- IDGC -

Hello Glass Lovers...

We are the International Depression Glass Club, of Sacramento, California. Actually, our membership comes from all over northern California, and indeed, from several other States as well.

The club was established many years ago, when so-called "Depression Glass" was a hot new collectible. Members joined together to share information about the various items of American-made glassware, primarily from the "Depression" years (roughly the late 1920's through the end of WW II). When the Club was organized, there were few, if any, books on the subject, and one of the best ways to learn about the glass was to share information with other collectors.

The founders also organized a "Glass Show," which is similar to an Antique show, except that all the vendors sell is glassware. At the time, "regular" Antique shows wouldn't permit dealers in "Depression Glass" to exhibit at their shows, so collectors organized "Glass Shows" in order to be able to buy and sell "Depression Glass." The IDGC was one of the first clubs to organize a show, and now has the distinction of having the longest-running show in the country.

What is "Depression Glass"?

Briefly, the term "Depression Glass" refers to American made glassware produced roughly during the time period of the "Great Depression" -- from about the mid-1920s through the mid-1940s. Some collectible patterns fall outside this range, but most were at least initially offered sometime in that timeframe.

Collectors generally divide "Depression Glass" into two categories - the "Elegant" glass, which was labor-intensive, with much hand finishing and with better ingredients, making it a "finer" product that was sold in Jewelry and finer Department Stores, and the regular "Depression Glass" which was made of lesser quality ingredients, and required little, if any, hand finishing. It was often given away as a premium in soap boxes, oatmeal and other cereal boxes and in movie theaters during the "Depression" years.

Both types are eagerly collected today. Many collectors got their start by inheriting some glass from mother, aunt Betty or a neighbor - someone who originally obtained the glass around the time it was manufactured, and who kept it all those years. Don't be fooled by the names - both "Elegant" and "Depression" patterns have inexpensive pieces which sell for only a few dollars and also rare pieces that can run into the thousands of dollars.