There have been a good many "Holly Toothpick Holders" on Ebay in the past year. Many of the sellers claim their item to be the authentic Greentown (The Indiana Tumbler & Goblet Co.). Of all these, I've seen only 1 authentic one. Here's A sure fire way to tell which is authentic & which is a reproduction!

The key is to count the number of Holly berries below the vine at each of the three mold lines. The authentic toothpick will have 1 berry at one mold line & two berries at each of the other 2 mold lines!...Most reproductions will have 1 berry at the first mold line, 2 at the second & 3 at the third mold line. The most common reproductions are made by St. Clair Glass & Summit Glass. These toothpicks were produced from the mid-1970's on!!...So there's a big difference in the age of the authentic piece & the reproduction. All authentic "Greentown Glass" items date 1903 & prior, as the factory burned to the ground, June 13th 1903. 

There are some reproductions of the "Holly Toothpick Holder" with 4 mold lines. Remember...The authentic one has only 3 mold lines! A four part mold was produced by Wheaton Industries in the 1980's.

This information comes from the book by James Measell: "A Guide To Reproductions Of Greentown Glass" Copyright 2003 National Greentown Glass Association, Inc. Another wonderful Greentown Glass reference book also by James Measell is: "GREENTOWN GLASS: A Collector's Guide", Copyright 2005 National Greentown Glass Association Inc.

I hope this information is helpful....I am a lover of "Greentown Glass", And have taken it upon myself to help preserve the integrity of "Greentown Glass" and the sellers there of. I've tried to provide information to sellers when I see an error in their claim that an item is Genuine when in fact it is a reproduction. 95% of sellers are grateful for the information & quickly revise their description! This helps protect the seller as well as you, the buyer. Unfortunatly, the other 5% either ignores the correct information or refutes it.

So as a buyer, be sure to ask questions & seek the needed information to allow yourself to make the wise choice when deciding whether or not to place that bid!!....

If you have a question I'll help if I can, as time allows. I don't claim to be an expert, but I'm learning more all the time. I live very near Greentown IN & have access to the "Greentown Glass Museum". There I can view all examples of "Greentown Glass" & talk with the true "Experts".....And they are very eager, as am I, to share their knowledge!....."Greentown Glass" is truly a wonderful thing, as you'll find, if you decide to learn a little more! The History alone is worth the price of admission!...Haa!..Haa!...

I'm Bluzman375 on Ebay. You can contact me through my home page. I'd like to hear from fellow collectors! Good luck to you in your quest for "Greentown Glass"!!...Mike in Greentown, brassslide@hotmail.com