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(ALERT - NEW INFO ADDED - SEE END OF GUIDE BELOW!)
As a collector of Candlewick for over 40 years, I would like to share some important advice. Many beginner Imperial Candlewick collectors are fooled by 'look-alike' or imposter Candlewick offerings. A collector needs to have good resources (books, photos, access to Collector Club internet sites, and experience) to navigate through all of the traps that befall the Candlewick novice.
There are excellent reference books out there by Mary Wetzel, Virginia Scott, Gene Florence and several others. A good bookstore can help you find the best reference books on Candlewick or try looking on Amazon. Also, get in contact with the National Imperial Glass Collectors Society for help or see if there is a local Candlewick Club in your area where collectors can share knowledge.
Some of the most notorious Candlewick imposters are the Anchor Hocking and Libbey glassware tumblers and other glasses that have slanted ribbed footings which are surrounded by glass beads at the bottom. These are often referred to as 'boopie' Candlewick glassware. Beginner collectors will often be fooled at tag sales or flea markets by "so-called" dealers who will try to sell these imposter Candlewick items as the real thing made by Imperial Glass and take advantage of the novice collector.
Imperial's hayday with Candlewick was between the fall of 1936 and the mid-1950s when Imperial Candlewick was offered in America's finest department stores such as Gimbels, Macy's and Filene's. It was also retailed in Woolworths, McCrory and Kresge. You can often tell older Imperial Candlewick crystal because it may have an ever-so-slight greyish or faint bluish tinting to the glass when you hold it to the light. It wasn't until later production that Imperial was able to achieve total crystal clarity in its glasswares. When you have an old piece of Candlewick beside a newer piece you will see this difference in the glass easily. Also, real Candlewick, especially the older pieces, will have a flat ground botom and not have smooth shiny bottom rims.
Another major imposter are ribbed trays that have beads around the edge that come with matching cups. These were made by the Hazel Atlas Glass Company (they are also known as Orchard Picnic Sets) and are continuously offered for sale as Imperial Candlewick, but they are NOT!. Once you get to know Imperial Candlewick quality of craftsmanship you will more easily recognize the other second-rate copies.
Other items to watch out for are 7 inch round glass plates with a triangular divider and beads on the edge. These are Czechoslovakian glass and these come in all colors, green, amber, violet, clear, pink, etc. Another imposter are some beaded 7.5 inch tall candlesticks that were made by Paden City Glass Co. and various beaded stopper perfume bottles that are similar to one of the Candlewick perfume bottles but were made by several other manufacturers or they were contrived by putting glass parts together from different sources.
Other Candlewick copies have been made over the years by good glass companies like Boyd, Dalzell-Viking, and Rosso Glass Company that include most of the colored offerings that we see today on EBAY and at flea markets. Also, Imperial was sold to Lenox back in 1973 and maybe some molds fell into the hands of other glass makers after it was sold to Bob Stahl in 1984 and he later called it quits and sold off assets.
Remember - just because it has beads is no guarantee that it is Imperial Candlewick! Get yourself some good reference books, go to glass shows and talk to reputable dealers and always BE CAREFUL! Although some new discoveries of Candlewick still occur, if you don't see it pictured in a Candlewick book there is a good chance it is NOT Candlewick. Don't be fooled!
ALERT--- ALERT --- Our ever vigilent friends at the Yahoo Candlewick Group, Virginia (yes, the famous Virgina Scott) and a delightful lady member of the group named Fran have been writing about some new GERMAN 'candlewick - like' bowls that have been advertised in the New York Times (August 2006) with photos. Fran maintains a superb website of candlewick fakes and look-alikes that I highly recommend, it can be found at: http://hometown.aol.com/dbfrogs/myhomepage/photo.html
As a collector of Candlewick for over 40 years, I would like to share some important advice. Many beginner Imperial Candlewick collectors are fooled by 'look-alike' or imposter Candlewick offerings. A collector needs to have good resources (books, photos, access to Collector Club internet sites, and experience) to navigate through all of the traps that befall the Candlewick novice.
There are excellent reference books out there by Mary Wetzel, Virginia Scott, Gene Florence and several others. A good bookstore can help you find the best reference books on Candlewick or try looking on Amazon. Also, get in contact with the National Imperial Glass Collectors Society for help or see if there is a local Candlewick Club in your area where collectors can share knowledge.
Some of the most notorious Candlewick imposters are the Anchor Hocking and Libbey glassware tumblers and other glasses that have slanted ribbed footings which are surrounded by glass beads at the bottom. These are often referred to as 'boopie' Candlewick glassware. Beginner collectors will often be fooled at tag sales or flea markets by "so-called" dealers who will try to sell these imposter Candlewick items as the real thing made by Imperial Glass and take advantage of the novice collector.
Imperial's hayday with Candlewick was between the fall of 1936 and the mid-1950s when Imperial Candlewick was offered in America's finest department stores such as Gimbels, Macy's and Filene's. It was also retailed in Woolworths, McCrory and Kresge. You can often tell older Imperial Candlewick crystal because it may have an ever-so-slight greyish or faint bluish tinting to the glass when you hold it to the light. It wasn't until later production that Imperial was able to achieve total crystal clarity in its glasswares. When you have an old piece of Candlewick beside a newer piece you will see this difference in the glass easily. Also, real Candlewick, especially the older pieces, will have a flat ground botom and not have smooth shiny bottom rims.
Another major imposter are ribbed trays that have beads around the edge that come with matching cups. These were made by the Hazel Atlas Glass Company (they are also known as Orchard Picnic Sets) and are continuously offered for sale as Imperial Candlewick, but they are NOT!. Once you get to know Imperial Candlewick quality of craftsmanship you will more easily recognize the other second-rate copies.
Other items to watch out for are 7 inch round glass plates with a triangular divider and beads on the edge. These are Czechoslovakian glass and these come in all colors, green, amber, violet, clear, pink, etc. Another imposter are some beaded 7.5 inch tall candlesticks that were made by Paden City Glass Co. and various beaded stopper perfume bottles that are similar to one of the Candlewick perfume bottles but were made by several other manufacturers or they were contrived by putting glass parts together from different sources.
Other Candlewick copies have been made over the years by good glass companies like Boyd, Dalzell-Viking, and Rosso Glass Company that include most of the colored offerings that we see today on EBAY and at flea markets. Also, Imperial was sold to Lenox back in 1973 and maybe some molds fell into the hands of other glass makers after it was sold to Bob Stahl in 1984 and he later called it quits and sold off assets.
Remember - just because it has beads is no guarantee that it is Imperial Candlewick! Get yourself some good reference books, go to glass shows and talk to reputable dealers and always BE CAREFUL! Although some new discoveries of Candlewick still occur, if you don't see it pictured in a Candlewick book there is a good chance it is NOT Candlewick. Don't be fooled!
ALERT--- ALERT --- Our ever vigilent friends at the Yahoo Candlewick Group, Virginia (yes, the famous Virgina Scott) and a delightful lady member of the group named Fran have been writing about some new GERMAN 'candlewick - like' bowls that have been advertised in the New York Times (August 2006) with photos. Fran maintains a superb website of candlewick fakes and look-alikes that I highly recommend, it can be found at: http://hometown.aol.com/dbfrogs/myhomepage/photo.html
Guide created: 05/12/06 (updated 11/01/09)
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