Blue lady is it wheaton

Tiffany, I thought this bit of info about the Wheaton "ladies" was rather interesting! (Yours seems to be the Colonial Lady with basket.

Wheatonware Carnival Glass Was Sold At Home Parties
RINKER ON COLLECTIBLES

February 28, 1999| by HARRY RINKER (A free-lance story for The Morning Call).

Q -- I have a question about Wheatonware Carnival Glass dolls and bookends. I inherited three amber and three blue dolls and a pair of yellow-green bookends featuring a Dutch boy and Dutch girl. I would be grateful for any information you can supply about them. -- C.R., Seymour, Ind.

A -- I spoke with Bob Purner of the Classic Wheaton Club (Box 59, Downingtown, Pa. 19335) who informed me that I would find a detailed explanation of Wheatonware in John Burkholder and D. Thomas O'Connor's "Kemple Glass: 1945-1970" (The Glass Press, 1997; $34.95; 160 pp.). Your pieces were made by the Wheaton Glass Co. from molds it purchased from Kemple. Burkholder and O'Conner state:


"Wheatonware was established in 1965 as a division of the Wheaton Glass Co. It operated like Tupperware and Mary Kay, with sales representatives conducting home parties. From 1970-1975, representatives added Kemple pieces to their lines, traveling from home to home with glass tableware in popular patterns such as `Moon & Star Variant,' and `Yutec.' At its height, the company had more than 2,000 independent contractors or representatives, conducting home parties.

"Colorful flyers were printed, advertising Wheatonware Hand-Pressed Kemple Reproductions, Kemple patterns that became marketable lines for home sales and tableware parties. These flyers illustrated the following pieces in blue and amber: three `Belles,' `Dutch Boy' and `Girl,' `Mary' and `Christ' plate, `Mary' and `Christ' plaques, `Haley's compote,' `Napoleon's hat,' `Dolphin' dish, `Moon & Star Variant' dishes, `Clover-Leaf' ash tray, assortment of `Tec' patterns in bowls, covered butter and plates; `Lace and Dewdrop' goblets, pitchers, compote, bowls, and plates; `Sawtooth' candlesticks.

"In 1975, the IRS took Wheatonware to court (in addition to two other small firms) to require them to make Social Security payments for their sales agents. Frank Wheaton decided to close the division, as it was only marginally profitable. The suit was settled out of court one year later. Ironically, the IRS lost its case, and now, companies are only required to issue a 1099 form to their sales people.

"In 1975, the Kemple molds were transferred to the Wheaton Historical Association, (reorganized as the Wheaton Cultural Alliance Inc.) the governing body of Wheaton Village. Though later that year some molds would be removed for production of the Wheatoncraft line, many of them remain there in storage at the time of this writing."

Initially, Wheaton did not make any alteration to the "K" mark on the Kemple molds. Upon hearing this, Mrs. Kemple insisted that a small "w" be placed in the mold near the "K` so that a Wheaton reproduction could be easily identified from an earlier Kemple piece.

Your three lady figures are Colonial Lady with basket, Southern Belle with hat, and Victorian lady. Kemple acquired these molds, along with the Dutch Boy and Girl bookend molds, from the K.R. Haley Glassware Co., Greensburg, Pa. A 1974 Wheatonware sales list indicates the three ladies were available in amber, blue and oriental pearl crystal. Amber and blue figures retailed for $4.95, oriental pearl crystal figures for $5.25.

Burkholder and O'Conner value the lady figures and bookends in the $50 range. Purner informed me that they are selling on eBay between $10 and $15.

The Wheaton Glass Co. made a large variety of commemorative and reproduction glassware, especially in the 1970s. Information is difficult to find. As a bonus for joining the Classic Wheaton Club (annual dues $10), first-time members received a copy of Lois Clark's "Wheaton, My Favorite Collectibles" (privately published, 1995; $10; 36 pp.). I strongly recommend it as a reference.

from:
http://articles.mcall.com/1999-02-28/features/3236777_1_wheaton-village-molds-dutch