So Grandmom or Mom is cleaning out their china closet and gives you a hugh box full of glass "stuff". Do you keep it? or sell it? Is it worth selling? Is it anything "good" as we say. And you find out it's "depression glass". Grandma probably told it it isn't worth much cause she got it in the cake box or the soap box or at the movie theater (yeah they did do that! Neat uh?)

What next?
Well I wrote this originally for folks who just "found" something at an auction or a garage sale and decided to collect it. But it pertains to all of us who become addicted to this beautiful glass. So read on!
What should I collect?. So here's my Beginner's Guide:

1. Initially but anything you see in any color, as long as the price seems reasonable based on your budget.

2. Put it all where you can see it freqently, which means a) not in the basement/attic or garage and b) not in a box

3. Pick the pieces you like the best, put the rest for sale on ebay or in your garage sale.

4. Identify the pieces you decided to keep. What pattern? An excellent reference (there are really 2) is Gene Florence's Collector's Encyclopedia of Depression Glass or Mauzy's Depression Glass.

5. Decide what color you like best. Most Depression Glass was made in more than one color. Sometimes you won't care for the green or pink but you'll see the other color and it will blow your socks off. There are a lot of colors. Amber, Red, Cobalt Blue, turquoise, azure, Flamingo Pink, soft, light hues of
pink, Forest Green, Spring Green, Lemon Yellow. A perfect example of this is, I always saw Pink Florentine in my travels. Never cared for it although some of my family & friends love it. But I got a whole set of Lemon Yellow Florentine and put it out on the table in some really nasty florescent lighting (the bulbs were all burning out so they were casting a really orangy light) that is not flattering to anything or anybody and the Yellow stood right up to it and looked gorgeous. You can imagine how pretty it looks now, at home in good lighting. LOL! As soon as I figure out where the picture is, I'll post it.

6.Now that you've decided what you like, look for that at the fleamarket, garage sales, auctions and on ebay. READ the description in either of the 2 guides and copy out the list of pieces so you can check them off as you acquire items. Don't be like me and buy 3 sugars and pass the creamer up thinking you already have one.

7. Buy the best quality you can afford. I'll buy anything even chipped, if the price is right. Then when I find better, I upgrade and sell off the extras.

8. Wash your glassware regularly in tepid water (not so hot you can't put your hand in.) Now, I do mine in the dishwasher with the gel soap. I don't do the dry cycle. That way I avoid most chips and cracks. BUT most people I know ONLY wash theirs by hand. (I'm lazy.)

9. If you use your set to serve (Christmas dinner, Thanksgiving, the daughter's engagement party etc.) be careful of the knives

I read a lot - even now with selling on ebay and ABEBooks and amazon - I read some book - at least one a week. So I always have left-over books and now I'm selling several hundred on ABE (and more on Half.com, Amazon and ebay itself.
Elizabeth Cherkowsky Books

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