Millersburg Glass Association Oct. 4 auction features barrel sale, rare glass
In the middle of the 340-plus lot sale is Lot 181, a replica of a barrel used to ship Millersburg glass at the turn of the 20th century. Inside the sealed barrel is an unknown quantity of Millersburg glass.
Steve Maag, MGA vice president, said only two members of the glass association know what is inside the barrel. As a teaser, the book value of the glass will be given at the auction. However, the patterns, color, and iridescence of the pieces will remain unknown until the buyer cracks open the barrel.
“We'll give the book price so that people will have an idea,” Maag said. “There is some very good quality glass in there.”
Proceeds from the barrel sale will go to the MGA.
The auction will be held on the courthouse lawn during the Holmes County Antique Festival and begins at 9:45 a.m. Jim Wroda Auction Services will conduct the sale.
The auction features only Millersburg glass and includes a nice selection of carnival and crystal pieces. Maag said the top-selling lot is expected to be a rare marigold tankard in the Morning Glory pattern estimated at $25,000 to $30,000.
Millersburg collectors prize the glass for its rarity and beauty, Maag said. The glass plant, located on the north end of town, was only in operation for a few years. Some patterns are extremely rare, and there are many one-of-a-kind pieces that have sold in the five-figure range at past auctions.
“It's a combination of things that the collector is looking for,” Maag said. “There is the quality of color, condition and desirability. There are some pieces that there are a lot of out there, but everybody wants one so they demand a good price.”
Maag said a good example of a desirable pattern is the Millersburg Courthouse bowl. It is something of an iconic piece, because of its relation to the glass plant's location.
The Oct. 4 sale has three courthouse bowls. According to David Doty's Carnival Glass Website, www.ddoty.com, “lettered” Millersburg bowls have sold for anywhere from $400 up to $3,700 for a rare example in lavender. The unlettered bowls tend to go for higher prices across the board, fetching between $2,200 to $4,500.
The MGA plans to host annual sales. Two small sales, one each year, with a large sale the third year on the courthouse lawn. This being the second year for the MGA sale, it should be a small sale. However, a collector who has accrued quite a bit of desirable glass was ready to sell and insisted on an auction in downtown Millersburg, Maag said.
“(The collector) wanted to sell, and they said they wanted to sell on the courthouse lawn or they'd take it elsewhere,” Maag said. “You don't pass an opportunity like that up.”
To learn more about the Millersburg Glass Association, call 330-763-4769 or write Millersburg Glass Association, P.O. Box 30, Millersburg, OH 44654.
To view the auction catalogue, visit the Jim Wroda Auction Service Website, www.jimwrodaauction.com/.