Featured Current Market For Vintage Glass

Hello all,

I wanted to get the forum's opinion on the current market for vintage glassware. I know like many other antiques and collectables, vintage glassware has been hard hit since the recession with prices at a fraction of what they were at their peak. Are you folks anticipating a recovery in prices or are expecting the declines to continue? Personally locally here in Ohio prices seem to be very weak, I recently purchased a piece of Fenton Cranberry for a what I thought to be a bargain but if the glass market continues at its current trajectory I'll soon be underwater even on well bought prices.

How do you feel about the current market for the following,

a). Fenton Glass (common and better items)
b). Fire King (including jadite)
c). Pyrex
d). American brilliant cut glass
e). any other maker you would like to mention

Thanks,
Joe2007

 

I'm in CA.
Pyrex is still selling at reasonable, not high prices.

I haven't sold a piece of Fenton in quite a long time. Although, I still pick it up if it is inexpensive.
My cut glass sits and has for quite a while.
FK is hard to come by here.

 

In the UK much pressed glass has junk status, though rare, unusual or attractive pieces can still sell well.

Cut glass is hard work to sell, the exception seems to be good quality drinking glasses, especially champagne coupes.

 

I still have luck with FK Jadeite. Especially Coffee mugs. Hard to find at a reasonable price though. Those I have found in the last year usually sell within a day or two of being listed. Avg $20-$25 a mug

 

Depending on the pattern, Pyrex seems to still have a good following and bringing decent prices. Unless it is a rare pattern, the prices are not what they used to be years ago.

Fire-King Jadite is still desirable, but I have found I have to list it and just wait for the right buyer to come along. The prices for Fire King Jadite are no where near where they used to be years ago. That ship may have sailed for good. Only time will tell.

As mentioned Fire King mugs, especially the blue ones, the jadite ones, the Peanuts characters ones, still get snapped up quickly, but the prices are down as compared to years ago.

I find that most McKee glass including their Jadite is very hard to sell now, most seem to prefer Fire King

Fenton seems to sit for a long time when I list it.

Just my 2 cents.

 

Any top of the line good Art Glass will still bring good prices. Remember that Glass Co.'s made a lot of one item and there are only so many collectors. Ebay destroyed the glass market.

 

I have had some luck with Fenton lately and some very pleasant surprises in plum opalescent and flame crest. Cranberry seems to have had its day. I've had some lovely pieces by Fenton and other companies just sit. The heavily handpainted piece of later Fenton and the QVC pieces are overpriced and over-hyped so I avoid them like the plague. Fenton animal figurines in general still do well. EAPG is hit or miss. Again, I've had some pleasant surprises but it is heavily dependent on pattern and sometimes manufacturer. There are some collectors out there who are loyal to manufacturers because they live where the glass was produced. Can't really comment on the other categories.
Don

 

How so? I'm not disputing, just new to this, and curious.

 

Here is my take on it........before eBay....you pretty much could only search for glass in your geographical area....I collected depression glass during the pre eBay years. It could take YEARS to put together a set. I would get really excited when I found a piece I needed for my collection. Then, eBay became popular and you could find pretty much anything you needed to complete a set online. It kind of took the fun out of it. Also, things that were thought to be rare started showing up on eBay, and people realized they weren't that rare after all. Collectors filled their collections and stopped buying, causing the prices to plunge.

 

I think the prices dropped when folks found out the pieces they had were not only not rare but available 50 times over on any given week.
And then sellers started lowering their prices ....to the basement !

 

Bdigger and komokwa---You are very correct.

 

Ebay...along with the www , have destroyed more than one market....& while destroyed may be a little overstated.....the drop in prices for online sales in several different markets.....can not be !

 

It created a market for other things, so while it doesn't quite balance out it is a help.

 

I understand now that there is a Market for Happy Meals trinkets.

 

somehow......that makes me less happy !

 

Some of the Happy Meal toys can be worth more than the happy meals cost, which isn't saying much. Then again gumball machine toys are collectible now too, at least if they're the old ones.

 

I got into antiques, from what I understand, right after the glass market tanked.
They said at auction Fenton baskets used to bring $75-125+, now youre lucky to get $25.

Clear glass wont hardly sell, even in lots. Amber glass sits.
People seem to be attracted to green glass, blue as well.
The pilgrim glass did okay for awhile, now eh..
Blenko does okay sometimes.
Fire King, no one seems to care

Pyrex does well, esp turquoise.
What I have seen do well is mid century art glass, especially stretch vases.


Glass breaks and money is lost. I try and stay away from delicates.

 

I only buy glass if it's for gifting locally or it's small enough that I can pack the holy heebie jeebies out of it.