Have You Looked Here to Find Depression Glass?
One place I found quite a few sets of depression glass was on Craigslist. Usually the sellers inherited the glass and didn’t want it. Most knew they had something nice and about had done some research and knew the pattern name but many did not.
Princess Pink Depression Glass 8 7/8 Inch Dinner Plate Purchased on Craigslist
I make a habit to check Craigslist occasionally for “depression”, “Fostoria”, “Cambridge”, “stemware” and “goblets”. You’ll see none of the terms include the search word “glass”, that’s because I found more useful listings without it. Try your search both ways. Check local and nearby areas.
Here’s what I found today.
“Depression” yielded a mixture of real depression glass and some later glass, lamps for Seasonal Affective Disorder, how-to scams and furniture. That’s about par for the course. I was intrigued with an estate sale that included a photo with quite a few pieces of colored glass, and if we were in town I’d go to it. The later glass include Fenton milk glass, Dewdrop punch bowl, and some snack sets. All of these are from the 1950s-70s.
The search found Roulette green depression glass plates, Madrid or Recollection amber pieces, and some very interesting footed tumblers. You’ll find photos that vary from ghastly to pretty good and descriptions are also all over the board. In our area about half the listings have just a piece or two while others have larger sets. Sets can be excellent buys provided they are in good condition.
Roulette Green Depression Glass Cup & Saucer
One listing made me smile. “3 Pieces of depression glass, $800. I know it’s worth more.” No photo and I can’t think of too many pieces of depression glass that would be worth over $260!
Tips to Shop on Craigslist
1. Email or phone to ask for more information. It’s always a good idea to confirm condition or get more information about the exact pieces and prices before you drive very far. Recently I found some green Whirlpool glass listed not too far from us. Had it been Heisey Zircon we’d have been in the car and up there likedy split. But I called first to get a better idea of the color since the photo looked a little too olive. The seller mentioned it had been a wedding gift about 45 years ago, which means it was the Imperial Whirlpool, not so interesting.
2. Agree on a neutral place to meet. We met folks in McDonald’s parking lots or someplace like that which is public. (And you can get a cup of coffee to celebrate when you are done!) We have gone to people’s homes, but that can be pretty iffy. For one thing you don’t know these folks and for another, if you are at someone’s house you will feel more pressure to purchase. One home we went to was an elderly couple selling a huge set of Cameo for an equally huge price. I felt rather obligated even though the glass was a bit disappointing. (Of course I can rarely turn down Cameo; it’s one of my favorites.)
Cameo Green Plate Bought on Craigslist
3. Agree on terms ahead of time. Will they take a check or cash only? Try to reach understanding of what you’ll do if the glass has damaged pieces. Will you prorate them? If you don’t discuss ahead then you may find your only choices are to pay for damaged items or walk.
You can also try placing a “want to buy” ad if there are specific patterns you want, but be wary. Craigslist can be a great place to find quality items, but do use caution and take care to check before you buy.