How Well Do You Know Your Hazel Atlas?





Red Candy Stripe



Hazel Glass Company was started in 1885. Over the next 78 years they produced a variety of glassware and kitchenware items. Hazel Atlas products are, for the most part, very affordable collectibles. They are easy to find and usually for reasonable prices. In this post I have featured some of the more commonly collected patters along with the rare pieces of each. The values listed are from The Hazel-Atlas Glass Identification and Value Guide by Gene and Cathy Florence.

Yellow Candy Stripe

Candy Stripe 



Red is the most commonly found color in this pattern. It also comes in turquoise, yellow, green, and orange.
Pitcher, 80oz - $95
Ice tub - $65
Plate, 9” - $25

                                     Cloverleaf

Cloverleaf

Colors: pink, green, yellow, black
Green bowl, 8” - $100
Green tumbler, 4” - $70
Black salt & pepper, pair - $100
Black ashtray w/ match holder in center, 5 ¾” - $95
Yellow candy dish w/ cover - $125
Yellow salt & pepper, pair - $135
Yellow salad bowl, 7” - $90

Criss Cross



Criss Cross



Colors: crystal, pink, ritz blue, green
Cobalt, crystal, or pink round refrigerator dish w/ lid, 5 ½” - $300
Crystal pitcher, 54 oz - $150
Cobalt or pink reamer - $300
Cobalt butter, 1 lb or ¼ lb - $135
Green water bottle, 64 oz or 32 oz - $150
Pink reamer w/ tab handle - $325

Frosted Crystal w/ Blue Willow

Syrup pitcher - $50
Batter pitcher - $75

Kitchen Utensils

Colors: red, orange, turquoise, brown
Mixing bowl, 8” - $25
Mug - $12

Measuring Cup & Reamer Set

Colors: yellow, cobalt, pink, green
Yellow - $350
Cobalt - $325
Pink - $155
                                               Modertone


Moderntone



Colors: amethyst, cobalt, crystal, pink, platonite w/ stripes, fired-on colors (yellow, pink, blue, green, chartreuse, gray, orange, gold, turquoise, burgundy)
Rare: butter dish, cheese plate, covered sugar *all these have extremely hard-to-find metal lids and the cheese also has a little wooden cutting board
Crystal platter, 12” - $45
Amethyst tumbler, 12 oz - $90
cobalt soup bowl, 7 ½” - $100
Blue Willow oval platter, 12” - $50



"Art Deco"



Ovide “Art Deco"

Cup - $100
Tumber - $100
Creamer or Sugar - $125

Pink Elephant

Pink Elephant



Ripple



Ice tub, 5 ½” diameter - $45
Cocktail shaker - $65
Pilsner, 10 oz - $80

Ripple

Colors: white, pink, blue
Shallow berry bowl, 5” - $15
*note that the cup, sugar, and creamer were made with both plain and beaded handles

"Angel Fish" - Sportsman Series

Ritz Blue “Sportsman Series”

Most from this line had “manly” patterns like ship flags, sailboats, dogs, and hunt scenes. The shakers came with a red Bakelite stopper which are very hard to come by these days.
“Angel Fish” shaker - $45
“Hunt Scene” shaker - $50
“Fancy Ships” shaker - $70


Shirley Temple



Cereal bowl w/ hexagons - $50
Mug* w/ 4-angle handle, 3 11/16” - $50
Cream pitcher* w/ 4-angle handle, 4 3/16” - $30
Cream pitcher from “Colonial Block” mold - $1,000
*beware of reproductions!

c. 1938 (aka crinoline, petticoat, pie crust, lasagna)1934-1942 1950’s 1940’s-1950’s 1930-1936 1950’s

Roseville - The Most Collectible Art Pottery in the World



Rozane

 Roseville made a wide range of pottery from 1890 to 1954. It was advertised in magazines such as “Better Homes and Gardens” and sold in department stores across America. Today Roseville pieces are the most collectible art pottery in the world.

Timeline: Marks:

• Early pieces were often marked with nothing more than the initials of the artist. There are fourteen factory artists’ initials that we known of.
• “RV” - Used on the bottom of some early stoneware lines such as Venetian. Also found on the bottom of Rozane pieces.
• “Roseville” - The familiar cursive, imprinted signature (without the “U.S.A.“) was first introduced in 1931. It was only used 1931-1937 and only as an impressed mark.
• “Roseville U.S.A.” - The most commonly seen mark.

Numbers:
There are numbers on the bottom of many later pieces. The first number identifies the type of piece it is, such as a wall pocket. The second number is the size. For example, the mark to the right indicates an 8" plate or bowl.

• 100’s and 200’s - cornucopias and double bud vases
• 300’s - bowls and plates
• 400’s - jardinières
• 500’s - pedestals
• 600’s - cuspidors
• 700’s - umbrella stands
• 800’s and 900’s - ewers and vases
• 1100’s - candleholders
• 1200’s - wall pockets
• 1300’s - pitchers
• 7000’s - lamps
• January 4, 1892 - Roseville Pottery Company was incorporated in Roseville, Ohio. They produced simple utilitarian pieces such as umbrella stands, flowerpots, spittoons, etc. 1898 - Roseville relocated to Zanesville, Ohio and increased production scale.

Aztec

• 1900 - Rozane became Roseville’s first art pottery line. The Art Nouveau inspired Rozane line looks very different from what is considered to be the typical Roseville style. It consists of glossy browns and blues with hand painted nature scenes, Indians, animals, and portraits. Most Rozane pieces are marked “RV.” The pieces sold for about $0.50 each.
• 1904 - Frederick Rhead became the art director for Roseville. He was

  

  Wisteria

  responsible for many of there rare early lines such as Della Robbia, Aztec, Fudji, and Crystalis. (Fun Fact: Frederick Rhead later designed the molds for much of the original Fiestaware line.)
• 1910’s - Demand for expensive, hand-crafted pottery declined and Roseville shifted their concentration to more commercially produced pottery.
• 1919 - Frank Ferrel took over as art director and is responsible for much of today’s most popular patterns including Wisteria, Cherry Blossom, Dahlrose,and Sunflower. 



Pinecone

• 1931 - Struggling to recover from the stock market crash, Roseville introduced the Pinecone line. This line is considered to be the introduction of the classic Roseville look. Pinecone went on to be Roseville’s most successful pattern with over 75 different shapes in blue, brown, and green.
• 1952 - Despite Roseville’s enormous success throughout the 30’s and 40’s, its popularity began to wane post-WWII. The introduction of the Raymor line was Roseville’s final attempt to compete in a market that now favored the high gloss Fiestaware and hard plastic Melamine.

• 1954 - Roseville Pottery Company ceased production.

BEWARE! Sadly, Roseville’s popularity has resulted in a flood of reproductions. Don’t make any big purchases without the aid of a Roseville expert or thorough research. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

We have lots of beautiful Roseville pieces in the store right now. Come take a look!

















Collectible Character Glasses

Pepsi Warner Brothers

Many people enjoy collecting glasses featuring various cartoon, movie, and TV characters. Many of the older and/or rarer ones can bring $50 or more. Some can even be worth upwards of $500!

A very popular and collectible line of Pepsi glasses feature Warner Brothers characters. First produced in 1974, they released them in three promotional sets of six. A restaurant would sign on to participate in the first promotion set and then would sign up for the two subsequent promotions separately.  Significantly less restaurants signed up for the second and third promotions; which is why the glasses from the first set of six are much easier to find than the second or third.
Due to the popularity of this line of eighteen glasses, Pepsi decided to produce more.

Pepsi Warner Brothers

On the second line of glasses, the characters are doing something aka “interactive” rather than standing still aka “static” as in the first line. For example, Porky the Pig is fishing. This second line consists of two sets of twelve glasses. The interactive glasses are usually valued higher than the static glasses.
In addition to the Loony Tunes characters, Pepsi has also released glass sets featuring Caterpillar tractors, The Ringling Brothers & Barnum & Bailey Circus, sports teams, comic book characters, movies characters,  seasonal promotions, Normal Rockwell art, and more.

1977 Mighty Mouse

Welch’s produced another very popular line of collectible glasses. It all began with Howdy Doody in 1953 and since then has expanded into twenty-six different sets. Some popular lines have included: the Flintstones, Archie, Dr. Seuss, Peanuts, Davy Crockett, and Warner Brothers. Over the years they have also released lines of glasses featuring dinosaurs, endangered species, and AFC and NFC football teams.

While Pepsi and Welch’s are two of the most well known producers of cartoon glasses, many other companies made collectible glasses as well. Some of the more collectible include: Coca-Cola’s Holly Hobbie, Warner Brothers, NASCAR, and Olympics glasses; Pizza Hut’s Happy Days,

Cowboy Tweety

NFL, and TV characters glasses; and Hard Rock Café’s location specific glasses.

While a lots of collectors collect purely for nostalgia, some of the glasses can be worth quite a bit. Keep an eye out for:

Chas Addams

• Mighty Mouse by Terrytoons - sold only in California Pizza Hut chains in 1977 and can bring over $500.
• Hopalong Cassidy
• Lone Ranger
• “Chas Addams” - an Addams Family glass featuring a baby carriage in the park
• Little Lulu
• Wizard of Oz by Duncan Donuts
• Gulliver’s Travels
• Dick Tracy
• Dennis the Menace
• Tweety Bird wearing a cowboy hat and boots playing a guitar - extremely rare
• Dr. Seuss by Welch’s
• Flintstones  by Hanna Barbera Productions
• Yogi Bear  by Hanna Barbera Productions
• Sourpuss and Gandy Goose by Terrytoons
• Bullwinkle and Rocky by P.A.T. Ward Productions
• Marvel Superheroes

  

  1957 Kentucky Derby

• Casper the Friendly Ghost and Friends by Harvey Famous Cartoons

Derby Glasses are another highly collectible category of glassware. At the first Kentucky Derby, in 1938, they gave out commemorative water glasses. Two years later, they were the mint julep glasses we are familiar with today. An early Kentucky Derby glass in excellent condition can bring thousands of dollars.

We always have an abundance of character glasses at the store. Come down and see what favorite characters from your childhood you can find!

Presidential Ephemera: Find or Fake?

Ephemera is not some dreaded disease found in equatorial Africa.  Ephemera refers to items of collectible memorabilia, typically written or printed ones, that were originally expected to have only short-term usefulness or popularity. Collectors really covet documents with a U.S. Presidential signature. Good examples are greeting cards, photographs, military appointments, deeds, and land grants.

The Grover Cleveland Caper

       Recently a couple came into Appalachian Antique Mall with a wood box filled with ephemera.  They said they thought the lot was worth around $1500.  Among the papers were some old land grant documents, some of which they stated had the Presidential signatures of Grover Cleveland and James Buchanan.  One land grant in very good condition was an 1893 Oregon Land Grant signed by Grover Cleveland. As a quick check to determine what something like that might be worth, we went on eBay.

      To our surprise, we found that an identical 1893 Oregon Land Grant signed by Cleveland had just sold!!!  For $15.  Upon closer inspection, we noticed that it was the same land grant the couple brought into our store, right down to the folds in the paper and document numbers. How could this be?  The one that sold on eBay went to a buyer in a different part of the country.

     The simple answer is one or both were fakes.  With computers, copiers, digital cameras etc., the copying of old documents is easy and rampant.  In some cases, people are getting old blank paper or pages out of old books and copying onto it.  Land grants are one of the most popular documents to counterfeit.  Those with authentic Presidential signatures can have real value, BUT the trick is determining if they are forgeries or not.  Here is a good way to start.

Presidential Writer’s Cramp

 Is the signature from a U.S. President on a land grant dated after 1833?  If so, he probably didn’t sign it.  His secretary did.  And this is why:

      In the early days of our country, the President was relatively accessible. Any citizen could shake the President’s hand if he were willing to stand in line long   And one of the President’s more mundane duties in those days was to sign routine documents himself to make them legal.  Early Presidents signed everything from photos to military commissions to ships’ papers to patents for land grants.  The latter, when the federal government was selling the entire frontier in small parcels to individual settlers, became a monumental chore. 

     By the early 1830s, signing land grants had finally gotten out of hand.  In June 1832, the commissioner of the general land office wrote to Congress that there were more than 10,500 completed land patents waiting the signature of President Andrew Jackson.  Congress passed a law in March 1833 to relieve this burden, authorizing the President to appoint a special secretary to sign land patents–in essence to legally forge the President’s signature.  Jackson therefore became the last president to personally sign land grants.  If you see one on eBay from a later president, offered as an “authentic signature,” you now know better.

     Meanwhile, back at our antique mall.  When we started to research another land grant signed by President James Buchanan, our ephemera-peddling couple, they gathered up their documents and quickly exited the mall.  Grover and out!

Which Presidential Autographs are the Real McKinley?

     One last tip on buying anything with an “original” Presidential autograph.  Everyone in the Presidential ephemera collecting circle agrees on one indisputable piece of advice for interested buyers – always buy from a reputable source. This will increase the odds that you are indeed buying an authentic autograph.

Structo, Tonka, and Buddy L

Nostalgia is often the inspiration for a collection. Most toy collectors have fond memories of hours of playtime spent with their Structo, Tonka, or Buddy L trucks. Here are some time lines to help you figure out when your toys may have been made:

STRUCTO

• 1908: Structo Toy Company was formed in Freeport, Illinois



Early Structo

• 1915: Model Building Sets (the original Erector Sets) - These extremely successful engineering kits were designed as an educational toy. Kids could start out making simple structures and work their way up to complicated, intricate bridges and buildings.
• 1918: The Ready Built Line was introduced; it included steel cars, trucks, tractors, and other vehicles.
• 1923: We first see model-kit toy vehicles such as the Model T, which came with shifting gears and a real hand crank.
• 1932: The mechanized toy line was changed over to a stamped steel push toy line - these were more affordable during the hard times of the 30’s.
• 1942: Structo converted to war production and made shells, armor, and storage tanks.
• 1945: Structo built a new production line that produced toys with rubber wheels, opening hoods, and headlight details. These post-WWII toys were usually painted bright, cheerful colors.
• 1975: Structo was purchased by the Ertl Company, best known for their plastic model kits of tractors, plows, and other farm equipment.

Tonka

TONKA

• 1946: Mound Metalcraft started in Mound, Minnesota with the intention of producing garden tools. The former inhabitant of their building had attempted to make miniature metal toy vehicles but had failed and closed. The founders decided to make a little money on the side and started producing a steam shovel and a crane. The first year they sold 37,000 units.
• 1949: The Tonka dump truck is introduced.
• 1955: Mound Metalcraft changed their name to Tonka Toys, Inc. (Tonka is a Dakota-Sioux word meaning “big” or “great”) and moved into a new manufacturing facility to accommodate the increasing demand for their product.
• 1963: The Mini Tonka series was launched.
• 1964: We first see the Mighty Tonka dump truck which launched the very successful Mighty Tonka series. These are extremely collectible - especially the 1964-1972 lines. The original 1964 Mighty Tonka dump (which weighed 11 lbs) has a decal on the nose of the cab that says “Tonka” - this is the only year this decal appeared in this location. 
• 1991: Tonka was purchased by Hasboro.
• 2001: Tonka trucks were inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame.

Early Buddy L

BUDDY L

• 1921: The owner of Moline Pressed Steel Company (which primarily manufactured automobile fenders and other metal auto body parts) decided to make a durable toy truck for his son, Buddy L. He made an all-steel miniature truck made from 18 and 20 gauge steel scavenged from the company’s scrap pile.
• 1927: There were almost fifty toys in the Buddy L line including: trucks, dump trucks, trains, fire apparatus, concrete mixers. cranes, dredges, etc.

  

  Wooden Buddy L
  

• WWII: Due to the demand for steel, Buddy L started producing wood toys.
• Post-WWII: Buddy L experimented with plastics but returned to metal, although in a lighter gauge.

The most valuable Buddy L collectibles are the heavy pre-war models. The right piece in the right condition can be worth thousands of dollars.

Come down and check out our dealers’ assortment of Structo, Tonka, and Buddy L toys, you never know what sort of bargains you may find!

Carnival Glass 101

Carnival glass was first produced on a large scale by Fenton Art Glass Company of Willamstown, West Virginia in 1908. They called it “Iridill” glass. Over the years Fenton produced over 150 patterns and a wide variety of colors of carnival glass.

The majority of carnival glass was produced between 1908 and 1925. However, companies continued to successfully sell carnival glass into the 1940’s. Other companies that produced it include: Imperial, Cambridge, Westmoreland, Dugan, Millersbug, and Northwood. At the height of carnival glass popularity competition was fierce and companies were constantly coming up with new patterns, hence the over 2,000 patterns available today.

Carnival glass has been known by many other names throughout the years such as: aurura glass, dope glass, taffeta glass, and rainbow glass. It acquired its current and most common name because in the 1950’s it was sometimes given as prizes at fairs and carnivals.

The array of carnival glass pieces produced is extraordinary. They range from basic utilitarian items such as butter dishes to purely decorative statuettes. Carnival glass identification can be extremely challenging, even for the experienced collector. Most pieces are not marked and many manufacturers closely copied their competitors pieces.

Shawnee Pottery Corn Collectibles

Corn King

Shawnee corn pieces are a familiar sight to most collectors of antiques. Whimsical and fun, they add a vintage touch to any kitchen.

Shawnee Pottery Company opened in 1937 in Zanesville, Ohio. The Shawnee name and mark were inspired by an Indian head found on the ground during construction of the factory. At its peak, Shawnee produced over ten thousand pieces a day.

Shawnee’s corn pieces were first produced as a promotional item

White Corn

for Proctor & Gamble and were given away in boxes of Oxydol. The first corn line was called “White Corn.” In 1946, the corn color changed from white to yellow and was dubbed “Corn King.” This line was produced until 1954 when the colors were again changed. The corn was a lighter yellow and the shucks a darker green; this line is known as “Corn Queen.” Corn King is generally more valuable than Corn Queen.

Dating your Shawnee corn pieces:
Colors:

• White Corn: 1941-1946

  

  Corn Queen

• Corn King: 1946-1954
• Corn Queen: 1954-1961

The marks are not as easily dated. However, generally:

• "USA": pre-WWII
• "USA" with a number: 1945-1961
• "Shawnee, USA" with a number: 1946-1961

Corn King

Tips for identifying genuine Shawnee corn pieces:

• Most pieces left the factory with paper labels which are now long gone . Most pieces are unmarked or just have “USA” marked on the bottom.
• Lots of other companies made corn lines of their own. Their molds and glazes were not exactly the same so an experienced collector can immediately spot the differences.
• Most Shawnee pieces are glazed completely inside and out except for a raised rim on the bottom. The larger pieces can be completely unglazed on the bottom.

Beware: Many inexperienced collectors (or dishonest experienced collectors) will label any Shawnee corn piece as “Corn King” despite the three distinctly different lines. Be sure to do your own research before making any big purchases!

Caring for your vintage Shawnee Pottery pieces:

• Hand wash with warm water and a mild dishwashing soap. NEVER put in your dishwasher.
• Don’t be afraid to use them! Many collectors use their pieces regularly.

We have a variety of Shawnee corn pieces in the store right now. Stop by and take a look!