Depression Glass - The Rare Pieces
Did you know that if you happen to have a crystal (clear) and
pink Depression Glass refrigerator bowl in the Crisscross
pattern in good condition and with its original cover, that it’s
valued at between $300 and $335? Or that Shirley Temple
cream pitcher your grandmother keeps in the back of her upper
cabinet could bring up to $1,250 at auction? If you didn’t, then
you’ve been in the dark about rare Depression Glass pieces and
their values! Here are a few pieces for which knowledgeable
Depression Glass collectors stay on constant lookout:
The Ruby Red Aladdin Beehive Lamp
Made for only six months during 1937, this lamp currently
brings anywhere from $700 to $950 – if it can be found!
Most collectors owning this piece understandably do not have
any interest in letting go of it, which makes it even rarer.
The color of the glass in the Aladdin series of ruby lamps varies
from a light red with an amber tint to dark, rich red, with the
deeper reds fetching more interest with today’s collectors. So
if you have this lamp with the trademarked “Aladdin” on it
wick-raising knob, you’ve truly got yourself a prize!
Cambridge Glass Company’s Blue Cleo Etched and Footed
Sugar Sifter
Although the Cleo pattern, introduced by Cambridge in
1930, was produced in a variety of colors such as amber,
green, crystal (clear), peach, and gold, it was and still is
the blue that attracts buyers. Along with the oil bottle with
its original stopper, the footed sugar sifter proves to be the
hardest to find and, subsequently, the most costly when it is
unearthed. These sugar sifters, usually seen only in books or
magazines or, if you’re lucky, in a Depression Glass club
member’s private collection, can be had, reluctantly, for
anywhere from $900 to more than $1,000. So if you encounter
one in person, just look -- don’t touch it!
Ruby Flower Center Flying Lady Bowl
The story surrounding the origins of the Flying Lady bowl
makes owning the piece that much more interesting – and
makes the piece more valuable! In Ohio, where the Cambridge
Glass Company called home, glassworkers visited a traveling
circus that had come into town. A beautiful lady performer, a
German trapeze artist, so amazed the glassworker/circus
visitors, that they designed a mold in her honor. Flying Lady
bowls come in several types of glass and patterns with prices
usually in the $400 range, depending upon their condition. But
the Queen Mother of this set – called the Statuesque series –
lies with the ruby, flower-centered Flying Lady bowl. This
precious piece garners upward of $2000 and more when found
in mint condition. An interesting side note about this piece:
When ministers visited those of their flock who owned the
Flying Lady bowl, they were spared the vision of her nudity.
Parishioners made sure she had been safely – and discreetly –
tucked away during visits from the preacher!
These are just a few of the Depression Glass era’s most
sought-after pieces, but many more remain to raise the
eyebrows of even the most deep-pocketed glass collectors.
Some of these pieces can only be found in Depression Glass
museums or, as mentioned, in private collections. But some –
albeit a tiny few – still remain out there somewhere, just waiting
for some incredibly lucky finder to discover them.
Could that lucky person be you? You’ll never know unless you
try, so get to hunting!
Until next time,
Murray Hughes
http://www.DepressionGlassSecrets.com
http://www.depressionglasssecrets.com/DPweb-articles/rare-depression-glass.html
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