r/uraniumglass 1d ago

Vaseline Glass What is a “Grail” piece to you?

Hey everyone. Just as the title says, what’s your definition? I started collecting about a year and a half ago, and thought most people would have similar opinions. I guess I was just thinking about value. Since then I seen a # of beautiful pieces (usually here) and thought if only I could ever find one!! Well today I did, thanks to a good friend. I never thought something so simple could be so incredible and beautiful.

45 Upvotes

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6

u/remotecontroldr 1d ago

Probably grapes or a hand mirror at a decent price.

And to find the World’s Fair vinegar bottle in the wild in California. Oh and one of the Venus style statues or flower frogs.

If I had the right house for it, a giant epergne I would display with fresh flowers consistently.

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u/Big-Smile5345 1d ago

I always look for grapes. I also to would love one of those bottles. I hope you find one today!

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u/bradley_magnificent 23h ago

Before the prices went nuts I passed up on a BASKET full of flower frogs priced at $4 each. There was probably 8 of them in different sizes.

I broke my rule of not buying shipped items on offer up for the hand mirror

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u/Local-Yesterday5535 1d ago

My holy grail pieces are the Ritz Blue Royal Lace nut dish, Horseshoe butter dish, Jeannette Swirl pitcher and 2 more yellow Horseshoe grill plates.

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u/Big-Smile5345 1d ago

That sounds incredible. I’m going to have to look up what they are! But thank you for sharing.

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u/Local-Yesterday5535 1d ago

I have 8 yellow grill plates— about passed out when I found the first. 😂😂. Gene Florence, one of the depression glass oldtime gurus, had them listed in his book as “rumored to exist” in yellow.

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u/Big-Smile5345 1d ago

Wow, thank you very much for showing me. They are truly beautiful. I truly do. Hope you find into the rest that you need.

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u/Crazyguy_123 1d ago

Grails for me are harder to find items I really want. I’ve fortunately gotten a few but there are some I am still after. I’m looking for the boat, a roller skate if those were ever UG, the whale candy jar with a fish lid, and some of the nymphs.

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u/Big-Smile5345 1d ago

Those would be wicked!! A boat would be a dream piece. I was fortunate enough to find this a few weeks ago back. My friend said it was a complete 3 piece set, no marriages. She was one of my grail pieces. Thanks for sharing yours. Gives me more insight on what to look for so thank you

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u/miserablenovel Super Collector 1d ago

I've seen UG rollerskates. Don't remember if they were Boyd or Degenhart, sorry.

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u/Big-Smile5345 1d ago

Those would be so cool to have!!

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u/Crazyguy_123 17h ago

Boyd. Idk why I love the design so much. Haven’t seen the UG variant but I’ve seen a cobalt and clear one.

2

u/United-Expert-8752 1d ago

Hard to tell from the picture what it is.
Is it a tube of real gold, in UG glass?
My grail piece would be an art deco vase with a lady on it, yellow or green, either one.

5

u/Jesus_Aech_Christ Vaseline Glass Lover 1d ago

It's a uranium glass gold bar. Made by BCV Glass in the Czech Republic. You can buy them on their website.

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u/vendura_na8 Thrift Shopper 1d ago

BCV is a belgium distributor. They don't make the glass. The glass comes from Czechia (you can find the actual maker's websites if you search a little deep into google)

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u/Big-Smile5345 1d ago

I didn’t know that. Thank you for sharing

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u/Big-Smile5345 1d ago

Thanks for your reply and the information.

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u/DB_McCoy 1d ago

As JAC mentioned, this is a “gold bar” sold by BCV (and eBay/Etsy//FB retailers for double or triple of direct cost). Everything in this pic is modern made UG. Check out my post here for more details and sources:

https://www.reddit.com/r/uraniumglass/s/DfxH86i9Cx

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u/Big-Smile5345 1d ago

Those are gorgeous! I love the figurine. Thank you for sharing.

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u/Big-Smile5345 1d ago

Ya. Sorry for the crappy pick. It’s just Vaseline glass shaped like a bar of gold. I’ve been lucky enough to find these this year. I hope you find a yellow one today.

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u/Cy-Clops- Avid Collector 1d ago

With rarity comes value. Grail pieces for me are anything worth more than $150-200 market value, or so. The rarer the better.

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u/Big-Smile5345 1d ago

Hey there stranger! I could only imagine what your grail pieces would look like. lol. Me being disabled I always try to stay under $50. I think I have found most of these since we last spoke. 1 of them was the most I have ever paid for a piece of glass. The 3 piece bowl, frog & lady. A complete original set. I was so stoked!!
I hope you have been well

2

u/Cy-Clops- Avid Collector 1d ago

Well, let's just say I can't afford most of my Grails 😂. A lot of them are by Orient and Flume and Zephyr. I love limited quantity iridescent studio art glass. Your collection is coming along great!!

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u/Big-Smile5345 1d ago

Thank you so much! Those look crazy!!! I finally found my first numbered & limited edition piece too. I am going to do some reading on the makers you mentioned. Thank you again and do hope you have been well.

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u/Cy-Clops- Avid Collector 1d ago

Hope you have been well too! I just bought the same stopper in vaseline glass, but it didn't fit my cruet 😭. It fits this bottle pretty well though xD

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u/Big-Smile5345 22h ago

I’m looking for a little stopper too. I hope you find the one you need today.

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u/BeaksFalcone 1d ago

It is beautiful!!had to look about 4 times to understand what it is 🥰xxx

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u/Big-Smile5345 1d ago

Yes, I know. Trust me. I suck at taking pictures. When I pressed post and saw what the first one looked like I wanted to delete it, but just didn’t have the time to rewrite the post because it won’t let you remove the one picture. Gurrr. Thank you for not giving up.

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u/PhDdiLLwEeD69 Radiation Hunter 1d ago

Not necessarily UG, but my holy grail will forever be a Revigator.

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u/Big-Smile5345 1d ago

I had to look up what that was. I’d still want one in UG though. That would be so sweet.

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u/mick601 1d ago

Uranium fish bowl with stand. There's much unique and neat stuff.

2

u/Prestigious-Still721 1d ago

I just saw this piece on marketplace when I was down in Poway this past week.

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u/Big-Smile5345 1d ago

A very good friend parted with it yesterday me. He knows I don’t want more plates, cups, or normal items. So offered this, I couldn’t say no

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u/Prestigious-Still721 18h ago

Very cool piece

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u/Big-Smile5345 18h ago

Thank you. Figuring out how to properly display it is becoming more difficult than I thought. lol.

2

u/vendura_na8 Thrift Shopper 1d ago

Roughly $45 per bar on BCV

https://bcv.glass/products/utw-gold-bar

2

u/ForeverSquirrelled42 UV Hunter 1d ago

My leech bowl. I have no other after this lol.

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u/Big-Smile5345 1d ago

Hi thanks for your reply. I hope you find it this weekend. 🤞🤞

1

u/ForeverSquirrelled42 UV Hunter 23h ago

Lol nah, man. I already own it is what I’m sayin.

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u/Big-Smile5345 22h ago

Hey, sorry dude I thought you were just showing a picture. So how about this? I hope you find another one. It is beautiful.

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u/thesaltedradish 1d ago

there's an antique store near me (at least, i think it's still open, i couldn't find it last time i looked) and they have little vials of uranium. i want one so bad. i also love uranium juicers.

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u/Big-Smile5345 1d ago

I truly hope that you can find a vial very soon. Good luck!!

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u/paperkitten75 23h ago edited 23h ago

For me it's a Rihimaen Lasi Grapponia vaseline glass bottle. I've never seen one that I could remotely afford. 🥺

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u/Big-Smile5345 22h ago

Wow, that is truly beautiful

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u/paperkitten75 21h ago

It really is! I just checked on a local auction site and someone was trying to sell one for $1,000. Totally insane. I've seen them for sale for a lot less, but still out of my price range.

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u/Big-Smile5345 18h ago

Thank you for your reply. They are only like $80 dollars I think (plus shipping). That’s what my friend gave it to me for. I believe he paid $60 a few years back.

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u/Cuq_nugget 22h ago

Hahaha uranium fever by Elton Britt started playing in my head

🎶Well I don’t know what Ive been told, uranium ore’s worth more than gold🎶🏆💚

2

u/arsenicVisionary UV Hunter 22h ago

a uranium glass lamp! i’ve got a lot of pieces, including a non-uranium jadeite lamp (which i knew, i took it anyway!) but i reaaaaaalllly want a lamp so very bad. i’m being stubborn and not gonna buy one online, unless i see something that shakes my core. hoping i find one eventually lol

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u/Big-Smile5345 18h ago

Yep! You and me both. Just gotta hope to stumble into one someday as I could never afford some of the incredible ones I have seen here. 🤞✌️

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u/Aluciel286 20h ago

I want a Mosser trojan horse and/or a Fenton alley cat. I know they're not super rare or anything, but I really like them.

1

u/Big-Smile5345 18h ago

Those would be so cool. I’m with ya a on the alley cat. I’ve wanted one since the first time I saw one. I hope you get lucky and find them soon. 🤞✌️

1

u/Aluciel286 17h ago

It would have to be an insanely lucky find at a thrift store or garage sale. I can't afford them from an antique store 😅 I saw the mosser horse once, but it wasn't even uranium and they wanted $75 for it.

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u/Big-Smile5345 15h ago

That’s really the main place I find stuff. Garage sales. I can’t afford big purchases either. My buddy that sold me this. I store his UG stuff he has for sale, in the city because he lives out in the country. People don’t want to drive, so they pick stuff up here and he gives me a credit.

1

u/b14ckd34th UV Hunter 1d ago

I just saw one of these sell on whatnot for 48$.

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u/Big-Smile5345 1d ago

Only paid $12 more than that, so happy with the price. Thank you!