Is Depression glass worth money?
Depression glass brightens the home and the spirit for many collectors, just as it did for the original owners during the Great Depression. Some pieces of this glass are affordable for almost everyone, while others are rare and extremely valuable. What these pieces all have in common is their intriguing patterns and lovely colors that have been attracting shoppers since they were new in the 1930s.
How much is Depression glass worth?
The value of depression glass varies from one piece to the other. But, with numerous patterns and styles being available today, the depression glass prices are still reasonable. While sets can be costly, you should expect individual pieces to cost under $100.
What is the most valuable Depression glass pattern?
What Is the Rarest Depression Glass Pattern? Collectors Weekly magazine states that the rarest Depression glass pattern is Cameo by Hocking (now Anchor Hocking), and the rarest piece is the sandwich server. Mayfair is another Hocking pattern difficult for today's collectors to locate.
How to buy Depression glass?
Whichever color or type of Depression glass you're looking for, eBay offers one of the best resources out there for finding it. Although Depression glass wasn't intended to influence your frame of mind, you'll likely feel happy when you find the pieces you want in prime condition.
What color of depression glass is most valuable?
Pink glass is most valuable, followed by blue and green. Rare colors such as tangerine and lavender are also worth more than common colors like yellow and amber. If you stumble upon an extremely rare piece like the red ruby Aladdin Beehive Lamp, expect to pay $800 or more!
How can you tell vintage depression glass?
How to Identify Depression GlassThe designs are usually slightly raised rather than etched.Raised seams on the glass can be an indicator of Depression glass because of the quick manufacturing method.Depression glass is not typically marked by a maker.Most Depression glass was not iridescent.More items...
What color glass is worth money?
Look for pink, blue and green glassware Pink, green and blue are the most valuable colors of depression glass. Pink tends to be the most valuable because it is more rare. Yellow and amber colored depression glass is more common and therefore less valuable.
Is depression glass of any value?
Produced by Hocking Glass Company around 1929 to 1933, this green glass cup is a common find. The value has generally held steady around $5 for a single cup for a few decades.
How many colors of depression glass are there?
Common colors are clear (crystal), pink, pale blue, green, and amber. Less common colors include yellow (canary), ultramarine, jadeite (opaque pale green), delphite (opaque pale blue), cobalt blue, red (ruby and royal ruby), black, amethyst, monax, and white (milk glass). Some depression glass is uranium glass.
What colors did depression glass come in?
Depression glass, as it came to be known, was produced in a wide range of bright colors—pink, pale blue, green, amber, and less common colors like canary, ultramarine, jadeite, delphite (opaque pale blue), cobalt blue, red, black, amethyst, monax, white (milk glass), and even fluorescent uranium glass that glows under ...
What is the most sought after vintage glassware?
10 Most Expensive and Valuable Glassware?No.NamePrice1Antique Marigold Carnival Glass Round Bowl$3002Antique Jardiniere Bowl$4503Antique Grape Leaves Bowl$5904Art Nouveau Vase in Pink Mouth$1,3406 more rows
What is the most sought after antique?
5 World's Most Valuable Antiques and Collectibles of All TimePinner Qing Dynasty Vase – $80.2 million. Source. ... Ru Guanyao Brush Washer Bowl – $37.68 million. Source. ... Record-Breaking Persian Rug – $33.76 million. ... Leonardo da Vinci's Codex Leicester – $30.8 million. ... Patek Philippe Supercomplication Pocket Watch – $24 million.
How can you tell how old glass is?
How to Know Whether Glass Is AntiquePontil marks - Blown glass, as opposed to molded glass, usually has a pontil mark on the bottom. ... Bubbles and irregularities - Many antique glass pieces have tiny bubbles or other imperfections in the glass. ... Patina - Older glass usually has a patina of time and use.
How do you know if glassware is valuable?
1:012:00How To Identify Valuable Glass by Dr. Lori - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo remember if you move your thumb around you feel like it's sharp. And you might get cut youMoreSo remember if you move your thumb around you feel like it's sharp. And you might get cut you probably have a piece of cut glass. That's much more valuable. Than a piece of soda lime or molded glass.
Does Depression glass glow under a blacklight?
Both green Depression glass and Vaseline glass will glow under a black light due to the uranium oxide content in the glass. Old Burmese glass fluoresces a similar yellow-green color. American colorless pressed glass made before 1930 is said to fluoresce yellow, while reproductions generally do not.
How do you identify vintage glassware?
Makers can be identified by examining company marks and signatures located on the bottom of the glassware. However, since reproductions are common, it's essential to study the marks, colors, and styles of genuine art glass to properly identify the maker of a piece.
How can you tell Depression glass from reproduction?
Distinguishing Real from Reproduction Pieces. Look for tiny bubbles on the surface of the glass. Check the piece very closely, and look at it from all angles. If it is a real piece of depression glass, there will be a scattering of small bubbles.
Does Depression glass glow under a blacklight?
Both green Depression glass and Vaseline glass will glow under a black light due to the uranium oxide content in the glass. Old Burmese glass fluoresces a similar yellow-green color. American colorless pressed glass made before 1930 is said to fluoresce yellow, while reproductions generally do not.
Does old glass have seams?
If you examine a piece of pressed glass you will always find either two, three or four seams running through the glass, although sometimes the seams were well hidden in the pattern.
What is Depression glass?
Depression glass brightens the home and the spirit for many collectors, just as it did for the original owners during the Great Depression. Some pieces of this glass are affordable for almost everyone, while others are rare and extremely valuable. What these pieces all have in common is their intriguing patterns and lovely colors ...
What color glassware was popular during the Depression?
This overview article discusses patterns, how to keep an eye out for reproductions, and the high price of cobalt blue glassware.
What is Hazel Atlas known for?
Hazel Atlas Glass Company is known for making some of the most popular colors in Depression glass, including Ritz Blue and Sunset Pink. Learn more about those hues and all the intricate dinnerware patterns they produced as well as kitchen glass pieces.
What is Jeanette Glass known for?
Even though it is best known for creating a variety of Depression-era dinnerware and kitchen items, including the unique and beautiful Ultramarine color, this company produced a variety of glass prior to the 1930s and they made milk glass as well.
What is a pictorial price guide?
This pictorial price guide includes many of the most popular colors, patterns, and pieces sought by Depression-era glass enthusiasts. New entries are added regularly as quality photographs become available and values are researched. This is a great place to identify Depression pieces and patterns.
15 Highly-Valued Depression Glass Pieces
Pieces produced by MacBeth-Evans are very common. Using attractive pink glass, the company produced pitchers, bowls, plates, and other types of tableware.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Designed to be affordable, depression glass is a type of glassware that was mass-produced between 1920 and 1950. Often colored translucent or clear, the machine-made glassware was distributed at a low cost in Canada and the United States during the period of the Great Depression.
Conclusion
Dating back to between 1929 and 1939, depression glass came into the market during the Great Depression. Produced to ensure affordability to the mostly broke population, depression glass was extremely cheap in its early days, with most of the pieces having a cost similar to that of a loaf of bread.
What made Depression glass so affordable?
The speed at which Depression glass was produced, coupled with the quality of its wares, is what ultimately made these pieces affordable. They also lent way to a significant amount of flaws. Imperfections such as bubbles, molding flaws, and inconsistent coloring are prevalent in these pieces; however, they rarely affect the value of the wares. In fact, many collectors even cherish the inconsistencies.
What was the Depression glass?
Depression glass grew popular among female consumers who sought the aesthetic of expensive place settings for a fraction of the cost. Over twenty manufacturers produced Depression glass from the 1920s to the 1950s, including Jeanette, Hazel Atlas, and Anchor-Hocking.
How many patterns of Depression glass were made?
During the thirty years of production, over 100 patterns of Depression glass were manufactured. Each company had signature patterns, each of which are worth different amounts in the market today. Some of the most common patterns were Cameo, Mayfair, American Sweetheart, Princess, and Royal Lace. The romantic and idealistic names reflected a societal longing for the prosperity of the 1920s, a time that propagated dreams of a successful life to come.
What is elegant glass?
For this segment of the market, high-quality, handmade pieces called Elegant glass were produced. These pieces were often clear, made without imperfections, and featured designs recessed into the glass, rather than offering raised patterns like that of Depression glass.
How to find chips in glass?
To find chips, run your fingers along the edges and base of the glass to make sure it doesn’t have any imperfections. Sick glass: One of the common imperfections that Depression glass features is cloudy etching caused by automatic dishwashers. Collectors refer to glass with this problem as “sick glass.”.
What colors were used in the Depression?
Depression glass was produced in virtually every color. Yellow and amber patterns were the popular choice for the era, followed by green, blue, pink, and crystal. Manufacturers created a few patterns in unique hues such as alexandrite and tangerine, which ultimately failed in the marketplace.
What is the most challenging aspect of collecting Depression glass?
One of the most challenging aspects of collecting Depression glass is finding pieces that aren’t flawed. Since these glasses were made for daily use, many available pieces have years of wear on them. When examining a piece of glassware, keep an eye out for these three common condition issues:
What is Ritz Blue?
Cobalt or "Ritz" Blue Chevron Cream and Sugar. The Hazel Atlas Glass Company marketed this cobalt color of glass as Ritz Blue. The cream and sugar set has a chevron pattern and was produced in the 1930s. This set is typically valued between $10 and $20.
How much is a cup and saucer worth?
It's common to find the cup and saucer valued between $10 and $20. There are also full sets of four to six cups and saucers that come up on the market from time to time.
What is the name of the American Sweetheart sherbet dish?
American Sweetheart Monax Sherbet Dish. Monax is the name MacBeth-Evans gave to the company's milky-colored glass. Though it looks similar, this glass is much thinner than what is known as milk glass . The American Sweetheart Monax sherbet dish was made between 1930 and 1936.
How much is the American Sweetheart set worth?
This particular American Sweetheart cup and saucer was produced around 1930 to 1936. The set in excellent to mint condition generally sells for around $10 to $15, though the value has been known to fluctuate. For instance, in 2006, the set was valued on eBay for $16 to $25 and in 2008 Austin Antique Mall had it valued between $12 and $15.
When were green glass cups made?
The values are similar for all styles. Produced by Hocking Glass Company around 1929 to 1933 , this green glass cup is a common find. The value has generally held steady around $5 for a single cup for a few decades.
Who made the block optic sherbet dish?
Block Optic Green Cone Sherbet Dish. Also dating between 1929 and 1933, this sherbet dish was made by Hocking Glass Company . It features the Block Optic pattern in green glass and has consistently retained a value of $4 to $5 for a number of years.
Is Depression glass still available?
Depression glass is widely collected the world over and many patterns are still plentiful enough to keep prices reasonable. There's also a color and pattern available to suit every taste.
Manufacturing
Distribution
- What is Depression Glass?
Designed to be affordable, depression glassis a type of glassware that was mass-produced between 1920 and 1950. Often colored translucent or clear, the machine-made glassware was distributed at a low cost in Canada and the United States during the period of the Great Depressi… - How Can I Identify Depression Glass?
To identify depression glass, you will need to do the following:
Color
Pattern
Unique Conditions
- Manufacturers optimized their production processes and were able to sell twelve-piece dinnerware sets for under two dollars. Since the manufacturing of Depression glass was relatively inexpensive, companies began offering Depression glass objects as promotional items. Glass pieces were included in cereal boxes and given away at movie theaters or gas stations to retain l…
Patterns and Popular Colors
- Depression glass was produced in virtually every color. Yellow and amber patterns were the popular choice for the era, followed by green, blue, pink, and crystal. Manufacturers created a few patterns in unique hues such as alexandrite and tangerine, which ultimately failed in the marketplace. In today’s market, these unpopular colors are highly sought after by collectors, whil…
Reproductions
- During the thirty years of production, over 100 patterns of Depression glass were manufactured. Each company had signature patterns, each of which are worth different amounts in the market today. Some of the most common patterns were Cameo, Mayfair, American Sweetheart, Princess, and Royal Lace. The romantic and idealistic names reflected a societal longing for the prosperit…