How to identify Depression glass and spot reproductions
What Depression glass is
Depression glass is inexpensive, machine-made coloured glassware produced in the United States from the late 1920s to about 1940. Factories pressed it into moulds in huge quantities, with little or no hand finishing, and sold it cheaply or gave it away. It came packed in boxes of cereal and soap, and was handed out at cinemas and gas stations. Some patterns stayed in production well after the 1930s.
More than 100 patterns were made by around twenty companies, among them Jeannette, Hocking, Federal, Hazel-Atlas, Indiana, MacBeth-Evans and U.S. Glass. Collectors keep it separate from the "Elegant" glass of the same years, which came from smaller factories and was finished by hand: fire-polished, ground flat underneath, etched or cut. Elegant glass is better quality and is collected and priced differently.
Common colours
- Pink, green and amber, the colours most people picture
- Yellow, pale blue and clear (collectors call clear glass "crystal")
- Deep cobalt blue and ruby red
- Opaque colours such as Delphite, a pale opaque blue, and Jadite, an opaque green
Amber and yellow were made in larger quantities and today usually sell for less. Collectors generally pay more for pink, green and blue.
Patterns people find most
Depression glass is identified by its pattern, the design moulded into the glass, and each pattern has a name. A few of the best known, with the dates collector references give:
| Pattern | Maker | Made | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adam | Jeannette | 1930–1936 | The butter dish has been reproduced. |
| Cherry Blossom | Jeannette | 1930–1939 | One of the most popular patterns, and the most heavily reproduced. |
| Mayfair ("Open Rose") | Hocking | 1931–1937 | Shakers, shot glasses and cookie jars have been reproduced, some in colours the original never had. |
| Royal Lace | Hazel-Atlas | 1934–1941 | Best known in cobalt blue, and among the most expensive patterns to collect. |
| Miss America | Hocking | 1935–1938 | Many pieces have been reproduced since the 1970s, in several colours. |
A standard reference, such as Gene Florence's Collector's Encyclopedia of Depression Glass, pictures each pattern and the pieces made in it, and is the best way to check which pieces have been reproduced.
Signs a piece is old
No single sign proves age, but genuine pieces usually show several of these together:
- Mould seams. The glass was pressed by machine and not polished afterwards, so fine raised seam lines often remain on the sides, rims and handles.
- Small flaws. Tiny bubbles, straw marks (fine wavy lines in the glass) and slight unevenness are normal in Depression glass and do not lower its value.
- Wear. Decades of use leave fine scratches, especially on the plain centres of plates and on the base. A "vintage" plate with no wear at all deserves a closer look.
- The right colour for the pattern. Each pattern was made only in certain colours. A piece in a colour its pattern never came in is a strong sign it is new.
How reproductions differ
Only some patterns have been reproduced, and usually only certain pieces in them, so learn which pieces in your pattern were copied. Reproductions have been made since at least the 1970s, and some are good. These are the usual differences:
- Colour. Reproduction pink is often too pale or too orange, and green too deep. Some copies come in colours the pattern never had, such as cobalt or iridised Cherry Blossom.
- Detail. Moulded designs on copies are often weaker. On reproduction Cherry Blossom, the flowers and cherries can look drawn in outline rather than fully moulded, and the pattern may stop short of the edge.
- Weight and feel. Many copies are thicker and heavier, and some feel slick or oily to the touch.
- Construction. Small details change. Original Miss America tumblers have four mould (mold) seams, while early reproductions have only two. Later copies have four as well, so one detail is never enough.
Some patterns were also reissued from new moulds decades later. Madrid, a 1930s Federal pattern, was brought back in 1976 as "Recollection", and later versions appeared in colours the original never came in. Cherry Blossom has been copied so often that there are reproductions of the reproductions.
Uranium glass and the UV light test
Much green Depression glass glows bright green under an ultraviolet (black) light, because uranium was used in the glass. Yellow to yellow-green glass coloured by uranium is what American collectors call Vaseline glass, a separate category with its own following.
A glow tells you the glass contains uranium. It does not tell you a piece is Depression glass, and it does not prove age: uranium glass went back into production in 1959 and is still made today. Not all Depression glass contains uranium, so a piece that stays dark under the light is not suspect for that reason.
What affects value
- Pattern. Popular patterns sell best. Royal Lace, especially in cobalt, is among the most expensive to collect, and Cherry Blossom remains a favourite.
- Colour. Pink, green and blue usually sell for more than amber and yellow, and scarce colours bring more again.
- The piece itself. Plates, cups and saucers were made in vast numbers. Less common forms, such as pitchers, butter dishes, cookie jars and vases, are usually worth more.
- Condition. Chips, cracks and rough rims cut value sharply, so run a finger around the rim and the base and hold the piece up to the light. Cloudy glass etched by dishwashers, which collectors call "sick" glass, cannot be restored and greatly reduces value. Cloudiness from hard-water deposits can sometimes be cleaned, so check before writing a piece off.
- Where it sells. Demand varies by region, so the same piece can fetch different prices in different places.
Be realistic: most Depression glass was made by the million, and most everyday pieces in common patterns and colours still sell for modest sums. The money is in scarce patterns, colours and forms in perfect condition.
How to check what it sells for
- Identify it exactly first: the pattern, maker, colour and piece. "Pink Depression glass bowl" is too vague to price.
- Search eBay sold listings for that pattern and piece and tick Sold Items. Asking prices are often far higher than what glass actually sells for.
- Compare like with like: the same size, colour and condition. A chipped or cloudy piece is worth much less than a perfect one.
- Treat price books as a guide. They are excellent for identifying patterns, but printed prices date quickly.
- For a rare piece, ask an experienced dealer or a Depression glass collectors' club before you sell.
Related guides
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