Carnival Glass Bowls On Their Way Back
Carnival glass bowls form a part of a larger set of collectibles called carnival glass. Carnival glass is an inexpensive pressed glass to which an iridescent coating is applied or sprayed on, giving it an oil-like sheen. The process is known as doping, and hence the term "dope glass" was given to this particular form of glass. Being initially produced in the early 1900s the sales started to fall in the late thirties.
The glass manufacturer Fenton is the first, largest and widely recognized producer of carnival glass. To start with, this company decorated blank glass produced by other companies. In 1907 they started creating carnival glass. Fenton marketed its glassware immediately after starting production as "Iridill" or iridescent ware. This became popular and many other companies followed suit by making and marketing their own carnival glass bowls.
During the Depression in the late 1920s, demand on products began to decrease which impacted to sales reduction and partly dissemination of the market of glass companies. Because of this, some companies started selling merchandise to extremely low prices, which led to closure of business, just to get rid of stocks to carnivals which they use as prizes on games.
Carnival glass bowls experienced resurgence in popularity during the fifties. The term "carnival glass" was given to these items by the collectors after learning of their term as carnival prizes. Reproduction of carnival glass bowls were started by many companies. To this day carnival glass, particularly antique Fenton glass, is a prized collectable
At present, auctions, antique shops, and online stores are the best places where one could get carnival glass at various prices. Fenton antique glass as well as other well-known carnival glass fetches high prices. Popular colors of these glasses are marigold, as well as dark hues like blue and green. However, carnival glass bowls in red or pastel color are the costliest item of this category. On a popular auction website, one rare ice-blue plate sold for $16,327.55!
For the newbie collectors, there are a lot of resources with plenty of information. A lot of web sites and books are out there for information on the many sizes and shapes these antiques are available. There are organizations for would-be enthusiasts too, which is a good method to learn more.
Beautiful carnival glass bowls, made by pressing glass and covering it with an iridescent coating, are no longer made but still widely collected. Fenton glassware started making these bowls, marketed as iridescent ware, in 1907. Sales dropped during the depression. Carnivals bought up much of the stock for prizes, hence their name. Today antique Fenton glass demands high prices- up to $16,000 for a single bowl. Reproductions and other manufacturers are also bought and sold. There are many resources, including many books and internet sites, to help you get started collecting carnival glass.
Published August 10th, 2007
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