Is Depression glass marked?

Usually not. Most pieces carry no maker's mark at all, so collectors identify them by pattern and colour. A few makers marked some pieces, such as Hazel-Atlas with an H above an A, and Federal with an F inside a shield.

Does Depression glass glow under a black light?

Some green Depression glass contains a little uranium and glows bright green under ultraviolet light. Many genuine pieces do not glow at all, and reproductions can glow too, so treat it as a hint, never as proof.

What colour of Depression glass is worth the most?

It depends on the pattern more than the colour. As a rule, the colours a maker produced in small quantities, such as cobalt blue, red or yellow in some patterns, sell for more than the common pink, green and clear. Check sold listings for your exact pattern and colour.

Can Depression glass go in the dishwasher?

It is best not to. Hot water and detergent can leave a permanent cloudy film, often called sick glass, which lowers the value. Wash it by hand in warm, not hot, water.

How do I find the name of my pattern?

Note the colour, the shape and the main motif (roses, cherries, lace, diamonds, a woman dancing), then compare it with a pattern guide or sold listings. You can also photograph the piece and let Gavel suggest the pattern and maker.

How to identify Depression glass: colours, patterns and reproductions

Depression glass is the inexpensive coloured glassware American factories turned out by the trainload during the 1930s. It was sold in dime stores, packed in boxes of oats and handed out at cinemas and petrol stations. Today some patterns sell for a few dollars and others for a great deal more, so it pays to know what you have.

What counts as Depression glass

Collectors use the name for machine-made glass from about 1929 to the early 1940s, made by firms such as Anchor Hocking, Hazel-Atlas, Federal Glass, Jeannette, Indiana Glass, MacBeth-Evans and U.S. Glass. It was made fast and cheaply, and that is what helps you recognise it.

Hand-made, cut or pressed glass of the same years (Fostoria, Heisey, Cambridge) is usually called elegant glass. It is thinner, finer and often hand finished, and it is valued differently.

Look at the colour

The common colours are:

Pink (sometimes called rose)
Green
Amber
Clear (collectors say crystal)

Less common colours include cobalt or light blue, yellow (often called canary or topaz), red (ruby), white and opaque ivory. A pattern made in a rare colour is usually worth more than the same pattern in pink or green.

Hold the piece to daylight. Original 1930s colours vary slightly from batch to batch, and a set rarely matches perfectly. A colour that looks too bright, too dark or too even is a reason to look closer.

Look at the pattern

Most Depression glass is identified by its pattern name, which collectors gave it later. A few well known ones:

Cherry Blossom (Jeannette): cherries and leaves in a branch design.
Mayfair or Open Rose (Anchor Hocking): roses with an open bloom, often on footed pieces.
Royal Lace (Hazel-Atlas): a lacy, scrolling border, famous in cobalt blue.
Sharon or Cabbage Rose (Federal): large, full roses.
American Sweetheart (MacBeth-Evans): a fine scrolled border, often in pink or a translucent white.
Miss America (Anchor Hocking): a sharp diamond pattern.
Cameo or Ballerina (Hocking): a dancing woman with a scarf.

Note the motif, the shape and the colour, then compare with a pattern guide or sold listings.

The small signs of real 1930s glass

Mould seams. Faint raised lines where the mould parts met, often on handles, rims and the sides of tumblers.
Bubbles and straw marks. Tiny air bubbles and fine, hair-like lines in the glass.
Slight unevenness. Rims that are not perfectly level, small flecks, or pattern detail that is a little soft in places.
Wear on the base. Decades of sliding on shelves leave fine, random scratches on the foot ring. A spotless base on an old-looking piece is a warning sign.

None of these proves age on its own. Together they make a strong case.

Spotting reproductions

Several popular patterns have been copied since the 1970s, including Cherry Blossom, Mayfair, Sharon, Adam, Madrid and Royal Lace. Common clues:

Thicker, heavier glass than the original.
A slightly wrong colour, such as a pink that leans orange or a green that is too yellow or too blue.
Pattern detail that is blurry, or unusually crisp and sharp-edged.
Shapes the original pattern never had, such as salt and pepper shakers or butter dishes in a colour the maker did not use.
A clean, unworn base.

Madrid is a classic case: Indiana Glass reissued it as Recollection from 1976, and early pieces have “76” worked into the design. Recollection is pleasant glass, but it is not 1930s Depression glass.

What it is worth

Most everyday pieces, such as a pink plate or a green sherbet dish, sell for modest sums. Rare colours, large serving pieces, complete sets and patterns made in small numbers sell for much more. Asking prices online are often far above what pieces sell for, so always check completed or sold listings for the same pattern, colour and piece.

Chips, cracks and cloudy “sick glass” lower the value sharply, so look along the rim with your finger and hold the piece to the light.

Let Gavel help

Photograph the piece from the side and the base, plus a close-up of the pattern, and let Gavel suggest the pattern, maker and era. Gavel Pro looks up what similar pieces sold for, with its sources. Treat it as a strong first opinion, and compare a valuable piece with a pattern guide before you sell.

More guides: how to tell if an antique is valuable and how to read porcelain marks.