PAPERWEIGHTS...ARE THEY ANTIQUE OR VINTAGE

My addiction (collecting paperweights) started in the 1970's when a friend gave me a "very old" paperweight. My 1st paperweight purchase was a "very old" paperweight, which cost me $21. Shortly thereafter, I was taken to a gift show where this "very old" paperweight appeared in several displays, all of which had anoval "Made in China"paper label on the base, selling for $3.99 ea. When I attempted to get my money back from the person who sold me this "very old" paperweight she told me that she didn't know anything about paperweights and wouldn't refund my money. At that time $21 would have bought me 2 prs. of jeans or many, many gallons of gasoline, etc. I asked and answered myself --- did I want to buy paperweights - yes, yes, yes, did I want to be a victim of people who didn't know what they were selling - no, no, no,what should I do -learn about paperweights. This wasn't easy in 1972. I didn't know anyone who collected paperweights. The only paperweights I had ever seen were displayed and identifiedat The Art Institute in Chicago.
Fortunately for me and my wallet, one of my mother's cousins worked for Hobbies Magazine. When I showed her my 2 paperweights, she gave me a copy of the latest issue of the magazine and a free ticket for an antique show sponsored by Hobbies magazine. I spent 2 wonderful days at this show meeting and talking with paperweight dealers, purchased 2 books about antique paperweights, 2 paperweights (a Baccarat scramble and a Perthshire), learned about the Paperweight Collector's Association, found out that my gift paperweight was a New England Glass gepany scramble worth$35., and I joined the PCA for $0 (membership was free in 1972).
36 years later, paperweight collecting continues to be my addiction. Finding paperweights has progressed from going to antique shows, scrounging through flea markets, browsing through antique stores. This was a very time consuming and expensiveprocess. There were no cell phones, 800 numbers, geputers, digital cameras. In 2001 I acquired a geputer and found the Web and okay. There they were, hundreds and hundreds of them, right before my eyes in color, all the paperweights I could want to see while sitting in a chair. No more chasing around trying to find antique stores that were open at hours convenient to me or waiting for antique shows to arrive.
This guide is for beginning paperweight collectors - those whowant to know more about the paperweights.available for them to buy. Thereis much more information available to you today than there was for me when Ibegan...books and people willingand able to help you, many of themon okay. Here in brief are mine about buying a paperweight, wherever you find one:
DON'T BUY WHAT YOU DON'T LIKE
DON'T BELIEVE ANYTHING A SELLER SAYS - FOLLOW THE CARDINAL RULE OF BUYER BEWARE. SELLERS WANT TO SELL. IF YOU MAKE A MISTAKE YOU PAY FOR IT, PLUS SHIPPING/HANDLING/INSURANCE.
EXAMPLES FROM LISTINGS: "Antique French Baccarat Pansy Paperweight" (which was really a 1930's Chinese copy of aSandwich flower);"Millefiori Baccarat Overlay Paperweight Signed" (a Murano from the 1970's with a fake engraved logo);"Baccarat flower"(another Chinese copy); "Rare, beautiful, gorgeous" - these are the seller(s) opinions, RARE IS WHAT IT IS TO THE SELLER, NOT TO THE BUYER.
DEFINITIONS:
ANTIQUE - PAPERWEIGHTS CREATED OVER 100 YEARS AGO (Baccarat, Clichy, St. Louis, New England Glass Co., Sandwich). The vast majority of these WERE NOT SIGNED OR DATED. BE WARY ABOUT DIAMOND PEN SIGNATURES - THIS TOOL WAS NOT AVAILABLE IN THE 1840'S, 50'S, 60'S, 70'S.
1970'S BACCARAT ENGRAVEDMURANO FAKE
VINTAGE - PAPERWEIGHTS MADE MORE THAN 35 YEARS AGO. Therefore, the Perthshire I purchased in 1972 can now be described as "Vintage Perthshire" Many sellers mistakenly identify a paperweight as antique vintage, which should be antique or vintage.
My final word of advice - before you bid on a paperweight, purchase a book about paperweights. They are available on okay. In fact, okay now lists them under every page listing paperweights for sale.
My confession - I do make mistakes, even with my reference books and expertise, but I don't pay for them. I consult with my fellow collectors before I bid.
Read the guide "Collecting Paperweights - A legacy of Artistry by carriebaby (69)If you have any questions, please contact me through okay ...pweezee