There are a wide variety of reasons why people collect things, some collect because they like a certain style, some collect for charm and elegance, and many others collect for treasured childhood memories. However, the ultimate reasoning behind many collections is value and possible future profit.
Modern glass collecting dates back over a hundred years and has seen many people earn a good return on their investment. In the mid-1900s, the fashionable collectible was patterned glass from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The late 1900s saw a surge in interest in 1920s and 1930s glass known as depression glass. Ultimately, depression glass became a top glass collectible in the late 20th century. The newest glass to enter the field of collectibles is the Hazel Atlas glass produced in the mid 20th century, recent trends have shown more collectors in this area causing prices to rise considerably.
Keeping in line with tradition, most collectible glasses gain popularity some 50 years after their initial introduction. This is mainly because the older generation remembers the glass from their childhood and wants to have it again. Subsequently, the growth of interest in a particular glass causes the price to increase, which further increases the demand, starting a cyclical trend.
In the mid-1900s, the Hazel Atlas Glass Company manufactured an enormous amount of utilitarian and decorative glassware for the home. Much of this glass remained in the US, although a limited amount was shipped to Canada and the UK during the 1950s. Hazel Atlas Glass has recently been discovered by collectors in Japan, Germany and the UK to be a desirable and collectible glass. In fact, many glass dealers have recently reported shipping American-made glass all over the world, as collecting trends and price increases have made it a desirable collectible around the world.
Focusing your collection on items that are constantly increasing in popularity and value is the key to maximizing the value of your collection. Although many glass pieces are collectible, certain pieces tend to outperform others on the market. Keep in mind that certain Hazel Atlas glassware will become desirable over the course of months, even years, while other items have a short-lived popularity. Paying attention to what other collectors are buying is helpful in spotting trends in the market. When the demand for a particular item is high, the price will tend to follow that demand.
An ideal circumstance is the case with the Hazel Atlas Pineapple Jam Jar. This colorful piece is absent from many collections and is constantly sought after by collectors. Because collectors didn’t know they existed, many sold for as little as a few dollars, and now hit the market for as much as $150. Literally hundreds of pineapple jars were on the market for years, before it was discovered they were made by Hazel Atlas, dealers were able to buy them for next to nothing. However, a collector is more than happy to pay a few hundred dollars just to have this piece in his collection.
Staying on top of current trends in collectible glass is the key to knowing what’s worth your time and what’s just common glassware. Hazel Atlas is easily recognizable, and discovering the latest trends isn’t too difficult by following the latest information available on newsletters and compilation sites.