My husband and I recently attended the “preview night” of the show put on by the Depression Era Glass Society of Wisconsin (DEGS.) While we have seen a lot of ‘depression glass’ (and collect Cobalt Moderntone) through the years, this show had a lot we’d never even heard of! Absolutely gorgeous glassware, by well-respected glass companies from long ago. Dealers from Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and North Carolina were in attendance.
Our first view was of a long row of colorful glass – pinks, yellows (or amber as many are called), greens and clear. The pieces were so nicely displayed, all sparkling and clean and we did not find any items with those two ‘dreaded’ words ‘as is.’ These were primo pieces!

We got a chance to spend some time with Jack Peacock of Carolina Antiques, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Don’t try to find him on the internet, he does not sell there. But he does set up at some 44+ shows per year, all over the country. He has some absolutely marvelous glassware and really knows his stuff! He was very informative and knowledgeable, and very patient with those of us who are not ‘glass pros.’ This was a great opportunity for us to gain knowledge from an experienced and enthusiastic dealer.
We admired this fantastic set in blue glass; we’d never seen anything like them! He told us they were made by Cambridge, but only for one year, 1926-27. The larger one is called a “samovar” a wonderful way to serve tea. The other is a matching decanter. Because of their delicacy and the fact that they were very expensive, even back then, they did not sell well and very few were made. It was very difficult to walk out without purchasing this set!

Another grouping we really appreciated was this ‘lot’ of black satin glass by Tiffin. We have seen some examples of their work, but quite limited. When we mentioned that, he said that Tiffin, at one time, had 18 ‘pots’ which gave them incredible manufacturing capacity. They were up to one-half million stems per week at one point.

We also found this wonderful planter by Tiffin in their “Sky Blue” pattern irresistible! The glass just glowed and was so 3-dimensional, lovely subject matter too!

He had quite a lot of glassware by Fostoria, including many by artisan George Sakier. This is called their Ivy pattern and although he had made numerous Ivy pieces, we were told that George did not get credit for this one. Hard to believe, it appeared to be the exact same pattern.

Jack had a lot of glass by Paden City as well and we just adored this Pelican. We love ‘sea creatures’ and the pelican, sea horses, dolphins and others were just a delight!

Both hubby and I love ART DECO and when we saw this vase by Fostoria called “the Tut” we just had to have it. We took it home and just know we will enjoy it. We thanked Jack for his time and for sharing his knowledge, and wished him well on his many upcoming glass shows.

For your information, his next shows are right around the corner – he’ll be in Tiffin, Ohio on September 1^st and 2^nd at the Homekid Reunion, and in Atlanta, Georgia for the Scott Antique Market on September 7, 8, and 9^th. Check out his incredible glass!
Another booth we went into had these gorgeous green glasses. The unique part is that they had ‘golf balls’ for stems. We thought they would be a wonderful addition to any barware collection and especially if golf was ‘your thing.’

It started to get rather crowded, a lot of folks coming in, so it became difficult to ‘corner’ any other dealers. We did spend a few minutes with Tom of Thomas K. Smith Antiques, of Carmel, Indiana. He is on ebay at fmfdaman and his email is tksfenton@aol.com. He specializes in Victorian Glass, Fenton Glass, Aladdin Lamps, etc. Turns out he has a booth at one of our top 10 favorite antique malls, Southport Antiques, 2028 E. Southport Rd. Indianapolis IN, phone 317-786-8246.

He shared the names and locations of a few other places to stop when we’re in Indiana. Very kind of him! We admired his wonderful glassware and exchanged business cards. When seeing the “No Egrets Antiques”, he stopped and said “I know that name!” I suggested that we may have left a card at the mall, or perhaps he had noticed it on a check when we paid. But he said that was definitely not where he’d seen it. About 15 minutes later, as we were leaving, Tom came up to my husband and said “Now I remember! I purchased an item from you on ebay!” Boy, ain’t it a small world!
If you have a favorite Antique shop or mall in your town or one you found along your journey, share it with us in your “comment”.
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With its jewel-toned colors and attractively patterned vases, bowls, dishes and other tableware, Depression glass has been a top collectible for years. Even in hard times, Depression glass was a cheap way to add a pretty bit of color in the kitchen and home. In fact, Depression glass was often given as a free gift with the purchase of a more expensive item as storeowners tried to entice shoppers to buy. For buying a movie ticket one could get an emerald green dessert plate. Tucked inside a sack of flour might be a cobalt blue dinner dish. Depression glass was even given away as prizes at carnival game booths.

Depression glass was created in the years including the Great Depression, around 1920-1940 and was intended for people on a budget. It was mass-produced using low quality glass that frequently resulted in bubbles, ripples and other flaws in the final product, which are today considered part of the charm of Depression glass.

There were several glassmakers producing Depression glass and dozens of patterns were produced, so a good guide can be indispensable to collectors for identifying a particular piece. Many collectors make it a goal to complete a particular pattern. Before choosing a pattern, consult a guide to make certain the pieces are within your price range since prices vary among patterns, with rarer patterns going for higher prices. Prices can also vary widely among pieces of the same pattern that are different colors. For example, the pink sugar bowl might be worth twice as much as the same piece in amber.

Unfortunately, many of the popular Depression glass patterns have been reproduced over the years and it can be difficult to discern an original from a reproduction. Some collectors educate themselves in the differences, such as the weight and shade of the glass, while others choose to completely avoid patterns that have been reproduced.

Follow this link for photos of Depression glass from several different patterns.