Antiques & Collecting: Pate-de-verre

The Daum glass factory of Nancy, France, is famous for its cameo glass, but that isn’t the only kind it made. When Jean Daum founded the factory in 1875, he made cut and enameled glass. His sons, Auguste and Antonin, started an art glass department in 1885, adapting to the art glass movement and art nouveau style of the time.

The company started making more ornate types of glass like cameo glass and pate-de-verre. These were very old techniques, but newly popular as they experienced a resurgence in the 19th century.

Pate-de-verre was made in ancient Egypt. The term means “glass paste.” It is made by combining ground glass with an adhesive and molding this mixture into forms.

It proved to be a good fit for the art nouveau period, when designs drew inspiration from the natural world, especially flowers and plants.

Glassworks like Daum made pate-de-verre pieces with three-dimensional flowers. They are often valuable today. This Daum vase made to look like a bunch of daffodils sold for $2,125 at Heritage Auctions.

I have a collection of Beanie Baby bears that would like a new home. How can I find them a good one?

The resale market for Beanie Babies has been ongoing since the fad exploded in the 1990s. It is still active, although prices are not as high as they were during the original craze.

Social media websites like Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist can help you find Beanie Babies collector clubs that may be interested in your bears. They may also sell at estate sales or toy auctions.

Websites like eBay and Etsy are also popular places to sell; but if you use them, remember that asking prices are not the same as sold prices.

You will see Beanie Babies listed for thousands of dollars on these sites, but that is what the seller is asking, not necessarily what buyers are paying. To see more accurate values on eBay, check “Sold Items” under Advanced Search.

There are also several websites specifically for Beanie Baby collectors, like tycollector.com and beaniebabiespriceguide.com, that can help you find the value of your bears.

Of course, if you are looking to donate your Beanie Babies and they are in excellent condition, you should contact local charity groups or local hospital.

Tip: If you like vases of fresh flowers, buy custom-cut pieces of glass to protect wooden table and chest tops from water stains.

Current Prices

World’s Fair, banner, 1876, Philadelphia International Exhibition, Centennial, George Washington portrait, multicolor, jacquard, blue fringe, silk, 10 1/2 x 7 inches, $160.

Trunk, nagamochi, lift lid, lacquer, gilt armorial devices, scrolling leaves, latch closure, handle, paper lining, Japan, late 1800s, 14 x 29 x 17 inches, pair, $500.

Rug, soumak, six medallions, blue field, red, orange, brown, ivory, stylized flower border, Uzbekistan, 9 feet 6 inches x 5 feet 7 inches, $745.