Fostoria Glassware

Fostoria glassware, elegant glassware as categorized by most collectors, were produced by Fostoria during the Depression era that was of high quality compared to other glassware created during that time.

Some History

The Fostoria company was named after the town it was established which was in Fostoria, Ohio. The company sold and manufactured glassware and tableware among other things from December 1887. Founded by L.B. Martin and W.S. Brady and began operation in Fostoria, Ohio and moved to Moundsville. West Virginia in 1891 due to natural gas deposits declining.

Kerosene lamps were Fostoria's first products but later expanded to include colognes, stationers, glassware, tableware and candelabra as advertised during 1887 to 1909. They opened with a furnace that could fire 14 pieces of glass at once and added five additional furnaces in 1920s. Fostoria suffered during the Great Depression and World War II but still produced high quality glassware compared to its competitors which sold cheaper products.

After World War II, Fostoria peaked production and expanded. They had more than 900 workers and sold about eight million Fostoria glassware that year. They introduced new patterns of glassware which includes Century (1950), Rose (1951), Wedding Ring (1953), and Jamestown (1959) respectively. They continuously sold millions of glassware to consumers which include several US Presidents throughout the 1960s.

Fostoria declined during the 1970s due to increasing foreign competition and was later bought by Lancaster Colony Corporation. The factory closed down in 1983 with some of its pattern in continued production.

Collecting Fostoria Glassware

Today, colored Fostoria glassware is more valued by collectors than their clear counterparts of the same pattern. The American pattern which was first released in 1915 and continued to be produced has its old pieces more valued by collectors than new ones. L.E. Smith Glass Company bought the American molds.

Some collectors of vintage Fostoria glassware prefers whole sets in one color which can be worth thousands of dollars for Fostoria glassware patterns like the American. Other enthusiast prefer to collect specific pieces of vintage Fostoria glassware in variety of colors.