Beautiful American Sweetheart depression glass is one of the most popular patterns and no wonder!  It is particularly pretty, comes in many shapes, is relatively available and not particularly prone to damage.  These points make it fun to collect and a joy to own and use!

MacBeth Evans Glass manufactured American Sweetheart depression glass from 1930 to 1936, during the beginning of the depression when families needed the lift of good cheer that comes from owning and using beautiful things.  MacBeth Evans also made Dogwood and Petalware, which are also well-known depression patterns.  They produced several other patterns, Cremax and Chinex, which were white glass with intricate pressed patterns on the rims and colored decorations and bands.  Eventually Corning Glass bought MacBeth Evans and today has an extensive line of Corelle glass dinnerware.

You will find American Sweetheart primarily in pink and white glass.  The pink is a lovely soft color with no tinge of orange, a true baby pink.  The pink cereal bowl is shown below.  Since pink depression glass is one of the most popular colors, with the beauty of the design, pink American Sweetheart is among the most cherished and collected depression glass patterns.

MacBeth Evans made a beautiful, thin, translucent white glass called Monax which they used for American Sweetheart to great effect.  The early Monax white was almost opalescent so some pieces look pale blue where the glass is thin and have a shimmering effect on the rim.  This is a sparkling, pure white, not a cream.  The American Sweetheart Monax sugar is shown below. 

You can collect a full dinner set in Monax.  You will find some Monax pieces with colored trims around the rims such as gold or bands of dusky blue or red.  The only pieces we have seen with trims were cups with thin gold lines on the rims.  My reference books show a few pieces in cobalt blue and red but these are scarce and there is a cute sherbet in clear glass which has a peg bottom that fits inside a metal holder.  If you like this pattern and want to easily collect enough pieces to use then the Monax or pink would be wise choices.

The design is mold-etched on the surface of the glass.  The pretty motif is swags and scrolls arranged in a starburst configuration on the center of pieces and in ovals on the sides of cups and the rims of bowls or plates.  The impression is that there are flowers but in fact the pattern is more like an intricate paisley design than floral.  The rims are scalloped which makes the pieces even prettier.  The Monax soup bowl is shown below.  If you look closely you can see that the center on this bowl is plain.  Some of the saucers and plates were made with plain centers and some with the intricate paisley starburst, so you will want to ask before ordering online.

American Sweetheart is a moderately expensive depression pattern.  As usual, tumblers, pitchers and soup bowls are among the pricier pieces, with tumblers in the $60 to $150 range and soup bowls around $150.  What is unusual is there is not so much disparity in price between the Monax and the pink glass, depending on the particular piece the pink or the white could be the more expensive, and in many pieces the difference is small.  Especially desirable pieces include the Monax sugar lid and lamp shade, the pink pitcher, and both colors of salt and pepper shakers.  The cobalt, red and trimmed Monax pieces also tend to be more expensive than the plain white or pink.

American Sweetheart looks thin and delicate yet we've had very few damage problems with American Sweetheart.  It doesn't have the sharp ridges that cause such problems in other patterns but you will want to check the scalloped rims for any nicks or rough spots on the tips.  It's wise to run your finger along the top and bottom of the rim as well as the side of the rim, especially on scalloped points.  If  you collect the trimmed pieces be sure to check or ask about the wear on the decoration. 

 It also does not seem particularly prone to scratching or wear, at least we have not seen pieces with much wear.  Perhaps people used this for their good dishes since it is so pretty or maybe we have just been lucky!  It is always worth asking about wear and rough spots when you buy online or without holding the glass yourself. 

If you are looking for a gorgeous collectible, you can't do better than to consider American Sweetheart depression glass.  It is beautiful; it is useful; it gives you a link to our past and it is fun to collect!