolidated Glass Collectors Club

Museum of Fine Arts Houston – Houston TX

Given for free with items such as oats, flour or laundry soap, sold at five-and-dime stores or for a nickel at “Dish Nites” at cinema halls and gas stations, this cheap, mass-produced glassware buoyed up an entire glass industry, as well as the spirits of an entire nation. Scanty meals seemed more bearable with the bright-colored glass, and the expensive-sounding pattern names, in evoking memories of happier days, held out a glimmer of hope for the future.

Paradoxically, in the immediate aftermath of the Great Depression, this glassware became a jarring reminder of painful times. Many people, as they prospered, threw it out.

No one, of course, had counted on the vagaries of the collecting world to turn it into a highly collectible, high-priced glassware, valued as much for its design as for its symbolism of triumph over adversity.

Collecting Depression glass

There are now more than 150,000 Depression-glass collectors in America. With more than 200 Depression-glass patterns to collect, not to mention a prolific industry of reproductions and fakes to sift through, these collectors have their work cut out. Newbies, as in any enterprise, should get well informed before loosening their purse strings. So—

• Buy the latest edition of Gene Florence’s well-researched, comprehensive book, “Collectors’ Encyclopedia of Depression Glass”, as well as other Depression-glass reference books, price guides and catalogs.

• Join Depression-glass collectors’ associations and clubs, visit online forums, read articles and subscribe to mailing lists. The National Depression Glass Association sends out informative newsletters, and magazines such as Reproduction News can be enlightening.

• Visit museums with Depression-glass collections, and attend Depression-glass shows and conventions. Talk to dealers, glass experts and other collectors.

• Learn about Depression-glass manufacturers and their marks. Some of the leading Depression-glass makers were Westmoreland, Heisey, Fostoria, Jeannette, Anchor-Hocking, McBeth-Evans, Hazel Atlas, Federal Glass, Indiana Glass Company and U.S. Glass.

• These manufacturers produced Art Deco, geometric or classical designs in Elegant Glass and Depression Glass. Elegant Glass, after mechanical production, was refurbished, etched and polished by hand. Depression Glass wasn’t. Some of the most popular patterns were Avocado, Royal Lace, Cameo, Mayfair, American Sweetheart, Princess, Cherry Blossom, Sharon, Patrician, Madrid, Moderntone, Windsor, Adam, Sierra, Diana, Waterford, Columbia, Miss America, Iris and Herringbone and Rosemary.

• Depression glass came in different transparent colors such as crystal, pink, amber, blue, green, yellow, red, orange, lavender, iridescent, black and white. There were also some opaque patterns and pieces decorated with gold, platinum and even colored enamel.

• Depression glassware included plates, tumblers, bowls, cups and saucers, decanters, vases, candlesticks, lamps and so on.

• Learn how to recognize authentic Depression glass, determine condition, to detect chips and cracks.

Once you know what’s what, we come to the “Okay, so where do I buy it?” part, and you can take your pick from flea markets, church bazaars, garage sales, antique shops, classified-newspaper ads, estate auctions and online auctions. Or try all of these.

Prices depend on glassware type, design pattern and color, manufacturer, rarity, location of sale and demand from collectors. There is no hard-and-fast pricing.

Tips for Collectors—

Finding pieces to complete a set can be challenging. Many original pieces are difficult or impossible to find on the market nowadays. Or, if available, are expensive. Rare items include butter dishes, serving pieces, lids, cobalt-blue mixing bowls, refrigerator dishes, measuring cups and canisters. Also hard to find are the Shirley Temple cereal bowls, mugs and milk pitchers.

Scratches and nicks are inevitable in regularly used Depression glassware. Even so, avoid buying severely nicked or flawed glass.

Examine each piece carefully before buying. If buying online, ask seller to list all visible flaws, and make sure there’s a money-back guarantee.

Sound like hard work? Not really, and besides, these collectibles are worth any effort you expend.

Other stories by Sonal Panse:

Antiques, Art & Collectibles Auction Ploys

Finding Art & Collectibles in All the Right Places

Paperweight Collectibles Find a Following

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