Fostoria Glassware Collecting Tips

Fostoria Glass Company began operations in 1887, borrowing its name from the town where it was headquartered, Fostoria, Ohio. The company moved to Moundsville, West Virginia in 1891 where they produced glassware of the highest quality through 1983, when Lancaster Colony bought the business. Three years later, sadly for Fostoria fans, the factory closed for good.

Looking back to the period between 1887 and 1909, as referenced on an old advertising paperweight, Fostoria touted the manufacturing of "tableware, colognes, stationers' glassware and candelabra." The company also made inkwells, sponge cups, numerous vases, finger bowls, fruit jars with marked tops, and other varied items.

Many of the first Fostoria tableware pieces were needle etched or wheel cut, both popular forms of decoration for early 20^th-century glass. Fostoria also offered lines decorated with bands of ruby red or gold around the tops, which were also fashionable back in the day.

Learning About Fostoria

An out-of-print book titled Fostoria: Its First Fifty Years, written by Hazel Marie Weatherman, is one of the best resources to locate when researching early Fostoria. Weatherman, a noted Depression glass author, wrote some of the first serious books on collecting Depression glass and elegant glass, and she included many invaluable early catalog reprints in the Its First Fifty Years guide. Those reprints are not only interesting, but they provide clues about the oldest pieces made by the respected glassware company.

Of course, Weatherman made sure readers received information on the most popular patterns along with company history, making the guide even more useful. It shouldn't be too hard to find a secondhand copy of Weatherman's book through used booksellers and online auctions; it's a must for true Fostoria fans or any vintage dealer working to identify this type of old glassware for resale.

Fostoria’s American Pattern

Of all the highly successful patterns included in Weatherman's book, "American" is Fostoria's all-time bestseller. Introduced in 1915, "American" was produced for many years in a wide variety of pieces, ranging from dinnerware to elaborate punch sets.

Lancaster Colony continued to produce this glass as the "American Whitehall" pattern after it bought Fostoria. For quite some time, the pattern stood as the longest-running and most successful in United States glassmaking history, which is quite a feat in an extremely competitive industry. While Lancaster Colony is no longer marketing the "American Whitehall" pattern, some of those pieces confuse novice Fostoria collectors and should not be valued as highly as older "American" wares. It’s wise to take care when buying pieces that look like Fostoria glass but seem to be on the newer side. Ensure you read everything you can about the "American" pattern before making a costly purchase.

Another point of confusion for collectors is that Indiana Glass Company made a pattern called "Whitehall" in the 1960s and this pattern looks much like "American." However, the quality of the "Whitehall" glass is not as high as that produced by Fostoria and the shapes of the pieces and angles of the cube-like pattern are different upon close examination. Visit a knowledgeable glass dealer or glass show to see the quality of Fostoria's "American" pattern personally, and it'll be easy to tell these apart.

Other Fostoria Patterns and Colors

Collectors preferring dinnerware and stems on the delicate side often seek well-known patterns like Versailles, June, Navarre, Chintz, Vernon, and Romance, among others. These pretty stems were popular as bridal registry crystal patterns for many years, and they frequently turn up in estate sales.

While Fostoria made many of their gorgeous wares in clear versions, including the durable "Colony" pattern and "Lariat" with its curlicue rims, the company also created etched glassware patterns in lovely shades of pink, green, and yellow, among other colors. Most of these shades mix well with fine china patterns, making them popular with collectors and mixers of old and new. It’s good to note that, in general, Fostoria colored glassware will sell for a higher price than clear pieces in the same pattern.

How and What to Collect

Some Fostoria enthusiasts prefer to collect entire sets of dinnerware in one color, including serving pieces and stemware. For larger patterns like American, this can amount to a massive grouping of glassware worth thousands of dollars when complete.

Other collectors focus on specific pieces like stemware, vases, or candlesticks in a variety of colors for a unique, diverse collection. There have even specific books targeted to these focused collections published in the past, recognizing how important these focused collections have become.

Clubs for Fostoria Fans

Many dedicated collectors around the country belong to Fostoria collecting clubs such as the Fostoria Glass Society of America. These organizations offer newsletters, educational events, shows, and other resources through their websites, providing a great service to budding glassware hunters and seasoned collectors alike. Belonging to a club like this is the very best way to learn about old glass from others dedicated to accurate research.

Other collectors belong to local or regional glass collecting clubs, which offer the same type of camaraderie and learning experiences with an opportunity to socialize with other glass lovers nearby. A good list of these clubs can be found on the National Depression Glass Association’s website. Online resources are also available via Yahoo Groups and Facebook.