Hi, I am new to the message boards. I actually came across them while entering sweepstakes.
I was hoping that maybe someone on the board could help me by giving me some suggestions about a very large collection of antique glassware I acquired after my grandmother's passing. I have Blenko, Fenton, Fostoria, Fire King, Westmoreland, and others. I'm not a big fan of eBay and I have contacted some antique dealers in my area. Like everyone else, I want the best possible price for each piece. Any feedback would be appreciated. Oh, I live in the Charleston, West Virginia area.
After checking out the values, you might try selling the pieces at a fixed price on a site like Ruby Lane. If you've got lots of stuff, you might consider a short term rental of a booth at a group antique shop to sell them. If you have very rare pieces, you should consider ebay. Common items don't bring much, but rare things often go through the roof.
periwinkle is right but if some of the pieces are real valuable you might try one of the better auction houses. Cincinnati art auctions might be a good one for art glass if you have any.
I am by no means an expert on this but I will take a stab at a definition for you. Not all glass is ART GLASS. There is glass that is strictly utilitarian glass like the every day drinking glasses in your cupboard. This type of glass is mass produced by machines in automatic molds. While an artist may have designed the original shape an engineer took over from there. In the case of ART GLASS the piece is blown by hand. No two pieces are alike. While the piece may have utilitarian value it will also have value as a work of art. The piece may be clear glass or may have color added to it using various techniques. The glass may also be hand cut in various ways. The best examples of American ART GLASS would be Tiffany or Steuben glass. There are many others as well as some famous European makers. ART GLASS is still produced today and can be quite as beautiful as the late 19th century and early 20th century masters.
I don’t know what you have but it may be worth your while to be careful. The name of the Gallery in Cincinnati is “Cincinnati Art Galleries, LLC” Web site www.cincyart.com They are on East 6th street Phone 513 381 2128.
I hope this helps. As for my definition if anyone has any comments please give them. Again I am not an expert and would gladly hear from those that are.
like Dave said... art glass is just that.. ART!.... Fostoria and Fenton companies are from close to you so you should be familiar with them or be able to find out a lot at the library!!.... Fenton, to me, always means a white glass basket with a clear glass 'petticoat' around the ruffled rim and a clear glass handle.... that was a popular one a while back..I think they had a ruby glass that was popular, too.... and don't forget Carnival Glass!!......there's gobs to see here...
If you are considering trying to go thru antique dealers or even consignment, you might want to consider a trip to the DC area. You will probably get more moeny there than you will in your neck of the woods.
My folks live in the Myrtle Beach area and the last time they had their antiques appraised the guy told them to tell me..That when they pass if I wanted to sell their antiques to bring them back to Atlanta rather than sell them in SC as I would get WAY more money for them.
Found a Fireking pie plate today at my favorite thrift shop for $1.25!! That copperish/irridescent color on the outside. NO cracks or even scratches that I could see... possibly never used.
Posts: 3853 | Location: mount holly, NJ, USA | Registered: Sep 19, 2002
Even if you don't want to sell on eBay, it's the best place to find out what something is worth. To do that, you need to identify the piece. Library books can help with that, and looking at eBay listings helps - as long as you keep in mind that there's no guarantee of accuracy. It can give you a start, though.
Chances are you don't have any "art glass" - most people didn't have any, or had maybe one piece. What they did have was a lot of decorative glass to set a pretty holiday table, to put cut flowers, to serve candy - and that old glass has value today.
Beware that old glass can be very addictive! When you've learned a bit about it, you'll be watching for it, turning things over to examine the bottoms, finding good pieces in yard sales and thrift stores.
