There are those 'people' who say Blenko Glass www.blenkoglass.com hasn't had great design since the early 60s. The Blenko Museum www.blenkomuseum.org has a sampling of all the 'great Blenko designs' today I have lifted a few of John Nickerson's designs.
You'll want to check out the Blenko Museum, the photos are beautiful, professional photos by Damon Crain. The documentation is accurate. Great source for research and information gathering. Or if you are like me .....its a WishBook site!
Note: To learn more about these photos, the description of the glass etc go to www.blenkomuseum.org .
Any one have these items in their collection?
John Nickerson Gallery; 1970-74
14 comments:
Question for ya
I plan my vacation around the birthday sell
will blenko be open on june 20th?
I AM CUTTING AND PASTING BUT THIS IS THE ANSWER TO YOUR IS SIGNED BLENKO WORTH MORE
IT IS REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE BLENKO PRESIDENT SOCIETY SAYS:
SEE THIS ARTICLE
Kovels: Signed Blenko glass worth more
by Terry Kovel
Friday October 10, 2008, 3:57 PM
This 29-inch-high orange glass bottle with stopper is unsigned, but it was probably made by Blenko Glass Co. Orange was a popular color in the 1960s. The bottle sold for $540 at a Treadway/Toomey auction in Oak Park, Ill.Collectors are beginning to realize that Blenko glass has had an important influence on glass design in America.
The Eureka Art Glass Co. (later renamed Blenko Glass Co.) opened in Milton, W.Va., in 1921. William Blenko, Eureka's founder, had tried glassmaking before but had failed. He soon introduced some manufacturing improvements. He invented a process for making large sheets of antique-looking glass and developed a ruby glass that didn't change color when reheated.
The company made a good product, and Blenko's son Bill was a successful salesman. The glassworks sold colored glass for stained-glass windows, but the Depression destroyed that market. So the company started to make tablewares. Blenko hired two trained Swedish glassblowers who made classically shaped glass in many colors. They also made reproductions of old glass as well as modern designs.
By the mid-1940s, after the war, unusual forms of colorful glass were sold. Blenko glass became a favorite in gift stores and an ideal decoration in a ¤'50s room. Chartreuse-colored glass was a hit, abstract designs sold well, and very tall colored vases were designer favorites. The glass was considered important enough to be included in museum exhibits right next to the best Swedish and Italian pieces.
Blenko is still working today, and its glass pieces are still cleverly designed and sell well. Collectors have started to buy the earlier pieces, and prices are rising. Signed pieces bring the highest prices.
The 2005 "Kovels' Antiques and Collectibles Price List" shows the price for Bing & Grondahl's 1969 Mother's Day plate at $450. Is this a typo? I have not found that price anywhere else.
ALSO CHECK OUT THE MILTON BLOG TO LEARN YOU ARE A MINDLESS CHEERLEADER
NOT SURE HOW YOU GOT TO GRADUATE SCHOOL
IT COULD ALSO MEAN ALL THOSE PEOPLE ARE ALREADY PHD HOLDERS
MOUNTAIN RITA
I AM CUTTING AND PASTING BUT THIS IS THE ANSWER TO YOUR IS SIGNED BLENKO WORTH MORE
IT IS REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE BLENKO PRESIDENT SOCIETY SAYS:
SEE THIS ARTICLE
Kovels: Signed Blenko glass worth more
by Terry Kovel
Friday October 10, 2008, 3:57 PM
This 29-inch-high orange glass bottle with stopper is unsigned, but it was probably made by Blenko Glass Co. Orange was a popular color in the 1960s. The bottle sold for $540 at a Treadway/Toomey auction in Oak Park, Ill.Collectors are beginning to realize that Blenko glass has had an important influence on glass design in America.
The Eureka Art Glass Co. (later renamed Blenko Glass Co.) opened in Milton, W.Va., in 1921. William Blenko, Eureka's founder, had tried glassmaking before but had failed. He soon introduced some manufacturing improvements. He invented a process for making large sheets of antique-looking glass and developed a ruby glass that didn't change color when reheated.
The company made a good product, and Blenko's son Bill was a successful salesman. The glassworks sold colored glass for stained-glass windows, but the Depression destroyed that market. So the company started to make tablewares. Blenko hired two trained Swedish glassblowers who made classically shaped glass in many colors. They also made reproductions of old glass as well as modern designs.
By the mid-1940s, after the war, unusual forms of colorful glass were sold. Blenko glass became a favorite in gift stores and an ideal decoration in a ¤'50s room. Chartreuse-colored glass was a hit, abstract designs sold well, and very tall colored vases were designer favorites. The glass was considered important enough to be included in museum exhibits right next to the best Swedish and Italian pieces.
Blenko is still working today, and its glass pieces are still cleverly designed and sell well. Collectors have started to buy the earlier pieces, and prices are rising. Signed pieces bring the highest prices.
The 2005 "Kovels' Antiques and Collectibles Price List" shows the price for Bing & Grondahl's 1969 Mother's Day plate at $450. Is this a typo? I have not found that price anywhere else.
ALSO CHECK OUT THE MILTON BLOG TO LEARN YOU ARE A MINDLESS CHEERLEADER
NOT SURE HOW YOU GOT TO GRADUATE SCHOOL
IT COULD ALSO MEAN ALL THOSE PEOPLE ARE ALREADY PHD HOLDERS
MOUNTAIN RITA
I will have the Sam Husted style bottle with the stopper. Very nice! Looks very well made, someone took their time and you can see that they loved what they were doing. Hope you Aced your boards as I know that you did. I got caught up on the blog again and must say I do have alot of that green fostoria,glasses that are tall and set flat no stem, with a round bottom, look like something you would put a float in, they match 8135. They have a design on them also. Nice, light green. Then I have a Blenko cracked glass Sam Husted style bottle, jars with lids and a old oil lamp in green. I laugh about the cystal because some of it was at one time being sold at the old ACME grocery stores brought some and have afew pieces around somewhere. Teapots, NO, coffee pots for me. I have a old corning teapot that I use everyday for Rog is a tea drinker. Do you know that if I break that one I can take it back and get another one.Just need the handle and lid. The Avon bottles I do have several, I even have a Black Volkswagon bottle, Guns, birds, plates and My most prized pieces are two plates done in indingo blue of the last supper and Jesus feeding the people. Those did not sale well for some reason and only those two plates where all to the collection.Makes me think one mans junk another man's riches.I still have a punch bowl and the cups to match. Now there is something we need to see if Blenko made! Those where do you put it when not in use punch bowls. My set is Fostoria or depression glass. I would say depression glass. Gave my daughter the dessert bowl with the eight serving dishes, my grandy brought that right there in Charlestown, West Virginia at Virginia's Beauty Shop, where in the day you ordered and got wedding presents, baby shower and special gifts for those days of celebrating. The world of saving the pass so that someone will remember those good old days. I know they washed alot of dishes, they had different ones for everything.Yes I more than got my turn washing all the glass. Grannies seemed to have all kinds. I forgot to tell you that my Lamp's name is THE MOON! Turn all the lights off and it gives just the right amount of light. Looks like the moon on top of that cobalt blue. Just beautiful. That I will say if you want a nice lamp, might look alittle big, only it is not, get a Sam Husted style lamp before they are all gone. The lamp shade covers the bulb, so that you don't get the direct light in your eyes. Just The Moon and yes it is on right now. Only gets used when the moon is out.So next Valentines Day guys get your girl a Blenko Lamp to set the mood for the evening. Just as good as candle light. I could think of all kind of things to say about the tall Sam Husted style Lamps. I do know at the Gift Shop that they are not over priced for a good lamp and a collector's dream. You get two for the price of one. Now that is a real bargain. Well I have went on long enough. Hve a good day to all and will read again. Lov Ya Roxie
Hilly
At Blenko today one of the ladies informed me you were pining :her verb: with an Indian Doc. Were they teasing me?
What gives?
Sol
No you must stop with these link, just wasted 3 hours.
DID YOUR READER KNOW BIG TWO MILE IS NOT THE CURRENT GAS SUPPLIER OF BLENKO AND THAT THEY WERE NOT THE ONE WHO TURNED THE GAS OFF
THIS WAS BAD RUMOR>
THE GAS WAS TURNED OFF WHEN BLENKO FAILED TO PAY THE NEW GAS COMPANY. " you must remember that Blenko voluntarily turned off the gas when they did not pay the exiting gas company"
STOP BAD MOUTHING BIG TWO MILE
GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT HILARY.
MOUNTAIN RITA
These are absolutely beautiful pieces of art!!
Phani
For M. Rita,
Those of us who READ the original post and press release knew that Big Two Mile was not the current gas supplier, they were the former supplier with a judgement against Blenko for many dollars. The check to the current supplier was recovered after Big Two Mile emptied Blenko's accounts, since it would have bounced like a rubber ball otherwise. That was why the current supplier turned off the gas.
Also, I'm familiar with the Kovel's article, and it is the earlier, generally pre-1980,large pieces of signed glass that is going up in value. The more recent and common pieces value changes very little being signed or unsigned. The rare pieces, as in any other item, will generally be higher.
Please know more about what you are talking about before bad-mouthing people.
L.B. Evans
Good morning Hillary! Just got done reading that Milton blog and boy some need to get new glasses or go have their eyes checked. All that cutting and pasting must cause them to get lost, or confused or something. By the way tell your Mom and Uncle Barry I send my love. Has that Uncle of yours who lives in South Carolina and is saided to have one of the largest Blenko collections around gotten Married yet? You know I am having fun for it upsets me when people get information wrong and talk crap that they know nothing about. Your parents home is a Blenko Museum, You are a who's who in young people in this country, you made me a set of partials that I know I could not of gotten here in Charleston for the price and the excellent work. So lets all get back to the art of Blenko and loving this wonderful state of WV. Leave the gossip for the people who have not learnt it is not their job to judge, why someone loves what they happen to love. Life is to short for all the drama that some people live for. Figure they must be bored. Also why did Blenko not sale shares of the company to their employees, I know a grocery store owner who when his store went under that is what he did and you know until Martins and Walmarts come along they all made money.Only this generation is not bothered about collecting because most are being given too all the time and have not been taught the value of anything. with a few exception. My daughter had her first checking account at 15 so managering your life is a full time job and HIllary I know how hard college and decision making and taking test can be and I feel you don't need the added stress of what other people might put on this blog wrong and any one who does not pay their gas bill will not have a gas meter long. Not just Blenko! If the electric was off up at Milton just maybe God did that for a reason for here in Cabin Creek we had electric. lov ya, Roxie
In Response to Mountain Rita's cut and paste- Please remember most of the authors of these guides do NOT specialize in Blenko glass. If I'm not mistaken the Kovels specialize in pottery and porcelain. They've parlayed that into a collectibles company, but are by no means experts on Blenko. Damon Crain authored a Blenko entry for Miller's Antiques and Collectible guides, which gives that article some weight. In fact pieces listed as Blenko in the books often aren't even Blenko, and then the whole mistaken identity thing starts up. Please keep this in mind, who is more likely to know more about a Chrysler? A general mechanic or a Chrysler dealership? Blenko experts throughout the country have more resources, and knowledge about this collectible that most famous "experts". Hope that clears up some doubts.
Anonymous:
Keep your vacation plans for June 20th until we hear otherwise from Blenko Glass. At Heart of Glass we are thinking positively!
Mountain Rita:
Tim is one of my glass guru's I'd go with him before the Kovels.
We all like our Blenko signed but who knows if it will greatly increase the value, it will help your grandchildren identify the glass at the estate sale.
SOL:
LMAO if you are being honest, someone was playing a hoax on you.
Roxie:
Welcome back and thank you for the kind words.
Mountain Rita : For clarification - 2mile attached the bank account so Blenko had no remaining funds with which to pay the gas carrier.
hjh
MOUNTAIN RITA its big two miles fault they counld not pay the current gas supplier(they took all their money) which really ticks me off because just last week Ed Maier took a bunch of people out to eat after a concert at the clay center and was heard bragging that Blenko was paying for it....this man is nothing but a jerk... i think all 50 Blenko employees including myself and every other spouse of a blenko employee should have went up there and protested!!! He is out wineing and dining while we can barly afford to pay our bills...its just not right!!!!
Anonymous
Not sure how you slipped by but -
Carification
BLENKO has given no money to Ed Maier. (Also Maier would not need Blenko or anyone else to finance dinners - do you like in or around WV? The Maier name is known for chairty and community gifts)
Thus the law suit for non payment.
Let us refrain from starting new rumors.
I too am sad and angry to have Blenko facing these issues. Trust me, I feel your pain, your frustration and your anger. If your husband works at Blenko- then you know my goal has been only to promote Blenko.
hjh
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