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Glassy Girl Boutique, Romeoville, IL (2026)

10/28/2026

The smallest pieces in a vintage glass collection are often the ones with the most history: salt cellars and salt dips.

These little open dishes sat at every place setting from roughly the mid-1800s through the early 1900s, when salt was served at the table rather than shaken from a shaker. Most are only two to three inches across, which is why so many survived. Small pieces were easy to store and slipped through decades of household use nearly unnoticed.

A few things worth knowing when looking at them:

1. Two forms exist. An open salt (or salt dip) is a small dish, sometimes with a metal liner. A master salt is larger, set in the middle of the table and filled once per meal, with individual salts passed around from it.

2. Pressed-glass salts were made in nearly every popular pattern of the EAPG era, so matching a salt to a known tableware pattern is one of the easiest identification wins in collecting.

3. Metal liners were common. A tarnished silver or silver-plate liner is not damage; the liners were made to be lifted out, washed, and replaced.

4. Small chips on the rim are frequent and expected on used pieces, since salts were handled at every meal. Condition affects value, but honest wear does not make a piece less genuine.

5. Beware of reproductions in popular colors. Edge details, seam sharpness, and glass quality are worth comparing before assuming a piece is old.

They are also one of the easiest pieces to display. A row of salts along a windowsill, a cluster down the center of a table, or a few grouped on a shelf with books gives a collection presence without taking much space.

Scroll for a look at a few salt cellar forms. If you have salts in your collection, share the pattern or color, matched or standalone.

10/27/2026

Dresser sets were once a common wedding gift: matching pieces of pressed glass meant to live on a vanity or dresser top. A typical set might include a covered powder jar, one or two perfume bottles, a trinket tray, and sometimes a hair receiver or pin tray.

Most sets were made from the early 1900s through the 1930s, and the glass ranges from clear pressed patterns to cased and satin finishes in pink, green, or amber. Many were unsigned, so makers are usually identified by pattern and construction rather than a mark.

A few things worth looking at when you come across one:
- Matching pieces usually share a pattern and a mold line. Pieces that look similar but differ in detail are often assembled sets from more than one maker.
- Perfume bottles were often ground-glass stoppers rather than screw caps, and a ground stopper should seat snugly in its own bottle.
- Lids and bases were frequently paired by grinding too, so a lid from one jar rarely fits another properly.
- Small chips on the rim of a lid or at the lip of a bottle are common wear points; check them closely before assuming a set is fine.

For display, a vanity or dresser is still the natural home, but a covered powder jar also works on a bathroom shelf or a bookcase. Keep perfume bottles out of direct sunlight, since prolonged sun can fade tinted and cased glass.

If you have a dresser set in your collection, feel free to share what pieces it includes. Scroll through the photos for a closer look at the details.

10/21/2026

That sparkle comes from the cut. American Brilliant Period glass, made roughly from 1876 to the early 1900s, is crystal shaped with a cutting wheel. Look for patterns such as hobstar, strawberry diamond, cane, and fan.

Deep cuts create facets that bend and reflect light, giving cut crystal more sparkle than the molded patterns of pressed glass. A heavier feel can be a clue, though it is not proof on its own.

To display it, place a bowl or pitcher near a window or warm lamp, where the cuts can cast tiny prisms. Pair it with simpler pressed or satin glass so the crystal stands out, and leave space around each piece. Hand wash and skip the dishwasher to help protect the glass.

10/21/2026

A layered table can move from autumn into the holidays without holiday-patterned pieces. Start with a neutral base, then add clear and amber glass with one or two muted jewel tones. Mix heights with low tumblers, medium goblets, and a taller vase or candle holder. Keep seasonal accents simple, and leave plenty of room for serving dishes. The result feels seasonal and stays practical.

10/20/2026

Witch balls are hanging glass spheres connected to folk traditions. Some were believed to trap harmful spirits or protect a home. The history varies by place and period, so the protective meaning is best understood as folklore, not fact.

For collectors, look closely at the glass, seams, pontil marks, bubbles, and hanging hardware. These details can offer clues about how a sphere was made and its condition, but they do not confirm its age on their own.

In a sunlit window, a hanging sphere catches and reflects the light. Use a secure cord and leave room for it to hang without touching the window. Scroll to see one styled with warm autumn colors.

10/12/2026

A fairy lamp is more than glass decor. It’s the glow itself. The history begins in 1844 with George Miller Clarke; Samuel Clarke later patented and popularized the candle-and-glass design. These two-piece lamps pair a candle cup with a domed shade, found in Victorian-era Burmese, satin and cased glass.

For a cozy autumn display, group two or three at varied heights with amber tumblers nearby. The glass creates a gentle pool of light for an evening at home.

• Use a properly sized candle on a stable, heat-safe surface, and never leave it burning unattended. For a valuable original, consider an LED light to avoid heat or wax damage.
• Hand-wash gently and dry with care to protect satin and etched finishes.

Is a fairy lamp in your collection, or on your wish list?

10/08/2026

Tinted glass is moving off the shelf and into furniture. Amber, smoke, and jewel-toned glass tables are becoming standout accents because they refract light and cast soft color across a room.

You can create a similar glow with vintage glassware you already own. Group pieces in one color, using different heights so the collection feels layered rather than flat. Place one large amber vase on a side table for a simple focal point. Set clear or pale glass near a window where daylight can pass through it. For stronger contrast, pair deep amber or ruby pieces with dark wood and cream walls. Use coasters under glassware on finished surfaces, especially when sunlight warms the table.

The effect does not require a full room makeover. A few well-placed pieces can add color, reflection, and a little movement as the light changes throughout the day.

10/04/2026

Whimsical vintage glassware is having a moment with collectors, especially younger collectors looking for pieces with personality and a story. 🐔🍄

Hen-on-nest covered dishes, mushroom and forget-me-not pieces, and animal or fruit figures are among the most popular categories. Their playful shapes bring the history of vintage pressed and molded glass into everyday spaces without feeling too formal.

When checking a piece, look closely at the seams, overall weight, paint or color wear, and the finish on the base. Older pieces often show careful molding, substantial weight, gentle age wear, and a neatly finished bottom. Reproductions may feel lighter, have sharper seams, or show newer-looking color and paint.

Try figural glass on open shelving, a mantel, in a kitchen vignette, or as part of a seasonal display. A few unexpected shapes can make a collection feel personal and collected. What whimsical glass figure are you searching for next?

09/30/2026

Those little numbers pressed into the bottom of vintage glass can offer useful clues, but they are not a complete ID by themselves. 🔎

A mold number may show which mold the piece came from. A pattern or item number can help match pieces from the same set. Factory codes may point toward a manufacturer or production source.

What they usually cannot do is provide an exact date or confirm the maker on their own. The same pattern number may also appear in catalogs from several different companies.

For a closer look, flip the piece over and check it in raking window light. Compare the numbers across pieces you believe belong to the same set. Then pair those clues with physical evidence, including seams, color, weight, glass thickness, and wear on the base.

Numbers are helpful evidence, not a final answer. And if a piece has no markings at all, that does not make it less collectible. Some of the most sought-after vintage glass was never marked.

Do you have a piece with an interesting number or code on the bottom? Share what you have found.

09/28/2026

Early American Pattern Glass, or EAPG, was produced mainly from the 1850s through the 1910s. The invention and improvement of pressing machines allowed American glasshouses to mass-produce detailed patterns that once required much more handwork.

As makers moved beyond earlier flint glass, non-flint and soda-lime recipes became common. Collectors now hunt patterns by name, including Daisy & Button, Thousand Eye, Loop, Hobnail, Paneled Thistle, and Wildflower.

Identification starts with the pattern repeat. Look for the same design across a full table service, such as a creamer, spooner, celery vase, compote, or butter dish. Mold seams, pontil-free pressed bases, substantial weight, internal bubbles, and slight color variation can also support an EAPG identification. The same pattern may have been made by several companies, so one pattern is not always attributable to a single maker.

Check condition carefully. Rim chips and rough edges are common. Dull gray “sick” cloudiness may sometimes be removable hard-water film rather than permanent damage, but it should be examined before cleaning.

For display, build a table using one pattern across several forms instead of a matched modern set. Place the pieces near a window so the raised relief catches the light and casts repeating shadows.

Which EAPG pattern do you collect, or which one did you first fall for?

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