People love purchasing antique items, especially if they can be used. Pink Depression Glass is one of those beloved antique items. However, what do you need to know about pink Depression Glass before you start collecting it?
Pink Depression Glass was made from the 1920s to the mid-1940s. Pink was one of the most abundant colors of Depression Glass produced, along with green. All Depression Glass was originally cheap and often given out for free. Today, pink is one of the most popular colors for Depression Glass collectors.
Although pink Depression Glass may seem uninteresting to many, it is quite fascinating, especially when you consider how popular it has been since it was originally made. All that you need to know before you start collecting pink Depression Glass is included below.
What Is Pink Depression Glass?
In the 1920s, glass manufacturers began acquiring and using machinery that was able to mass-produce molded glassware very inexpensively. This glassware was thin and often low-quality, so it sold very cheaply or was given away for free at events or with the purchase of other products.
Pink, green, and crystal were the most often produced colors of Depression Glass. The saucers, cups, cream and sugar containers, goblets, teacups, pitchers, bowls, and trays that pink Depression Glass make up are now valued by collectors and antique enthusiasts.
Pink was one of the most popular colors of Depression Glass. People loved the vibrant hue that added a relatively subtle feminine touch to the table and the meal. There are also a variety of shades available for pink Depression Glass, and people liked that they had options to choose from. To this day, pink is still one of the most popular colors of Depression Glass. (Source)
What Era is Pink Depression Glass From?
Pink Depression Glass was made during the Great Depression Era of the 1920s through the early 1940s. Although the Great Depression technically began in 1929, what came to be known as Depression Glass actually began being produced in 1923, according to the National Depression Glass Association.
Depression Glass, including the pink varieties, were still sold through the 1940s, as people were still struggling financially and were looking for cheap dishware.
What Year Did Pink Depression Glass Come Out?
Pink Depression Glass began being produced in the 1920s. However, the different patterns that pink Depression Glass was available in came out in different years. For example, the Mayfair pattern by Hocking Glass Company was manufactured from 1931 to 1937.
The Mayfair and Princess patterns were incredibly popular Depression Glass patterns, and dishes that have the Mayfair pattern can be extremely valuable depending on the color of the glass. The Princess Depression Glass pattern was made from 1931 to 1934, and many of these patterned dishes were pink.
A variety of different companies released pink Depression Glass, but these companies released the colored glass at different times and in different patterns and shades.
Who Made Pink Depression Glass?
Many different companies made pink Depression Glass, especially because it was an extremely popular color. Because many people loved this color of glass, there was a large market that glass companies could use to make money.
The following are the largest companies that manufactured pink Depression Glass for varying amounts of time and various patterns:
- Federal Glass Company
- Macbeth Evans Glass Company
- Anchor Hocking Glass Company (otherwise known as the Hocking Glass Company. The name changed in 1937.)
- Hazel-Atlas Glass Company
- Indiana Glass Company
- Jeannette Glass Company
- U.S. Glass Company
Does Pink Depression Glass Glow?
Pink Depression Glass does not glow because it doesn’t have any uranium embedded in it. Typically, the only Depression Glass that glows is yellow or green Depression Glass. This is because uranium was often used to color the yellow or green Depression Glass.
Pink Depression Glass typically has a large amount of vibrant pigment in it, so even if pink glass did have uranium embedded inside, it likely wouldn’t show very well in the dark. However, that result would vary depending on the hue of pink glass you have.
How Do I Know If My Pink Depression Glass is Real?
You can determine whether or not pink Depression Glass is authentic by looking at the pattern, seam, bottom of the dishes, trim, etched details, and the shapes in the details in the glass. Pink Depression Glass comes in a variety of pink shades from extremely light pink to an almost purple-pink color. (Source)
Pink Depression Glass that is authentic often has floral or geometric patterns. It can be difficult to determine whether or not your pink Depression Glass is authentic by looking at the pattern on the glass, as pink Depression Glass was made in more than 100 different patterns, but the patterns will often have flaws in them because they were hand-etched.
Authentic pink Depression Glass often has bubbles trapped within the glass, and will usually have lines on the side and bottom of the glass. The bubbles in authentic pink Depression Glass will be extremely small, so look at your pieces from all angles. The line on the side of the glass is the seam. Oftentimes, modern glass doesn’t have an apparent seam. However, authentic Depression Glass does have a seam. (Source)
Pink Depression Glass will have lines on the bottom of the pitcher, cup, tray, or other pieces of glassware. When Depression Glass was dried during the Great Depression Era, it was dried on thin strands of straw, as it was a cheap material that allowed the glass to cool quickly. The thin strands of straw left lines on the bottom of the glass.
If your pink Depression Glass is thin, then it is likely authentic. Manufacturers didn’t want to waste materials, so all glassware was thin. Because it was so cheap, people didn’t complain about the thickness. Because the glass is so thin and old, authentic pink Depression Glass will likely have scratches and chips on both the interior and exterior of the glass.
Depression Glass was used every day, so there will most likely be some damage to all pieces of authentic pink Depression Glass. If your pink Depression Glass is flawless and doesn’t have bubbles or lines, then it is not authentic and was made in modern times with modern techniques.
Does Pink Depression Glass Have Any Value?
Pink Depression Glass does have value to collectors and people who love antiques. However, it is not as valuable as other antique items because when it was manufactured originally, it was very inexpensive and was extremely common. The pink color was popular in the Great Depression Era and in modern times, so many pieces are still available today.
Most pink Depression Glass items sell for between $10 – $25. However, there are a few rarer pink Depression Glass pieces or sets that sell for over $100 or more. And there are even a few dozen pink Depression glass pieces and sets that have sold for over $1,000 throughout the years.
Large items like fruit bowls and serving trays are more typically more valuable than plates and teacups.
The condition and rarity of your pink Depression Glass piece are the main determining factors of its value. If you want to determine if your pink Depression Glass is authentic and how valuable it is, use The Collector’s Encyclopedia of Depression Glass by Gene and Cathy Florence or the Kovels Antique Price Guide.
Also, Worthpoint is a great online resource that allows you to see the price of antique items that have been sold on Ebay and through many auction and estate sales.
What Is the Most Valuable Pink Depression Glass?
The most valuable pink Depression Glass items sold are rare pieces in the Mayfair (Open Rose) pattern from Hocking Glass Company, such as the 3 legged serving bowl and the sugar bowl with lid.
The most valuable pink Depression Glass SETS that have been sold recently are Jeannette’s Cherry Blossom pattern, Macbeth-Evans American Sweetheart pattern, Hocking’s Mayfair pattern, Federal Glass’s Sharon (aka Cabbage Rose), and Hocking’s Miss America pattern.
Some popular pink Depression Glass patterns include:
- Cameo
- Mayfair
- American Sweetheart
- Princess
- Royal Lace
- Miss America
Cameo Pattern
The Cameo pattern was the 3rd most popular pattern that pink Depression Glass had. It was made from 1930 to 1934 by the Anchor Hocking Glass Company. This pattern is also sometimes called “Ballerina” or “Dancing Girl”, and can be identified by the pattern of a string of pearls. Pink Depression Glass that has the Cameo pattern is rare because it was only produced for a few years, so the pieces still left are limited. (Source)
Mayfair Pattern
Pink depression with the Mayfair pattern is somewhat valuable, as this pattern was common. As with other Depression Glass items, the larger and more unique items are generally worth a lot more than plates and bowls.
American Sweetheart Pattern
The American Sweetheart pattern is one of the most commonly seen patterns, especially when it comes to pink Depression Glass. Pink Depression Glass with the American Sweetheart pattern is not extremely valuable because many pieces are still left.
Princess Pattern
The Princess pattern is popular among collectors, but pink Depression Glass that has this pattern is not extremely valuable because it was relatively common in the Great Depression Era. Depression Glass that has the Princess pattern has a distinguished scalloped pattern, so it is easy to determine whether or not your pink Depression Glass has the Princess pattern on the exterior.
Royal Lace Pattern
Pink Depression Glass with the Royal Lace pattern is relatively rare, so you will be able to sell it for a relatively large amount of money. However, this is not the most valuable pattern that pink Depression Glass is found in, so you likely won’t be able to sell it for over $100. The Royal Lace pattern was manufactured by the Hazel-Atlas Glass Company. However, blue Royal Lace Depression Glassware is worth more than the pink. (Source)
Miss America
Some sets in the Miss America patterned pink Depression Glass sell for $500 and even up to $1,000 or more.
Is It Safe to Eat Off Pink Depression Glass?
It is perfectly safe to eat off of pink Depression Glass, even if it has a small amount of uranium in it, which is unlikely. Depression Glass was made to be used and eaten off of, so companies made sure that it was safe to use. Pink Depression Glass is still safe to use nowadays. (Source)
Uranium that is inside of Depression Glass is embedded into the interior of the glass, not the exterior. Because of the small amount of the chemical inside the glass and where it is located, you won’t get uranium poisoning if you eat off of Depression Glass with uranium in it. However, as pink Depression Glass doesn’t have uranium in it, you can definitely use it without the worry of getting sick. (Source)
