I've never been much of a collector. Perhaps of stickers, rocks and dolls as a child but, beyond that, I can't recall anything specific. Despite this, I've always wanted to collect something, I just couldn't find anything that I cared enough about to track down, display and store . . . until I met depression glass.
Depression glass was inexpensive dishware produced at low cost at the time of the great depression. It was considered "low quality" and was sold very cheaply or given away for free as a sale incentive. It took me a while to warm up to depression glass. Some of the styles are very ornate and some of the colours are very unappealing. It was milk glass that eventually won me over with my initial purchase of cream and sugar bowls and a little vase.
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| My first purchase on the left and my newest (3) purchases on the right. |
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| Twenty-five cents each! |
Milk glass, however, is not my true love. It is the jadeite and delphite that I adore. Due to influence from Swedish Modern design, these two colours/styles have a simplicity that is lacking in the white and clear glass, which tends to be over-the-top in design. Alas, these styles are very difficult to find and too pricy for my budget. I did find a beautiful bowl set and a very cute lemon juicer locally, but at $200.00 and $60.00 respectively, I just couldn't do it.
Instead, I have settled on an "under $25.00 an item" budget and green and rose clear glass. These two colours are widely available although it takes some dedication to find the right combination of form and function. Of course, that is part of the fun!
I love the deep bowl of my lemon juicer and can't believe how much I've used it in the month or so I've had it. It will be perfect for making Lemon Drop Martinis this summer, if the weather ever warms up!
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| Making lemonade! |
My rose glass collection consists of two items, a bud vase and a pitcher. The pitcher was originally outside of my budget and I waited semi-patiently for it to go on sale. A risk that paid off! Rose glass seems to be the most widely available right now and I am planning on focusing my attentions in this direction for the future. While it does not compare to my favoured jadeite, I do love the summery look of rose glass and I can't wait to see what I can find for my collection next!
