Our last post looked at the pieces of Normandie depression glass that Federal produced, but we didn’t talk much about availability. Normandie is not an abundant pattern, at least not in pink or amber and prices reflect that.
Federal made every piece of Normandie in both pink and amber but it is pretty hard to find the pitcher, sugar lid, iced tea, salt and pepper shakers and nearly impossible to find the pink dinner plate (and amber dinners aren’t thick on the ground either.) However, don’t despair of ever finding enough glass to set your table. Federal made a grill plate and luncheon plate that are available occasionally. If you can use those instead of the dinner size then you can have a full dinnerware set in either color with some searching and quite a bit of cash.
The main drivers of price for depression glass are demand and availability. People collect Normandie in both colors but it is not as popular as American Sweetheart or Mayfair. Even though the supply is limited the lower demand keeps prices down. I find amber is a little higher than Patrician amber for the more common pieces, but overall in the same ballpark. For most pieces figure amber is about half to two thirds the pink price.
Hazel Marie Weatherman used a stars and stripes code to show popularity and availability respectively for patterns. Even back in 1981 she gave pink 3 stars, meaning many people collected it, and 1 stripe meaning it was hard to find. Amber had 2 stars and 1 stripe meaning it was a bit easier to find and the Sunburst iridescent was 2 stars and 2 stripes. She noted that back in 1976 both pink and amber were extremely scarce and the sugar lid impossible.
When a pattern is nigh on impossible to find admirers gravitate to other glass. They may choose the similar Patrician, or perhaps Mayfair or another set of glass that they can enjoy looking for and finding. Normandie is hard to collect no matter how pretty it is.
Scarce Pieces
Pitcher
The pitcher is an interesting shape and although uncommon, the the amber is not pricey. Mine is listed on Etsy for $60.
Pink pitchers are scarce although there are two on eBay as I write this (September 5, 2016) priced between $130 and $165. For comparison Dogwood pitchers are around $300 and Mayfair $30-100 depending on size.
Plates
Gene Florence mentions that he has had only one pink dinner plate in 40 years collecting and hadn’t seen any in over 8 years! I found none on eBay.
The 9 1/4 inch luncheon plate is also scarce but you can find it. There were a couple listed on eBay today.
Sugar Lid
The sugar lid is extremely scarce and valuable in both colors, even more so in pink. One seller has an amber lid but shows it with small chips. It’s easy to bang sugar lids or they can slide right off the base and break.
Iced Tea and Other Tumblers
Replacements shows the pink iced tea for $140 and the flat water glass for $60. There is one iced tea and several water tumblers on eBay so they can be found, but it would take a while to accumulate enough to use with your family.
Salt and Pepper Shakers
I saw these at a depression glass show but nowhere else. There are no pink shakers on eBay or Replacements and only one amber shaker on eBay today.
Availability Summary
We’ve been rating glass patterns for how easy they are to collect. Ideally we want glass where some basic pieces are easy so we don’t lose interest and can get enough to serve dessert or enjoy the sun sparkling on the windowsill. We also want a few pieces that are harder. Antiquing is fun and having an elusive piece or two adds to our enjoyment.
Normandie has a few pieces that are available. You could easily get small plates, cups and saucers on eBay in either color. But the elusive pieces are more than elusive, they are almost non-existent. Based on this I’m giving Normandie a 5 for availability.
If you collect Normandie please leave a comment here or on our Facebook page (www.DepressionGlassFun.com) and tell us what pieces you have and what you think of antiquing for this beautiful pattern.