Decorating your home with elegant vintage pieces of glass, pottery and china is just part of the fun in collecting older glassware items. Collecting this form of art, ads to the beauty of your homes decor, preserves irreplacable pieces of history, and enhances the value of your estate. The true fun in collecting glassware is the hunt. Along the path to finding those perfect treasures you will meet interesting people, learn interesting facts, and visit interesting places.                 

WHERE DO I BEGIN MY SEARCH?

The best place to begin your glassware collection is in your own home. Do you have a piece of glass that may have been handed down to you by your Aunt Edith, that you just love to display, or how about that set of china that your grandmother gave you when you got married? You may have an incomplete set that you would like to find an original replacement for. A way to begin your collection is to research a piece that you may be interested in. In this way you will learn about the company who made the item and find other items that might interest you also.

You can begin your collection and search with these three questions in mind:

What is the name of my pattern? Who made this pattern?How old is this item?- To find the answer to your questions, you may only have to look on the bottom of a glassware piece. The name of the company, the pattern name and even the year may already be there for you. In many cases though, you will find just the makers mark. In the event that only a mark is present, you can find information on that mark usually in a book called an identification and value guide at your local library, or on the computer by searching glassware marks on the internet. Local museums, antique shops, and even flea market vendors and owners may be able to help you with your search. There are glassware forums and identification places on the internet that may also be able to assist you in identifying the maker, age, and pattern. The more familiar you become with a pattern, the maker and the age of the glass, the more comfortable you will become when purchasing, trading, or selling your glassware.

WHERE CAN I FIND A MATCHING PIECE?

You may only have to search as far as your sister who has the other part of the set, or as far as the internet will take you. Its up to you where to begin, but two great places to find original replacements are at yard sales and flea markets. What treasure hunter doesn't love rummaging through a box of glass that has been stored in some attic or barn for the last fifty years. You would be surprized at the historical treasures you can find on someones front porch, or in an attic. Another great place to search is estate auctions. You can search your local news papers to find church bazars, auctions, and flea markets in your area.  

DON"T BE AFRAID TO ASK QUESTIONS!

Don't be afraid to ask questions about a piece that you are purchasing. Ask the lady who is having the yard sale if she knows the maker, or anything else about the piece that might help you identify the pattern name. You would be surprized how much information you can aquire just from asking a few simple questions. Besides you might make a new friend with the same interest as you.

WHAT'S IT WORTH?

Part of collecting is buying, selling, and trading. You may find a piece that you know someone else is interested in, just so you can trade it for what you really want. You may have to sell a piece every now and then also.  

Finding the value of an item isn't always easy. As mentioned before, there are value guides, (Your local librarian can help you find these treasures, or you can purchase them online or in book stores.), to help you determine the market value on your item. Local dealers, collectors, and glassware shows are other  sources for determining the value of the piece. But as any vintage item, when you go to sell it, "It is only worth what someone else will give you for it." The more research and documentation you can present with this item, the more valuable it becomes.

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 As you collect items, try and become familiar with the local glassware dealers, auction houses and flea market vendors. They may come in handy, if later you decide to sell all or part of your collection. If you need to sell your item you may want to try and sell it yourself by listing an ad or by trying to sell on consignment.

The exciting part of collecting is the hunt! Travelling to places you wouldn't normally go in your every day routine, meeting new people, and the thrill you get when you find that treasure you have been searching for is what all the excitement of glassware collecting is all about. The best part is, you may even find a few unexpected treasures along the way.