Depression Glass – Antique glass that is living history

Depression glass is so named because it was glass that was made during the Great Depression Era. All Depression Glass was made in the United States from the late 1920s through the early 1940s. Federal Glass, Hocking Glass, and MacBeth-Evans were just three of the companies that tried to help lift the spirits of people in the small shapes they could by mass-producing cheap, colorful glassware that could be sold just as cheaply, often for as little as a loaf of bread.

The most popular colors among collectors today are pink, blue and green. In fact, pink is so popular that to many people the term “depression glass” is synonymous with “pink depression glass.” However, in addition to pink, it was also made in amber, opaque white, blue, green, and various other colors. Some of the most popular patterns that shoppers are looking for today are Cameo, Mayfair, American Sweetheart, Princess, and Royal Lace.

As well as the beautiful colors and patterns that were supposed to lift a nation’s spirits during one of the most difficult times in American history. Even the names of the patterns were supposed to refer to better times and a longing for the glamorous lifestyles of the 1920s.

Depression glass was popular and affordable when it was new. The dime store was a common source for this type of glass, which could be purchased for anywhere from a nickel to a dime. This made this type of glass affordable even in the most difficult times.

Depression glass also found its way into American homes via “premiums” that were issued via “premiums”. Sellers or manufacturers offered a free gift with the purchase of a certain dollar amount of goods or a specific product, and housewives in hard times took advantage.

Glass was taken from a box of oatmeal one week and from a box of detergent the next. Sometimes gas stations would throw out a punch bowl and glasses with an oil change, or a movie theater would offer a piece of glass with a ticket to a Saturday matinee. This stained glass remains a popular antique collectible item now and a reminder of a difficult past.