In the early 1900′s the art glass market was ruled by the Tiffany family. Beautiful and elegant, it was indeed “fit for a king”. The problem for the majority of the American public was, that you had to be a king to afford it!

In 1905 the general public was introduced to a beautiful iridescent glass that they could afford. By coating press glass with a sodium solution before firing, mass-production factories were able to produce a glass that mimicked the beauty of high luster Tiffany, and they called it “Carnival Glass”. Women from average income household’s could now purchase a wonderful piece of art glass at their local department store, and purchase it they did. For the next two decades, carnival glass would be the most popular glass in America.

Fenton, Northwood, Dugan, Imperial and Millersburg were the five major manufacturers of carnival glass, but several other factories produced small quantities. Among the plants with limited production were Cambridge Glass, Westmoreland, McKee Glass, and the Jenkins’s Glass Company of Kokomo, Indiana.

Jenkins made only a few patterns. Their main color was marigold and most all of their patterns were a combination of flowers and near-cut designs. These pieces, while not of the higher price range on a national level, are often sought after by regional collectors.

One of the most successful of the major producers, was Fenton Glass. Their success, in art glass production, is largely credited to the talents of Frank Fenton. Each piece he designed demonstrated his astute awareness of what the public admired in glass ornamentation. Then, as now, Fenton’s works are considered by many to be the finest examples of early carnival glass.

In all over 1,000 patterns of carnival glass were produced from 1905-1925. The availability and selection of the glass has long made it a favorite among collector. Colors most commonly found include purple, dark blue, marigold, and green. In lesser number you will find pieces in clear, white, aqua, red, peach, ice blue, ice green, amber, lavender and smoke.

In the early 1970′s the market was flooded with a reissue of several patterns in both the dark blue and marigold colors. Common examples include a pitcher and glasses and a covered compote. These”new”carnival pieces were offer in discount stores and lower end gift shops and are of no interest to collectors.

The differences in new and old carnival are considerable. If you are uncertain as to the visible differences between the two, stop by your local antique shop and ask to be shown examples of each. Once you have seen the two issues set side by side, you will have no problem telling them apart

To own a piece of carnival, is to own a small piece of American art glass history. It stands as a tribute to the ingenuity and skill of the American glass makers skills, and was the last form of hand-shaped glass to ever be produced in the United States.

Linda Hamer Kennett is an associate member of the International Society of Appraisers specializing in down-sizing for seniors and the liquidation of estates and may be reached at 317-356-8967.

Yahoo! News
Wed Sep 10, 2008

“LONDON (Reuters Life!) – A 1,000-year-old carved rock crystal ewer, one of only seven known surviving examples, will be offered for auction next month at Christie’s Islamic art sale and is expected to fetch over 3 million pounds ($5.3 million).

The auctioneer said the ewer was made for the court of the Fatimid rulers of Cairo in the late 10th or early 11th century, and has been embellished in enameled gold mounts made in 1854 by a French silversmith.

…In April, rival auction house Sotheby’s sold a 12 century key to the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest site in Islam, for 9.2 million pounds (US $16.2 million), setting a new record for an Islamic work of art at auction.”

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UPDATE: Oct. 7, 2008 – The carved rock crystal ewer was valued at 100 pounds in January prior to an auction in Somerset and fetched 220,000 pounds but the sale was later declared void.

The 1,000-year-old item was sold to an anonymous bidder for 3,177,250 pounds (US $5.49 millon).

For the avid collector or amateur, the world’s most devout — fanatics of Fiesta Dinnerware — share their secrets to building a collection that will make your collecting comrades green with envy.

Determine your goals
There are two goals in collecting: buying what you love and buying what will resell at a higher price. First, determine if you love to collect this item or if you plan to buy, sell or even trade. Then collect accordingly, says Wendy English of Arizona. English is literally “driven” by her love of Fiesta. Vanity plates on both her vehicles are: FIESTA1 and LVDISHES.  

Pick your passion
People start collections for as many reasons as there are items to collect — nostalgia, as a means of investment and carrying on a tradition. For Harvey Linn of North Carolina, it’s personal. He ate off of a Fiesta plate (always Cobalt blue) at his grandmother’s house in the mid 1960s. With her passing in 1986, he found that same, now vintage, plate and became a collector of his grandmother’s beloved dinnerware.

Do your homework
If you don’t know much about the category you’re collecting, you might be duped when purchasing a coveted item. Know the value of certain items, how rare they are compared to others and what conditions are acceptable for resale, especially if you plan to sell or trade.

Make friends
What better way to find the latest and greatest information about your collectables than from your peers? Join a club dedicated to your desires. You’ll find everything you want to know about the category and you’ll make friends that share your passion.

Display the prize
Don’t make the mistake of storing items in a cardboard box in the garage. Maintain them by keeping them out where you and others can enjoy them. And what better way to keep inventory of what you have and need? However, be sure to keep fragile and extremely rare items behind glass or in cases to keep them from being broken or soiled.

Display by theme, style or time period
To create an eye-catching display, look for commonalities like color or time period. English collects only vintage pieces and displays them by the place setting in her kitchen. “I have a set in every color, except Sapphire,” she says. While shelving or cabinets are ideal, some collectors designate entire rooms to their collections. “It really depends on the size of your items, and overall collection,” adds English.

Don’t settle
Settling for a specific piece that is less than perfect is a big mistake. For instance, don’t purchase the sugar bowl sans lid — it will surely disappoint. Most collectors buy an item thinking they’ll find the missing lid or accessory, which is rarely the case. Purchase only intact, well-maintained pieces for the best return on investment.

Look for “numbered” items or limited editions
Linn collects for quality, not quantity. “I used to pick up odds and ends,” he says. “Now, I only buy numbered or special edition items.”

Shop “secondary” markets
Linn looks to the Internet, online shopping sites and even blogs for hard-to-find pieces. “I look for items made in a year ending in five or zero,” he says. This year, Fiesta collectors are buzzing about the first of three anniversary collections. Considered an American icon, the brand turns 75 in 2011. “When there is a limited color collection with special back-stamp, it makes the collecting community very happy,” he says. Today, the 75th anniversary mixing bowls are available at retail stores, but next year the item retires and says Linn, “will trickle into secondary markets and become the newest must-have.”

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Some of the items include:

An original Signed 1819 Land Grant by President James Monroe.

ANTIQUE FURNITURE: Several pieces of high quality display cabinets including unique two door corner display with curved glass doors, leaded glass center pane, hand carved griffin and beveled glass mirrors on top; drop leaf desk with inlaid mother of pearl floral decoration; two drawer mahogany table; Victorian marble top table; large display cabinet with applied carvings, rope twist columns and paw feet; drop leaf secretary; smoking stand; Victorian sewing rocker; old trunks; storage chest; Jenny Lind bed; Hinners electrified pump organ; large selection of wooden chairs of various types; tables; shelves; bookcases and more.

CLOCKS: Ansonia Royal Bonn “La Rambla” porcelain mantle clock; Ansonia “Aden” mantle clock; Seth Thomas and Sessions wall clock; Howard Miller grandfather clock.

LAMPS: Moe-Bridges reverse painted lamp; slag glass; Coleman CQ Quick-Lite kerosene lamp; hand painted GWTW lamp; original gas Arts and Crafts lamp; buggy lanterns.

BREWANIA: Miller High Life, Pfeiffers beer and GB lighted displays; neon Leisy’s lite beer sign; original 7-Up display signs; Old Taylor Whiskey large display bottle; large selection of Jim Beam bottles and many other vintage items.

GLASSWARE AND POTTERY: Weller Louwelsa vases and tankard; Hull including early Hull Art vase; cranberry opalescent coin spot water set with 3 tumblers; white opalescent coin spot pitcher; handpainted Nippon; Westmoreland Corinth blue opalescent jack-in-the-pulpit vase; Cambridge #620 Line sugar and creamer set; carnival glass; vintage salt and peppers; many old bottles including milk bottles; Geisha Girl and other porcelain; ruby flash glass; Lladro Aranjuez Little Lady and Lladro Nao figurine; porcelain figurines; Wedgwood umbrella stand, c:1885; Roseville Donatello vase; cranberry opalescent hobnail rose bowl and more.

BOOKS: The Democratic Book, 1936; Norwalk Register Herald news copy book, 1919; Florida: It’s Scenery, Climate and History, 1876; comic books – Tarzan and various others.

ALSO: 1000′s of vintage postcards, 1905-1970′s; tin types; old photos; coins; American Indian arrowheads and hand tools; Ohio Registered Chauffeur pin badges; old license plates; Tuco puzzles; tin toys; Eagle cast iron miniature stove; lanterns; old quilts; vintage purses; vintage watches; costume jewelry; vintage electric fans; old framed prints including Maxfield Parrish; many old picture frames; stereoviewers and cards; Cheny Talking Machine; Victor Talking Machine; many Edison phonograph records; M. Hohner accordian; large souvenir spoon collection; many souvenir plates; other souvenir items including Put-In-Bay, 1899; primitives; Rittgers baseball figurines; donkey vintage tin cigarette dispenser; Camels cigarette advertising thermometer; vintage kitchen collectibles; and many more collectible items too numerous to mention.

Northpinellas:
By TERRI BRYCE REEVES
Published February 2, 2007

“Don’t let its down-in-the-dumps name fool you; it’s really quite cheerful looking stuff.

Depression glass, manufactured in the 1920s through World War II, was produced in a rainbow of colors and plethora of patterns. With happy names like American Sweetheart, Aunt Polly, Cameo, Cherry Blossom and Royal Lace, the tableware and toiletry items helped to perk up a dreary, cash-strapped public.

…The most commonly collected colors are pink and green, he said. Cobalt blues, deep reds and greens draw the highest prices. Other popular colors are clear, amber, iridescent and milky white.”

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