If you are someone who loves old glass, you already know that almost every antique store, estate sale, and auction house has collections to choose from. Old plates and glasses are among the most common items people collect partly because they tend to be affordable and small enough to fit on shelves. Finding interesting vintage glassware collectibles is fun, especially when you know what you are looking at.
You may decide you love several different kinds of glass and want to collect some of all or specialize in certain genres. Either way, you should know something about old glass before you invest in it. The art of cut glass goes back almost two thousand years, and to the beginnings of glass blowing itself. Designs are created with the use of a grinding wheel that cuts patterns and designs into pieces of cooled glass.
At the turn of the twentieth century, the wealthiest citizens made a conspicuous show by entertaining with enormous pieces of leaded pressed glass. This has become known as the American Brilliant Period. It ended when manufacturers began to produce cheap versions of this expensive glass and made it available to the masses during the Great Depression.
In the early twentieth century, the Europeans got into the market with even cheaper pressed glass. American manufacturing suffered until the Great Depression when, the now famous, Depression glass went into production. The manufacturing was so prolific that the Ohio firm, most noted for producing the glass, could turn a profit even selling the pieces for pennies apiece.
During this time, most people could only dream about owning the fabulous stained glass pieces Louis Comfort Tiffany was creating in his studio in New York. Two enterprising companies came up with an affordable version of the original, which became known as Carnival glass. The name comes from the glass pieces that were given as prizes at carnival midways all over the American countryside.
You don't have to be an expert in glass to recognize milk glass. It is something most people have seen in antique and vintage shops, but it was not originally an American product. The Venetians created the effect in the sixteen hundreds, and the English perfected it during the Victorian Era. Genuine milk glass can be yellow, pink, blue, black, and brown as well as white.
It is important to care for your glass collections correctly. This means not putting them in your dishwasher. The high temperature can crack and even break fragile pieces. You should only hand clean them using a mild detergent and soft drying cloth.
If you want to collect something, glassware might be a good choice. Most of it is affordable, and pieces can be displayed even with limited space. A lot of people love to browse antique and specialty shops in the hopes of finding the missing piece in their collection. It is not unusual for the glass to pass from generation to generation.
You may decide you love several different kinds of glass and want to collect some of all or specialize in certain genres. Either way, you should know something about old glass before you invest in it. The art of cut glass goes back almost two thousand years, and to the beginnings of glass blowing itself. Designs are created with the use of a grinding wheel that cuts patterns and designs into pieces of cooled glass.
At the turn of the twentieth century, the wealthiest citizens made a conspicuous show by entertaining with enormous pieces of leaded pressed glass. This has become known as the American Brilliant Period. It ended when manufacturers began to produce cheap versions of this expensive glass and made it available to the masses during the Great Depression.
In the early twentieth century, the Europeans got into the market with even cheaper pressed glass. American manufacturing suffered until the Great Depression when, the now famous, Depression glass went into production. The manufacturing was so prolific that the Ohio firm, most noted for producing the glass, could turn a profit even selling the pieces for pennies apiece.
During this time, most people could only dream about owning the fabulous stained glass pieces Louis Comfort Tiffany was creating in his studio in New York. Two enterprising companies came up with an affordable version of the original, which became known as Carnival glass. The name comes from the glass pieces that were given as prizes at carnival midways all over the American countryside.
You don't have to be an expert in glass to recognize milk glass. It is something most people have seen in antique and vintage shops, but it was not originally an American product. The Venetians created the effect in the sixteen hundreds, and the English perfected it during the Victorian Era. Genuine milk glass can be yellow, pink, blue, black, and brown as well as white.
It is important to care for your glass collections correctly. This means not putting them in your dishwasher. The high temperature can crack and even break fragile pieces. You should only hand clean them using a mild detergent and soft drying cloth.
If you want to collect something, glassware might be a good choice. Most of it is affordable, and pieces can be displayed even with limited space. A lot of people love to browse antique and specialty shops in the hopes of finding the missing piece in their collection. It is not unusual for the glass to pass from generation to generation.
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