posted on January 10, 2001 09:50:29 PM
I have an auction currently running on ebay for a blue depression glass candy dish, which I really do not know much about. Today I received an email from a stranger that advised me that it maybe worth $285 or more if it were in mint condition. Mine does have 3 chips in the lid.
How can I tell if this is an original Mayfair Open Rose pattern by Hocking Glass
Company, c. 1931-1937? Or if it is a reproduction?
I listed it on the 8th for 10 days starting at $5.99 and it is currently at $8.50. I obviously had no idea but before I do anything drastic I need to know if it is real.
posted on January 10, 2001 10:17:52 PM
Just leave it alone, Ritchie. The people that buy and sell depression glass know more than you can find out in a year, and if it's valuable they'll fight over it.
posted on January 10, 2001 10:26:40 PM
Part of the problem I see is that my description may not bring the right bidders.
I wrote:
This is a beautiful blue Depression glass candy bowl with lid. The bowl is in very good condition with no chips or cracks. The lid however has three chips. On the lid and the bowl I do believe it has the Cherry Blossom pattern. The overall measurements are 8-3/4” high. The Bowl measurements are 5-1/4” high with a 4-1/4”opening, the depth of the bowl is 3-1/2”. As you can tell from the picture it is quite lovely and I used it quite often as a candy dish.
No mention of Mayfair Open Rose pattern or Hocking Glass Company so I am worried now.
I believe I can not revise and auction once there is a bid, right? Or is there away I can add this into the description?
posted on January 10, 2001 11:14:24 PM
Why don't you let us see a picture of the bowl. Someone out there must be able to tell you if it is the real deal or not.
If they can help you I also have a bowl that I am told is depression glass but I don't know anything about it so I haven't listed it yet. IS THERE AN EXPERT OUT THERE.
posted on January 11, 2001 07:25:12 AM
Richie - I disagree somewhat with the others who have posted. It is the Mayfair Open Rose pattern, but I don't know anything about this particular piece. I do know that some blue pieces in this pattern are valuable. The blue of the reproductions I have seen is different, and easily distinguished from the originals, but it is hard to tell from the picture.
Why don't you post your questions on the Glass Board at eBay (look on the Community page, lower right, I think).
Personally, I would cancel the auction until I got my ducks in a row, then relist - especially since you don't have the right name in the listing. If you add it now, it may not show up in Search. If you do decide to cancel, you MUST notify all your current bidders first.
I found myself in a similar dilemma with a book once; I canceled, did my research, and relisted the book with a fairly high reserve. It sold for a lot more than I had thought it was worth.
Just my opinion - Good Luck, whatever you decide to do.
edited for spelling
[ edited by kudzurose on Jan 11, 2001 08:54 AM ]
posted on January 11, 2001 07:42:06 AM
If you decide to end the auction, you must do more than notify your bidders--you must cancel their bids! If you end the auction with bids in place, you will be obligated to sell the item to the high bidder at the time you end the auction.
[u]Mauzy's Depression Glass[/u] books this piece at $350, and doesn't list the candy jar as being reproduced. The cookie jars have been, and their comparison of the lid styles on the original vs. reproduction would lead me to believe that this is not a reproduction--the line below the floral design on the lid is straight, rather than curved. If it were my auction, I'd probably elect to end it and relist with a corrected title and description. If you cancel all the bids and use the relist feature, you shouldn't have to pay additional listing fees and you can check the box to refer anyone looking at the old listing to the relisted item. It would probably be worth your time to do some additional research in the Depression glass references to see if you can find any additional info which will help you determine whether this is the "real thing" or not.
always pickersangel everywhere
(D*mn UBB codes )
[ edited by pickersangel on Jan 11, 2001 07:48 AM ]
posted on January 11, 2001 08:13:34 AM
RichieRich
You have another option here, you can ammend your item description " Blue Mayfair Candy Dish" which would bring it up in the proper catagory. The lid is the most valuable piece of the two. I would leave listed just change the description and it will do what it is worth.
posted on January 11, 2001 08:35:16 AM
Unfortunately, a search for Mayfair will only bring this item up after the addition if the searcher selects to include item descriptions. Given the potential difference in final bid price between a correctly titled listing and the current one, I wouldn't be willing to take the chance.
always pickersangel everywhere
posted on January 11, 2001 09:01:10 AM
Yea you are right I forgot we were talking about ebay. You never know these features might not work. Any way Richie your piece books for 300+ in excellent condition, it was never reproduced.
posted on January 11, 2001 09:12:38 AM
Hi RichieRich
I am not an expert, but I have reference books. In my Collector's Encyclopedia of Depression Glass, it does say that there were reproductions made in the Mayfair pattern in pink, green, blue, cobalt (shot glasses) in 1977; more of the same in 1982, 1988 and only pink juice pitchers in 1993.
The Mayfair pattern they show in this book looks the same as your photo, but they say nothing in reference to a candy dish. They do note that a dead giveaway to a repro is the stems of the flower design. In the old pattern the stem branched to form an A shape at the bottom. In the new, you have a single stem. Further, in the new design, the leaf is hollow with the veins moulded in. In the old, the leaf is moulded in and the veining is left hollow. In the center of the flower on the old, dots (anther) cluster entirely to one side and are rather distinct. Nothing like that occurs in the new design.
I am not an expert, but if I were you I'd cancel bids, close the auction and do more research. Your local library should have a book or two on Depression Glass. Good luck.
posted on January 11, 2001 12:20:15 PM
I took it to an antique dealer today. I was told it is the real thing.
Bids today are at $24.50. What do I do? What do I do? Run the auction out and see sell it to the high bidder? or Cancel the bids, do more research and then relist? Would it be fair to wait until the day it is suppose to close (1/18) and then cancel it if low? OR should I just cancel them now?
I have got more emails from ebay lookers telling me it is worth money, chips and all.
Has this ever happened to anyone else? What did you do? How did it work out in the long run?
posted on January 11, 2001 02:58:03 PM
Richie, do you have a counter on it? If it is getting lots of hits, they have found it. From the number of emails you are getting, and the price starting to climb, it may be so. There are a lot of glass people who will do a search on cherry blossom, so it's not as bad as if it just said "pretty blue glass candy dish". If it's not getting a good number of hits I would cancel and relist, but if they have found it, those collectors and those who know the value will drive it up,in my experience...
cariad
posted on January 11, 2001 02:59:12 PM
If you're going to cancel and relist, do it NOW. I really think it will tend to upset your current bidders more if you wait until the last minute. (They'll conclude correctly that you felt you weren't getting enough money for it.) IMHO, it would be better PR to add to the description that you've determined the piece was misidentified and will be relisted with the correct identification, then cancel the bids, email the bidders and relist the item. I think bidders will be more forgiving of a cancellation in order to correct an honest mistake, than they would of a cancellation that they perceived was motivated by greed. For that reason, I wouldn't set the starting price any higher on relist, either.
posted on January 11, 2001 04:01:00 PM
I always wonder why when people tell me these things are worth all this kind of money why are they not buying it?I wish you lots of luck on the peice and I hope it sells for a pile.I would just let it run and see how well it goes.It seems obvious if people are emailing you about it's value that they have discovered it.I never pull auctions because I know how I would feel when it happens to me.I still think if it is a good peice you will get what it's worth.You have to remember that the damage is a huge factor here and like another poster said the lid is the most important part of the peice.Good luck.
--------------------------------- If I had money I'd be rich!
--------------------------------- My Bit
posted on January 11, 2001 04:16:10 PM
Do yourself a big favor and cancel the auction!
Don't think for a second that the vultures aren't waiting for the last moments to snipe it, probably for a small fraction of what it could realize if it had been listed properly.
It's hard enough nowadays to attract buyers with a GOOD title/description, let alone one that neglects to mention the manufacturer, the pattern, the shape and the color!
PS - And, if you haven't already, give that emailer a great BIG THANK YOU!
posted on January 11, 2001 05:35:11 PM
The piece is a reproduction.
brie49,
Look very carefully at the pattern on page 123 of your book, particularly the leaf and anther cluster. You should be able to see clearly the differences between the old pattern and this one. While you're there, turn to 234 and see how very similar that pattern is in it's undefined edges and obvious attempt to mold a likeness of the item(s) on 123.
The Mayfair pattern appears on every piece made and is always the same. Cookie jar, shot glass, candy dish, whatever.
posted on January 11, 2001 06:09:40 PM
Hi, richie - it seems odd to me that you keep asking for advice/suggestions, and have received so many emails about the piece, yet you still have not amended the auction or anything . . . .
posted on January 11, 2001 07:08:54 PM
Hey Richie
Just looked at the auction 10 bids and climbing $40, it's been my experience that good glass brings good money on ebay. With that many hits this early I would let it ride.
posted on January 11, 2001 08:07:41 PM
OK I final got home from work. My mother in law are discussing what we should do (it is her item). I took it to an antique dealer over my lunch and was told it was the real thing.
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