Event helps collectors identify their glasswares

"Some very rare pieces come here that people have no idea about, and the owners are shocked," she said. "It's really quite amazing to see."

Identification sessions, like the one conducted at Fenton Art Glass Sunday, are conducted several times a year for the last five or six years, said Frank Fenton, former president of Fenton Art Glass.

Fenton said the customers like to get the help identifying their pieces.

"We started this to bring more people into the shop and to perform a service to our customers," Fenton said.

This year, four appraisers were on hand including Fenton, Jim Measell, Fenton public relations, Carrie Domitz, glass collector and author from Seattle, and Tom Smith, collector from Indianapolis.

"The identification days are education for glass collectors and owners," said Leann Lindsey, visitor from Phoenix.

"I brought in a carnival glass bowl that was my grandmother's and found out that it is the same piece in the museum," said Barbara Boyce, a Marietta resident.

"Glass is interesting, and I came here to get information and learn more about the pieces I have," she said.

Boyce was not able to receive help on all of her pieces.

"For those I will be going to the library to do more research," Boyce said.

Domitz came to the area to research with Fenton, who she calls "a giant in the glass industry."

Collectible glass pieces are valuable because of their color, the manufacturer and the availability of the pieces.

During the first hour of the session, a local resident brought a Fenton Cameo Opalescent vase.

"This is outstanding," Smith said. "Collectors would give their eye teeth for this."

Domitz agreed that the piece was valuable.

"It is incredible to find something like this," said Domitz, "very rare."

Each year different pieces are brought for appraisal, and the panelists often remember some of the more outstanding pieces.

"One of the neatest pieces I have seen brought in here was a jade piece," said Smith. "No one could figure out the color of it for the longest time. It was cute and different."

Fenton said some of the interesting pieces he has ever seen were pieces made of Marigold Carnival glass. The piece was later lent to the Fenton Museum.

"You just never know what someone is going to come in with," Smith said.

In one of the first years of the identification someone brought in a stained glass window from a church, said Measell

The highest price for pieces brought in was between $200 to $300 for the carnival glass and the rare vase.

"We try to have these appraisals to coincide with sales in the shop, usually around Labor Day and Valentine's Day," said Measell.