Carnival Glass: Reproductions-at-a-Glance

By Elaine Blair

ABOUT REPRODUCTIONS…

How many times have we heard that someone was “turned off” to carnival glass collecting or selling because they felt the market has been flooded in recent years with reproductions.  But how many more collectors have chosen to collect contemporary/modern carnival glass because it is desirable and affordable.

Whether collecting the “old” or the “new,” many new collectors want to be knowledgeable about patterns that have been reproduced so that wise purchasing decisions may be made.  Most collectors have interesting stories to tell of how they learned the “hard way” that it can be tricky to differentiate between old and modern.   Plus, we all want to guard against that extremely small percentage of unscrupulous sellers who purposely remove or slightly vary identifying marks.  If the contemporary glass closely resembles or could easily be confused with the old pattern, it has been included on the list. 

The following list is a compilation of information from a variety of sources…standard references in the carnival glass field, information shared by the members of the Woodsland Carnival Glass Club on the World Wide Web, and personal experience.  Is this a complete list?  Assuredly not!  More reproductions of the old glass patterns are appearing yearly.  Although we’ve tried to make the listing as complete as is possible with the information that is available, there are sometimes wide gaps in knowledge as to who produced the pattern and the variety of colors and shapes that have been produced.

As a general rule (with exceptions, of course), contemporary carnival glass reproductions may have a brighter, more brassy iridescence.  Also, weight is often a dead give-away.  My husband, Fred, has a saying about the reproductions.  “If it’s heavy as you…it’s new.”  (Note: “old” European glass may be an exception to both the weight and brassy tests.)  Heaviness by no means applies to all reproductions, but the “weight” test may be useful to new collectors.  Also beware of any buffed or dull area on the glass where an original logo may have been buffed off.

As with any “compilation,” sometimes even the “experts” do not agree.   With the help of the members of the Woodsland Carnival Glass Club, we will attempt to update this list regularly as new information comes to light. I invite all Woodsland members to alert me to any corrections that need to be made.  Also, please share any new “sightings” or new information as it become available. The on-line list will be updated by Brian as information is received.

A sincere thanks to all who are so willing to share their experiences and expertise in the carnival-glass-collecting community.

Link to Reproduction List References and Resources