Customer Reviews

Crystal Stemware Identification Guide

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you're looking to identify stemware - this is the book for you! Precise illustrations and photos will help you identify just about any pattern in crystal - etched, cut, etc.. I was able to identify two stems I'd been trying to identify for YEARS as a Glastonbury/Lotus pattern.

This is an excellent book for identifying good stemware that you find at garage sales, swap meets, auctions, estate sales or something left to you by a relative. The book has several hundred pictures - either actual photographs or sketches of stemware that are sorted by manufacturer. Just browse the book until you find a match and you know the manufacturer and pattern name of the item. It also has a handly index - if you happen to know the pattern name - so you can find the corresponding picture or sketch and the manufacturer. Once you know the manufacturer it's easy to get more information off the internet. The book also references a place where you may be able to get additional pieces or sell the pieces you have. My only wish is that the book gave some historical information on the various manufactures and their patterns.

This excellent reference would have saved me 6 months of fruitless searching to find the name of a discontinued pattern, if I had found it sooner. I would give this 6 stars if I could! Its completeness and layout are truly superior to anything else like it.

This book is the greatest. If you haunt flea markets and garage sales like I do you need this book. It will more than pay for itself the first month you have it by allowing you to identify the mystery stemware you pick up. I take it along with me every time I go to the flea market or a garage sale. Once you know the name of your stemware you can always sell it to Replacements or on eBay and pick up a little extra cash for more junk :)

Although the authors have done a great job, I felt they could make it better by including a little bit more of the antique european crystal (such as Saint-Louis) and by trying to date the patterns by decades at least(1880-1890, 1920-1930, 1950-1960). Anyway, it is an invaluable source for collectors and crystal buyers.

It was dissapointing that the contents of the book is in gray and white while the cover is in color. Very misleading. Although a multitude of patterns were covered many were sketched. All in all it would be difficult to recognise patterns using just this book.

I purchased this book based on the reviews that were published. I thought they would also have ways to identify different crystal company signatures. I was just expecting more than a picture guidebook.

I thought this would be a great addition to my library as I enjoy stemware and was very disappointed that most of the "images" are just line drawings and there is no history of lines or anything. I couldn't even find my stemware in the listings and I have several old sets that I have bought over the years. Stick with Gene Florence if you want a really good book on identification. Very lackluster!

I'm a certified appraiser, and this book has been extremely useful in identifying stemware. Some books simply describe the piece, or depict drawings, but this book has photographs - always helpful!

When I ordered this book I expected to find some examples of crystal styles that might lead me to probable manufacturers. From there I could research further to get to my individual patterns. But when I opened it and saw how very many individual patterns there were arranged by glassmaker I was awestruck! I have id'd just about all of my treasures with this book alone. There are even a host of 'unknowns' at the end of the book and sure enough, one of mine was among the mix. I went onto their website, Replacements.Ltd, and inquired about this pattern and sure enough it had been id'd since the book was printed and I had my maker, year of production and estimate of value.
Surely the biggest problem you will find is that there are so many photos of glassware it's hard to look through the entire book at one go!!