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Shipping Antique Glass Isn’t All That It’s Cracked Up To Be

This broken glass is why some dealers have sworn off the fragile stuff.

The broken glass pictured above is why some dealers have sworn off the fragile stuff.

Why all the hate’n’ on antique glass? It’s fragile, heavy and tricky to handle, yes. But if you follow some simple tips, it will make the job a whole lot easier.

I don’t know how many times I’ve been at an antiques show or auction and overheard someone come right out and say: “I hate glass. I just won’t deal in it anymore.” Depending on what part of the country you’re in, the language is likely to be more colorful than that!

Invariably, the source of this hatred is a traumatic experience of some sort. The box of crystal that fell off the back of the trailer after the last show, the rare tulip vase that Muffy the cat knocked off the windowsill while chasing a moth, or even the trauma of having sold a $500 Early American Eagle flask, and having someone return it because of a small crack in the base, that hadn’t been noticed before. Any of these experiences can leave a scar.

But the flip side of these occurrences is that each time a rare piece of glass is accidentally broken or damaged, the supply of that item is depleted once more, and the value of those whole ones still out there increases.

For me, there is no manmade object as beautiful as glass. And Early American blown glass, blown with air from the lungs of our forefathers and deftly tooled with primitive iron and wooden tools of the day, has a magical quality that allows me to reach out and touch the workmanship of the people from another time.

So, despite the inherent handling issues, and the minor traumas I’ve experienced selling and shipping antique glass, I find it worth the risks.

One thing that is unavoidable is that even minor damage is damage. It’s not a flaw, and roughness doesn’t add character. It is what it is. In the hobby, if you ask “what’s the difference between a “flake” and a “chip,” you’ll be told that a “flake” is what it is called when it is on your sales table, and a “chip” is what it is called when you’re trying to buy it from someone else’s table.  Probably the least fun aspect of buying and selling glass is the unavoidable fact that as you buy and sell, you tend to see things from your own perspective, and that can lead to problems.

Additionally, if you sell glassware online or set up at shows, you can spend a lot of time and money on packing and packing materials. After a few years of doing it, though, you pick up some tricks of the trade that make it easier.  When packing glassware for shows, I use material that I pick up along the way for free. Everyone who knows me sets aside leftover bubble wrap, which I store in crates in the garage until needed. Rolls of bubble wrap aren’t terribly expensive, but the cost does add up, especially if you are dealing in lower end items with a small profit margin available to you.

The best type of bubble wrap for wrapping glass is the small-size bubble, like about dime size, as opposed to the larger half dollar size bubble.

The best type of bubble wrap for wrapping glass is the small-size bubble, like about dime size, as opposed to the larger half dollar size bubble. The larger bubble size allows corners to still be exposed and I’ve had things get nicked by hitting a thin spot during shipping. The smaller bubbles wrap tighter and leave no weak spots.

For antique shows, I like to pack my glassware in these heavy split-cardboard boxes.

For antique shows, I like to pack my glassware in these heavy split-cardboard boxes. As for shipping online, I use boxes that I pick up at the grocery store. When I was shipping 100 boxes a month, I used to know the day and time that our local grocery store would be restocking, and have piles of boxes in the sizes I needed, stacked up for the trash. When you find just the right box size and shape, you can save an awful lot of money in shipping costs.

Box dividers are very handy, provide stability, and save you a lot of packing time and material if you are selling several bottles, vases or crystal glassware.

I also keep an eye out for the cardboard dividers from cases of wine or balsamic vinegar bottles or mustard jars. I just made a habit of grabbing them if I’d see them, then storing them in a box in the garage. They are very handy, provide stability, and save you a lot of packing time and material if you are selling several bottles, vases or crystal glassware.

If you are one of those “never glass” dealers, I will say I feel your pain. But with a little preparation and extra effort, there are ways that make the process less risky, so you can again enjoy collecting and handling beautiful antique glass.

With a little preparation and extra effort, there are ways that make the process less risky, so you can again enjoy collecting and handling beautiful antique glass pieces like this little bottle.

Bram Hepburn collects 19th-century New England bottles and glass, having spent the last 30 years digging and diving for bottles in New England and upstate New York. He has just founded an estate liquidation company and auction house, Hepburn and Co. Antiques in Eliot, Maine.

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