One of the best places to go to find Carnival Glass in Arizona!

Having had numerous email communications with Ann of Ann and Neil Antiques in Ahwatukee, I finally had the opportunity to meet them! My husband and I were in Phoenix to see our family and celebrate Fathers Day so our time there was limited. I was bound and determined to get over to meet Ann and even though I showed up a day earlier than she expected, she was very gracious and happy to see us.

Their antique store is in a very upscale shopping center near Elliott Road and 48th Street. Not only do they have the antique furniture and jewelry, etc. that you would expect to see in an antique shop, she had several Carnival Glass pieces on display already and still had more in boxes that she hadn't unpacked yet. What really struck me was the excellent condition of the Carnival Glass that she had for sale. They visit local auctions and estate sales and come back with nothing but the best of the carnival glass pieces. I was particulary taken with a Marigold Pansy Bowl and a very pale Marigold Scroll Embossed Compote not to mention a Marigold Dragon and Lotus plate (my personal favorite).

Ann was in the midst of moving their antique shop to another location in the same shopping center and even though she was very busy, she took the time to show us their new shop and then took us to their old shop to see items they hadn't had time to move yet.

When Ann offered to take us to her home to view her personal collection, we jumped at the chance. When we walked into her home, it took my breath away! She had one wall that held three display cabinets and many pieces of Carnival Glass in her living room as a focal point. As I looked around the room, I noticed that she had a few more display cabinets chock full of Carnival Glass. She had punch bowls, plates, bowls, vases, lamps, toothpick holders, etc. Although she told us the names of the patterns, there were so many that I just can't remember them all.

If any of you live in or are visiting Phoenix or Ahwatukee, you'd better make it over there before I get back there because I have my eye on a few of their Carnival Glass pieces! I can't say enough about their hospitality and their Carnival Glass! You can find several pieces of Ann and Neils Carnival Glass for sale on our website.

The only thing I regret about our visit to Phoenix was that our time was so constrained. Phil, a good friend of Ann and Neils and a carnival glass collector in his own right, invited us to his home to view his collection. He has been collecting for 17 years and the next trip I take down there, if his offer still stands, I'll make sure I have the time to visit him!

One more thing. Ann and Neil have a website at http://www.annneil.com. You can go on their website to the Ebay logo and see what they have up for bid on Ebay.

Oh, and before I forget, Ann and Neil sell the best fine gourmet packaged Green Dragon coffees! You can order the coffee online. Ann gave us each a cup and was it the best tasting coffee ever! If you love coffee and want to try some really good flavors of coffee just go to their website and order some!

What is the definition of Vintage Carnival Glass?
by Bonnie Barker

A generally accepted definition is: "Glass that is pressed and iridized and was produced by glass companies from 1905 to 1930". Carnival Glass was made not only in the U.S., but also England, Austrailia, India, Germany, Finland, Czechoslovakia, Sweden, Argentina, and Mexico.

Carnival Glass has an "iridescent shine" that can resemble an oil spot, a rainbow of colors, or an opalescence, and more! The glass has an iridized shine to it that reflects many different colors. This iridescence is created by a spray of metallic salts applied to the glass and then fired on. Often the color may look very different on the iridized part of the piece, so to find the true color of the glass, or base color, hold an item up to the light and whatever color shows through the glass, is what the actual color of the piece is. Two well known base colors are "opalescent" glass or "vaseline" glass. You can find more on the colors and what constitues Carnival Glass on the different websites listed on our home page.

A short list of Vintage Carnival Glass being collected today: plates, bowls, compotes, nappies, punch bowls, tumblers, pitchers, table sets, water sets, candleholders, vases, miniature glassware, whimseys, hatpins, lampshades, and many novelty items such as, bottles, figurines, lettered pieces, ashtrays,baskets, etc.

Watch for upcoming articles on a variety of Carnival Glass topics.
If you have an article or information to contribute, please email us.

A fine example of contemporary Carnival Glass, this is a small cordial cup that was iridized by St. Clair.