A couple weeks ago I was driving along a busy local road. I had just come from browsing a new vintage shop and getting my car washed. As I was headed home, my eyes wandered to a piece of land at the side of the road, that is well known to frequently have "free" items out on a makeshift table. I saw quite a bit of glassware and thought, I better just take a look. I turned my car around and pulled into the slush and mud filled area, not really happy since I had just got my car washed!
There were several glasses on the plank of wood and I proceeded to look up one type on my Iphone which I found out to be not worth my time of bringing home, cleaning and eventually selling. There was another group of light blue glasses there and I figured I couldn't sit at the side of the road and look up everything so I decided to take the set of 5. They were water goblets, covered in old dirt and sported a floral like pattern. I figured, if they were from the dollar store, I could just throw them away, since they were free and I didn't really invest anything - except I needed another car wash!
So... I get home and clean them up. They really are gorgeous! They are a beautiful light blue with pretty details. I took photos and posted on an eBay message board, asking people familiar in glassware if they knew who made them and what pattern it was. I find out they are the Mayfair pattern by Anchor Hocking and made only in the 1930's AND Mayfair is one of the most popular depression glass patterns today AND the light blue color is very hard to find AND they are selling for $250 EACH on replacements.com!!! Holy cow, it's like I just won the lottery!
To shorten this long story, I sold all 5 to one buyer within 3 days on eBay. I sold four of them for $180 EACH and one (because of a small chip) for $100. A total of $820 is not bad for half a day's work!
My tip to anyone reading and the lesson I learned - I ultimately picked up these glasses BECAUSE of the dirt. Now it just wasn't any dirt, it was OLD dirt. Like the kind that has been there awhile. So, when you are out treasure hunting, consider everything and don't be too quick to turn your nose up at something. AND don't be afraid to get a little muddy! (I seem to talk a lot about dirt, but hey, it's part of the job!)
For your knowledge bank, here are some pictures of my best sale yet!
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