CARDER STEUBEN CLUB
BY BOB MUELLER

While there are lots of glass and collecting clubs, none has the magic of relationships that Carder Steuben collectors have.

My dear friend Nancy who lives in Minneapolis asked me about our Club (Carder Steuben Club). She knows how much I love and cherish the Club, but just doesn’t understand what it is that is so uniquely special. So this is how I explained it to her.

I told her that is all started for me in 1992 when my mother and I had just joined “The friends of Carder” at the Rockwell Museum in Corning , New York . I mentioned that we were able to meet both Paul Gardner, and Robert Rockwell. They both shared fabulous first hand stories and insights about Mr. Carder and his glass. I remember how I was just mesmerized by both of these men and the intimacy of their experiences with Mr. Carder. I remember this first hand information and experience as if it were yesterday.

As the years went on and I kept coming back for the annual Symposiums I had the experience of meeting and sharing a passion for Mr. Carder’s Steuben glass with so many other ardent members from all parts of the United States . This included distant states such as California , Arizona , Texas and Florida .

With the early years behind us as “Friends of Carder” I now saw our group was meshing, as the name suggests, “Friends”. Everyone shared with each other. We were always interested in each others finds, their mistakes, or their stories of how one great piece of Steuben just slid through their hands.

Also by this time, the “fun wars” started. At the Saturday auction members develop camaraderie through good natured ribbing, and fun with one another while bidding for other. For example, I developed a special friendship when another member decided to bid for me, much to my surprise. He told the auctioneer (at that time Tom Dimitroff) that he would bid so much, but that Bob Mueller would bid x amount more. Poor old Bob being very surprised came back by returning the favor.

These dinners were so special to me and all of the members. None of this was like any other formal auction, and everyone had so much fun and laughing while yet getting a piece of glass to be treasured, at a bargain price.

I also enjoyed going out with a variety of people for dinner or lunch to just get to know them and their interest better. Every one of these experiences just seemed to me to be such a shared enjoyment.

Everyone in attendance was very sincere, polite and new fast friendships were formed that have lasted for years for all of us.

With the move of the Rockwell collection of Carder Steuben Glass across the river to the Corning Museum of Glass, we now have a successor club to the Friends club. However, the same members are still there in the group, and share that special shared comradeship. It is the best. It is like a “family”.

I finally ended my story to my friend Nancy and she now understood why I loved this group of people as I do.

When you only see a group of people for only 3-4 days a year and then remember them so vividly until the next year, to me they must be a very special group.

Bob Mueller
Osseo , Minnesota
September 1, 2009