New Martinsville Pink Etched Elegant Depression Console Bowl

I am so very lucky, so fortunate.  You see, I get to do exactly what I’ve always dreamed of – run my own business and buy, hold and admire beautiful glass.  I got into this when I found eBay in 1999 and realized that I could start a business.  I found the elegant glass section and was hooked.   I always enjoyed drooling over the wonderful crystal in department stores – and now I had the best of all possible worlds, buying and then selling this wonderful glassware.

I was blown away by the glass on eBay as before that I’d no idea there was a market for this, or reference books, nor any notion of the huge range and diversity of pattern, decoration, color, shape of vintage glass patterns.

This year I’ve decided to focus on selected items, instead of buying anything that looked interesting, and it’s paid off with more repeat customers, easier listings, a nascent community of fellow glass lovers.  The only downside is this means fewer “not sure what this is but it’s got to be something” purchases which always meant stints immersed in the stack of glass reference books.

So to you, my readers, please come along with me to enjoy and explore this beautiful vintage American craft.

New Martinsville Wild Rose Etched Candleholder

We talked before about how I can’t resist etched candle holders, how about you?  Leave a comment and let me know what you think about them.  I’m fascinated with the wide diversity of style and shape and just enjoy the beautiful etches and the neat shapes.

This came from a twice-yearly big flea market about 30 miles from us.  It was trying to rain and was real windy so many vendors were stashing their breakables early when we went into one of the last booths.  It was a youngish man selling vintage pottery with some nice glass including these candle holders.  He thought they were Cambridge and wanted quite a bit for them but everything was half off so he could get out of there.  I thought they were pretty nice although not Cambridge and at 50% off, almost reasonable.  So we got them.

The etch here is New Martinsville Wild Rose.  Sadly New Martinsville etches are not widely known, possibly because there isn’t a great reference book for them.   Prelude is the best known, which New Martinsville started and Viking continued.  I’ve had one other piece of Wild Rose and it is quite a pretty design and a little different from other rose etches.   Take a look at the loops under the center wild rose blossom; that’s how you can tell this pattern.

I’ll get this candle holder listed in the next week.  It’s such fun selling glass because it gives me a great excuse to buy it!