posted on June 19, 2001 09:40:54 AM
Hopefully somebody who deals with glassware can help me. I have aquired quite a bit of old Fireking, Fiesta, and Hazel-Atlas glassware. I'm not experienced in this area so I want to make sure I describe condition accurately. The peices have no chips or cracks, and if you just looked at them you would think they were in perfect condition. But when you hold the Fireking up to a light you can see some surface scratches. What condition would this be? Fair, Good, Very Good? Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.
On a side note, I just wanted to say I have asked a couple of questions before and the response has been great. I appreciate all the people that took the time to help me out. Hopefully, someday when I get the hang of this I can be as helpful as all of you have been. Thanks
posted on June 19, 2001 09:54:31 AM
I forgot to add. On the turquoise blue Fireking coffee mugs there is a different number on the bottom of each glass--#4, #10, #24 etc..What does this mean?
posted on June 19, 2001 09:57:27 AM
I am not a glass expert by any means but when I do describe it I always describe what it looks like rather than label it. The terms fair, good, very, good etc.. are very subjective. If it has scratches that you can only see under a light then that's how I describe it. Not everybody out there is a 'professional collector' and don't need a lot of fancy terminology, they just want to know what it looks like. And I NEVER say 'good for age', that to me is a complete turn off when I see it in an auction and I'll never bid on it. I know that there is grading on amount of scratches but normal, moderate or heavy wear from use is also subjective to me. I guess I'm not being very helpful here.
Jay
posted on June 19, 2001 10:00:53 AM
Mrch...don't worry about whether to describe as good, very good, excellant etc. Just describe accurately what you are seeing and let the bidder decide what the descriptive term would be. Everyone has different expectations for words like "good" "mint" etc, and using them without giving the details of the imperfections you find will only cause you headaches.
As for the different numbers on the bottom of the mugs...I haven't a clue
(spelling is horrible this morning!)
[ edited by amy on Jun 19, 2001 10:02 AM ]
posted on June 19, 2001 10:01:13 AM
With glassware, I think the best course is simply to describe what you see. They want to know about chips, cracks, scratches, stains, etc. There is no absolute grading system...it's all relative and subjective.
posted on June 19, 2001 10:35:27 AM
I've only sold a few pieces of collector glassware, but IMO most buyers are very particular...especially serious collectors.
I'd follow the advice you've already been given...describe exactly what you do see. Also, feel around the rim, base, etc., with your finger because your sense of touch is more accurate WRT "fleabites" and small defects than your eyes are.
When I do buy glassware myself, I'm willing to take a less-than-perfect piece because I'm not a pro...I just want the item to fill out my set. Hopefully, you will find buyers like me who want that particular item and aren't going to go bananas if it isn't absolutely perfect.
Good luck! (And if you have any Tiffin Flanders, do let me know...)
posted on June 19, 2001 04:24:02 PM
If I may comment:
Fireking is very plentiful, so pls check the Florence 1940's-1960's Glass books for accurate description and COLOR of the item. Scratches count and some collectors do not buy a pice with heavy knife marks.
Vintage Fiesta should not have glaze misses or scratches.Glaze pops are sometimes acceptable. Of course, chips are no-no's to this collector.
You may be seeing - what I call - swirling in Fire King. It was made by the ton and not polished. Check your local Borders book store for this book.
The numbers on the bottom are the numbers of the molds used to make those particular pieces. They usually aren't significant.
I agree with the advice against trying to rate the condition of the glassware. Those terms are too subjective, and I believe that most buyers of glass would rather have an accurate description (and a good close-up photo) than trust somebody else's rating of condition.
By the way, isn't Fiesta potteryware rather than glass? This detail is important to glassware collectors.
Violetta
(Not known by this nickname anywhere but here.)
