Akro Agate Children's Dishes

Perhaps best known for their marbles, the Akro Agate Company produced a wonderful collection of dishes for children out of slag and glass in the depression glassware era of the 1930s and 1940s.  These vintage tea sets are a wonderful treasure.  On eBay, you have a great opportunity to increase find rare and increasingly hard-to-find Akro Agate pieces to complete your collection!

The Akro Agate Company           

The Akro Agate Company was founded in Akron, Ohio by George T. Rankin and Gilbert C. Marsh in 1910.  By 1911, they registered their trademark of the crow clutching a marble in each talon and one in its beak as it flies through a capital letter A. Their intial product was repackaged marbles from the Christensen and Son Company. By 1914, the company had relocated to Clarksburg, West Virginia and began production of their colorful Akro Agate marbles.  Their company slogan (shown in the center picture above) was "Shoot Straight As A Kro Flies".

As the Depression swept across the United States in the 1930s, sales of marbles gradually declined.  The Akro Agate Company branched out into glassware products and produced an array of new items from ashtrays to flower pots.  Akro Agate marked their pieces on the base with their trademark crow symbol (sometimes misidentified as an eagle).

At the same time, the company began sales of sets of childrens dishes...miniature versions of tea sets and dishes.  The sales were not good at first due to cheaper versions being available from Japan, but as World War II gripped America in the 1940s, the import of Japanese products ground to a stop.  This opened the market to Akro Agate and the sales of their children's dishes jumped. 

However, the war ended and new technology brought cheaper products made of tin and plastic. When combined with the reopening of the import market, the Akro Agate Company could no longer afford the cost of production.  The company closed her doors in 1951.

The Akro Agate Children's Collection 

Interior Panel Style - Pictured in the transparent blue, the Interior Panel style by Akro Agate features small square paneling along ribbed sides. These can be found in both large and small variations. Thanks to sukey44 for this great photo!

Octagonal Style - Pictured in the orange slag glass, the Octagonal Style glassware by Akro Agate is distinguished by the eight panel sides of the pieces. The Octagonal style is also available in both the large and smaller versions.

Stacked Disc Style - These slag tumblers varying in color from white to lemonade are in the Stacked Disc style of Akro Agate glassware.

Stippled Band Style - Notice how this green transparent tumbler by Akro Akate features the Stippled Band style which is set off by the band below the top rim.  The stippled band glassware collection can be found in large and small sizes. Thanks to myantiquestore with My Antique Store in Alton, IL for this great photo! 

Concentric Ring Style - This beautiful set of cobalt blue Akro Agate dishes display the Concentric Ring style set off by the concentric rings circling the middle of this glassware shown in the picture. Thanks to luddiedee for the great photo.

Concentric Rib Style - The Concentric Rib styling of Akro Agate children's glassware features the even ribbing visible on these teapots. Thanks to schmoozer for the great photo!

Raised Daisy Style - These fun little dishes bring a splash of springtime with their dainty little raised daisy borders.  Thanks to bouds106 for this great photo!

Akro Agate Box Sets         

Akro Agate Dish Sets were packaged and sold in boxes with many different groupings of colors and set sizes available.  Two models issued were the Little American Maid Tea Set and the Play-Time Glass Dish Set. 

When buying a box of dishes, don't get worried if they seemed to be mixed and matched.  Some Akro Agate sets contained matching pieces while others offered a multi-colored assortment of glassware...you never know what you will find! 

Important Terms for Akro Agate Collectors

• Slag - Slag glass was produced by mixing a transparent color glass with an opaque white glass.  In order from most common to the most rare, Akro Agate produced slag glass in topaz, purple, blue, green, red, turquoise, clear, vaseline, orange and black.
• Swirls - Swirl glass is set off by the random swirling of the colors.
• Jadite - Jadite refers to slag glass with the jade green glass mixed with an opaque white glass.
• Chiquita - A jade green slag glass issued by Alley Agate, not Akro Agate.  Often misidentified as Akro Agate glassware.
• Oxblood -  Oxblood refers to slag glass with the rich maroon red glass swirled with opaque white glass.
• Decals - Some pieces of Akro Agate children's dishes are found with the original decal sticker attached. 

Buying Tips for Akro Agate Collectors

• Ask Questions First - Don't wait until you've bought your Akro Agate piece to ask questions.  eBay provides a great format to let potential buyers ask the seller a question.  Rather than just hoping for the best, you might want to ask sellers things like.... is the piece marked?....have the dishes been repaired?...are their any cracks or scratches?...what are the measurements of the pieces?
• Understand eBay Lingo - Check out the list of eBay acronyms so that you can more quickly distinguish MIMB (mint in mint box) from MNB (mint no box).  Informed buyers make smart buyers!
• Vary search use of keywords - The Advanced Search option provided by eBay lets buyers search titles or the title and description or completed items. Keep in mind that not everyone will precisely list an item as a Pink Akro Agate Concentric Ring Saucer.   Rather than being disappointing...branch out your search, you might discover a piece listed simply as Akro Agate or even pink depression glass and pink slag glassware.   Another helpful hint is to misspell your search terms...like Acro Agate.  Changing your search increases the chances of finding your item. Save your search on your personalized My eBay page and receive an email notification when a new listing is posted.
• Remember eBay Stores - eBay offers buyers another area for Akro Agate through eBay Stores featuring depression glassware. With great inventory selections and frequent updates, you just might find your Akro Agate piece waiting.  If you are still in search of the perfect Akro Agate item, be sure to post a notice to sellers in eBay's Want It Now section.
• Bid Safely and Smartly - Review the seller's feedback rating...are their customers consistently happy with their purchase?  Do they have experience selling Akro Agate glassware?  Are items sold "as is" or with a "satisfaction guarantee"?  Is there a shipping/handling fee? If you win the bid, keep in mind that PayPal provides buyers with a safe and secure means to purchase items without revealing their credit card numbers to sellers....this is a welcome (and free!) alternative.
• Enjoy the Quest - In conclusion....enjoy yourself! eBay is a great way to browse through an amazing selection of Akro Agate children's dishes.  Discover pieces you did not know existed, have a chance to interact with other Akro Agate collectors, and keep searching....your dream Akro Agate piece awaits!