About half the depression glass patterns include shakers in their line up of dinnerware and accessory pieces. You can find shakers in elegant glass patterns too, especially those that companies made for several years and with plenty of dinnerware items.
There are many collectors who enjoy shakers of all sorts, ranging from whimsical ceramic ones to elegant etched crystal. If you’ve been to any antique mall you’ll have seen booths that have loads of shakers; they are fun little items.
If you like shakers enjoy but do be careful. Metal tops corrode if you leave the salt in the shaker and the shaker isn’t real useful when it’s empty!
Cameo Green Depression Glass Shaker With Partial Lid
My Rose Point shakers don’t have corrosion but the chrome on the lids is peeling.
Rose Point 3400/77 Salt and Pepper Shakers with Metal Lids
Sometimes the pepper and salt can make the glass cloudy. Try cleaning the glass body with cotton tipped swabs.
Jeannette used plastic lids on Floragold that split and break.
Floragold 4 1/2 Inch Footed Salt and Pepper Shakers with Good Lids
Floragold Shaker Cracked Lid
Since shakers are popular the scam artists who make counterfeit glass have targeted them in several patterns. The only fakes I personally have seen are Mayfair and the ones we spotted were dark cobalt and iridescent blue, obvious fake because Hocking did not make Mayfair in those colors.
Reproduction Mayfair Iridescent Blue Shakers
Gene Florence mentions reproduction shakers in Cameo, Floral, Florentine #1, Mayfair, Miss America and Sharon and of course Cherry Blossom so be aware. He gives instructions on how to spot most of the fakes.
Do not worry too much about fake depression glass; most patterns have not been reproduced and if you decide to collect one that has some reproduction pieces out there then get a good book and learn to spot the fakes. Usually the fakes are pretty easy to tell.