the basics of starting a glass collection

Vintage Fortecrisa Blue Glass

Vintage Fortecrisa Blue Glass- havetohaveit

I am always interested in glass at vintage and antique shops so I decided I would research a few pointers on starting a first, basic collection. This is what I found out:

Learn how to check the color- Start by looking through the base of the glass to identify the color accurately. Ensure that the lighting is strong so that you get a real view of the color.

Aqua Vintage Glass Bottles

Aqua Vintage Glass Bottles-Mindful Resource

Decide what sorts of shapes you’ll collect- There are a lot of different glass shapes, it may help to choose a theme. Bowls, plates, tumblers, pitchers, vases, beads, hat pins, brooches, buttons, purses, jewelry, lamps, swan salts, money boxes, powder bowls, soda or whisky bottles, toothpick holders, perfume atomisers, etc.

Turquoise Milk Glass Fenton Hobnail Pedestal Candle Holder

Turquoise Milk Glass Fenton Hobnail Pedestal Candle Holder-BornAgainHomeAccents

Choose the patterns you’d like to collect- Some glass types are famous for only one specific pattern or color but some, like carnival glass for instance, are made in a multitude of colors and patterns. Some pattern types include: flower patterns often focused on pansies, roses, iris, tulips, thistles, waratahs, and poppies; fruit shapes including apples, pears, peaches, berries, cherries, and strawberries; animal shapes including lions, horses, fish, bears, or kangaroos.

Cobalt Blue Hobnail

Cobalt Blue Hobnail- AllThingsGirlybyNana

Consider whether you’ll add modern  glass to your collection- Some modern glass just isn’t on par with vintage glass but if you are collecting by color and not necessarily by type, this could be a great option to extend your collection.

Teal Blue Glass Jar

Teal Blue Glass Jar- LeVintageGalleria

Look for your glass pieces- Some places to look for vintage glass pieces include: online auction sites, antique stores, live auctions where quality vintage goods are sold, and lastly, don’t forget the occasional garage sale or estate sale and family or friends that may be cleaning out their garages.

Bullicante Controlled Bubble Glass Bowl

Bullicante Controlled Bubble Glass Bowl- embeehat

Decide where to display your glass collection- Lastly, you will want to decide where to display your glass collection. Obviously glass is fragile, so you’ll need to set aside a suitable place to display it that is safe and unlikely to be in the way. A cabinet with glass doors is an ideal display piece, or perhaps along shelving of a bookcase or attached to a wall. If you live in an area prone to earthquakes, attach the pieces to the shelving using art or poster tack.

I hope to learn more on this topic and share it with you. Glass is so beautiful!

 

 

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  1. Pingback: clever items to collect | amy+mayd

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