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Sunday, February 21, 2010

Is it Boopie or Candlewick?

Yesterday, while Chicken’s Auntie and I were out and about on our road trip to Holly, I remembered she had asked about a photo I had taken earlier of some of my “stuff” when I was digging through some cabinets. She had asked “What is Boopie glass?” So when I saw a cordial glass, I pointed it out to her. She then asked “How come it’s called Boopie?” I had to admit that I didn’t know. I didn’t even know if Boopie was Candlewick, or another brand. I had just always assumed it was Candlewick, by the Imperial Glass Company, and it referred to the water goblets, cordial glasses, and other glasses made with the ball feet.

Of course, Auntie suggested that I research it! It is kind of a standing joke with us…dating way back when we first started working together. I would ask for help with a computer problem and she would say, “Did you check the helps?” LOL! I love it! Now, thanks to Auntie, I try to dig in and do the research and check the helps to get the scoop. But sometimes, I still ask her first because she is such a wealth of knowledge on so many subjects!

So here is what I found out to try to answer her question, “What is Boopie?”


Imperial Glass Company was started in 1901 by a former riverboat captain named Edward Muhleman, who also had many years experience in the glass industry. He decided to build his new glass factory in Bellaire, Ohio (also known as “Glass City”) close to the river. It took three years of planning and building before they were ready to start production, and just a few months into 1904, they were shaping up to be a major force in the glass industry. They started with all of the usual pressed glass household items and ventured into carnival glass in 1909. The first series of Candlewick were put into production in 1920, and was formally introduced at the Wheeling Centennial Celebration in 1936.

The Candlewick design (which started with around 40 items jumped to around 200 items by the 1950’s) quickly became one of their strongest selling glassware patterns.Production of Candlewick ran until the mid 50's.

Anchor Hocking was started in 1937 when Anchor Cap, the Closure Corporation and Hocking Glass Company all merged together. They are still in operation today and are primarily located in Lancaster, Ohio with one plant in Monaca, Pennsylvania. The first glassware produced under the new Anchor Hocking name was Royal Ruby in 1939. I really had a hard time finding information on Anchor Hocking’s history and their Boopie pattern in particular. From the many articles I’ve read, it seems the original name was Berwick and was created around 1950, but most people are only familiar with the name Boopie (which was coined by Hazel Marie Weatherman, who in the 1970’s published several books on depression era glassware).

The best way to tell the difference between Candlewick and Boopie (Berwick) is to take a good look at the balls of glass. The Candlewick pattern has balls that do not run together or even touch each other. They are full circle balls that have a little space in between them. They tend to look more fragile that way. The Boopie or Berwick design has the balls touching each other without any space in between. They almost look welded together. The ever so subtle differences in the two designs have confused novice collectors (including myself) and sellers all over the world. If you look on Ebay right now, you will see several listings where the seller has listed their item and included the names Candlewick and Boopie in their descriptions. I am choosing to believe that their reason for doing so is because they themselves are not sure, rather than believing they are trying to pass off Boopie as Candlewick.

It has been interesting to research this. I have had a chance to go through a few of the pieces in my collection and now realize that I have purchased Boopie thinking I was purchasing Candlewick. It doesn’t make me like them any less though-I love the design! I also purchased (a few years ago) a purple divided candy dish, with balls around the edges thinking it was Candlewick, and have now learned that it is actually Czechoslovakian glass.

I hope you too have found this research interesting! Click on this link to get more information on the differences between Candlewick and Boopie.

 
According to my research, this divided candy dish is not Candlewick, but Czechoslovakian glass.


  
This is Candlewick because the balls are separated with a wafer-like piece of glass.

  
This is Candlewick.

 
This is not Candlewick but Orchard Crystal by Hazel Atlas. Did you notice the little ash tray in the front right corner?

27 comments:

  1. Love your glassware finds, I've done the 40 mile Rt 11 yard sale in VA 3 years now but never the rt 127 sale, must be a blast.

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  2. Hi Twincapes! YES! the 127 Sale is a ton of fun! I'm hoping to go back again this year and start all the way at the bottom and work my way up toward home. I'm hoping if my husband won't go this time, that maybe I can talk my friend from work into going with me!
    When is the Rt 11 sale? Did you find good deals?

    Thanks for reading!!!

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  3. Very interesting -- I LOVE research! Thanks to your tutorial, I now know that my water glasses are neither Boopie or Candlewick. I'm not sure what they are, but the only little glass balls are around the stem and not on the base.

    Anyway, thanks for the lesson on glassware!

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  4. idaho bargain hunterAugust 29, 2010 at 11:44 PM

    I just purchased a dish identical to your Czechoslovakian dish shown above. Any ideas on it's worth? I was researching it as Candlewick, so glad to find out it's actual origin...thanks!

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  5. Hi Idaho Bargain Hunter! Thanks for stopping by!!! No idea about the worth...I've been seeing them all summer in purple, green, and amber always priced or listed as Candlewick...but the information I found clearly said it wasn't candlewick-I just wish I'd written down where I found the information!!! I've seen them from about $4 to about $20 here in Michigan.

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  6. Thanks for clarifying about Czechoslovakian glass. I have a dish similar to what you show, in amber.

    I am still confused about Boopie vs Candlewick. When I go to replacements.com they show all stemware for Candlewick with the "ball" pattern going up the stem and no little balls around the base. They show Boopie as having balls around the base.I am certainly a novice and very confused!

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  7. It is confusing! I've even seen one book contradict what another books says on the subject...

    I just usually end up buying things that I love so that it doesn't matter in the long run-at least to me it doesn't!

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  8. Thanks for your post! I have those glass snack sets, and thanks to your post, I was able to identify them as Orchard Crystal. Thank you thank you thank you!

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  9. Thank-you so much for the information regarding Candlewick vs Boopie. The information is so helpful.

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  10. Hi Katharine!
    Thanks for stopping by! I'm glad you were able to identify your snack sets!

    Hi Caroline!
    I'm glad you found the information useful!

    Thanks for stopping by my blog!!

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  11. Is that really an ashtray on the snack set? It looks like a punch cup in the picture? Maybe I need glasses and just can't see the details.

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  12. Hi Country Girl!
    Thanks for stopping by my blog! The ashtray is in the lower right corner.Notice the corner looks different from the other corners-it is a cigarette rest.

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  13. thx..you have verified what I have been trying to substantiate (SP?) Have contacted Anchor Hocking historical, and hoping they will reply. Wanted to send this to my email so I could provide it to a few people questioning me, but can't get beyond those words at the bottom, comes back I have not keyed the correct numbers/letters...so I copied it to Word, and hope it will print out when I get my printer printing. thx again

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  14. Thanks for your information!! Sooo helpful! I have a big collection of candlewick I inherited; any ideas on to whom I could sell it?

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  15. Good job and nice examples; I also would have assumed that the purple dish was Candlewick also, but I don't think that it came colored. I have seen the mistakes on Ebay too; I have to see customers pay for mislabeled items.

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  16. Love your blog. I am pretty certain your second picture is actually a Boopie glass. Balls separated by wafers are for balls that are vertical. Another easy way to tell that a glass is NOT a Candlewick piece is to check the lip/rim. If it has a safety lip, felt as a tiny bump, it is NOT Candlewick. I have been collecting for over a decade and have the honor of inheriting my grandma's Candlewick and Boopie collection.

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  17. Love your blog. I am pretty certain your second picture is actually a Boopie glass. Balls separated by wafers are for balls that are vertical. Another easy way to tell that a glass is NOT a Candlewick piece is to check the lip/rim. If it has a safety lip, felt as a tiny bump, it is NOT Candlewick. I have been collecting for over a decade and have the honor of inheriting my grandma's Candlewick and Boopie collection.

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  18. Hope I'm not throwing a spanner into this discussion, but I think Replacements.com is pretty reliable and they show the bubbled stem Candlewick pattern from Imperial (which one responder referenced) as well as the bubble at the bottom edge pattern http://www.replacements.com/webquote/IMCCANDLEWI.htm - and - http://www.replacements.com/webquote/AHCBOO.htm The difference that's clear is that the Anchor Hocking Boopie has a paneled or ridged base (with a concave flare) between the cup and the bubbles at the bottom. The Candlewick by Imperial has a smooth rounded base (with a convex flare) between the cup and the bubbles at the bottom. The second photo is of an Anchor Hocking Boopie glass.

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  20. I have over two hundred pieces of Candlewick to sell. Can you tell me the best medium to use to attract the most buyers?

    Thank you.

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  21. Thanks for a clear explanation of the differences! I always thought of Boopie as cheap candlewick. And I have six of those Orchard Crystal luncheon plates--the ashtrays are kind of disgusting!

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  22. Thanks for the great info! I tought my set of luncheon plates and cups were çandlewick all these years, but am not disappointed since I love Hazel Atlas too!

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  23. Thank you for this. You have helped me identify my pieces properly.

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  24. Thank you for your insight! I'm slowly learning!

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  25. The snack plates are also called "Sip 'n Smokes. My kids use the cigarette holder for their chopsticks when eating sushi. I just use that spot for more snacks. A Keurig set at the smallest setting is perfect for filling these cups!

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  26. The snack dishes are referred to as "Sip 'n Smokes." My grown children rest their chopsticks in the cigarette holders when eating sushi. I just use that section to hold more snacks, and to stabilize my fork. By the way, a Keurig set at the smallest setting is perfect for filling these cups! Enjoy!

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  27. The snack plates are also called "Sip 'n Smokes. My kids use the cigarette holder for their chopsticks when eating sushi. I just use that spot for more snacks. A Keurig set at the smallest setting is perfect for filling these cups!

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