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Heart of Glass - Blenko Glass

Blenko Glass is a West Virginia treasure that spans generations. Nothing symbolizes the state of West Virginia better or more beautifully than Blenko Glass. We will discuss current and former craftsmen and designers and how important it is that Blenko and West Virginia glass be appreciated and valued by the younger generation.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Where to buy Blenko?

Hillary:

A couple of the bloggers have asked about sites that sell Blenko. I’m listing a couple of my favorites. I may or may not have bought anything from these sites, but I like to browse. Have folks keep in mind, when I’m calling something “reasonable,” or “pricey,” I’m thinking in terms of what I’m willing to spend. Just for a frame of reference, I’m a nearly 30-year civil servant of the City of Los Angeles, with a passion for glass, but furloughed to the tune of a 10% pay cut due to the City’s deepening financial woes. Bottom line, I have income, but not unlimited funds.

Glasshouse: http://www.vmglasshouse.com/ This is Damon Crain’s site; he sells very good, sometimes very pricey examples of Blenko’s Historic Period (1947 – 1974). He also has sales, and you can sometimes pick up a very rare item at a reasonable price. Reasonable to me, anyway. Site is very well laid out, exquisite photos.

Retro Gallery: http://www.retroglass.com/client/index.php Located in Los Angeles, I’ve only driven by once on the way to a meeting, but even the building is vintage and cool looking. Nice pieces, but high prices, considering what I have been able to find by hunting. Site is well laid out, photos decent.

Glass Landing: http://www.glasslanding.com/ Site owned by two Blenko collectors. Not a lot of selection, but what’s there is very nice. Site easy to navigate, two successive pages of Blenko glass.

Ruby Lane Antiques: http://www.rubylane.com/ The ultimate online antique mall. If this was a brick and mortar store, I’d be there every week. Vast number of listings by different “booth” owners, some who know what they have, some who don’t. I have gotten some wedding presents through them. You can search by name, but know like eBay, not everything listed as Blenko actually IS Blenko. Try looking for “cat decanter” and see if you can’t find a Husted treasure.

Montano’s Glass Repair: http://www.montanosglassrepair.com/ I’m including Wayne Montano in my list because he has repaired one decanter and currently is repairing another for me. Reasonable price, FABULOUS work, I don’t know anyone else I’d trust with my Blenko repairs. I will do another post strictly on the repairs he’s done for me, with before and after photos. If you have an existing piece that the cat knocked over, or are considering buying something in less than perfect condition because the price is good, consider including repair work in the cost of the item.

Blenko has a list on their site of authorized vendors of new glass. For the vintage, and when all your other “usual suspects” have let you down, try Google. http://www.google.com/ I just now did a search for “blenko glass decanter,” and it gave me GoAntiques: http://www.goantiques.com/ I do not have any experience with this site, but it looks worth exploring. In the same search, I also found TIAS: http://www.tias.com/ Again, never shopped there, but it looks interesting. As with all online sites, be safe, check their purchasing policies, research what you are considering for purchase, and have fun.

Best,

Diane

7 comments:

Phani said...

Lots of reasons to Buy Blenko!!
1. Supporting local, which is important to keep economy local
2. flurishment of local community and families
3. Making sure the local art gets recognized
4. Supporting local art by buying and promoting
5. Appreciating the beauty of glass designed by people who spend their lives in working on design and manufacture
6. Blenko has the tradition of producing glass which provides quality of glass and recognition country-wide if not world-wide.
7. Making sure the one of the country's oldest glass making companies gets back to its peak and recognized all over..
8. Promoting Tradition...

Anonymous said...

Finally time to catch up on the blog, and really enjoyed the pictures from Bruce, Diane and WV Janis. What a great picture of Tammy! The dedication and hard work it shows are awesome.
Now that fall is here, I'm getting out my Blenko pumpkin, gourds and other fall colored items. Mixed in with seasonal ceramics, they give a warm feeling to rooms. Less of a "living in a glass museum" feel than those of us with lots of glass often have at home.
Happy Halloween to everyone.
Car Girl

Anonymous said...

Cargirl
I thought of you and Glasslady last week. We had a very large
vintage car show in Kanawha County and we are having smaller one in Morgantown Nov 10th.
Sol

Anonymous said...

thank you diane
Betty

Anonymous said...

Thank you
I have saved these links.
Phani, I must meet you. Your comments are positive, and your thoughts beautiful.
CarGirl
Will there ever be another meeting in Milton?
Sol,
I met you while shopping in Milton, where you ask me if I might be Glass Lady. This led me to believe you didn't know Hilary.
Jen
Jen

DrAnnu said...

Diane
I passed along the glass repair info to my Mom.
Thank you. A person she used for years, died in 2005. This is a dying art form.
My suggestin to readers keep this address, even if you have no current need.

glassbug said...

Diane
My friends and I love you!