Dorothy Thorpe "Roly Poly" Silver Banded Cocktail Glasses

Dorothy Thorpe did some amazing design work in her career. Primarily on glassware and including some of the most beautiful tropical etched designs. Much of what she produced or was involved with is highly sought after by collectors. Who could have imagined that these little glasses would ever be so collectible or valuable for that matter...well, they are. I just had an eBay auction to end a few days ago (set of 4) that sold for $63.00. Yahoo!!!! Look for them in numerous shapes, sizes, and forms. The silver bands come in all widths, and even a version that "feathers" at the bottom edge. It's these "roly poly" shapes that are most desirable. They date to around the 1950's. Look for them with good silver retention. If you're lucky, you'll run into a cocktail pitcher to match in one of numerous shapes that will match the set nicely.

A Word About Found Item Purchase Prices

You might notice that I've provided my purchase price on some item posts. This will give you an idea for how inexpensively these type items can be picked up for. In general, you can pretty much assume that if I bought it, it was probably for a great price. However, on occasion I'll run across an item (say a Blenko Glass piece) that is priced more like the established value would have it. I'll most likely still be excited to purchase it if we don't yet have it in the collection.

3 Giant Ruby Red Goblets - Maybe Blenko?

Found yesterday as well. They could be Blenko, but we'll need to investigate further. They would be pretty old designs if so and possibly dating back to the 1930's-40's. A clue to them possibly being Blenko is that Blenko produced a number of items that had this same twisted stem design. They are fairly heavy and solid. They will most likely remain in our art glass collection.

Retro 1960's Mid-Century Modern Pottery Table Lamp

Found this wild looking mid-century modern lamp yesterday as well. It's made of ceramic on a metal base. There's no maker information that I can see. Overall, it's in great condition with only a little dusting needed. Electric supply appears to all be in good working order. The orange/red is striking and screams 1960's. There's a touch of a "brush" like effect applied around the center and the top areas have a touch of what is often referred to as a "lava" textured finish. It will go up For Sale. If ever you see something that you like that is for sale, just inquire about pricing and availability. I'll get back to you.

3 Blenko Airtwist Stems

Found this set of 3 yesterday. They are SO RARE. They date to the 1940's. The bowls are in Blenko's Sea Green color with Crystal stems. Love the airtwist detail. Paid a whopping $5.00 for all 3...BARGAIN! Although these won't leave our possession, they are valued somewhere between $40-50 each. The 3 will look good in our collection among all the other Blenko stemware pieces that we have, and right along another one exactly the same size but in Ruby Red. We also have another smaller version in a different shade of green and made with "seed" glass (tiny air bubbles).

The Junking with Jim Blog

It's finally up and going. I've had the blog site for quite a while now. Look for blog posts soon.