Collecting Depression Glassware
Hi,
Depression glassware is a machine-pressed glassware that was popular in the Depression era. These glass pieces were made during the 1920’s and 1930’s and were mass produced for sale in five and dime stores at extremely low prices. Because the economy was so bad at the time, they were cheap enough for just about anyone to purchase. Since there were so many different varieties and colors made, Depression glassware is highly collectible and extremely popular with antiques dealers and collectors. These pieces were found in just about every home during the Depression, so there is quite a lot to go around.
If you are interested in Depression glassware and would like to begin collecting, it is important to get a feel for the types and colors that were made. For instance, most Depression glassware falls into a few color categories. There are blue, green, yellow, amber and pink Depression glassware varieties, and there is a lot of variation in the shades of these colors. Different Depression glassware companies had slightly different tints to their glasses. For instance the pink Depression glassware made by the Hocking Glass Company is slightly more yellow than that made by the Jeannette or MacBeth-Evans Glass Companies during the 1930’s.
It is also important to know the various Depression glass ware patterns that were made. Each company made its own patterns, and these varied from company to company. The patterns all have different names and styles. For instance, there are the Queen Mary, the Spiral, Miss America, Pinwheel, Block Optic, Banded Ring, Cameo Ballerina, Fine Rib and Fire King just to name a few. The best way to identify Depression glassware is through the color and the pattern. By knowing which patterns were made is which colors, you will be better able to identify whether or not your Depression glassware is fake or authentic.
There are a lot of fake Depression glassware pieces floating around antique stores and thrift stores, so having a working knowledge of what was made during the era helps protect your from spending money of reproductions that are worth a fraction of the originals. Also, when collecting Depression glassware, it is best to find pieces that are in mint condition. Scratched, cracked or chipped pieces are worth much less. However, scratches made by utensils are fairly common in authentic pieces, so a few small scratches might devalue a piece a bit, but they also offer a feeling of time and use that is not present with perfect pieces that have rarely been touched.
If you are collecting Depression glassware as a hobby, you might decide to pick one color or pattern, like Miss America pink Depression glassware, and just collect it for awhile. If you start your collection this way, you are less vulnerable to fakes, and you can begin to understand the variety of patterns and colors available. You will become very acquainted with a lot of pink Depression glassware, and you can thus be better able to identify fakes in any style or color once you begin to diversify your collection.
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