How to Identify Quality Glassware from a Re-sell Shop!

How to identify high quality glassware from a re-sell shop!

Hidden treasures

We all know the stories of finding fancy stuff at resell and vintage shops. But do you know how to identify those pieces?

As a wine consultant, I know a lot about the good and ugly of drinkware. I am also a big fan of bargain shopping. Getting high quality products at discounted prices. And I am not just talking discounts from a fancy store. Let’s talk about how to get HIGH QUALITY wine glasses for close to nothing!

So today, I am going to give you 5 tips to identify high quality (and even crystal!) glassware at places like resell stores (like Goodwill), vintage shops and even flee markets!

The biggest difference will be whether or not the glassware is made of typical glass or crystal, with crystal being the more expensive.

The Thickness

Crystal is significantly stronger than typical glass. Therefore it can be blown to a thinner thickness. If the glass is incredibly thing, the odds are that it is crystal and this it is a quality glass. Typical glass is made from soda lime glass (used for things like bottles, jars, windows, etc) and is not able to be as thin.

The Sparkle

Now let’s evaluate the glass using natural light. Hold the glassware up to direct sunlight. Crystal glassware will refract the light and reflect prismatic rainbow colors. Standard glass will not.

The Rim

The style of the rim of the wine glass is an instant que of the glass quality. A high quality wine glass should not have a rolled rim. The rim should be the exact same thickness as the rest of the bowl and look perfectly flat on the edge.

A rolled rim is a quick sign that the piece is not worth much. To help understand why, imagine drinking wine out of a thick coffee mug. The experience is not smooth and easy and it dampens the entire perception of the wine.

The Balance

The bowl and foot of quality glassware will be well balanced as to where it sits nicely in your hand and it’s easy and fluid to swirl. It should not be top heavy. A well balance wine glass should also not tip over easily.

The Clarity

The final sign of a high quality piece of glassware is the clarity and color of the glass. Crystal will have a greater brilliance and clarity. Some signs of a low quality glassware are bubbles or a very sublt color tint. Some quality glassware can have a purposeful tint, but those are usually an obvious coloring and not just a sign of subpar glass.

Identifying if a piece is crystal or standard glass is what will help you score big the next time you are at a retail shop. These tips I provided are the best and quickest ways to identify quality glassware!

Happy bargain hunting!