By Eric Miller
Earlier this year a record price was set for a piece of American glass. A two-piece cut-glass footed vase made by Bakewell Glass of Pittsburgh in 1825 brought more than $250,000 at auction.
While the popularity of some other antiques has waned in recent years, the record price highlights the continued and accelerating interest in collecting American glass. Popular magazines including Martha Stewart Living extol the activity, most recently with an article on collecting flint glass in the September issue.
Glass collectors from several states will gather next weekend at the Grapevine Convention Center to share their love of glass collecting. The Metroplex Glass Show and Sale offers everyone for the beginning to advanced collector of American Glass. All major glass companies and all major glass patterns are offered for sale at each show. Whether you collect a particular pattern, or are looking for home decorating ideas, you will find what you are looking for at the Metroplex show. Also included will be pottery and china.
Ralph Rider of Dallas has collected a type of glass called Fostoria for decades and plans to be at the show. He knows the show from past years well and says visitors can expect to find items beginning at $1 ranging up to several thousand dollars. Rider says most of the glass collected today dates to about 1870 and falls into the category of dinnerware.
One of the most popular eras of glass is from the 1920s and is known as "depression glass."
More information on the Metroplex Glass Show is available at www.dfwglass.com Discount tickets are available from the web site.