Value (Or Not?) on "Tower of the Sun" Golden Gate Expo 1939 Shot Glass

[talesofthesevenseas]

My friend with the Victorian sent me home with a couple of goodies. This double size shot glass from the Golden Gate Exposition of 1939 was one of them. I can't seem to locate another one online, anyone have an idea of the value, if any? The condition is excellent. If this didn't say 1939 on it I would never have thought it was that old.

[waywardangler]

A set of 4 sold in 2008 according to Worthpoint...http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/four-glasses-1939-golden-gate-international

This site http://www.the-forum.com/collect/WORLDFAI.HTM has a lot of world's fair and exposition items.  I did not see your glass but it should be comparable to a shot glass from another year/fair.

[Oceans64]

At our local auction you see Seattle World Fair glasses (1962) almost every time and they always seem to have a couple of bidders.  Wouldn't swear to it but I believe sets of glasses go in the $30-40 range so there are collectors out there....

[hosman321]

$78.83 for the worthpoint set.

[talesofthesevenseas]

Thanks for the help gang! That's good to know. I'm not sure what I will do with this, if I'll keep it or Ebay it.

[talesofthesevenseas]

I was looking at this glass again and pondering what I should do with it. I started wondering if there was a museum that had an exhibit of items from the 1939 expo. It turns out there is a small museum that has just reopened on Treasure Island. I've emailed them and left a phone message to see if they would like to have the glass for their collection. Seems like that would be a great solution for it, if they don't already have one in their collection. I would enjoy taking a sail out to the island and making a donation much more than getting a few bucks on Ebay. I'll update y'all if I hear back from them.

[KC]

Would you post that info if they are interested please Talesof?  We have quite a few pieces from that time as well from when we sold the family cabin it was full of CA history/memorabilia pieces that aren't priceless in monetary value by all means....but are for remembering.

[talesofthesevenseas]

So far I have had no reply, but their Web site makes it sound like they are terribly understaffed. A phone call might be in order. Here's the Web site:

http://www.treasureislandmuseum.org/index.html

[waywardangler]

"After seismic and geoengineering work, the island may reopen several years later." Several years later, after the transfer in 2011? That does not sound promising.

[talesofthesevenseas]

Look at the calendar. They have a small exhibit open Monday-Friday.

[waywardangler]

That is one confusing website. Part of it says the Museum closed in 1997, part says the last event was Feb 2010, The Calendar says there is a lobby exhibit now (March 2011), the menu on the left has "When will it reopen?" Any visitor from out of the area would not know what is going on there or even if it is open. Very confusing to me,Tales.

[hosman321]

Agreed, wayward!

[sapphire]

http://www.treasureislandmuseum.org/images/TIMANewsletter2010.pdf


Newsletter from December 2010.......some contact numbers as well as down on Page 2, President's Column......might hold some helpful info for you.

[talesofthesevenseas]

It is definitely in transition and I suspect there are just a few staffers, probably volunteers, that are keeping the doors open. Might not be the best place for something valuable, but for my little glass, I'd rather see it there with the potential of being part of a collection of Worlds Fair items, than to just off it on Ebay for the $20 it would bring. Heck, it will COST me just to take it up there! 

[talesofthesevenseas]

Hey gang, I can finally post a follow-up on the Tower of the Sun souvenier glass. Today I went out to Treasure Island and delievered this glass to its new home at the Treasure Island Museum. The museum is just in its begining stages of being set up, after the island transitioning out of being owned by the military for many years. That is why this took so long, it's being put together by a handful of dedicated people and it is coming along just a little at a time. But they were quite excited about the glass when they saw it. They did not have one like it and they were commenting on how pristine the condition is. So it is nice to know it is in a place where it can be enjoyed and will help tell the story of the 1939 Expo.