Glass collectors reach for a helping of cranberry

Turkeys and cranberry sauce, however, were not on the minds of European glass blowers in the 1600s when they added gold chloride to their pots of molten glass, creating the color ruby when reheated. Tossing in a bit less gold chloride resulted in a cranberry-colored glass.

Knowing just how much gold chloride and how much heat determined the shade of ruby or cranberry. This puzzle was resolved by individual glass blowers.

"Cranberry is a fairly modern term for the glass we love," said Larry Nellans of Fort Myers, Fla., a collector for 14 years. "Because the old blown glass was made by hand, there were no 'quality controls,' and the range of color is considerable."

Cranberry glass reached its height of popularity during the mid- to late-1800s. Nellans is particularly interested in glass from this period.

"The glass that I collect was mouth blown into a mold," he said. "That accounts for the mold shapes and the pontil scar on the bottom of the pieces."

Though cranberry glass is not lead crystal, it is old glass created at a time of much experimentation with glass techniques.

"Visit museums and antique shows to become familiar with the look and feel of old glass," said Nellans, who suggests beginning collectors read all they can about old glass before they buy.

Nellans also recommends that beginners speak with antique dealers who specialize in old glass. When you find one you like and trust; do business with them.

Buying online has advantages for those who already have the more common cranberry pieces.

"My search expanded to include the most rare," said Nellans. "The Internet increases your search area."

When buying online, ask lots of questions of the seller. Make sure to find out the return policy for items that do not live up to expectations or are not what was represented in the description.

Prices for cranberry have escalated substantially over the years.

"Prices have increased three to four times since I first started collecting," said Nellans. "The rarer the piece, the more the increase."

He finds the Midwest to have a broader cranberry market, so prices tend to be lower there.

Often those who begin their collection with solid cranberry, follow Nellans' path of specializing in a form of cranberry. For him, it was Victorian cranberry opalescent.

Blown cranberry opalescent leads the pack in the popular field of opalescent glass.

Rubina, Amberina, Rubina Verde and Crackle are attractive patterns for the specialized cranberry collector to pursue.

"My goal was to find all the pieces of a table set in each pattern," Nellans said. Not an easy goal as he collects several patterns -- Seaweed, Spanish Lace, Chrysanthemum Swirl and others.

Unusual finds are always a thrill. Nellans' most exciting was a Swastika syrup pitcher.

"Although the pattern had nothing to do with [World War II], it was still associated with German occupation, and most of this old pattern was destroyed. It is very rare to find a piece, especially in cranberry," Nellans said.

The syrup pitcher is valued at approximately $6,000 in top condition. Among the more prominent companies manufacturing cranberry glass were American Glass (1899-1890), Beaumont Glass (1895-1906) and Hobbs, Brokunier & Co. (1863-1888).

Many patterns had limited production runs because of the hazardous nature of producing mouth-blown glass.

"Fire was such a hazard, and often the factories burned down after only a few years of production," Nellans said. "One pattern, Consolidated Criss Cross, was only produced by the Consolidated Lamp and Glass Company, Fostoria, Ohio, from 1893-1894 before the factory burned to the ground."

"That particular pattern is very much in demand today. In fact, this past week I saw a covered butter dish in Consolidated Criss Cross sell for $900."

Copyright 2002 by Krause Publications. For a free catalog of Krause Publications books or periodicals on collectibles, write Public Relations, Dept. IC, Krause Publications, 700 E. State St., Iola, WI 54990-0001, or visit www.collect.com on the worldwide web, or e-mail info@krause.com.