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A collector’s guide to vintage barware from the great makers: how to read marks, date a piece, judge condition and buy with confidence.

Collecting guides

Where to start, what to look for and how to buy vintage barware safely.

  1. No. 01

    Vintage Cocktail Glasses: Coupes, Nick and Nora, Martini and Rocks

    A collector's guide to vintage cocktail glass types: coupes, Nick and Nora, martini, highball, old fashioned, flutes and cordials, with sizes and what to check.

    Collecting guides
  2. No. 02

    Collecting Vintage Crystal Decanters: A Buyer's Guide

    How to judge a vintage crystal decanter: maker marks, age, stoppers, condition and safe buying, with guides to Baccarat, Waterford and tantalus sets.

    Collecting guides
  3. No. 03

    How to Tell If Vintage Glassware Is Valuable

    How to tell if vintage glass is worth money: maker's marks, how it was made, condition, rarity and demand, plus which glass collectors seek most today.

    Collecting guides
  4. No. 04

    Vintage Cocktail Shakers: Cobbler, Boston and Parisian Styles

    The three cocktail shaker styles explained, why many bartenders use Boston or tin-on-tin shakers, and how to collect sterling, plate and Art Deco shakers.

    Collecting guides
  5. No. 05

    Vintage Colored Glassware: Cobalt, Ruby, Amber, Uranium and Gold Rim

    What gives vintage cobalt, ruby, amber, green, pink and uranium glass its color, which colors collectors seek most, and how to care for gold rim barware.

    Collecting guides
  6. No. 06

    How to Buy Vintage Barware on eBay Safely

    A step-by-step guide to buying vintage decanters, crystal and silver barware on eBay: questions to ask, reading feedback, and using the Money Back Guarantee.

    Collecting guides

Makers and marks

Reading signatures, acid marks and hallmarks to identify and date a piece.

  1. No. 07

    Mid-Century Barware Designers: Culver, Briard, Thorpe and Fred Press

    Who made the best-known mid-century American barware: Culver, Georges Briard, Dorothy Thorpe and Fred Press, with their signatures, styles and what to check.

    Makers and marks
  2. No. 08

    Culver Barware: 22k Gold Patterns, Marks and Value

    Identify vintage Culver glasses: the Brooklyn maker's 22k gold patterns such as Valencia, its script and block marks, later reissues, gold wear and value.

    Makers and marks
  3. No. 09

    Vintage vs New Crystal: Lismore and Harcourt Still in Production

    Waterford Lismore and Baccarat Harcourt are still made. How to tell vintage from current production by mark and sticker, and when new is the better buy.

    Makers and marks
  4. No. 10

    How to Identify Baccarat Crystal: Marks, Dates and Copies

    Identify genuine Baccarat crystal by its marks: unsigned pieces before 1860, paper labels to 1936, acid-etched marks, laser marks, and patterns like Harcourt.

    Makers and marks
  5. No. 11

    Sterling vs Silver Plate Marks: Silver Hallmarks Explained

    Tell sterling from silver plate by the marks: British hallmarks, American sterling stamps, EPNS and other plate marks, with what each tells a barware buyer.

    Makers and marks
  6. No. 12

    Waterford Decanter Marks and Dating: Patterns, Logos and Eras

    Date a Waterford decanter by its etched mark, sticker and pattern, from Penrose-era glass to Lismore, the seahorse logo and today's lead-free crystal.

    Makers and marks

Care and safety

Using, cleaning and storing old crystal and silver safely, with guidance drawn from official health sources.

  1. No. 13

    How to Clean Vintage Barware and Crystal Safely

    Clean vintage crystal and glass the way makers and museum conservators advise: hand washing, cloudy glass, gold rims, dishwasher risks, decanters and storage.

    Care and safety
  2. No. 14

    Is It Safe to Store Spirits in a Lead Crystal Decanter?

    What official guidance says about storing whiskey or wine in lead crystal decanters: why storage time and acidity matter, and how to use vintage crystal.

    Care and safety