Central Kentucky Antiques and Collectibles

Copyright 2011 Kimberly Clay

For many collectors, Fostoria glass is a seductively beautiful obsession that deserves all the attention it gets. Objects of great beauty deserve recognition, and part of the fascination of these wonderful objects d’art is that they are well within the budget of any collector. So what is it about collecting Fostoria glassware that persuades so many people to become involved in it?

Fostoria glass ranges from beautiful stemware available in a variety of vibrant colors – most are presented in varying shades, and you will look far to find any in a single color – and offer the collector a fabulous range of designs. However, in saying that, what are the distinguishing features that characterize Fostoria glass from any other type of glassware?

In fact, as a collector, the question you should be asking is ‘How can I tell that this is genuine Fostoria glassware that is worth me purchasing?’ Here are some answers to that question, although like collecting any form of tableware, you must beware of copies, and also of new releases of such stemware when you are unaware of its history.

Testing Fostoria Glass

First, the Fostoria plant got its name from Fostoria in Ohio where it commenced production in 1887. It moved to Moundsville in West Virginia in 1891 and continued manufacture until 1993, when it was bought out by Lancaster Colony. The Fostoria plant finally closed in 1986, and anything dated after that is not Fostoria, although the designs may have been used by other firms.

True Fostoria glass contains phosphorus impurities and you can test for this by using a black UV lamp in a dark room: Fostoria glassware will display a faint yellow light emission caused by the effect of the UV light on phosphorus, while Whitehall glass, made by Indiana Glass, will not.

There are other tests you can use to identify genuine Fostoria glass or crystal, including the fact that Fostoria was made by pouring the glass into moulds before cooling, the genuine moulds having three seams. Others used only two seams or were blown without any seams. There are also several design differences between true Fostoria and others manufactured to a similar design. More on this later.

Benefits of Collecting Fostoria Glass

One of the benefits of collecting Fostoria pieces is that there are plenty designs and color variations. You can focus on collecting specific pieces – such as only vases or wine glasses, specific colors or color mixtures, and also collect them by age. Whichever you decide to focus on or even just to collect Fostoria glass pieces period, you have a marvelous selection available to you.

Another benefit is that you don’t have to look too far to find Fostoria. You can find pieces in a large number of antique shops, flea markets and even online from antique stores, individual sellers or even eBay. This type of typically American glass is not difficult to collect.

Fostoria Glass – Examples of Collectible Pieces

During the 1930s depression era, certain products were subsidized, including glass. The Fostoria Glass Company was one of those offered a subsidy to manufacture glass, and the product marketed through this subsidy is known as ‘depression glass’. This was pressed into molds, and was particularly brittle, and although most pieces have now been broken or chipped, perfect examples of this Fostoria Depression Glass are now very collectible.

It was frequently used for prizes at various stalls, and the movie theaters would often give pieces of Depression glass to their patrons and advertisers. However, the most prized glass during this period was the Elegant range of stemware and dinnerware. The Elegant line was given a much superior finish to any of the other Fostoria glassware, and would normally be finished by hand, the surface fire polished to remove any rough areas on the surface and to remove any mold marks.

The designs would be acid-etched and rendered smooth, while the bottoms would be ground flat and smooth to produce a high-quality finish that was smooth to the touch, much like the high quality crystal of today. The Elegant line was produced from the 1920s to the 1950s and is a very collectible range of Fostoria glass.

American or Whitehall?

Most collectors tend to collect the colored stemware, although others like to collect examples of the pattern known as American or Whitehall. The problem is that the American pattern continued in manufacture after Lancaster Colony took it over using Fostoria Molds, but Indiana Glass also made the pattern, or a very similar one, calling it Whitehall.

There are certain manufacturing differences that render the two forms of glassware of a different quality to each other. The Whitehall bases are less flat, making the pieces less stable, and a different mix of minerals was used to make the glass itself. The molds are different and overall, the Lancaster or Fostoria American pattern and the Indiana Whitehall versions are discernibly different.

However, if you use the tests as described then you will see the difference. This simply adds to the fun and enjoyment of collecting Fostoria glass which is just another example of how collecting in general can be thought-provoking and provide you with challenges.

Find Fostoria Glass in central Kentucky shops!

Does your significant other have WAY too big a collection of sports memorabilia, tools, guns, and/or cars/motorcycles and you’re ready to see it go?

Or do YOU have a great collection of vintage items that has either been passed down to you or that you have obtained over the years and you would love to know the value of it?

If you had cash offers for it, what would you keep and what would you sell?

A Los Angeles based TV Production Company is looking for young, energetic couples, age 35 – 45, with great collections for a new show!

Three dealers looking to spend some $$$ will come to your home and make you an offer for your collectibles on the spot.

Will you cash in or decide to keep your treasures?

If you think you fit the criteria and have several of these items then apply now and tell us about your collections. What would you like to find out more about and what would you like to wave goodbye to?

Please respond to David Polanzak at: dpo.casting@gmail.com with:

Name:

Ages:

City and State:

Contact Number:

Recent Photo:

Thanks so much and we look forward to speaking with you!

The following comes from our friend Julie Donahue at The Trading Post Antiques.

Would you like to take a wonderful two and a half hour ride in the country that lands you in antique heaven? Well, almost heaven. If so, we invite you to get on U.S. 68 north from Lexington, cross the Ohio River at Maysville, and travel to Bainbridge, Ohio where you will find over 20,000 square feet of antiques displayed in three unique buildings at The Trading Post Antiques.

The Trading Post Antiques has been in business for over 35 years. Rosemary Keaton began the store in a barn behind her residence. As the business grew, so did the building. Today visitors find quilts, coverlets, pottery, kitchenware, cast iron skillets, books, washstands, side tables and showcases filled with glassware in the Main Building.

Next to the Main Building, Fred’s Shed displays games and toys from days gone by. Yesterday’s Closet has lovely vintage hats and clothing as well as linens.

When the house next door became available, Rosemary purchased the quaint Victorian home from Esther’s relatives. Now Esther’s House is furnished in much the same manner as when it was built around 1900 including the icebox in the kitchen.

A few years ago, the block building adjacent to Esther’s went up for sale. You guessed it! Rosemary bought The Warehouse and the larger pieces of furniture are on display there. Visitors can find a schoolmaster’s desk, Victorian beds, primitive cabinets, chests, light fixtures, rocking chairs, trunks, more books, records, cradles and lots of lovely pictures and frames.

There are always flowers blooming somewhere at the antique complex. Many times people have purchased starts from the Passion Vine that blooms along the walkway between the buildings.

Last October, Rosemary passed away at age 82. In an effort to downsize the inventory, we have marked everything at 20% off. We invite you to plan a trip and take advantage of the special savings!

Bainbridge is situated in the Paint Creek Valley that ancient prehistoric Native Americans claimed as their home. Many mounds are nearby. The Arc of Appalachia nature conservatory is less than five minutes away. There are lovely trails that are unique to the area carved from the last glacier.

A Mennonite community is only seven miles south of Bainbridge where there is a bakery, store, and craft mall. (They are closed on Sundays).

To find out more about The Trading Post Antiques and to plan your visit to Bainbridge, Ohio, please visit the web site – thetradingpostantiques.com. or call 740 634-2867.

Copyright 2011

Work Progress Administration Art arose as a result of the Great Depression, and collecting WPA Art is becoming increasingly popular as the true value of such pieces and the artistic flair of those who created them at the time are both becoming increasingly evident, not only to collectors but also to the U.S. Government.

The unemployment level during the Depression stood at 32% and not only was the financial industry in tatters, but everybody was suffering hardship of one kind or another. People had hardly enough money for food, and as for buying art – forget it! President F. D. Roosevelt’s New Deal and the Works Projects Administration (WPA) offered money to people to carry out a wide variety of work, from building bridges to a variety of art projects.

Among these projects were murals, government advertising posters, and many other forms of art including oils and water color paintings and charcoals of a variety of subjects. Some of them involved large works – massive murals for the interiors of public buildings, and artists were invited to produce sketches and reproductions of the work they were offering to do.

This was a very competitive business, and collecting WPA art involves a great many of these examples of an artist’s capabilities including their sketches. Many of the artists either were or came to be critically acclaimed as masters of their day, and included such names as Jackson Pollock, Moses Soyer, Chuzo Tomatsu, Ivan Albright and Philip Guston. These works were administered by Federal Project Number One, known as Federal One, responsible for funding unemployed artists in the fields of painting, poster painting, murals, sculpture and photography.

But what happened to these works as the economy improved following the Great Depression, particularly during the boom after World War II? Canvases by such as Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko had been bundled together in a central warehouse, and sold by the pound in Flushing, New York. Around 4 cents/pound was the going price for these works that grew in value along with the stature of their creators. Collecting WPA art was very inexpensive then, but not so much now.

The quality of these artistic creations was of the highest order, but because of its origins was not recognized in its day as being of any specific value. After all, nobody had money to buy art, so it was simply set aside, bundled up and left, likely until the space was needed for something else when it was sold off by the weight just to get rid of it.

Works of art such as the oil on canvas ‘Scenes From Rip Van Winkle’ by Artist Victor Pedrotti Trent, and ‘Communications’ by Ingrid Edwards that are now almost priceless would have been left to rot had these works not been disseminated throughout the country. Prints were produced in limited editions of 25 and some of these originals are on sale on eBay today, such as the Bernard P. Schardt original signed print of ‘Betty’ at $550.

Collecting WPA art need not involve the expense of originals, and there are many reproductions and prints available apart from the original sets of artist-signed prints and posters. Naturally, few can afford a genuine Pollock but the WPA period was so diverse that it is possible to specialize in collecting WPA art, either by artist, genre or even by subject. The quality is very high, particularly the ‘cartoons’ of the murals that each artist produced to persuade the authorities to give them the work.

Today, the art produced under the auspices of Federal One is being inventoried under the WPA Art Inventory Project, a government project to establish the whereabouts of all WPA art produced. In fact, the U.S. Government appears to be laying claim to all of this art and while not exactly asking for its return, it has been successful in stopping the sale of some original pieces on eBay and other sites.

The objective of the government in doing this is open to question and the possibility that they will claim ownership of all WPA work, possibly on the pretext that it paid for the work when it was carried out and therefore is still the rightful owner. This itself is questionable in view of the bulk sales previously referred to. However, who will take the first step in challenging this? Meantime, ‘owners’ of such work should still be free to sell it since there is no suggestion yet that its return is being demanded.

Collecting WPA art offers the collector a fabulous choice of artistic endeavor carried out during a very lean period in American history. Sometimes such periods can bring the best out of an artist, and the WPA period was no exception. Some of the most stunning works ever created by artists such as Edward J. Ades, George Avison, Leslie Benson and the aforementioned Ingrid Edwards were painted during this period and WPA art is a culture unto itself and a rich source of material for lovers of art.

Click here to search for great art in central Kentucky.

Copyright 2010

Auction Kings is a shooting star on Discovery Channel. From a wooly mammoth tusk to a hot-air balloon, Gallery 63 sells practically anything, and as we explained back in March 2010, this step forward from Antiques Roadshow and American Pickers showcases what goes on at Paul Brown’s auction house – Gallery 63.

Auction Kings is not just about auctions, but is a reality show about how the whole auction scene is organized and run. Since its premier in October, 2010, the show has seen a genuine vampire killing kit, a Templar sword and a meteorite being brought in and tested for authority. Paul makes sure that everything is genuine before selling in order to protect the good name of Gallery 63.

This is done by calling in experts to evaluate each item, and this is definitely part of the appeal of the show. The ‘experts’ Paul uses on Auction Kings are sometimes a bit less knowledgeable than they claim to be, borne out by some of the comments on the lively forum on the Discovery Channel website for the show. In fact, the forum itself underlines the attractions of Auction Kings and how many have different views on the format and on the owner and employees of Gallery 63.

Some complain that there is not enough time spent on the auction itself, but they miss the whole ethos of the program. It is a ‘reality show’, not an ‘auction show’, and designed to educated us on what goes on behind the scenes in an auction house – that’s why this is known as the ‘Discovery’ Channel. There are 101 auction shows available for those that want them, but this goes behind the auction, and gives us an insight into the work involved in setting up the actual auction.

The show also lets us see that not all experts agree, and many of the armchair experts on the forum disagree with those on the show itself. This level of involvement indicates the health of Auction Kings, and while many forum members run the show down and threaten to stop watching it, they still remain on the forum. One must also therefore assume they remain with the show!

It would be easy for a TV program centered on the running of a real live auction site to become very dry and rapidly run out of ideas, but Auction Kings gets over that very cleverly by introducing an element of humor that allows the personalities of the individual employees to come across. Take the program on the hot air balloon. Paul was reluctant to offer the balloon at auction due largely to the problem of price: how to value it and what price to start it at? This was forgotten when they were offered a trip in the balloon, and we were given some great shots of the surrounding country from way up in the sky.

The vampire killer program was interesting in that there was genuine belief in vampires in the 19th century, and vampire killing kits were fitted out with holy water, a bible, silver cross and dagger and silver-tipped crossbow bolts in addition to the usual wooden stakes and mallet. The knife was serrated to more easily remove the vampire’s head. The program is very informative at times, and at others provides this type of interesting information about arcane beliefs and practices. But was it legit and did it sell? That’s what the show is about!

Auction Kings is based on a very similar format to the successful Pawn Stars on the History Channel, only using an auction house as the focus. Gallery 63 is a unique type of auction house in that it deals in the unique type of article that is difficult or well nigh impossible to find elsewhere. Just as people looKings for the unusual and high-end items go to Gallery 63 to find them, so those seeKings to sell them also have an ideal sales outlet for their goods.

You don’t find the ordinary here, and even the genuine sapphire sold recently was too massive to be of use in a jewelry piece and so was sold as an ornament. The sellers who own the items are hoping to make some cash from their junk – enough for a honeymoon in Paris, perhaps, or just want to beat the bidders and get a higher price than estimated. The bidders want something unique for their homes or maybe even a bargain that will go straight back into auction hoping for a profit!

Auction Kings shows all of this – the hopes and aspirations of the sellers, the suspense while the object is valued and the experts have their say, and then the auction where the gloves come off and the bidders fight each other to drive the price up, or they don’t and it drops like a lead balloon. You see all of this from your first glimpse of the unusual item to its final sale. Who wins – seller or bidder? Is it a legit piece or a fake? Is the ‘expert’ knowledgeable or a fraud?

Such is the excitement of Auction Kings, a true rising star on the Discovery Channel and one that we forecast to be so back in March. This might not be a unique concept as TV shows go, but some of the stuff sold at Gallery 63 is certainly unique and well worth watching.

Shop for antiques in central Kentucky!