The Elegant Vintage Glassware Brand You'd Be Thrilled To Find At The Thrift Store

The Ohio Valley was a major center of ceramics and glass production from the 1800s through the mid-1900s. You may even recognize several well-known names from these industries that originated in the region, including Fostoria, Fiesta Ware, Homer Laughlin, Hazel-Atlas, and Fenton. While many of these companies produced items that are highly collectible today – some still in operation — one company that is highly collectible is no longer in business — Fenton. Fenton is perhaps best known for helping popularize carnival glass, one of the most recognizable styles of collectible glassware. They also produced many more types of glassware items that are just as collectible, and you'd be lucky to find one of their items at the thrift store. Not only is Fenton glassware highly collectible, but it's also beautiful, and some items can be extremely valuable.

The Fenton Art Glass company began in 1905 and quickly became one of the most popular manufacturers of handmade, colored glassware. Much of the company's popularity stemmed from its high-quality handcrafted designs, as well as its ability to adapt to more practical items when needed. The Fenton brothers modeled their glass pieces after the elegant designs of one of the most prestigious names of the time — Tiffany, as well as other similar companies.

While there are many tips and tricks for thrifting authentic carnival glass made by Fenton, it can often be difficult to spot the other types of glassware items they produced because of other manufacturers copying their styles. Even today, you can still come across beautiful Fenton pieces at thrift stores for surprisingly affordable prices — if you know what to look for.

If you're on the hunt for a piece of authentic vintage Fenton glassware, there are a few ways to be savvy about it. One of the best things you can do is familiarize yourself with the styles Fenton was best known for during its peak years. This means you need to keep your eyes peeled for milk glass, hobnail, and carnival glass items. They made many valuable glass items to look for at the thrift store and possibly at estate sales. Besides being great decor pieces, Fenton made a ton of pieces in these styles, which means they should be easier to find.

One clue that you may have found an authentic Fenton piece is the distinctive ruffled edge seen on many of the company's designs. Fenton didn't use a traditional maker's mark until the 1970s; prior to that, they used foil labels with the company logo (which have a tendency to get lost). If you've found vintage Fenton glassware with a blue paper/foil label with the image of a glassmaker and the phrase "Authentic Fenton Handmade", you're very lucky. That specific label was used on pieces produced between 1957 and 1971. After 1971, Fenton began using a raised oval logo pressed directly into the glass. Beginning in the 1980s, a number beneath the logo indicated the decade the piece was made — 8 for the '80s, 9 for the '90s, and so on. From 1970 to 1985, they also used a gold label with the Fenton name.

Once you've found the perfect authentic piece, proper care can help preserve it for years to come. In most cases, Fenton pieces should be hand-washed, since many valuable vintage glassware items are not dishwasher safe.