In 1861 August Heisey (1842 to 1922), a German-born immigrant, would find work as a clerk at the King Glass Company. Aside from a disruption caused by the Civil War (in which he enlisted as a private, mustered out as a brevet major, and in between was wounded at Little Round Top), Heisey would spend much of the rest of his life in the glass business. Five years after the war, he would marry Susan Duncan, whose father was an owner of the Ripley Glass Company (later Geo. Duncan & Sons), and in time Heisey himself would become a part owner and the general manager.

Heisey, looking for an opportunity to begin his own business, moved to Newark, Ohio in 1895 and opened a glass factory that began operation in 1896. He himself would go on to prominence, holding a variety of prestigious titles and positions, while his company, operated by Heisey and then his sons until its closing in 1957, would play a part in revolutionizing glass production in modern America.

Like many successful glass and pottery companies in the Ohio Valley at the time, Heisey would experiment with forms, design and color, while having a staple that would help steady the business. For the Heisey Glass Company, that was making lighting fixtures and glass headlights for cars. They would become known for their glass tablewares and glass figurines, making an impressive array of both pressed and blown glass. Their glass animal figures in particular were popular with collectors from the beginning and Heisey’s pressed glass was of such quality that pieces can often easily pass (at least at a glance) as cut crystal.

Heisey produced glass in dozens of patterns, including Greek Key, Plantation, Stanhope, and Old Sandwich. They manufactured colored glass for the company’s entire run, but the best years are generally considered to be between 1925 and 1938. Early colors, like Flamingo (a soft pink) and Moongleam (a green), were typically softer and more pastel, with a move in the 1930s toward darker colors like their Tangerine (vibrant orange) and Stiegel Blue (a cobalt shade). They are also thought to have made milk glass and did produce some vaseline glass. Alexandrite, a blue-green that becomes a lilac/lavender in ultraviolet light, is considered their rarest color.

In 1957, after the Christmas holidays, Heisey ceased production, the beginning of a wave of changes that would sweep through the ‘60s and ‘70s, altering the face of American manufacturing. The Imperial Glass Company bought the molds and continued producing pieces based on some of them through 1984, when Imperial too closed.

Heisey’s collectability remains fairly steady today, aided by a strong museum and collector association, as well as an annual collectors’ auction, although volume keeps prices low for many of the less desirable pieces. As is always the case with glass, condition is key, as well as pattern and color.

The “Vaseline” part was originally applied to a particular pale yellowish-green transparent/semi-transparent shade of uranium glass as it was thought to look like the 1920s version of Vaseline and other petroleum jelly, but over time, it’s come to be used, particularly in the US, for uranium glass in general and sometimes, particularly sloppily, even for any glass in that same yellow-green color range, regardless of whether or not it fluoresces. Properly, it is simply a subtype of uranium glass, as are custard (pale yellow), jadite (pale green) and Depression glass (which is also pale green but transparent/semitransparent vs opaque/semi-opaque). (Depression glass is, clearly, another one of those terms, as it often is applied to any glassware, particularly any colored glassware, produced during the years of the Depression.)

There’s nothing new about uranium glass, as archaeology dates it back to 79 AD and it was also used in European glass production for centuries, but it really began to boom in the 1800s, reaching its peak during the late 19th century and early 20th. Uranium glass production, table- and housewares, had slowed considerably by the start of World War II, but when the use and availability of uranium was heavily restricted and controlled during the end of the war and throughout the Cold War, the manufacturing of uranium glass took a dip that it never really recovered from, although there are still those today who work with uranium glass.

As with all glass, color, condition, maker, pattern, and form all play a role in the value uranium or vaseline glass brings at auction.

Production of hobnail glass involves either pressing or blowing glass into a mold and while others produced hobnail glass during the late Victorian era, it was the West Virginia-based Fenton Art Glass Company that would ultimately become synonymous with hobnail.

Fenton, founded in 1905, got a solid start with their innovative production of carnival glass, but by the 1930s, the Depression was threatening to “shatter” the glass industry. Glass had long offered smaller profit margins and the Depression-necessitated production of “Depression glass,” thin, inferior glass in washed out colors, left most glass companies struggling. Fenton had begun manufacturing some hobnail glass in 1935 and the company offered a hobnail design to the Wrisley Perfume Company in 1937. Wrisley, also desperately in need of a boost, felt the unique appearance of hobnail glass would boost sales, and when production started in 1938, no one was disappointed. The bottles manufactured for Wrisley sold with such success that Fenton opened up other lines of hobnail products, ultimately offering not just perfume bottles but ashtrays, candlesticks, lamps, vases, pitchers, jars and much more, all of which they would eventually offer in their iconic hobnail milk glass line, introduced in 1950.

In general, the ubiquity of hobnail glass keeps prices for pieces fairly affordable. Hobnail glass, Fenton’s pieces included, crowds the shelves at antique malls across the country. There are however some rarities, most notably Victorian-era pieces from the early years of production, typically hanging lamps, which can fetch several thousand dollars at auction. Rarer colors also confer the value of their association on hobnail designs, so colors like plum, which are seen less frequently than milk glass or cranberry, appeal to collectors and their pocketbooks.

Fenton Carnival glass amethyst pitcher, Fluffy Peacock pattern

One of the most common questions in the antiques marketplace is, “What’s hot right now?” At Prices4Antiques, we always see huge numbers of searches in our glass category. Fenton remains near the top of the list each week, with this week showing searches for a Fenton amethyst carnival glass pitcher in the “Fluffy Peacock” pattern, a Fenton plum opalescent hobnail basket, a Fenton San Toy etched iced tea set, a Fenton dark ruby glass egg, and a Fenton jade green cat figurine. These were the top five items viewed in our glass category’s Fenton section this week, but people searched for thousands of other antiques and collectibles at Prices4Antiques.

Popular Collectibles are Targets for Fakery

As more and more of our antique and collectible purchases are made on-line, it gets easier for the dishonest to pass off fakes to unsuspecting buyers. In the old days, only collectors of the highest ticket items had to be on the lookout for forgeries, but modern manufacturing techniques and worldwide distribution make it financially viable to forge even moderately priced items.  Your only protection is knowledge.  Start with these simple tips for spotting Art and everyday glass fakes:

Quality Tells: Authentic Tiffany or Tiffany Fake?

The crown jewels of art glass, Tiffany and Lalique are the target of some of the world’s busiest forgers. These companies produced beautifully designed objects, flawlessly executed in the highest quality materials.  These objects are stunning in terms of aesthetics and intrinsic value which is in part why they are so highly prized.

In frequently reproduced Tiffany iridescent glass, for example, the iridescent finish is noticeably inconsistent.  There are random, lumpy streaks or drips that are not part of a discernible pattern. An authentic piece of Tiffany glass is flawlessly crafted without these obvious blemishes, and the applied finish is so smooth it feels silken.

Signed by Ralph Lalique or Larry Tiffany?

Lalique is also subject to both reproductions, and new glass altered to pass as more valuable vintage Lalique.  The problem is further compounded by the fact that Lalique is still in production.  The glass that is most collectible was made pre-1945 and was signed R. Lalique (for Renee Lalique), but after that time, the glass was marked simply, Lalique.  Today, however, some sellers are buying new Lalique, adding the R, and passing the object off as vintage which commands much higher prices.

While it’s tempting to rely on a manufacturer’s stamp, these are not reliable measures of an object’s authenticity.  Tiffany’s maker’s mark changed over the years, was sometimes etched, and sometimes appeared as a paper label. Some pieces went unmarked, providing the opportunity for the unscrupulous to add a name, and bump up a piece to the next  level.

Glass Fantasies & Reproductions in Jadeite and More

Fantasies are creations of modern cheats who combine elements that never appeared together and stamp them with a manufacturers mark attempting to fool the unsuspecting buyer.  In glassware, these fakes often appear in colors in which the original manufacturer never produced them.  Martha Stewart made Jadeite so popular that reproductions flooded the secondary market.  Sometime these were made from molds that were made from the original objects, which made the new finished product smaller than the original.  The quality issues discussed earlier holds true here as well.

-By p4A Contributing Editor Susan Cramer.

Greentown Glass Co, chocolate Fighting Cocks covered dish

A handful of desirable pieces were mixed with a fair assortment of affordable items during an auction held in Greentown, Indiana, on June 10, 2011, and sponsored by the National Greentown Glass Association (NGGA).

The cataloged sale of 213 lots was held as part of the annual convention of the NGGA. Although only association members could consign glassware to the sale, the event was open to the public. About 100 people attended. There were no reserves and no buyer’s premium.

With a few exceptions, all the glassware offered was made by the Indiana Tumbler & Goblet Co., which operated in Greentown between 1894 and 1903. The wares are now commonly referred to as Greentown glass.

Interest in low-end and mid-level glass remained soft, with more than 100 lots selling for $50 or less. However, the upper tier was energetically pursued, with the top lot being a Fighting Cocks covered dish in Chocolate glass. Having a flake on the tail. (pictured above, p4A item E8994243).

Dan Otto of Otto’s Auction Service in Kokomo, Ind., called the sale. “The high end was high, and the middle market was soft,” he said.

It isn’t just the economy hurting the value of average pieces of Greentown glass. “We need more people involved in order to get the middle better,” Otto said.

-Don Johnson, Editor, p4A.com

To search the Prices4Antiques antiques reference database for valuation information on hundreds of thousands of antiques and fine art visit our homepage www.prices4antiques.com

A “Jeny Lind” [Jenny Lind] and bust with glass factory portrait on reverse calabash flask, probably Ravenna Glass Works, Ravenna, Ohio. 1845 to 1860.

Jeny Lind flask, Ravenna Glass Works

George III Waterford crystal chandelier

When you’re bundled up on the couch or out at a big celebration on New Year’s Eve and watching the ball drop, you’re likely to be focused on the mob of people in Times Square or how young Dick Clark still looks (or where all those people go to the bathroom).  Few people focus on the actual ball and the amazing craftsmanship it involves.  That celebrated sphere is about 12′ in diameter and weighs almost 12,000 pounds and a good bit of that mass is Waterford crystal.

Crystal is, by the way, a bit of a misnomer, as glass doesn’t have a crystalline structure.  What we call crystal is more accurately lead glass – sometimes lead crystal – where lead oxide replaces the calcium used in traditional glass and produces an exceptionally bright, clear glass.  This is why it lends itself to the beautiful stemware and chandeliers associated with both crystal and Waterford.  Waterford stemware is generally prolific enough (and often from the modern period) that prices typically run around $10-$20 per piece, but chandeliers are a different story.  Modern chandeliers generally bring less than $1,000, because after all, there are lots of beautiful chandeliers from the 20th century, but a Waterford chandelier from the first years of glass production there (like the one pictured above) can easily cost more than a new car!

The Waterford in question is Waterford, Ireland, a Viking settlement that has grown into one of the country’s largest cities.  Crystal has a long history in Waterford, starting with a glass company formed there in 1783, but while we think of it as a single industry that’s lasted generations, in reality, the company went broke in 1851 and wasn’t reestablished until 1947 when crystal-making was undertaken by a Czech immigrant.  While the factory in Waterford recently closed, Waterford crystal is still manufactured in several European countries, including Germany.  A product produced in a former Viking settlement in Ireland by Czechs – perfect choice for the Crossroads of the World!

Browse all Waterford Crystal in the Prices4Antiques database.

-Hollie Davis, Senior Editor, p4A.com

Heisey clear glass 4036 Marshall footed decanter

One of the things I love about 19th-century history are all the “rags to riches” stories.  In an age when it’s so hard to get ahead, when opportunities often seem predicated on education, financial resources, or nepotism, I enjoy hearing a good story about someone who gets ahead through intellect, intuition and hard work and one generally doesn’t need to look further than the industrial boom of the 1800s to find fascinating character studies.

Augustus Heisey was such an individual.  Born in Germany in 1842, he immigrated to Pennsylvania with his family in 1843, but when his father died, his mother left him with an older sister and returned to Europe.  At 19, Heisey took a position as a clerk at a Pittsburgh glass company, where he began to learn about the glass business.  After serving in the Civil War, he returned to the glass business, soon moving into a sales position with the Ripley Glass Company where he married the daughter of one of the owners.  (Okay, so nepotism’s nothing new….)  Through hard work and some luck, by the turn of the century, Heisey had started his own company in Newark, Ohio where three furnaces and 700 people where busy cranking out affordable pressed glass.

Heisey glass still brings people to Newark today for the annual Heisey Collectors of America convention in June.  The convention is held at the Heisey Glass Museum and a local auction house has a special sale of Heisey glass to capitalize on the visiting collectors.  While Heisey was known for pressed glass so well executed that it appeared to be cut glass, the bulk of their production was stemware or other pieces for table service, like pitchers, creamers and sugar bowls, often made to fill large orders from hotels and bars.  Today, much of this material doesn’t fetch a great deal at auction, but some of the specialty pieces that come up for sale each June are amazing and can bring thousands of dollars.  Colored glass, which wasn’t produced by Heisey in great quantities until the 1920s and 30s, is the most popular with collectors, and with examples like these dolphin candlesticks in amber, who can argue?  Still, the beautiful clear glass decanter pictured above brought more than $3,000 at auction, so even less colorful examples can be the beginning to someone else’s rags-to-riches story!

-Hollie Davis, Senior Editor, p4A.com

Click here to browse all Heisey glass in the Prices4Antiques database.

Reference & Further Recommended Reading:

Staffordshire porcelain figure hen-on-nest dish

Some of the most ubiquitous antiques are hen-on-nest covered dishes.  They’re so common that they’ve acquired a sort of shorthand in the antiques business or become somewhat of a joke, but in reality, they’ve got an interesting history.  While people may not realize it, the form – a laying hen cozy in her nest – originated in China several centuries ago and found popularity in Europe in the late 18th century.  According to some historians, they were originally used, depending on their size, to serve boiled or scrambled eggs or butter.

Of course, with Europe setting the fashions at the time, hens on nests gained popularity in the United States as well.  Exported by places like Staffordshire (where the classic example pictured above was created), they remained fairly expensive until the middle of the 19th century when the technique of pressing glass was developed.  Pressed glass made producing hens on nests much more affordable, and this, coupled with the Victorians’ love of animal forms and figures, made them boom in popularity.  They began to appear in all different shades of glass and with a variety of finishes.   (Hens on nests were such a popular motif that they also appear in candy molds, cast-iron banks, and marble sulphides.)  Then around the turn of the century, manufacturers began to cash in on the popularity of the form, packaging condiments like mustard in hen-on-nest dishes to sell.  This resulted in examples from many major American glass manufacturers at the time, companies like Fenton and Greentown.  Today, collectors can chose hens on nests in carnival glass or milk glass, majolica or Staffordshire, and while the prices they bring won’t always feather your nest, they can certainly make it more colorful!

-Hollie Davis, Senior Editor, p4A.com