When is it a Collection? The De-light of Paperweights!

I found this incredible glass paperweight at an estate sale a short while ago. The size, the colors, everything about it just yelled ‘buy me!’ When I took it up to the check-out counter, the lady asked if I had noticed it was signed and dated. I had turned it over as we ‘hunters’ always do, but was not familiar with the name. It read “E WEBER” and was dated”2000”, probably a special one for the millennium! It is huge, standing nearly 7” tall!

She asked if I was a paperweight collector and I instantly replied “no, I just happened to really like this one.” But she persisted. “Well, how many others did you really like and HAD TO HAVE?” I thought for a moment and said “about 15.” And she replied “Well, then you are officially a paperweight collector.” But, no, I protested, that’s not many. Then I thought about the fireplace mantle and the curio shelf. Hmmm, perhaps she was right.
So, how many of one item do you have to own to make it a ‘collection.’ My husband says ‘only three’, because that shows a commitment. I guess I would say 5 or more. But sometimes they just sneak up on you – my first one was a gift, as is often the case. But it looked rather lonely on the shelf. So I found another one as a ‘companion.’ “Oh” my daughter said – “now you are ‘into’ paperweights.” Although I protested, I had another one gifted to me. An uneven number, that won’t do. So the search continued.
A dear friend’s mother was an antique dealer for over 35 years, specializing in glass. So when we go to estate sales together, my friend points out the ‘quality items to me.’ Just in case I did not know. Well, we hit a sale last summer with a lot of glassware and I found several more. These with the foil inside are breathtaking!

I truly love the ones that have ‘millefiori’ centers. Loads of vibrant colors and very teeny-tiny. I understand that it means “1000 flowers” which is rather appropriate.

Another favorite are the iridescent ones – they have such magnificent coloring!

And how about the ribbon ones? The smaller one was a gift from hubby who supports me (or perhaps we should say that he is “an enabler.”)

While I adore the many colors of these paperweights, one of my all-time favorites is just clear glass. You may wonder why, but when you view this treasure you just might understand! I am a die-hard football fan (go Packers!) and for a special birthday my dear friend gave me this Waterford Football! Absolutely fantastic!

Another question. Is there a specific shape to paperweights? Do glass figures with heavy bases qualify? Because if that is the case, I am in WAY over my head. Somebody stop me. But no, there is an ad for an upcoming estate sale – they mentioned ‘glassware.’ Could it be??