People keep calling any old glass 'depression glass' at the flea market

I've been hitting the same big flea market in Springfield for about five years now, and there's this thing that bugs me every time. Sellers will slap a 'depression glass' label on any piece of colored glassware from the 70s or 80s, and charge way too much for it. I saw a lady pay $45 for a green dish last week that was clearly 1970s Avon, not 1930s at all. It matters because real depression glass has specific patterns, colors, and marks, and it's a piece of history. When everything gets called that, it makes it harder for new collectors to learn and they end up wasting money. I know because I made that mistake myself when I started, buying a pink 'hobnail' vase that turned out to be a 1980s reproduction. How do you guys tell the real stuff from the fakes or just the wrong era?

2 comments

2 Comments

kelly_chen1d ago

Wait, FORTY-FIVE DOLLARS for Avon? That's insane! That seller should be ashamed. It's one thing to not know, but that feels like they're tricking people on purpose. You're totally right, it ruins it for newbies. I always tell people to look up the real patterns online before they buy anything. The colors on the new stuff are way too bright and perfect.

michaelrodriguez1d ago

Ugh, that drives me nuts too. It really does make it harder for everyone starting out. I got burned a few times before I learned to check for seams and the quality of the glass. Real old glass often has tiny bubbles and the mold lines feel different. You just have to study the real patterns until you know them by sight.