4. Stories for our 1000th+ newsletter !!!

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a story about your favorite antique or collectible to support@tias.com today
and you may win one as well !

We try to post stories and comments from our readers each week. Send your
story to newsletter@tias.com and we'll publish it in an upcoming newsletter. 
Please share your story about what you collect and what got you started
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Send us an email to newsletter@tias.com so we can share your story with the
rest of our readers.
==

My husband and I collect all kind of items-whatever strikes our fancy.  A few
years ago, he and I went to a subdivision yard sale and at one of the houses,
I spotted a ceramic ashtray with a baby and a dog on it.  On the bottom was
marked Imperial Porcelain.  I did not know of Imperial Porcelain, but thought
this I should buy.  As I do not like to pay full price, I asked if the $2
price was firm.  I bought it for a dollar.  I just feel like bargaining over a
price. While researching the item, found out it was Paul Webb's collectibles. 
Although there is not a book available about this collection, we have managed
to put together about 30 pieces.  I love the collection of hillbilly items. 
Still looking for more of the animals and figurines.  Pat H of Louisiana
==

Collecting Carnival Glass

By Scott Beale

The subject of collecting carnival glass is a subject that I normally do not
write about.  However, back in the mid-1980s that is exactly what I started
out collecting in the glass category.  As a shaker collector, perhaps that is
why I have a special interest in old carnival glass shakers.  I sold off my
carnival glass collection many years ago but my interest has been rekindled in
the past couple of years.  I guess once you collect carnival glass it never
really leaves you.  In my travels looking for shakers, should I see a nice
piece of carnival glass, I do not hesitate to buy it.  It finally got to the
point where I realized that I had over 100 pieces!

I would like to mention the late Lamar Sharp and how he really was a mentor to
me in collecting carnival glass, many years ago.  The Sharps were wonderful
people and I'm indebted to them for teaching me so much.  I have such great
memories visiting their house that was filled with so many beautiful examples
of this great glass.  Lamar loved his glass so much, you could just see it in
him when he talked about it and one of his favorite pieces was the Butterfly &
Tulip bowl.  When Lamar passed away, his wife Mary, had an image of this bowl
carved into his gravestone.  One may think that is kind of strange but in some
ways it identified something that was such a big part of his life.

For those who may not be familiar with carnival glass, it was first introduced
approx.  1907 and lasted into the 1920s when tastes began to change.  However,
carnival glass has lasted in various forms well into the 1960s and even the
1970s.  However, I'm concentrating on the early production for my collecting
interests.  Produced in the US as well as other countries, carnival glass must
possess two key components, it must have a pattern and must be iridized.

In those early days, Lamar Sharp instilled in me that condition and color are
key.  It does not have to necessarily be a rare pattern or color, but the very
best example you can find.  As far as the glass itself, in addition to the
pattern and the iridescence, carnival glass comes in many colors.  Color is
identified by the base glass color in most cases and not so much the
iridescence.  But do not count iridescence out for color identification!  It
does play a role in color identification.  Examples of that would be
descriptions like "Electric Blue" or "Emerald Green" to name just a couple. 
But in most cases, identification would come through the base glass color.
There are a couple of colors produced on clear glass where iridescence is what
identifies the color.  That would be Marigold and White, both very different
colors but both beautiful in their own ways.
[continued...]
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--- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Dada-2
 * Origin: Prism bbs (1:261/38)