mdina glass help please

[amiga]

Ok has been awhile but I am back looking for advise. I just purchased a gorgeous mdina glass bird paperweight. I have had no dealings in glass before but this one just couldnt leave behind. I paid a lot for him (on my scale anyway) and came home and looked up medina and I am now thinking I may have been duped. I hate this feeling. Can anyway say the value of the item and if it is a vintage version. Bottom lip  is on the floor please help. I have found smaller birds that look skinny he is very rounded. He is signed on base (mdina and has original label)

[mariok54]

Hi,
Difficult to say with any certainty as Mdina objects seem to vary quite a bit in value, so it all depends upon how much you paid for it. This site gives quite a range in prices for a whole variety of pieces.

http://www.pottery-porcelain-glass.co.uk/Special-Offers/0-Mdina-glass-1.html

Somebody else may know a bit more.

The important thing is you like it 

[mariok54]

Yours looked like a Robin to me, so I googled it... came up with this red one... Not a very high price, but it is only red glass.

http://www.fast-autos.net/diecast-cars-models/MDINA-LABELED-LARGE-RED-ROBIN-PAPERWEIGT-CHRISHMAS_290496639276.html


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290496639276#ht_500wt_949

[amiga]

Thanks will look abit more

[talesofthesevenseas]

I found a blue one selling for $8 USD:
http://www.fast-autos.net/diecast-cars-models/MDINA-GLASS-BIRD-PAPER-WEIGHT_290504647504.html

And a multi-colored one selling for £10:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mdina-Paper-Weight-Desk-Glass-Bird-Ornament-Art-Glass-/250690154226

This company has only been around since 1968 and they are still producing glass today.
http://www.mdinaglass.net/milestones.htm

[Oceans64]

The eBay listing is way off saying this is 19030-1940's Era Glass.    That is a pet peeve of mine 

[talesofthesevenseas]

Don't feel badly if you paid more than this was worth. All of us do that when we're learning about items. I paid $100 for an apothecary chest that is virtually worthless, but it looks kinda cool and holds my jewelry in all the little drawers, so I keep it around. Glass is particularly difficult because it often doesn't show its age like wood does, so it helps to have some familiarity with the makers and the techniques they used. Don't feel badly, even museums have it happen where they purchase what they think is a wonderful item and it is later identified as fake. Everyone goes through that. So the best thing to do is to keep at it, learn how much fun the research part can be and when you get stuck, ask all the folks on this forum to jump in and give you a hand!  

[KC]

amiga, we have all been there.  I have eaten crow several times over the years...but not enough to learn to enjoy the taste! 

Here are some articles to help you....note the dates of operation and values.
http://www.millersantiquesguide.com/articles/scotman-mdina-glass/
Marks
http://www.great-glass.co.uk/glass%20notes/markm-m.htm

Word of caution - the paper labels have been repro'd at times.  Take a close look under a loop - the repro's have some differences form the original.
I have always thought it was/is fascinating that repros are made of individual items that aren't high dollar - but the quantity that the "devious/deceptor" can sell make it very valuable and worthwhile!

[amiga]

Thanks everyone for your help. I am still angry and I am going to ring the shop when it reopens after holidays and give them what for-even though I still want the bird lol... is the principal!

[talesofthesevenseas]

Another thing that is really helpful is go to a shop that deals in antique glass, tell the seller that you're learning and ask if he has a couple of old pieces that it would be OK for you to pick up and examine. Tell him/her what happened with the bird and that you'd like to be able to touch/feel some antique examples. There are some really subtle differences in old glass pieces. Pressed glass which is rolled out and pressed into a mold has a very different feel and subtle warps and wobbles to it that you don't see in modern glass. But you can really feel it when you touch it with certain types of glass. Others it is really hard to tell!

[khunn]

This site http://www.glassmessages.com/ and its registered users, can answer any questions about glass and paperweights. It is free and the largest subforum is paperweights with about 15,000 posts.
I purchased 3 boxes of paperweights at an estate sale-knowing nothing about paperweights of course , posted some pics for them, and they could id and evaluate all of them( many of the users are avid collectors and can price almost anything ). gl and nice bird...

[amiga]

going to check it out thank you   

[mariok54]

Good luck Amiga, and I hope that they do the decent thing and offer a refund or at least an exchange. They have a reputation to maintain (I assume) ... these can take years to build up and mere seconds to destroy 

[KC]

Best of luck.  It is "possible" that it could be a mdina glass piece....I wasn't saying that it wasn't...just questioning the age of the item and paper label.

It is still a very beautiful piece.

Best of luck!