Youve seen the shows on television. Youve watched the auctions online. Youve read the stories in the newspaper. There always seems to be someone somewhere with an old dish theyve found in the corner of their attic that they were just about to throw away or donate to a thrift shop when someone advised them to have an expert take a look at it, or to put it up for auction online, or to place it somewhere for whatever you can get as long as it pays for your advertisement. And lo and behold! What they thought was fodder for the trash can or Goodwill turns out to be the rarest piece of glassware this side of the Atlantic, and theyve not only paid for their advertising theyve got no more financial worries for the remainder of their lives! Hearing such a story, I can guarantees it was not Depression Glass. While money can be made, given it was mass produced by many companies for a number of years and can still be bought and sold in many locations, it may be another couple of hundred years before a single piece can put you on easy street! But the very fact that professional dealers exist is an indication that money can be made in the buying and selling of Depression Glass. And knowing the value of each piece in your collection can have other purposes. There are times when knowing what your pieces are worth serves a practical purpose. Suppose your agent needs to know for loss-coverage purposes. Or maybe youve decided to get out of the Depression glass hobby and need to know an intelligent amount to place on your Depression glass pieces before you put them on the market. Or someone wanting to purchase a piece may approach you, and you need to know what amount to accept. Conversely, you may also be interested in acquiring a piece and need to have some idea of an amount that won't sound ridiculous. These are all valid reasons to know what your Depression glassware will bring on the current market. And thats the rub the current market. The current market is relative to several things, which make price-guide books just that guides. The best books can only give us ballpark figures because so many other things affect what we can or cant get for a piece of Depression glass. Where in the country -- or the world -- youre located, the supply and demand for whatever piece or pieces youre buying or selling, and, of course, the rarity and condition of the glassware youre interested in all these factor in to determine current market conditions. Another thing to always remember is this bottom line: Anything whatever it may be is worth whatever you are willing to give for it or to sell it for. It all boils down to how badly you want that Blue Ritz Royal Lace piece or how badly you want to get rid of it. So go ahead and get your hands on the most current guidebook. Study up on what people are giving and getting for pieces youre interested in. Talk to an expert, if you can. Afterward, use that information as a tool and a guideline, only. And then go purchase or sell that Depression glass piece and get your feet wet in the marketplace. Theres no greater teacher than experience! Until next time, Murray Hughes
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