The 200-Year-Old Vintage Kitchen Brand To Look For At Thrift Stores

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Thrift stores are the place to score some great deals on anything, from vintage kitchen linens to retro baking cookbooks and even kitchenware (just be sure to avoid used wooden items, which are the worst kitchen tools to buy from secondhand shops). For collectors, these shops are some of the best spots to look for vintage kitchen items. In particular, there is one brand that you should be looking for at thrift stores: Libbey glassware, an age-old American company that has been manufacturing glass since 1818.

With roots in East Cambridge, Massachusetts, the establishment of the New England Glass Company soon led to its massive impact as the world's largest glass plant, producing items from kitchenware to lamps, vases, and other decorative pieces. But it was not until 1870 that the New England Glass Company became New England Glass Works, Wm. L. Libbey & Sons Props. While the company may have originated on the East Coast, it was soon transplanted to Toledo, Ohio, where it remains to this day. A true pioneer in the production of American glass, this company still manufactures its own line of modern glass dinnerware. But for collectors, vintage pieces are where it's at, with prices ranging from as little as $10 to certain limited edition glassware listed at $1,400 on reselling sites!

While the prices of select secondhand pieces can run quite high, it should not be too hard for the curious shopper to get their hands on some more common and affordable Libbey glass. Looking for some specific trademark stamps should help you when seeking out vintage pieces: a double circle with a cursive capital "L," a circle divided into three parts with the same cursive "L," and a single circle with that same "L" trademark. It should be noted that there are other variations to the Libbey stamp, but the main thing to look out for is the signature "L" that is always featured, regardless of pattern. While Libbey has manufactured a number of kitchenware products over the years, common pieces available in thrift stores and online sites like Etsy and eBay typically include tumblers, Collins glasses, and stem and whiskey glasses.

Many vintage Libbey glasses also come with decorative motifs as well, from floral designs to holiday patterns and even depictions of animals like horses and flamingoes. However, while vintage glasses are highly revered for their old charm and nostalgic appearance, manufacturing practices back then are quite different from the processes used today. One major factor to old glassware manufacturing is the now-defunct practice of using the toxic lead oxide in production. To avoid purchasing leaded glassware at thrift stores and vintage shops, try using a lead testing kit (most helpful for detecting leaded paint on the outside of patterned glasses) or listen for a high-pitched pinging sound (glassware without lead should make a lower clinking noise). Hopefully, with this new information in hand, you feel equipped to find this 200-year-old vintage kitchen brand in thrift stores near you.