Last Minute Shopping? May we suggest you BUY LOCAL!

Each year on Small Business Saturday,  my thoughts drift to WHY,  why aren't more of us going to the local hardware store - instead of the big box stores?   WHY not visit the locally owned dress shops all year long Not just on Small Business Saturday.
I've made the decision to buy local when possible and always to buy the best quality of each item I can afford.

If you live in the tri-state,   we suggest BLENKO GLASS www.blenkoglass.com .Blenko is both local and high quality.     Blenko has handcrafted items ranging in price for $12 to $300.

At Blenko you'll find something for everyone on your shopping list.  
Stocking stuffers to the main event  . . .  BLENKO GLASS is one stop shopping.

Blenko Glass Company #384 Water bottle

384 Water Bottle

$53.00 – $69.00

Our iconic Water Bottle. Featured in magazines, on TV and online.


The #384 water bottle is the single longest running item in the BLENKO GLASS line.
The water bottle has blogs devoted to it - thousands of people who collect only the Blenko Glass water bottles.
A few years ago they added the mini - which makes collecting in a small home - much easier!


On occasion Blenko issues a special limited edition of the #384.


This color is one of our favorites.  We hope you'll consider #384 water bottle for your gift closet! 

Add caption

Sometimes....you are too late! Blenko Glass . Heart of Glass Blog.

This one is out of stock before my post appears...perhaps Blenko will produce more later.   Fingers crossed.

Kiwi Tree w/White Frit

$89.00

Our 9’’ tall Christmas Tree now accented with White frit to resemble a dusting of snow. Only a limited number of these on hand. Order yours while supplies last!!!

Blenko Glass. Heart of Glass Blog. Big is Better?

1516 Chess Piece Bottle

$175.00

One of our largest pieces in our current line. Decanter with fitted stopper resembling a chess piece. Available in your choice of Clover or Seabreeze. 24” tall.

1516 Chess Piece Bottle

$175.00

This item is pricey - but its the ultimate gift!  you'll definitely impress the recipient -even if they don't collect Blenko!

Perfect also for the Mid Century Collector.

This was the first item I purchased for myself as an adult.  My parents owned 5 from the time Wayne Husted was at Blenko.  Recently the gave to the Mission their Large Chess Pieces and four of the five smaller ones as they downsize for the next caper in their lives.

One of our largest pieces in our current line. Decanter with fitted stopper resembling a chess piece. Available in your choice of Clover or Seabreeze. 24” tall.

Blenko Glass Company. Last minute Xmas Shopping?

Everyone needs a new pitcher....

1010D Diamond Optic Pitcher

$89.00

Diamond Optic Pitcher finished with an elegant crystal handle. Available in Crystal, Seabreeze, Spring Green, Tangerine & Azure. 8'' tall.

Blenko Glass Company. Handcrafted, unique items .

This could be the 'perfect' pitcher!

2514 Waffle Pitcher

$89.00

Waffle Pitcher accented and finished with waffle marks. Available in Crystal, Topaz, Spring Green & Bermuda Blue. 8'' tall.

Blenko Glass . Heart of Glass Blog.

Spirit of the Season Open House:
(Dec 1 – Dec 22)

Join us as we kick off our Spirit of the Season Open House!
All ornaments and holiday items are 15% off during the event (excluding Limited and Special Edition items).
Check out our Limited and Special Edition items, including one-of-a-kind designers creations, experimental pieces, and other unique finds!

Blenko Glass Company. BLENKO CATS!

When visiting the Blenko Glass factory you'll see many CATS in and outside of the factory,   along with geese and duck wandering around the ponds on the  property.   The Blenko Family and employees are animal lovers. 

In my family due to allergies we are NOT  a part of the large community of CAT People. We do admire beautiful cats and   I have may friends who live with the most amazing cats.   For years Blenko has created  a small cat, ( under critters)  that was affordable to children who visit Blenko.

          This year Blenko is adding a larger cat.   If you or someone on your shopping list is a CAT LOVER this is the item for you.   

3216 Assorted Cool Cats

$39.00

Assorted Cool Cats. All handmade and each unique. These pieces take the form of a seated cat with facial features and a long tail. Fun, whimsical and captivating in their individuality. At this time Cool Cats are offered as an assorted item. Frit colors are chosen by the makers and vary when ordering online. 4-4.5” tall.

Blenko Glass. Serving Plates.

Give your homemade goodies on a handcrafted plate.

732P Asymmetrical Plate

$42.00

Asymmetrical Plate available in your choice of Crystal, Cobalt, Kiwi & Topaz. *Note-our product is not oven, microwave or dishwasher safe. (Stand Not Included) Approx. 10” in diameter.


If you are like my Mom and many women over 65 - you enjoy gifting homemade goodies.
An interesting way to 'up' this gift is to add a BLENKO GLASS plate or a Fiesta Plate.  The goodies and the plate are your gift.  No need to wrap!


Blenko is making it easier this year - they are opper the asymmetrical plate in multiple colors.

Blenko Glass Company. 2017 new Item - Snowman with cobalt scarf

Each year Blenko Glass in Milton, WVa creates new items for the holiday - or on occasion   re- issue   holiday items in new colors.  We've been a collector of the Blenko Snowmen, Angels, and Xmas Trees for longer than we like to admit.

The good things about BLENKO HOLIDAY ITEMS - is they LAST, they Will NOT  look shopworn at the beginning of the 2nd season ( or the 10th season), Blenko Glass Holiday Items  require only that you package them in tissue paper and store away from curious dogs and cats. 

This item is new for 2017.    Yes, its pricey but divide the cost by 10+ as you'll be using this item year after year.

 Blenko only improves with age. 

New Design Snowman 2017  

Re Issue The Blenko Glass Dimple drinking glass. Blenko Glass Co. Heart of Glass Blog

My family has owned a set of the tangerine dimple glasses and matching pitcher since the late 70s  it was a wedding gift.
Now 4 decades later you may also purchase the dimple drinking glass in tangerine and several other colors.
Blenko Glass is made to last.  The cost is a bit more than a Target or Pier One drinking glass BUT quality  is more important than quantity to many folks who collect Mid Century glass and those who want to know 'where' the dishware and drinking glasses they use came from.
Blenko is MADE here in WVa  nothing in the gift shop is from another country.  Everything is hand crafted.
QUALITY is guaranteed at BLENKO GLASS.   These are available in small and large. 

418 Dimple Glass 

$41.00 – $45.00

Available in multiple colors and two sizes Small (4.5” tall) and Large (6” tall). Available in Tangerine, Seabreeze, Crystal, Cobalt & Clover. *Tangerine coloration will vary both light and dark. No two pieces are exactly alike. Large holds 16 fluid ounces, small holds 12 fluid ounces.

While we can't guarantee your Dimple Glasses will last fourty years -  my parents use this set weekly and have since the 70s.   Blenko is made to beused and to be durable. 

Vintage Ebony Blenko Sale seeking new home.

A set of 10 ebony Blenko items seeking a new home.  If you are interested send your contact info to theblenkoproject@aol.com   We'll forward to the seller.  He would like to keep the set together.  It was produced in 2007 by Blenko Glass. 

A set of 8 Ebony Blenko Glass seeking a new home.  The seller would like to keep the set together.  Produced in 2007. 

Holiday Shopping! BUY MADE IN USA! May we suggest BLENKO GLASS

Blenko Glass Milton, WVa.

Complete Collection of Blenko - WVa Birthday Vases SOLD

Note:  xxpenydean@gmail.com sold her Blenko WV Birthday Vase collection on 11/12/17.  Thank you to everyone who contacted her.  She was able to sell for $21K and the check cleared the bank.
  Selling the collections of your parents or friends is never easy.  We always suggest local folks
contact ThePurple Moon or Tammy Fowler from Trophy Antiques.
Penny was not local, and we were able to create interest and assit her by posting her collection here.

Blenko Glass Moonshine Bottle! Heart of Glass Blog

To learn more about Blenko Glass , its history, the art of collecting Blenko Glass please check out The Blenko Project,  The Blenko Glass Company website,  The Blenko Collectors Facebook pages, The Blenko Glass Facebook,  The Blenko Four website and google Blenko!

Blenko Glass Moonshine Bottles!  

Another Example of Unique Xmas Gifts for 2017 from Blenko Glass - handcrafted in Milton, WVa.

Blenko Glass . 'Heart of Glass Blog' The Big Fish! C971L

Blenko Glass Big Fish

20+ inches Long.  Approx 225$

Don't let this be the gift that 'got away.'  If you have a Sportsman in your life, 

shop the fish at Blenko Glass. Blenko Glass

Xmas. THINK BLEKO GLASS. www.blenkoglass.com ' Heart of Glass'

Perfect Gift for the Guy on Your List!

One of our all time favorite Blenko Glass items are the FISH,   The classic fish goes back to Winslow Anderson, but most everyone and many of the shop foremen , have over the years created a fish or two for the gift shop.
Unique in design and color....this is just one example .
This is the Small Fish 5422  Approx 145$

Blenko Mid Century - Heart of Glass Blog - Blenko Glass Made In USA

As an avid collector of Mid Century Items  I'm delighted with this reproduction.  You'll want to visit BLENKO GLASS MILTON WVa.

Blenko has been creating glass for a century.  In the 50s 60s and 70s  BLENKO was ahead of the curve in creating unique glass.  Enjoy this blast from the past! century. 

Blenko HolidaySale Continues....

Blenko’s 2017 Open House and Holiday Sale

Stop by Friday & Saturday, November 24 & 25, 9am to 9pm to receive 15% Off select items in our Visitor Center Gift Shop.

New Release: Stunning Tangerine Vase and Tangerine Pitcher. Only available for purchase in our gift shop starting Friday 11/24 or online at 12pm EST Cyber Monday 11/27 until the end of the year.
New Limited Edition: Turquoise Snowman Vase with contrasting colored scarf. Only 100 available in total: 50 in our gift shop starting Friday 11/24 and 50 online at 12pm EST Cyber Monday 11/27. Each snowman is unique and numbered individually in a series. Grab one while they last!

For $10 you may add a Walter Blenko Signature to almost any online item

Blenko Glass. Heart of Glass.

This year when you beginning to get into the shopping mode,   take some time to think about
where the gift you are about to give will be in - oh - say - 90 days from now.

This very thought let my parents to start gifting Blenko creatures and frequently water bottles to the children of their friends - instead of a new game or this weeks favorite toy.

Blenko has such a large variety of design and color.

Those of us with on going medical battles - and they don't stop for Holidays - may choose to simplify life by gifting a Blenko water bottle in the appropriate color ( either the color designated for Cancer Awareness  Color or the Illness  or perhaps the color of your recipients eyes.  

Blenko Glass also offers you the opportunity to give an EXPERIENCE - which I personally love - I'd rather have an experience than a new leather vest.   Blenko offers Classes is glass making and glass arts .  Giving an adult or the teen in your life a CLASS from Blenko as part of  their2017 Holiday Gift.

Flying Pigs - Hinkle Glass  

We recently had created 10 Flying Pigs in amethyst ( color of pancreatic cancer) for my Dad's medical Team.  Ron Hinkle of Hinkle Glass made and shipped these to us.   We appreciate the concept behind the 'flying pig'.


www.blenkoglass.com   BLenko Glass

Thinking of Xmas Decorating? Think Blenko Glass.

The Blenko Glass Seasonal Items - handcrafted - made of glass are available now for purchase online or in the Milton gift shop.
A few years ago my Uncle Gale started me with a collection of Blenko Glass trees -  I now have a l/2 dozen in various shades of green and crystal.
New this year is the Blenko mini tree -  its a bargain at $16

An ideal stocking stuffer, or closet gift ( you know for the unexpected guest).
Happy Holidays!

BRRRR! It's Getting Cold! Heart of Glass - Blenko Glass Blog

The Blenko Glass Snowmen are Here!  

New this year The Buble Snowman!

Under $55 and a lifetime investment.  

Hinkle Glass. ' Heart of Glass Blog'

*This was in a local paper and sent to us by Blenko Collector Angie

BUCKHANNON — A local master glass artist has returned to his business full time and is ready to get back to crafting handblown works of art with some new inspiration.

For the last 2 ½ years, Ron Hinkle has been a full-time employee at Blenko Glass in Milton and a part-time employee in his own business, Ron Hinkle Glass, creating glass art on Saturdays before heading back to Milton for the Monday-Friday work week.

That changed this summer when Hinkle decided to leave a job he loved for his business he prized.

“It was a fantastic experience,” Hinkle said of his time at the 124-year-old glass manufacturing institution. “It was hard, it was educational and it challenged me. I think that is one of the reasons I might have been getting a little bit stale before is I needed to be challenged. After two years at Blenko as their vice president of operations, I decided I wanted to come home.”

There were several factors that influenced this decision, including his wife Betty who had retired a year ago. 

Hinkle wanted to spend more time with his wife, children and grandchildren but also realized Ron Hinkle Glass might have to close if he didn’t return.

“One of my main workers retired and if I didn’t come back, I was going to have to fold it up,” he said.  “I came back home. I left Blenko in good hands with Dean Six, vice president and general manager.  I am coming up with more designs. I have a fresh new helper here, Aaron Harvey, that is 26 years old. He learned glass blowing from Tamarack. I’m watching him and learning and he is learning from me.”

Now that Hinkle is back full time at his own business, he hopes to use his newfound inspiration to create old favorites but also  to experiment with glassblowing in unique ways.

“I would like to make some large mold-blown pieces,” he said. “I have some large molds that have been sitting around forever. Some are old Pilgrim molds, some of them are old Masterpiece Crystal molds. When various glass factories shut down, they sold these molds off. I ended up with several of them. I want to put some of my designs and my patterns in these mold-blowns. I also want to add more things like handles or appendages to the glass to make wings on the glass or snail handles. There will be a lot of experimentation coming up.”

Hinkle began his own glassblowing career at Louis Glass before going into business himself for the past 24 years.  He credits his wife and the small business approach he takes to his success.

“I’ve had tremendous support from my wife Betty and that is essential to me being able to hang in there,” he said. “This is a tough business to be in. Virtually everyone else in the state who makes glass has gone out of business.

“I think it’s easier to control the costs when you are a small business,” he said. “We try to invest in the right things, things we know we will use and turn into products. Instead of just focusing in one area of glassmaking such as just tableware or just art or novelty ware, we have done the spectrum of all these things. We take custom orders, commissioned pieces; we work with organizations for gifts. We work with people who want to do custom lighting. We have done all of the above. We make some art glass, some functional glass and some gift glass.”

Hinkle now sells to retail customers in 37 states.

Ron Hinkle Glass invested in a new technologically savvy furnace which was installed at the beginning of September after Hinkle and Harvey dismantled the old one.

“This new furnace has a heat-recuperation system,” Hinkle said. “The heat that would normally go up the flue is captured by this heat expander and it preheats the combustion air for 700 degrees. Virtually, it is saving me around 30 percent on my gas bill plus I can control the temperature right down to the exact degree and it doesn’t make any bad glass.”

For those familiar with the art of glassblowing, the glass is blown and shaped after being heated hundreds of degrees, then must be cooled. The glassblowing itself is over in a matter of minutes as the glassblower must have the piece in constant motion to prevent it hardening before the design is finished.

“The original melt when I put the sand in needs to get up to 2400 degrees Fahrenheit for a period of — charging and melting – probably about 18 hours and then it is cooled down to about 2100 degrees to make it workable,” Hinkle said.

Besides, Hinkle and Harvey, the business includes Heidi Russell who manages the retail portion.

Since Betty Hinkle retired last year, it’s actually a four-person operation, he added.

“My wife pitches in wherever we need her,” Hinkle said.

Ron Hinkle Glass is located off the Sago Road. Watch for the blue Ron Hinkle Glass sign and make a right onto Glassworks Road.

For more information, visit www.ronhinkleglass.com or like Ron Hinkle Glass on Facebook.     

Blenko Glass ID?

This photo was sent in by a gentleman trying to decide what to keep.    He recalls these items being made and gifted to his family by Husted.
Our volunteers didn't recognize them as Husted, but did acknowledge they are Blenko.
Please help us with this ID if you can.
theblenkoproject@aol.com

We attempt to assist new collector, and folks like my parents who need to downsize and want to let their Blenko go to new home.   We can not ID each and every piece , but most can give you a catalog year to search thru.
When possible we do provide the item number etc.
Thanks
Sam

Blenko Glass. Heart of Glass Blog. New Blenko Design Team

* In mid October Blenko Glass announced a new design team, this was the press release.  

NEW DESIGN TEAM JOINS BLENKO GLASS IN MILTON, WEST VIRGINIA

Continuing a long tradition of engaging exceptional designers, Blenko Glass of Milton WV, has joined forces with a dynamic new design team of Emma Walters and Andrew Shaffer.

Blenko has been handcrafting glass since 1893 and hired its first designer, Winslow Anderson, in 1947. The position has been held by an impressive of who’s who in glass since Anderson’s time. The hiring of these two young talents continues that

Upon accepting the full time positions as designers at Blenko, Walters and Shaffer add to the glass company’s design legacy. They bring a powerful blend of academic and design experience accompanied by practical hot glass knowledge.

Emma Walters is a central Pennsylvania native who received her BFA from Maryland Institute College of Art before studying at VSUP in Prague in the Czech Republic.

She has traveled the world on a cruise ship presenting glass blowing demonstrations. From Australia to Alaska and beyond Walters was an employee of world renowned Corning Museum of Glass and their Hot Glass Roadshow.

Additionally Walters has worked in places and with glass masters that include some of the world’s best.  She has worked with glass master Martin Janecky, Pablo Soto, Gianni Toso and Sonja Blomdahl. She has made glass at prestigious locations including Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina, The Pittsburgh Glass Center, Haystack School of Crafts in Maine  and Pilchuck Glass School in Washington State.

Andrew Shaffer hails from Downingtown, Pennsylvania and studied Furniture Design and Sculpture at Kutztown University. He first encountered hot glass in a public arts facility in Reading, PA and then worked in several glass studios in that area. He received his BFA from Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia. While a student he continued to work at a number of hot glass facilities in the Philadelphia area.

He worked as a design and production liaison for Simon Pierce in Vermont and then at a secession of other hot glass houses in the New York and eastern United States with projects that included modern hand-blown lighting.  His work with design and hands on skills crafting hot glass gives him a much desired skill set.

Shaffer and Walters joined forces to launch their own hot glass studio specializing in high quality art glass and architectural lighting in 2014. From their hot glass studio in the Finger Lakes region of New York State they specialized in producing high quality, specialized glass that included architectural lighting.

They joined Blenko at the first of October 2017 and have claimed the onsite Blenko design studio as their workshop.

Regarding the future Walters states “”I am inspired to work with the talented Blenko glass team, combining traditional techniques with modern ideas to create new glass works in the brilliant Blenko colors that are impossible to ignore.”

Reflecting on joining Blenko Schaffer remarked “I feel honored to design for the Blenko Glass Company.  I am excited to collaborate with such a knowledgeable and skilled team enabling conceptual ideas to be executed by hands and minds steeped in years of artistry and experience.  I am grateful for this opportunity to carry on not only the West Virginia tradition of hand crafted glass, but to build upon and contribute to America’s oldest industry.”

They are diligent at present working to creating a line of Holiday items for immediate production as well as developing new items and line for release in early 2017. The future is bright as they look to new ideas, a new color, practical beverage and serving ware, exploring options for Blenko designed and made lighting and more.

For a century old company the future looks bright with the talents of Walters and Shaffer joining the skilled Blenko artisans. Assuredly decades of success will be repeated from the hot glass tanks in Milton.                         -30-

PURPLE - Is the Color for Pancreatic Cancer. November is Pancreatic Cancer Month

Each year during the Breast Cancer Awareness month,  Pancreatic Cancer Awareness month, Blood Cancer Awareness  month we ask that you consider donating to the national organizations.    I also suggest using a BLENKO GLASS container in the chosen color - ie red for blood cancer, pink for breast cancer and PURPLE for Pancreatic Cancer -  you may refill the vase with flowers when you visit or perhaps a bowl that you refill with fruit.   

Pancreatic cancer arises when cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a mass. These cancerous cells have the ability to invade other parts of the body. There are a number of types of pancreatic cancer.The most common, pancreatic adenocarcinoma, accounts for about 85% of cases, and the term "pancreatic cancer" is sometimes used to refer only to that type.These adenocarcinomas start within the part of the pancreas which makes digestive enzymes. Several other types of cancer, which collectively represent the majority of the non-adenocarcinomas, can also arise from these cells. One to two percent of cases of pancreatic cancer are neuroendocrine tumors, which arise from the hormone-producing cells of the pancreas.These are generally less aggressive than pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
Signs and symptoms of the most common form of pancreatic cancer may include yellow skin, abdominal or back pain, unexplained weight loss, light-colored stools, dark urine and loss of appetite. There are usually no symptoms in the disease's early stages, and symptoms that are specific enough to suggest pancreatic cancer typically do not develop until the disease has reached an advanced stage. By the time of diagnosis, pancreatic cancer has often spread to other parts of the body.
Pancreatic cancer rarely occurs before the age of 40, and more than half of cases of pancreatic adenocarcinoma occur in those over 70. Risk factors for pancreatic cancer include tobacco smoking, obesity, diabetes, and certain rare genetic conditions. About 25% of cases are linked to smoking,and 5–10% are linked to inherited genes. Pancreatic cancer is usually diagnosed by a combination of medical imaging techniques such as ultrasound or computed tomography, blood tests, and examination of tissue samples (biopsy). The disease is divided into stages, from early (stage I) to late (stage IV). Screening the general population has not been found to be effective.
The risk of developing pancreatic cancer is lower among non-smokers, and people who maintain a healthy weight and limit their consumption of red or processed meat. A smoker's chance of developing the disease decreases if they stop smoking, and almost returns to that of the rest of the population after 20 years. Pancreatic cancer can be treated with surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, palliative care, or a combination of these.  Treatment options are partly based on the cancer stage.  Surgery is the only treatment that can cure pancreatic adenocarcinoma, and may also be done to improve quality of life without the potential for cure.  Pain management and medications to improve digestion are sometimes needed.   Early palliative care is recommended even for those receiving treatment that aims for a cure.
In 2015, pancreatic cancers of all types resulted in 411,600 deaths globally   Pancreatic cancer is the fifth most common cause of death from cancer in the United Kingdom, and the fourth most common in the United States.  The disease occurs most often in the developed world, where about 70% of the new cases in 2012 originated.   Pancreatic adenocarcinoma typically has a very poor prognosis: after diagnosis, 25% of people survive one year and 5% live for five years.  For cancers diagnosed early, the five-year survival rate rises to about 20%.  Neuroendocrine cancers have better outcomes; at five years from diagnosis, 65% of those diagnosed are living, though survival varies considerably depending on the type of tumor.  **  Thank you to blog reader Amy G. for this info from wiki and other internet sites.

Blenko Glass . Heart of Glass. Calling all CHESS PLAYERS - unique items from Blenko.

This series is not cheap...but if you can collect all the pieces it will be a priceless collection.   In 1980  Shorty Finley made on his lunch hours with the assistance of Don Sheperd a Blenko Glass Chess set inspired by STAR WARS - he later offered the set for sale at the Huntington Museum of Art for $3800 ( the price of a Volkswagen in the 80s).

This series is traditional and will appeal to a wide audience.   Aaron Harvey is the new designer and a name to remember.   

Checkmate Series

The line, titled Checkmate, will include the suite of pieces in a full chess set. Pawn, knight, bishop, rook, king and queen are in planning and are to be produced over the next year to year and a half. A grouping of three differing Checkmate decanters make a strong visual statement. For the intense chess aficionado an entire oversized chess set could be assembled in both crystal and cobalt and a game

Created by Blenko’s newest designer Aaron Harvey, the 2nd piece in our new Checkmate series is meant to resemble a bishop piece in its traditional shape. Each piece made in the chess set will be offered in crystal with cobalt accents and cobalt with crystal accents. The bishop measures roughly 15.5” inches in height.  It bears all the hallmarks of handmade glass including a rough pontil on the base and will bear the hand carved name of Blenko and the year 2017. The contrasting color stopper for the bishop is accented with decorative etchings meant to resemble a bishop’s hat.

Created by Blenko’s newest designer Aaron Harvey the initial piece in our new Checkmate series is meant to resemble a pawn with the traditional shape of a large spherical top and a colonnade–like form. Each piece made in the chess set will be offered in crystal with cobalt accents and cobalt with crystal accent. The pawn measures roughly 10.5” inches in height.  It bears all the hallmarks of handmade glass including a rough pontil on the base and will bear the sand carved name of Blenko and the year. The stopper for the pawn is an oversized, contrasting color hollow ball that sits atop the piece.

Blenko Glass. Heart of Glass. Will My Blenko Increase in Value?

The most frequently ask question is ,  " Will my glass increase in value?"

It's an impossible question.

But the listing below is proof that if you chose a piece that is well designed - as most Husted pieces are - and the color is great - then the value may increase over time.

Husted for Blenko 1960s

Wayne Husted blenko glass decanter yellow USA, 1960s. With stopper. Model number: 6027 - Jonquil Yellow.

Blenko Glass. Heart of Glass Blog. Juvenile Diabetes

Blenko Glass Creation for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation 

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation is the world’s leading source of research to cure and prevent type 1 diabetes. BLENKO GLASS joins with thousands of people who want to combat this disease and our contribution to this cause is this production of a special edition piece of glass. The chosen Blenko form is a Crystal vase handcrafted to be 9 ¾ inches tall with a Cobalt Blue ring around the middle of the vase as well as a Cobalt wrap around the top . A blue circle is the universal symbol for diabetes. Each vase will bear the signature of Blenko Glass and 2017 on the base.
$5 from the sale of each piece being donated to the JDRF.   JUVENILE DIABETES

Blenko Glass. Heart of Glass Blog. New Item : Wine Carafe

Blenko has as a new item the Wine Carafe.   While I am not  knowledgeable about wine, I do know West Virginia has 12 excellent vineyards.   I think perhaps the pairing of something purchased from West Virginia Vineyards  and the new Blenko Glass  wine carafe  would made an impressive hostess gift or wedding gift.

BLENKO GLASS WINE CARAFE  

Blenko Glass Blog. FIRE AND ICE!

We first saw the BLENKO GLASS   FIRE AND ICE in 2006,   It remains one of the most beautiful of Blenko Glass creations.   This series consist of a sloped shoulder vase,  2 vases and this pitcher.

This item is currently in the BLENKO GLASS discontinued page www.blenkoglass.com and on sale for a very low price.
If you don't own this pitcher, you'll want to purchase before they sell out.
If you do own - consider buying a one at this discontinued price for your gift closet.



1706 Fire and Ice Pitcher
11" Tall
Shipping and handling charges will be added at the time of shipment and can not be estimated.
*Potentially longer lead time for this item.

• Item #: 1806
  To learn more about BLENKO GLASS  visit the Blenko Project at www.blenkoproject.org

Blenko Glass. Heart of Glass. HALLOWEEN T-Shirt

This Blenko Glass Pumpkin T-Shirt can be purchased for under $20  from the Blenko Glass Company www.blenkoglass.com ( online) or  at the Milton WVa Blenko Glass gift shop.  BLENKO GLASS

Blenko Glass. Heart of Glass Blog. Vintage Barware

Recently in an HGTV magazine I read the new fad is to collect vintage decanters and barware.  The author suggested you might vintage

find hand blown decanters for $100 or less, clean them up and display in your home bar.

We're suggesting you buy NEW handcrafted, hand blown BLENKO GLASS decanters - a blast from the past, these were recently re introduced at Blenko.

The decanters are currently listed in the discontinued and reduced section of the www.blenkoglass.com Blenko Glass on line catalog.   The current list price will please you. 
















6819 Decanter with Crystal Stopper.  Available on clearance in cobalt, crystal and tangerine. 
Tangerine coloration will vary both light and dark. No two pieces are exactly alike.
14" Tall
*Actual freight charges are added to your invoice at time of shipment. We Ship UPS or Fedex.

• Item #: 6819.         TVHGTV

Blenko Glass Blog. WHAT S NEW?

This bowl is available in several colors, www.blenkoglass.com  to view the colors.
The bowl is under $30  and currently available for purchase.  

Dahlia Bowl 

Approx. 7'' in diameter.
Available in your choice of Crystal, Cobalt, Kiwi & Tangerine
Shipping and handling charges will be added at the time of shipment and can not be estimated.

• Item #: 766S

Blenko Glass. Simple, Elegant and Eye-catching!

Simple, Elegant and Eye-catching. This special edition to our pumpkin line is accented with a crackled finish and curly Kiwi stem. Small pumpkins are approx. 4.5'' in diameter and will only be available for a short time (now through day before Thanksgiving)  BLENKO GLASS Company.

Blenko Glass Crystal Pumpkin  

Blenko Glass. Heart of Glass Blog. " When Pigs Fly" Hope and Belief in Miracles.

HINKLE GLASS

The phrase "when pigs fly" (alternatively, "pigs might fly") is —a figure of speech so hyperbolic that it describes an impossibility. The implication of such a phrase is that the circumstances in question (the adynaton, and the circumstances to which the adynaton is being applied) will never occur.    Or in the case of CANCER or Serious Illness It Means.....We're Wishing for a Miracle ..Believing in a CURE!
Ron Hinkle https://www.ronhinkleglass.com has made FLYING PIGS in an assortment of colors for a decade.   
We've used them frequently as gifts to support friends going thru difficult times and in need of HOPE!
Most recently the Hinkle FLYING PIGS! have been used as a means of REMINDING friends and family members MIRACLE HAPPEN!   We Believe in A CURE!
If you have a friend or family member suffering from Cancer or other serious illness.  Consider adding a FLYING PIG to your glass collection.  A gift of a " flying pig" in the appropriate color for your support team. 
The PURPLE PIG - purple is the color for.Pancreatic Cancer.

Meaning

"When pigs fly" is  a way of saying that something will never happen. The phrase is often used for humorous effect, to scoff at over-ambition. There are numerous variations on the theme; when an individual with a reputation for failure finally succeeds, onlookers may sarcastically claim to see a flying pig. ("Hey look! A flying pig!")  Other variations on the phrase include "And pigs will fly", this one in retort to an outlandish statement.
An example occurs in the film The Eagle Has Landed: an Irish secret agent working for the Nazis replies to a German general speaking of Germany's shortly winning World War II   "Pigs may fly, General, but I doubt it!" Later, when the Irishman sees German soldiers parachuting before an attack, he says to himself, "Mother of God! Flying pigs!"
 Similar phrases in English include "when hell freezes over", the Latin expression "to the Greek calends", and "and monkeys might fly out of my butt", popularized in Wayne's World skits and movies. They are examples of adynata.  In Finnish,  the expression "kun lehmät lentävät" (when cows fly) is used because of its alliteration.. In French, the most common expression is "quand les poules auront des dents" (when hens will have teeth).

The idiom is apparently derived from a centuries-old Scottish proverb, though some other references to pigs flying or pigs with wings are more famous. At least one appears in the works of Lewis Carroll:

"Thinking again?" the Duchess asked, with another dig of her sharp little chin.
"I've a right to think," said Alice sharply, for she was beginning to feel a little worried.
"Just about as much right," said the Duchess, "as pigs have to fly...." — Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Chapter 9.

American literature author John Steinbeck was told by his professor that he would be an author when pigs flew. When he eventually became a novelist, he started to print every book he wrote with the insignia "Ad astra per alas porci" (to the stars on the wings of a pig).    He sometimes added an image of a flying pig, called "Pigasus".

After the New Orleans Saints, long known for their lack of success, won the 2009 NFC Championship Game by making a field goal in sudden death overtime, longtime Saints radio announcer Jim Henderson exclaimed, "Pigs have flown! Hell has frozen over! The Saints are on their way to the Super Bowl!    

Support https://www.pancan.org  Pancreatic Cancer Research.   

Entire Collection of Blenko West Virginia B-Day Vase for sale. Heart of Glass. Blenko Glass.

We are helping Penny Dean with the sale of her gmom's WVa B-day Vases.
She has the entire collection from 1980.
She has no number higher than 55
all vases are signed by the Blenko Family Member and the Artist.**

**  Be very careful when purchasing Blenko WVa Birthday Vases.
There was some issue with the factory during the Chapter 11 and WVa Birthday Vases that were 2nds and UNSIGNED were sold or given away - these were kept under lock and key  with only admin having access.      No one has said  who is responsible,  for these items being sold.   It was  not uncommon for BLENKO to Frost or alter in some manner special items - and then sell them.  IT IS NOT BLENKO s USUAL POLICY TO SELL  UNALTERED UNSIGNED SECONDS OF A WVA BLENKO VASE.  I can assure this is NOT happening now and will not happen again.
BUT be cautious when you purchase a Blenko WVA Birthday Vase.  Check the signature and the glass against the photos on www.blenkoproject.org The Blenko Project ,  Blenko Collectors Four or Blenko Collectors web sites.
We've seen several and have been told there were approximately 50 vases.
     These vases in my opinion would have very little value.

Penny's Gmom had her collection appraised in 2000 the appraisal value was 16K.   She will take offers and sell to the highest offer.   
She will NOT break the collection.
She will accept offers until 11/27 when she plans to be in WVa for a week.

penny.deanxx@gmail.com  

Bayliss 2016 Bday 

Blenko Glass PUMPKINS. The Pumpkins are in STOCK and in the Visitor Center - gift shop.

Blenko Glass - Milton, WVa   has made PUMPKINS since the early 80s.   Each year the pumpkins are unique and delightful.

At my home we have pumpkins that are as old as I am.   When you consider how much fresh pumpkins cost ( $8 to $ 30)   the price for a forever pumpkin  ($50 - $ 80  )  seems like a good deal even for a frugal person.

Each year the color or color combinations for PUMPKIN have changed, but this year  Dean Six and Company are offering the most unique BLENKO PUMPKINS - these pumpkins are true works of art.
I'm posting some photos but you'll want to visit BLENKO GLASS online store and also the Visitors Center to view these pumpkins.

Etched HAPPY FACE Pumpkin

Etched Mean Face 

  FREE FORM  Blenko Pumpkin * my favorite 

Etched Black CAT