Rare glass tumbler made before 1903

#Middlebury #Antiques

History repeats itself, and collectors who research their collections are often surprised by the findings. In 1892, a group of businessmen in Greentown, Indiana, invested in a company that was brought in by the newly found fuel – natural gas – that had been discovered there. Two years later, the Indiana Tumbler and Goblet Company had attracted workers and changed the economy of the small town. The company joined the National Glass Company in 1899, and they made many types of colored glass that are popular but scarce today.

This Nile Green glass tumbler made by the Indiana Tumbler and Goblet Company before 1903 sold at a recent auction for almost $900. The glass is very rare. (Kovels photo)

The company was making pressed glass in colors when Jacob Rosenthal arrived in 1900. He was an experienced glass maker. The first new product was chocolate glass, an opaque brown and white glass that was a huge success. Next was an opaque medium green color called Nile green, then golden agate, rose agate, holly amber, milk glass and Vaseline glass.

Unfortunately, in 1903 there was a fire. The entire factory was destroyed and never rebuilt. But pieces like this Nile green tumbler attract collectors. This 4-inch-high tumbler sold at a Jeffrey Evans auction for $888.

Q: How do I sell three programs from the 1969 Woodstock festival that are in excellent condition, and what is the range of their value?

A: The program is one of the few official souvenirs of the three-day music festival, which took place in a hayfield 40 miles from Woodstock, New York. No official Woodstock merchandise was sold at the event. The programs didn’t arrive until the last day, when there were no vendors to sell them, so they were thrown from the delivery truck, some in the boxes they came in. Not many survived in good condition because of the rain and the mud, or they were discarded and trampled on by the crowd.

The program has been reproduced. The letter “f” in the title “3 days of peace & music” on the cover of the original program is slightly fuzzy because it’s in the bud of the sunflower. It’s clearer in the reproduction. The first and last pages of the original program are onionskin parchment. The reproduction pages are not as thin. Original Woodstock programs sell at auctions of rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia. Value of the right single program in good condition is about $200.

Current Prices
Bohemian glass bowl, amethyst iridescent, veining pattern, red interior, scalloped rim, polished pontil base, Pallme-Koenig, 2 by 6 inches, $50.
Mt. Washington salt & pepper shakers, yellow, multicolor flowers, fig shape, 2 3/4 inches, pair, $105.
Advertising sign, “Eat Honey, Feel Better, Live Longer,” image of a bee, tin, yellow letters, black ground, 1930s, 4 by 11 inches, $215.
Wristwatch, Raymond Weil, Parsifal, stainless steel, bicolor gold, Roman numerals, date window, 34 mm dial, $340.

TIP: Never allow water to evaporate in a glass vase. It will leave a white residue that may be impossible to remove.

For more collecting news, tips and resources, visit www.Kovels.com.

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