Was Wondering What You Think of this EAPG Piece?

I saw this on ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-Old-MC...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Or item Number: 182296240747

Do you think this piece has been irradiated? This is not the first really really dark amethyst piece I've seen on line. The last was Fostoria American. Makes me wonder so I wanted to know if you think it was originally made in this color. Thanks!

 

Hi Pam,
I personally think it was heavy irradiated. If it was sun purpled it would be a lighter shade. I do not think that it was amethyst in the beginning. It is only my feeling about it. The amethyst Fostoria American was done much later. It is only my personal feeling.
greg

 

I agree with you, but I don't think the buyers care. A man I see at the auctions every week buys old glass to irradiate and he then sells it in Florida. Does a brisk business. Don't know why FL, maybe it's easier to "sell" the idea of sun purple there.

 

Also, wouldn't you be able to get that much money for a clear Deer & Pine Tree Cake Stand? Why turn it purple? I can maybe understand Fostoria American, there are a lot more of them out there and none are purple. But this . . . maybe because of the chipping it wouldn't be worth as much?

 

yes, it was definitely artificially irradiated. I've also seen some Fostoria 'Coin' pieces like this. Like any flea market or action, buyers must 'know' what they are buying; eBay is no different. I did write that seller when I first saw that listing because of the claim of rarity, informing them that it was artificially irradiated; never got a response. I personally feel they knew that already, as an honest seller would have at least responded.

 

Hi Don, maybe Fostoria Coin was what I saw as well. Fostoria something, eh? That seller put vague caveats in his listing, the ole I'm just a dumb seller, you decide if it's been altered. But like I said, buyers don't seem to care.

 

Nuked, McKee did not make Diamond Band (OMN) aka Deer and Pinetree in purple. In todays market with uninformed collectors this may do much better. Still it is a shame.

 

Question - About how old is the practice of "irradiating" (thank goodness I only have to type that and not pronounce it!)?

I am not excusing it nor condoning it, but it brings to mind the "habit" of people to modify things to "match", much like my mother sending out the andirons to be silver plated because she wanted no "gold-tones" in the re-decorated room.

 

No...u got that backwards.....Sellers like THAT don't care...they just want to rip folks off for as much $$$ as they can..........buyers don't want to get cheated....even Dumb ones !!!

 

Mansons: Silverplating andirons? That must have been way before silver prices skyrocketed! Now I can't even afford to silverplate a large spoon, LOL.

I once found an amethyst glass and "gold" metal bowl. When I removed all of the gold paint, it was gorgeous. The paint had preserved the silver from the usual damage. Gold and silver go in and then out frequently. Gold hardware fixtures are now back "in". After years of brushed nickel etc. it's something new for the eye. But not new to us old timers. However, the new gold fixtures are brushed, and IMHO very pretty.

 

What I meant, komo, is that buyers may or may not know if the item has been irradiated but I still think they would buy it because it "matches" their decor or some other reason. The caveats in the seller's listing was for the buyers who DO know. If they believed him without checking first, then they made a mistake. But why would someone bid up an old EAPG pieces and not know? That kind of implies that they don't care, as other purple glass cake stands are available. Does that make sense?

 

That was "back in the day" - but Mum had $$$ to spend back then. I remember her buying two rather pricey cut glass vases for flower arrangements on a dinner party table - and then relegating them to the cupboard for the next dozen years because they didn't "go with anything".

And, yes, when I had the bucks I did much the same thing. A dozen brass ashtrays in the shape of a crab for a clambake dinner party comes to mind, along with a "tall" caviar server because our short one would be out of place on the "planned" buffet table. Reminds me, I want to sell that server..........

 

" But why would someone bid up an old EAPG pieces "

Man, there must be a dozen reasons why.......but I get what you mean...

 

Artificial irradiating was initially popular in the late 1980 early 1990s. Using the sun to get a purple hue is older by a decade or two. I have had folks coming into the store looking for the sun purpled because they like the color. They often complained that it was hard to find . The dark shades like this are clues to artificial irradiation.

 

Thank you (he says while filing this nugget within the whorls and curds of his brain)

 

here's on online article about artificial irradiation of glass:
http://www.glassbottlemarks.com/artificially-purpled-glass-irradiated-glass-altered-glass/