Tiffin Collectors Club Sponsors Antique Show & Sale

One of the longest operating elegant glass companies in America, Tiffin Glass Company, went through major changes in management throughout their history. Originally, A.J. Beatty & Sons Glass Factory in Steubenville, Ohio, the company changed its name to Tiffin when it moved to Tiffin, Ohio in 1888. Most glass producing plants were susceptible to fire because of the furnaces needed to produce the glass and Tiffin was no exception. In 1893, the plant burned down to the ground and had to be rebuilt. The plant did survive the great depression but trouble arose later in the late 50’s and early 60’s and in just the span of a few years the Tiffin changed hands several times.

In the late 1950’s, Tiffin began having financial difficulties and was sold to an investment firm in New York and then later in 1962 to Brihart Plastics of Mineola, New York. In 1963, Tiffin again was sold and purchased by a group of former employees. They re-named the company Tiffin Art Glass Company and the company took off with millions in sales. In 1966 the company was sold yet again to the Continental Glass Company and was re-named Tiffin Glass Company and in 1968 it was sold to Interpace the parent company of many pottery and china companies including Shenango and Mayer China. The company was sold for the last time in 1979 to Towle Silversmiths and the name changed to Tiffin Crystal. One thing is for certain about this company, no matter the changes in management or the subtle changes in name, they always managed to produce quality elegant glass.

The Tiffin Glass Collectors Club will be sponsoring the 14th Annual Fall Glass and Antiques Show & Sale in where else but Tiffin, Ohio. The show which will be held this coming Saturday Sunday, November 1 & 2, 2008, will not only feature the most beautiful of Tiffin glass products, but will also have antique furniture, china and vintage collectibles. The Tiffin Glass Club Collectors Club will also be offering a new ornament with the Tiffin logo made by Mosser Glass in Cambridge, Ohio for $25 each. Held at the Seneca School of Opportunity, this indoor show has plenty of free parking and food is available.

Cranberry Glass Bowl Featured at Outasite!! Collectibles

This week, Outasite!! Collectibles is featuring this stunning Victorian era cranberry glass bowl. It is a Victorian flashed cranberry glass bowl with an applied collar of hand pulled circles that look like flowers. This bowl is probably from the late 19th Century or early 20th century and the cranberry glass has many bubbles consistent with it’s age. This cranberry may have had a lid at one time. It measures about 5.25 inches in diameter and almost 2 inches tall.

Cranberry Glass is a reddish glass that is made by adding gold chloride to molten glass. Most accounts attribute the first pieces of cranberry glass to the Florentine glass maker Antonio Neri in the 1600’s; Others feel that it has been around even longer than that. Whatever the case, cranberry art glass is very collectible and sought after by many people. Cranberry glass may also be referred to as gold ruby by people in Europe. Visit Outasite!! Collectibles for more antique and vintage cranberry glass merchandise.

Goofus Glass – Not My Favorite

In case you haven’t noticed, I love glass, especially art glass. My favorite is probably Murano Art Glass because it is not only colorful but it comes in so many shapes and sizes and the lines on this art glass are just beautiful. I have never found a piece of Murano Art Glass that I didn’t like. On the other hand, my least favorite is Goofus glass, even the name sounds, well goofy.

Goofus glass is pressed glass that was painted while the glass was cold. When you find this type of glass, in a lot of cases, you will find that the paint flakes or chips off and makes it look cheap. The old saying, “If you buy quality now, it will still be quality in the future,” is definitely true in this case. In the early 20th Century, when Goofus glass was produced, it was made very cheaply and it was used as premiums or give-away with soap or at carnivals, it is sort of the predecessor for Carnival glass. Companies that produced this type of glass included Indiana Glass, Dugan Diamond and Northwood. Although it is not my favorite glass, Goofus glass is still highly sought after by some collectors, especially those items made by Northwood.

Fenton Art Glass Vintage Collectibles

In 1905 the Fenton brothers, Frank and John opened a glass factory in Ohio. They were original artists who painted on glass produced by other glass makers. In 1907 they moved their operations to the Fenton Art Glass factory in Williamstown, West Virginia. Fenton Glass is best known for its unusual colors and patterns and was the first to introduce iridescent glass better known as carnival glass. Fenton has continued that tradition over the years creating colorful opalescent glass, Auburgine, Rosaline, Burmese and Satin glass. Fenton Art Glass is now very collectible and is in high demand since the announcement of the company closing last year.

Victorian Trade Cards & Holders

Although trade cards have been in existence since the 1600’s, the advent of color lithography of the late Victorian era was what popularized them. Although they were part of marketing campaigns by companies who were eager for business and needed to advertise, these cards later became collectible in most households. In most Victorian homes, a table by the front door would have a table with a card holder. The card holder sometimes was made of glass or other material but others would have huge scrapbooks full of cards.

Black and white trade cards were the originals but with color lithography came more beautiful and ornately decorated cards advertising everything from dentist and doctor’s offices to tobacco products, which later included pictures of baseball players and became very collectible. However, ladies also carried their own trade cards and would leave them behind at homes they visited, but where the intended was not home.

The picture on the bottom shows a Victorian Card Holder made 1898 by the Tarentum Glass Company in Tarentum, Pennsylvania. This card holder is in the Heart & Thumbprint Pattern and is made of clear glass with gilt trim.

Amberina Glass - An American Beauty

At the end of the 1800’s Libbey Glass Company hired Joseph Locke from the Cambridge Glass Company. In 1883, he patented amberina glass. This Victorian Era glass is distinctive in its colors. Gold was mixed with the molten glass to produce stunning reds and oranges that tapered into a fine amber color. Other companies, including Blenko, Fenton, Boyd and Kanawha later received licenses from Libbey to produce amberina art glass pieces.