For those who love carnival glass, it’s a semi-obsession that is only known by those who are true collectors. The crowd at the annual Great Lakes Glass Bash and Bill Richards auction was comprised of such connoisseurs, and for those who weren’t avid buyers, the event itself gave an entirely new perspective. The Great Lakes Carnival Glass Club hosted the show in Lansing with members from Michigan, Ohio and Canada. The convention ended with this auction.

It was a Northwood Peacock at the Fountain ruffled fruit bowl that took one of the many high honors during bidding. Selling for $3,000 the piece was green with electric iridescence and it took spirited bidding before the hammer fell.

The first item offered was an Imperial Windmill milk pitcher in dark smoke with a powder blue base and great iridescence. This item sold for $375.

A few items later an Imperial Windmill powder blue tumbler with smoke iridescence sold for $135.

Other highlights on the podium were a 9-inch Fenton vintage flat plate, electric blue with radium iridescence, that crossed the block for $2,000 and another 9-inch Northwood Hearts and Flowers flat plate, marigold with multi-color iridescence, that sold for $450.

A blue Northwood Rose Show Variant 8½-inch ruffled bowl with great iridescence commanded attention and a final bid of $800.

A Northwood Rose Show ruffled bowl in dark marigold earned $225 and a Northwood Three Fruits 9-inch plate with a basket weave exterior and a dark marigold, also with great iridescence, sold for $145.

Breaking into the $1,000 mark, a green Peacocks piecrust-edge bowl with a ribbed exterior, in green with electric blue highlights brought a high bid of $1,400; two Northwood Peacocks plates, one in electric blue and the other in ice green brought $550 and $250.

One of the bowls that caught the bidder’s attention was a vintage red Grapes bowl. This 9-inch bowl was declared sold for $1,400.

A Bohemian art glass piece, a Loetz-type handled fernery with a griffon figural ringed handles sold for $150 and a tall De VilBliss cranberry flash perfume bottle earned $225.

Among the Northwood Good Luck bowls presented there were two blue ones with ruffled edges that sold for $250 and $275, one in marigold with a piecrust edge that earned $125, and a beautiful purple one with a piecrust edge that sold for $400.

A Northwood seven-piece Singing Birds water set, green with electric blue highlights, earned a final bid of $500.

A Grape and Cable candle lamp with the shade and hold sold for $580 and a similar one in green earned $500.

Both of these pieces were made by Northwood.

Northwood Grape and Cable compotes, one a very large one in purple with electric iridescence which earned $275, and the other a purple covered one which earned $225, followed the candle lamps on the block.

Fenton glassware is always attractive to collectors. A blue Fenton 1914 Parkersburg Elks plate with electric iridescence sold for $850 and a blue Fenton Elks 1911 Atlantic City flared bell earned $600.

A Fenton Ten Mums 10-inch bowl in amethyst with electric blue iridescence sold for $275 and a Fenton Dragon and Strawberry vintage ball footed ruffled bowl in dark marigold with pastel iridescence earned $350. A 10-inch Dragon and Strawberry piece in electric blue earned $500 and a Fenton Stag and Holly footed rose bowl saw $225.

An electric blue Fenton Peacock at the Urn 9-inch plate saw spirited bidding and sold for $425 and a similar plate in pumpkin marigold with pink and yellow iridescence also saw spirited bidding and a final bid for $475.

A beautiful Fenton 11-inch Panels swung vase in red drew lots of admiring looks and energetic bidding ending with a final bid of $1,000.

A Heron mug by Dugan in purple with iridescence sold for $175 and a Dugan Fishnet epergne, also in purple sold for $150.

A dark marigold Woodsland vase earned $155 and an amethyst Dugan Pony 10-inch ruffled bowl earned $205.

A purple US Glass/Millersburg Dozen Roses footed bowl found a final bid of $450.

A Loetz-type eight-inch Mellon ribbed vase with King Tut-type decorations sold for $100; a Fenton Holly 8-inch white ice cream-shaped bowl sold for $135; a green Northwood Fruits and Flowers plate sold for $205; and green squatty Northwood Feathers crossed the block for $105.

A seven-inch ruffled Imperial Morning glory vase in purple earned $250 and a purple Imperial Hobstar handled cream sold for $125.

An aqua Fenton jack-in-the-box Blackberry Spray vase was another piece that drew its share of attention and a winning bid of $500 while a pair of Fenton toilet bottles, one bicarbonate of soda and the other alcohol sold for $110.

A dark marigold Northwood Good Luck 9-inch plate with great iridescence earned $600; a purple Northwood Drapery smooth-topped rose bowl in purple saw $250; and a blue Northwood Drapery tri-cornered candy dish saw $245.

A purple Loetz-type handled syrup dispenser with pulled feather decoration sold for $275 and a Loetz ribbed swung corset vase with a polished pontil in amethyst saw a final bid of $300.

A Dugan Apple Blossom Twigs 8½-inch electric purple ruffled bowl sold for $175; an Imperial Pansy ruffled bowl, purple with blue iridescence, earned $135; and a Fenton Lotus and Poinsettia 6-inch ruffled footed sauce bowl in cherry red crossed the block for $600.

A white Imperial tall candlestick with a six-sided base found a final bid of $200; a purple Imperial purple free-form ruffled vase saw $115; and a Northwood Good Luck green bowl with a piecrust edge sold for $205.

A purple Northwood Ivy Town Pump in purple drew interest and a final bid of $475; an aqua opalescence Three Fruits ruffled footed bowl saw $300; and a Northwood Stippled Strawberry ruffled bowl in lime ice green drew lots of interest and was declared sold at $900. Another Northwood Three Fruits Medallion footed ruffled bowl in aqua opalescence and butterscotch highlights earned $450.

This represents only a small percentage of the many carnival items that crossed the block.

Most of the attendees had also participated in the Great Lakes Glass Bash and were adding to their collections. Most of the items in the auction had come from the estate of Margaret and Forrest Hostetler. If you are interested in carnival glass or would like to learn more, consider joining the Great Lakes Carnival Glass Club.

For information about joining the club and meeting places and times you can contact the secretary, Maxine Burkhardt at (517) 243-0770 or the president, Mark Richter, at (248) 721-1116.

Auctioneer Bill Richards III’s father was an auctioneer so he grew up in the business and became an auctioneer in 1989. He specializes in carnival glass and travels all over the United States conducting carnival glass, art glass, and Victorian opalescence pattern glass auctions. For more information on his upcoming auctions visit his website at www.billrichardsauctioneers.com.