Collecting Depression Glass - Where to Start

Okay, so youve been bitten by the Depression Glass bug, and those pretty patterns and pastel colors beckon you from the shelves of an antique dealers shop, a friends home, or maybe youve even discovered this special glassware on the Internet. How ever its come about that youve developed a yen for Depression Glass, you need to know where and how to start collecting it unless youre made of money, have oodles of time on your hands, and dont care whether you get the real thing or not. But if youre like most of us, and those things dont apply to you, here are a few tips to get you started on the road to what may very well become a fascinating and lifelong hobby.

Step 1

Buy the latest edition of the book, The Collectors Encyclopedia of Depression Glass by Gene Florence that boasts a recommendation from the National Depression Glass Association. Mr. Florences comprehensive book covers all the known patterns with photographs and current price listings, short histories of the manufacturers, information on detecting fakes and reproduction pieces, along with the production dates and colors of each design. All this, including the authors own personal anecdotes about this addictive hobby, make this book not only one of the most useful tools from which to learn about Depression Glass, but turns learning about the subject into entertainment, as well.

Step 2

Go to glass shows and conventions, join Depression Glass clubs, and visit antique shops in your area that carry it. Its imperative to learn about this type of glass from hands-on knowledge in order to get a true feel of how it looks in person. Soon youll learn many, if not all, the colors and patterns, and be able to distinguish reproductions most commonly made in Mexico and India from the genuine article. Color, patterns, weight, mold markings even the bubbles of real Depression Glass hold a uniqueness all their own.

Step 3

Subscribe to magazines, newsletters, and other periodicals that focus on collecting Depression Glass. The National Depression Glass Association offers an online newsletter subscription on its site at www.ndga.net, and Collectors News, a print magazine, frequently features articles of interest to Depression Glass fans.

Step 4

Meet and make friends with an expert! Theres nothing like having a mentor to guide you when youre in the process of learning something new especially about Depression Glass. Such tips as learning to use your tactile sense of feel to detect chips and cracks, holding a piece up to the light to help determine its authenticity, and other helpful information usually come from personal relationships. Attending shows, joining clubs, and visiting antique shops all provide opportunities to make friends with people whove been involved in collecting Depression Glass some for as long as 40 or 50 years.

The most important thing to remember when you begin your Depression Glass hobby, however, is to have fun! Even if you do make a mistake, get occasionally rooked with a fake, or buy or sell something you later regret, youll always have the experience of appreciating an interesting and fascinating hobby. And then, when you do make the find of your life well, thats what its all about! All those mistakes soon become laughable, fond memories when you proudly display your wonderful Depression Glass discovery!

So get out there and make your start today or look for the next beautiful piece to add to your growing collection.

Until next time,

Murray Hughes
http://www.DepressionGlassSecrets.com

http://www.depressionglasssecrets.com/DPweb-articles/collecting-depression-glass.htm

If you enjoyed this article by Murray Hughes, then visit Depression Glass Identification now and enrol in the free Depression Glass course "The 5 Essential Steps To Becoming A Depression Glass Collector" For AOL users: Depression Glass Patterns

Depression Glass Companies
Just before the advent of the Great Depression, more than a hundred companies manufactured glassware in the United States. ...

Figurine Collecting
Thousands of people enjoy figurine collecting. It is an easy hobby to undertake and has become even easier with the use of t...

A Stamp Collecting Album Bring Order To Your Collection
Once you have decided to take up stamp collecting, it is usually a good idea to think about where you are going to keep your ...

A Brief History Of Reverse Painting On Glass
Reverse painting on glass has been a form of artexpression since extremely ancient times. It is difficult to precisely date a...

Pyrex Mixing Bowls - A Kitchen Favorite
Pyrex mixing bowls typically come in sets of 3 with a small, medium and large bowl that sits snuggly inside each other. Pyrex...

Coin Collecting - A Fun Hobby
Over the years, collecting coins has grown from being just a hobby to becoming a full-blown enterprise with numerous Internet...

Starting a Stamp Collection
Stamp collecting or philately has been a popular hobby for years. People like the many different styles of stamps and are d...

Pin Collecting: A Friendly Obsession
Pins are a hot collectible that offer an added advantage over other collections - they are small and do not take up much room...

My Elderly Parents: Identifying Depression
It is estimated that 15-25% of the 65+ population suffers from some form of depression whether it is short-lived or long-term...

Collecting Commemorative Coins
In creating a memento of someone famous, or an event or place is a common occurrence. Some of these mementos will be more pop...

Treasure Hunting - Part Two
Treasure hunting begins at home. People regularly find famous old books and valuable antiques in their attics, so get up ther...

7 Most Common Coin Collecting Themes
Coin collecting has been the hobby of many people for many years. If you refer to history, the first coin collectors were kin...

The Lingo of Common Stamp Collection Terms
For any person starting a new hobby or past-time, it can be bewildering to listen to veteran collectors speak about the topic...

Coin Collecting Throughout the Ages
Coin collecting, or numismatics is a hobby as old as time. As a hobby, it has been around for more than 2,500 years. This is ...

Antique Dolls Have Value
All kinds of things are collectible -- baseball cards, stamps, postcards, first editions of books, toy trains, action figures...

Why Do I (You) Collect?
I just got back from the vet with my cat "Spud". He gave us quite a scare, we went away for a couple of days vacation and on ...

Cutting Calories - What’s Wrong With A Glass of Plain Water?
So, youre hooked to having a sugary drink with your meal?It's something I see people doing every almost every single day, wit...

Doll Collecting - How To Get Started
Dolls can be babies or high fashion models, sweet little girls or vampish sirens. There are almost as many kind of dolls as t...

Collecting, Storing and Care of Wool Baseball Caps
Wool baseball caps are not just part of baseball uniform but nowadays, the caps is part of fashion statement of almost all Am...

Holiday Wine Glass Coasters
Just in time for the holiday season!SUPPLIES:# assorted holiday fabrics - this means anything from cotton prints to silk or v...