glasshouse
selling vintage Blenko and Empoli glass since 1998
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Ten Things You Should Know |
Above: group photos showing a sampling of available inventory at time of publication |
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| 1. These are still "early days" for collecting Historic Period Blenko glass. Sure, the easy picking are long gone, and in the 10 or so years since it hit the popular consciousness prices have gone from nothing to thousands of dollars for a single piece, but in the long view, this is an ideal time to be collecting. With over 200 items available online, Vintage Modern glasshouse offers the largest single dealer selection of mid-century production glass on the internet. In fact, I know of no other dealer anywhere offering the quality and quantity of Historic Period Blenko that I do. And everything is vetted and guaranteed, backed with a 100% satisfaction no-cost return policy. |
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2. I strongly recommend reading every single page of the Blenko Museum's website www.blenkoarchive.org no other website can compare; it is the final word on vintage Historic Period Blenko glass for all collectors. I particularly recommend the pages on cleaning and identification. |
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| 3. There is only one good and even reasonably accurate book published on the work of the Blenko Glass Company; the Eason Eige book "Blenko Glass, 1930-1953", (out of print but available on www.abebooks.com) by Eason Eige and Rick Wilson, Antique Publications, 1987 ISBN No. 0-915410-34-6 . Yes, it contains a few misidentifications in the color photos, but it provides great background on the company's founding.
On the topic of books, it is worth pointing out that the Schiffer books on the work of the Blenko Glass Company are outrageously inaccurate, sloppy and very thin on information. Their catalog reprints can be useful even if they do omit the biggest chunk of the Blenko Glass Company's most important years (1929-1958!), but in my experience most collectors do not have the time or patience to pour through them to synthesize the (very) raw information in order to make useful sense of it. Go to www.blenkoarchive.org instead. One day it would be nice to have a high quality and comprehensive book on the work of the Blenko Glass Company, but that requires many, many factors to converge in order to happen properly; be patient and one day I am sure it will be worth the wait. In the meantime be happy knowing that a good book will only make the market hotter, so use the interim time well (to shop of course). |
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| 4. Not sure if what you have is authentic or don't know what it is? Nervous about buying online? I offer many great services that many of my customers don't seem to know about; identification & valuations, group photos, as well as a special "on approval" and delivery service to Manhattan customers (meaning I bring to you any pieces you would like to see in your home, or you can pick them up and try them out - many savvy decorators have taken advantage of this as well as my best local customers). All purchases made through me are automatically enrolled in the Blenko Museum's provenance registry. | ||||||||||
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5. All my past articles and press are published online on my Press Archive page. Yes, among the articles on Blenko glass there is a certain degree of repetition - I wish it weren't the case but each editor so far has required the same degree of background info while at the same time giving a similar maximum word-count. this leaves only a bit or room for slanting the information to a new angle. Fortunately each article has reached an entirely different audience and generated significant new interest (and each one has new photos!). To date, my favorite article is the one published by the National American Glass Club. |
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| 6. Similarly, all my previous newsletters are archived online and can be accessed on the Newsletter Archive page. Topics covered include how to authenticate, how to determine quality, how to display your glass, and the state of the market. | ||||||||||
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Above: My top 10 favorite designs! |
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| 7. These are my TOP 10 all-time favorite designs produced by the Blenko Glass Company (this was EXTREMELY hard to do and is subject to revision - top 30 would have been easier!) in chronological order: 917 Patio Vase, 552 Portrait vase, 5727, 5832 three-part epergne, 5928, 6534, 6713, 6732L, 7043L, 7220, all shown above in order, left to right, top to bottom.
And if I could just grab ONE in a fire, it would be my 5928 (the 3-part epergne would be too hard to carry). |
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| 8. I am proud to say that I don't own anywhere near as much glass as many of you have told me you assume I own. I am still embarrassed that in a one bedroom Manhattan apartment I have as much as I do (most is in storage and now 173 are on display - a bit much for my liking). My personal collection has fewer than 400 pieces in it. In fact, as I have told many of you, I firmly believe that of the thousands of original designs produced by the Blenko Glass Company in its Historic Period, no more than 400 are really worth owning for the discriminating collector. It is far better to have 10 great pieces than 100 mediocre pieces (for more on this please read this past Newsletter #3). | ||||||||||
(warning: digression begins!) 9. Like the rest of you, glass is only one facet of my life and interests. In fact, truth be told, I am not really interested in glass - my fascination is with design, art and culture. Glass is but one form of expression of these things and Empoli glass and Historic Period Blenko interest me as outstanding examples that say so much about the world while simultaneously being beautiful to look at. Some non-glass websites I strongly recommend and read at least weekly: Artnet Magazine, Arts Journal, designboom, design observer, The New York Times (of course) and Edward Winkleman |
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10. I recognize that the customers I am so fortunate to have, know that they are buying both luxury goods and items of historical importance. I am thankful to be working with such educated, cultured and friendly people. It is my goal to always provide a quality of service and product that exceeds your expectations. I am always thrilled to have your feedback and to chat. If you are coming to New York let me know! Please email me with your comments! |
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email us: info@vmglasshouse.com
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