This is a photo of an EAPG bowl. I know this because I owned this bowl. I was able to touch it, hold it up to the light, gently flick it with my finger and observe the signs of years of use.

Yet, when buying a piece of glassware online you don't have the ability to touch the piece, you must trust the person you are buying from to know what they have in their hands. But many seller's are inexperienced and don't know antique or vintage glass from the new glassware.

Here are a few ways to tell the difference.

• Vintage glassware will have signs of wear. Even if it has only been sitting on a shelf for 50 years there will be some scratching on the bottom.
• Vintage glass is heavier
• Antique and vintage glass has a more defined pattern. If you put a piece of new glass next to a piece of old glassware you will see what I mean by this.
• When dealing with depression glass you need to know what patterns were made in which colors. For example, currently there are new Mayfair Open Rose cookie jars on the market that look just like the old ones. So far I have seen pink, amber, blue, 3 shades of green one of which is a jadite color and yellow. I have not seen one up close to scrutinize the detail of the pattern. Nor have I seen or heard who is making these pieces.

When buying glassware online, know who you are buying from. There are many online antique shops that can be trusted for purchases such as this. But as long as you are buying what you love it doesn't matter if it is old or new.