Sears Crystal Glassware - 1928

by Virginia Scott
Glass Review - March 1982

The illustrations at right are from the 1928 Sears Roebuck Fall and Winter catalog. This catalog showed two end one-half pages of glassware with other pieces mixed in with china and gifts. One full page was headed: "Crystal Clear Glass--Finest quality--Lowest Prices." The other Sears Crystal Ad 1928full page heading read: "Colored Glassware, The Decree of Fashion". In this article, we will only have space to consider the clear glass. I will continue with the colored section next month.

In order to show most of the pieces from the catalog, I have had to cut out and rearrange the items. I have also had to delete prices and descriptions of the glass. This information will be summarized as I proceed with the article. Unfortunately, Sears made no mention of what companies produced the glass they sold. So, although some of the shapes suggest those of certain companies, there is really no sure way of knowing who made the pieces!

The "Crystal Clear" section was divided into three parts. One was headed "Genuine Heavy Cut Glass". Other sections show stemware sets and water sets. Odd pieces were scattered around where there was space.

Six items or sets were shown in the Cut Glass section. The most inexpensive piece of glass on this page was the toothpick holder, No. 1, which was 45¢ and described as having a pressed top and diamond-cut bottom. Illustrations No. 9, 11, 12 and 13 show cut glass items cut with a "Buzz Star" design. The salad bowl, No 11, was described as "cut with three large buzz stars and deeply cut and polished miter lines forming hob stars with hobnail center. Bottom cut with large hob star." This bowl was $2.79. The celery set sold for $3.25, the sugar and creamer for $3.75 and the pickle for $l.9O.

Three sets of stemware, consisting of goblet, tall sherbet, low sherbet and tumbler were offered. Each set was described as "thin blown crystal glass with one-piece drawn stems." No. 10, "plate etched with fuschsia design", was $4.00 for six goblets. The poinsettia-cut stemware, No. 17, offered six goblets for $1.72 while the daisy-cut, No. 19, was $2.06. Other pieces in the sets were priced lower than the goblets.

Two Grape Juice sets were offered, No. 4 and No. 8. No. 4 had an 11½" bottle and six tumblers with rambler rose cutting in silver gray and was only $1.83. No. 8 was a specially priced pressed glass set with 10" tray, six footed glasses and bottle for only $1.25. The two water sets were equally good values. No. 14 was described as "thin blown crystal glass, cut with six-pointed sunburst stars with rays" and was only $1.80. The floral-cut jug and tumblers, No. 15, had a green-tinted handle and was $1.65.

The odd pieces offered were mostly decorated with cut designs. Salad plates with cut roses, No. 20, were $2.75 for six. The cake salver with daisy-cut and pearl-handled server was $2.35 while the center-handled sandwich tray and server was $1.65. The console sets, No. 6 and No. 16, were described as having colored decoration and black bases. The three-piece sets sold for $1.39 and 96¢ respectively. Most of the remaining pieces were priced below $1.00.