In this Gazette we’ve been encouraging participants to spread the word of the
great and unique artistry of Frederick Carder. The suggestion has been to seek
out opportunities to display and speak on glass. Sam Kissée of Chico, CA
sets forth a great idea that is simple, relatively easy and merely requires asking
your local museum.
The Gold Nugget Museum in a nearby town has a case that they call The
Collector’s Corner. Every two months they ask local folks to put together a
display from their collections. It is right in the Museum’s entrance so everyone
that walks in goes right past the case.
The Chico Museum had an exhibit two years ago called Chico Collects. It was one
of the most viewed exhibits the museum has sponsored. There were 20 people
asked to exhibit, I of course chose 30 pieces from my Carder Steuben
collection. The exhibit was in place for six months. Fellow members might want to inquire at their local museums about the possibility of doing similar exhibits.

Wow! What a weekend. DuMouchelles’ Art Galleries Co. of Detroit held a massive auction of
Carder’s Steuben and one of the most major auctions held yet of the modern Steuben, this past Saturday, Feb. 16.

Jim Barlow & Mark Buffa of the Detroit area invited me to share the weekend with them. You may recall that Jim founded the Club’s website, cardersteubenclub.com. Mark Buffa has for the past several years served as the Club’s Webmaster.
An invitation Mark & Jim includes an invitation to not only see Mark & Jim’s fabulous Carder
collection, but share dinner with them enjoying dining on Carder dinnerware. A party of glass collectors is a special and unique party and Dick Bright, the Club’s Secretary came in from Corning to share the weekend.
Some of you may have seen the Buffa-Barlow home last spring, one of the tours that was a part of the NAGC annual meeting held in Toledo. You’ll see pictures that I took of their home and activities at DuMouchelles’. Forgive my pictures though. I can’t figure out how to organize with the software. So, you’ll first see a set of night pictures at the Buffa-Barlow home with limited lighting. Then in the middle you’ll see DuMouchelles and the colored and clear glass they were selling. Finally, the Buffa-Barlow home again, but with better lighting, since it was taken during daylight. Mark & Jim are foremost Steuben lamp collectors and you’ll be amazed by their vast
lamp collection. Many of the lighting fixtures will surprise you; you’ll surprised at what Mr. Carder created and you’ve never seen. Also, note their table settings. Everyone at dinner was a little bit uncomfortable having to sip their drinks out of a matching set of goblets. For the link click on:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cardersteubenclub/sets/72157603930889459/

But, first let’s talk about the auction. This auction was an eBay live auction. For those that followed it, yes the bids were what you saw. If records were kept, many were broken. Prices were outstanding. That is perhaps an understatement. Some things went through the roof. Everyone in attendance was gasping.
Some quite rare modern pieces were on the auction block. To me the highlight was the acquisition by the Wichita Museum of “The Valor Cup”. This was commissioned by the U.S. Government as a gift to the British people during World War II. A back up was created and this was up for sale.
This Engraved covered urn was quite stately and outstanding and now is housed in the growing
Steuben collection in Wichita. Their curator, Stephen Gleissner was present and was beside him self with excitement.
Stephen was invited to join us for dinner at Mark & Jim’s home. What a night of glass talk. Last year in this newsletter we shared some pictures of the growing Wichita Museum Carder Glass collection. What we learned is that they also have a substantial collection of the modern as well.
The Museum has an endowment permitting a continued acquisition of Steuben, and is becoming one of the leading venues for Steuben in the nation. For example, last year Stephen and his museum acquired one of the two or three decorated rouge flambé pieces. A major museum acquisition.
Lots of discussion went on with those at the auction and well into the night as to what happened. Is this auction a watershed of a change in the market for Carder Steuben, was the question at hand.
No one knows of course. The common retort is that no single auction makes a market. Part of this discussion focuses on the fact that eBay seems to have many pieces without bids or particularly low buy pricing. Someone recently suggested to me that serious collectors largely avoid eBay. While there can be any number of reasons underlying this theory, perhaps there could be some truth to it. That is that eBay isn’t a seller’s market for a higher level of glass that Steuben may represent. Why? Can’t feel or touch it. It costs more and Steuben collectors are notorious for be particular about condition, something that can’t be evaluated on eBay. I don’t know how this plays out, but the bidding at DuMouchelles’ was strong, and in some cases two to three times what many expected for pricing. Also, there was a substantial crowd. Some internet live auctions have had sparse local attendance since it can be followed on the internet. Lots to speculate over, and I thought you’d like to know.
If nothing else, I love to go to auctions to see how each auction house does things different from the others. The talk, the action, the bidding are all exciting. And, for those who will invariably ask, no I didn’t put in a single bid. Was just there for the action and comradeship of fellow collectors.
Let me add a few other comments. I doubt many knew there were only two Valor Cups created, and therefore understood its rarity, and that this was commissioned for the British people and not for sale to the public. Makes quite a rarity, let alone its stately and elegant artistry. I know of at least two people who knew this. They did their homework. They went to the Rakow library at CMoG. The evening discussion was how helpful the staff is at the Rakow. Knowledge is power, and is available to all.
Also, a massive set of dinnerware (two sets) was sold. Totally, it appears about $50,000 was paid for it. It is pictured and identified in the link provided above.

We’ve been discussing finding venues to speak to or display Carder’s Steuben. Yes, when seen, it does create excitement with those who have never seen it. Here is a suggestion from Kathy Solomon of Pepper Pike, OH
Check local libraries, too. One of ours has several cases where residents are invited to share their collections.

As it relates to eBay as a market place of opportunity for Carder Steuben, the
following comments from Tommy Dreiling of Brooklyn:
I would like to weigh in on the conversation about E-Bay and who buys there. I
consider myself a serious collector, a serious collector with a budget, but a
serious collector. In 2007 I added 10 pieces to my collection. I bought two at
the Westchester Glass Show, one at the Baltimore Antique Show, one from Early
Auction Company and six from E-Bay. Yes, there are a lot of “common” pieces on
E-Bay. The 2683 vase in all colors, the shade vases, a fair number of fan vases
and lots of twist stem candlesticks. But, over the years I’ve seen the only piece
of decorated brown Aurene I’ve ever seen for sale as well as the only piece of
New Intarsia. I know the word rare is over used but some of my E-Bay
purchases have included a shape 575 decorated gold Aurene, a 13 inch gold
Aurene floriform shape 2850 and a green jade and alabaster vase shape 7312.
Yes you have to wade through a lot dreck, like all the dealers that list items that
“look like Steuben” or are “as good as Steuben” or “someone told me it was
Steuben” but the rewards make it worth it to me. I’ve added pieces that I
might never have come across any other way. So if other serious collectors
choose not to buy from E-Bay I say YEA! less bidding against me.

As to opportunities to speak on Carder Steuben, appraiser Bea Weiskopf offers
this opportunity:
Local chapters of appraisers organizations are always looking for guest
speakers. Our local Greater Illinois Chapter meets in the Chicago area monthly.
Contact ISA, AAA and ASA for local chapters. These organizations also have
national conferences yearly where speakers are always welcome. Thank you
Bea Weiskopf, ISA AM
International Society of Appraisers
Accredited Member

Club member David Goldstein of Naples, FL reflects on his shared pride with
Mark Buffa and Jim Barlow’s collection of glass, and in particularly their
outstanding lamp collection:
Mark and Jim have an interesting collection and are great hosts. when the NAGC
was out there they served lunch for 75 people and still had a few of us back for
one of their glass dinners that evening. I’m proud of the fact that we found at least one of their favorite lamps for them.

Rod Aftuck of Atlanta, GA has some commentary on the DuMouchelle auction.
I watched the auction on eBay and considering the buyer’s premium, the prices
were out of sight. Many of the Modern Steuben routinely trades via eBay at a
much lower premium. Kudos to the Wichita Museum, you should consider a club
meeting there some time.
Can you tell us anything about the family who sold the collection and when,
where, how, why etc it was accumulated?
Rod, first we did have some preliminary conversation with Stephen Gleissner
about the idea of a meeting at the Wichita Museum. Next, perhaps some
participants can answer your questions about the collection sellers.
When I started collecting about eight years ago I was going through eBay
and came across a number of sales of some top end Steuben, being sold by Dr.
Howard Garber, who was at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore and in the process of
downsizing and moving from his home. From this I ended up writing him on e-mail
asking about pieces and soon I began receiving helpful generous and educational
e-mails from Dr. Garber. At the time he gave me some sage advice that had a
material bearing on how I should collect Carder glass. I took his advice and
moved from a novice to a serious buyer. Should I thank him now, or blame him
for my present circumstance of poverty from following his advice? Well,
anyhow, I was delighted to receive this e-mail from Howard Garber.
Perhaps I can add my two cents to the eBay discussion. Many years ago
when I was a seller of a good number of Steuben pieces from my collection on
eBay, there were many persons who decorated their houses in Dallas, West Palm
Beach, and Connecticut with some very rare pieces that I sold. I am sure ,Alan,
that you were the beneficiary of some of these pieces . Of interest was that if
I wrote something slightly incorrect in the description, I was sure to get an
email from Marshall Ketchum. It was really very reassuring. Also I am sure I
bought some very unusual pieces from Tom Dimitroff as well on eBay. Of course
Early’s was always an outstanding source of rare pieces.
Today ,now that I collect from eBay French Majolica face pitchers ”
pichets en barbotine” with the same gusto as I collected Steuben, I am a little
more concerned since one can never be sure if there are restorations, copies,
and reproductions. The foreign dealers today( there may be some American
dealers as well) want to charge surcharges for using PayPal or credit cards, both
of which are illegal. The problem is that eBay claims that they can have no
interest in these problems and will do nothing about them save send an email to
the offending foreign dealer. Usually the email they write to a Frenchman is in
English….a very stupid thing Therefore, I would guess that you who collect Steuben are very lucky since you don’t have to deal with foreign dealers who seem to me to be much less honest than we Americans. Finally on another issue, Alan, when I donated my 2500 piece collection of British letters and manuscripts to my alma mater about 30 years ago, I wrote an article for my appraiser, Bill Filby, a prominent archivist, stating the various types of appraisals that I believed existed. We had a lively discussion about the issue similar to the one you had raised. I leave you all with a piece of advice…..be cautious, be careful, be lucky, and buy the best piece you can find even if you must ask a dealer to purchase the piece of Intarsia on monthly installments..

It never hurts to be reminded of the fundamentals of why Mr. Carder is one of
the great artisans of all times. In rumbling through the internet I found the
following in an article by W.A. Demers of Antiques and The Arts Online of May
23rd 2006. It relates comments of David Goldstein to the reporter on the
participation of members, David and Elissa Goldstein of Naples, FL, in the
Westchester Collectors Glass Show.
On display in their booth was a graceful “Diving Lady” by Steuben in the frosted
clear glass that was most common in the 1920s. The “lady’s” creator, Frederick
Carder (1863-1963), who managed Steuben Glass Works between 1903 and 1933,
exemplifies for Goldstein the almost Darwinian ability to adapt to changes in
taste and the market, a trait that may be needed in today’s uncertain economy.
“Carder was able to adapt his designs to the times,” said Goldstein