Hobbies And Interests
History
Although several manufacturers produced Goofus glass, Indiana Glass Co. in Dunkirk, Indiana, was the one most prominently known. But the most prized of this inexpensive glassware was made by the Westmorland Specialty Co. It began making the pressed glassware before the Indiana company. Westmorland's offering was known as "Intaglio." The dates of manufacturing Goofus glass was from 1900 to 1930, although exact dates are a bit hazy. People lost interest in the decorative pieces when the iridized glass process was discovered.
Types
There were quite a few decorative glass pieces made within the Goofus glass realm. There were decanters, plates, bowls, vases, oil lamps, trays, flower pots, tumblers, nut and candy dishes, coasters, picture frames, salt and pepper shakers, and more. Many pieces were painted only on the front side. Because the surface paint was not fired, it chipped easily. The pieces with the paint most intact are worth more to collectors.
Restoration
In the past, people repainted their pieces in an effort to restore their pieces of Goofus glass. This devalued the glass piece as it is no longer an original piece. Historically, this type of glassware was thought of as an eventual "throwaway" because of its low value. Today, if you think you might want to resell your collection, at some point, you will not want to attempt a restoration by repainting. If you do, you will have devalued the piece to nearly nothing.
Collections
A new collector might pick up pieces of Goofus glass that appeal to them and as a piece of history. The first rule of collecting should be to choose pieces you love. But a seasoned collector will look for matching sets and specialty pieces because these are more difficult to find and therefore worth more. Even the nondescript piece that has very little, or no, paint deterioration is valuable and sought by collectors. The pieces with the most value are the ones that appear as they were first made in the early 1900s, with no deterioration at all.
Patterns
As with other pressed glass of the early 1900s, there were different patterns produced by different manufacturers. Even within each manufacturer, the number and types of patterns expanded. Some of the most well-known patterns of Goofus glass are: Rose, American Beauty, Sunburst, Grape &Cable, Blossoms &Palms, and Bluebird.