I had a total blast at this year's National Milk Glass Collector's Society convention. I met a whole lot of very smart, very fun people. I found out that while the price of most milk glass is down across the board (gone are the Martha-Stewart-induced decorating crazes) the rarer pieces are still selling well. And I had an enlightening conversation, when a new friend told me she'd bought a "Dewey bone dish" and found out that one of our oldest members knew of one other, which she herself owned. (I have a third, hah!)
Made me happy, especially when I found out how much it's worth these days. But more than that, it reminded me that frequently the best price you can get for any item is in a room full of dedicated collectors.
The auction, as usual, was the high point of the weekend. Yes, there were wonderful lectures, informative speeches, great finds in dealer rooms, and seriously fun networking - it's easy to remember why you began to collect things when you surround yourself with other maniacs who share your passion. But the rubber hits the road when you hand them bidding cards. (I wasn't immune. I paid $57.50 for a plate that I saw the next day in the sales room for $35.00 - but, dammit, the most luscious items went far above my budget, and I was determined to get something I'd never seen before!) There's something about that numbered piece of cardboard that makes you forget your checkbook balance.
Two moments stand out for me, personally - one is that when the ninth item (Pig on Drum) started to head past my limit (yet I still kept going) it took me a few moments to realize the woman I was sitting with was the other bidder ("there's no friends at an auction," she said as I gave in to economic rationality); and two is when I was bidding on a Crouching Rabbit (French, wonderful, it was love) but as the auctioneer was urging me onward and upward (past my limit) I had a massive hot flash, for which I flushed red and started fanning myself. I took it as a sign, the audience took it as a hilarious reaction, and I became the center of attention every time I raised my number. (No problem for little Exhibitionist Bunny!)
So what went for the really big bucks? Well, a McKee pig on a split-rib base (signed) sold for $900 despite a chip on his ears. And this duck (excellent condition) sold for $525.
I suppose the one that shocked me the most (since I didn't think it would sell for that much) was a Poodle bottle (or a candy container, no one's sure) that sold for $1,000! A "Walking" Bear covered dish (black milk glass) sold for $1025. But that was chicken feed compared to the take for a German-made hen (extremely rare), which sold for $1900!
I bought a few items myself - that plate, an Agro Agate Scotty Dog covered dish (good price), a second Atterbury Duck on Rush base (because I really love it), and this tray with match holder:
I love what I bought, and I won't always be on a shoestring. But, overall, I was there to watch, to gain experience, and to learn, and that I did.
What do you love? There's probably a club full of crazy people just like you. If there's nothing, then I highly recommend that you go to our society's web site to see the conference photos, as well as take a look at the permanent photo gallery, full of beautiful, old pieces. Look over the books they recommend, but don't get locked into the price lists. Maybe you'll get hooked, too, and maybe - just maybe - I'll see you at the conference some other year.
Just not with your auction card up, okay?
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