Sears Colored Glassware - 1928

by Virginia Scott
Glass Review - April 1982

In my last article, I discussed the clear glass shown in Sears, Roebuck & Co. 1928 catalog. This article will be about the colored glass offered in that catalog.

Sears Colored Glassware Ad 1928The full page of colored glass in the catalog was headed, "Colored Glassware, The Decree of Fashion". As in part I, I had to cut out and rearrange the items in order to show most of the pieces. I had to delete prices and descriptions of the glass. Most items shown were offered in both "Rose Pink" and "Emerald Green".

The most expensive pieces offered in the catalog were "Gold encrusted Glassware". "Gold encrusted ware is the aristocrat of glassware", the catalog stated. Five pieces or sets were offered, of which I show only two, no. 13, a console set ($4.69), and no. 16, a fruit bowl ($2.35). These pieces were pink with heavy etched gold border and floral cut designs. Also offered were a mayonnaise set, a cheese and cracker set and a center-handled sandwich tray with the same designs. All sold for less than $3.00.

The least expensive colored item offered was the paneled salt and pepper set, no. 1, which was 42¢ Other less than $1 items were no. 23 floral-cut handled nappy, 54¢, no. 4 fluted mayonnaise set, 69¢, no. 26 celery tray, 90¢. Pieces priced $1.08 to $1.25 included no. 7, fluted flower holder with insert; no. 10, sugar, creamer and tray; no. 22 footed fruit bowl with floral cutting; no. 8, fancy floral-cut marmalade with long spoon; no. 21, cheese and cracker set; no. 9, center handled fruit bowl; no. 6, mayonnaise set and no. 24, handled sandwich tray, both with floral cut. The remaining serving and decorative pieces were $1.25 to $1.98.

Two similar beverage sets were offered in "rose pink" only. No. 20 shows a pink iced tea set which consists of a covered 14 pint jug, 6 tumblers with glass "sippers" and six green coasters, all for $1.98. A water set, not shown, was the same except that it did not have the coasters, sippers and jug cover and was only $1.00.

Three sets of rose pink stemware with drawn stems were shown. No. 12 is plain while no. 14 has floral cutting. No. 19 has optic stemmed goblets and footed tumblers which have pink bowls and green stems and feet. Six goblets in each of the stemware sets were less than $2 with other items being even lower in price.

Although the catalog did not have any company names for the producers of the glassware, I did find a few familiar patterns. No. 28, bottom left, shows a 21-piece Luncheon Set" offered in both pink and green for only $2.98 a set This set seems to be "Honeycomb" pattern as shown on page 100 of Weatherman, Book I, and attributed to Federal Glass Company. The 11" 3-footed bowl in no. 11 is recognizable as "Stag and Holly" pattern of iridescent Carnival glass and was offered for 56¢ in the catalog. A recent antiques price guide book attributes this pattern to Fenton and values the 11" marigold bowl at $92.50. The cream and sugar set, no. 10, seems to be a Bartlett and Collins pattern and the fruit bowl, no. 9, may be McKee's "Optic Octagon" pattern. The Vanity set, no. 27, was one of my favorites shown. It was offered in both pink and green and consisted of two stoppered perfume bottles, a vanity tray and a covered powder jar, all for $1.50 This set seems to be the U.S. Glass "Milady" set.