WHAT TO COLLECT NOW: 19th-century pressed glass goblets
When pressed glass—or pattern glass—goblets were first introduced in the 1850s, they were an immediate success, prized for their beauty and function. From 1850 to 1910, goblets in hundreds of patterns were produced by American and Canadian manufacturers. Many patterns also were produced in complete sets of glass tableware—including compotes and other serving pieces. Today, pattern glass goblets are a highly popular collecting category.

“Clear glass goblets are more popular than colored glass,” says dealer Betsy Hewlett, a pattern-glass dealer at The Mews in Brewster (508/896-4887; bheapg7@aol.com), a group shop on Cape Cod in Brewster, Massachusetts. Most of the goblets Hewlett sells were made in the 1850s through 1880s. The 1850s and 1860s goblets were made of leaded glass, and emit a bell-like tone when tapped; after the mid-1860s, the goblets were made of soda-lime glass (lead had been co-opted for use as ammunition during the Civil War) and feature more detailed designs.

Patterns popular with collectors today include New England Pineapple, Horn of Plenty, Ashburton, Open Rose, Bleeding Heart, Liberty Bell, and Holly. “New England Pineapple is particularly welcoming because of the pineapple symbol itself, which means welcome,” notes Hewlett. Prices range from $35 for a later Open Rose to $125 for an early New England Pineapple. “Availability and uniqueness drive the price,” says Hewlett.

When buying an antique pattern glass goblet, check to make sure it’s not scratched and that the inside has not become cloudy or “thick.” Hewlett says discoloration of 19th-century clear-glass goblets can be caused by putting the goblets in direct sunlight or in a dishwasher.

And while some people collect only one pattern, many collectors buy goblets in a variety of patterns, says Hewlett. “They can mix and match the goblets, and it makes a great conversation piece when entertaining,” the dealer notes.

For a look at popular pressed-glass patterns, check this link http://www.uwsp.edu/cofac/goblets/web/favorites.aspx to view the “50 Favorites Collection” from the Dorothy & Jacque Vallier Early American Pressed Glass Goblet Collection, part of the permanent collection of the Edna Carlsten Gallery at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. For more information about pressed glass, go to www.eapgs.org, the Web site of the Early American Pattern Glass Society.