We did not see many reproduction depression glass pieces on our antiquing jaunts this month, only a small fraction of the beautiful glass that dealers had displayed with care were fakes. On the positive side we found a real Sharon butter dish, which is rare, some lovely Heisey Empress Sahara pieces, rare Fostoria Beverly stemware and plenty of more common patterns.
The most ubiquitous reproductions were Recollection, the remade version of Madrid. I saw lots of the clear glass, sometimes displayed as “Recollection”, sometimes not labeled at all and once marked as Madrid. Here is the butter dish, which Federal did make in their lovely Madonna blue glass.
Reproduction Madrid Butter Dish at Antique Mall
This little relish is a knock-off of Imperial Glass lovely elegant pattern Candlewick. You’ll see this same piece in blue.
Reproduction Candlewick Amber Glass at Antique Mall
The next two reproductions are faux Mayfair. Hocking Glass originally made Mayfair in blue, pink, green, a little yellow and clear. They never made Mayfair in ruby red nor in carnival blue.
Here’s the cookie jar. You can find reproduced cookie jars in a dark shiny cobalt, amethyst and this pretty red that are always reproductions. For other colors, especially pink and green, check the underside of the bases. New ones have plain bases while the originals have a raised mold circle on the underside.
Reproduction Mayfair Red Cookie Jar
Shakers also are easy to spot, especially this color which Hocking never made.
Reproduction Mayfair Iridescent Blue Shakers
I don’t want to scare anyone away from liking depression glass. Remember that very few patterns were reproduced. Did you notice the pieces that were remade – butter dishes, cookie jars, shakers – these are the most commonly reproduced pieces. Most reproduction companies focused on pieces that either were costly (which the butter, cookie and shakers usually were) and on those piece that appeal to people who just like pretty glass but are not collectors.
You can learn a little about glass by reading about it, and checking the patterns you like best to see what pieces were reproduced. A little knowledge and you’ll be a whiz at buying real, not reproduction glass!