Antiques Know How Research
Milk Glass Value
According to our detailed research at Antiques Know How, common vintage vintage milk glass pieces can be worth $20-$100 today, with rare, antique pieces ranging from $500 to $5,000+, depending on their type, pattern, color, and finish. Usually, hobnail and hand-pigmented yellow, red, and green pieces are worth the most!
Antiques Know How
Everyone knows how old and rare glass antiques are! But one glass that’s seemingly becoming more collectible these days is milk glass! Why, you ask? Well, people love this white beauty for its hand-blown marks and pigments. But it’s not just that!
Old milk glass pieces rose in Italy in the 1500s. They carry that European aura that makes them more desirable. Also, since there was less trade, they were really rare worldwide. Want such rare milk glass pieces? Use this guide to learn their costs and more!
Key Takeaways
- Rare milk glass pieces have original stamps, pigments, hand-molded elements, and abstract designs.
- If you want vintage milk glass jewelry, get the Miriam necklace, bib-style choker, or Trifari’s floral neckband.
- Not all milk glass pieces are plain white. Some of them, like the Baccarat vases, Hobnail cake plate, and Punch bowl sets, cost more due to their textures!
- Political milk glass pieces like Mckinley & Roosevelt’s portrait plate cost more due to their presidential campaigns and signs.
Key Identification Features of Old Milk Glass Pieces
Most common milk glass pieces are opaque, polished, and white. But, with the rare models, you can also expect some pigments, patterns, and designs. So, let’s check those details:
- Natural, hand-mixed dyes – Black, Pink, Red & Blue
- Abstract or Character shapes – Shells, Ballet, Foxes, or even the Happy Buddha
- Regional, artistic designs – Flowers, Tulips, Persian carvings, or Villas
- Intricate, hand-carved patterns like hobnail or marble glass
- Original maker’s marks, logos, or trade receipts at the base
15 Highly Valuable & Rare Milk Glass Pieces to Find!
Now let’s see some rare milk glass pieces, their costs, and the features that make them so valuable:
1. Baccarat Milk Glass Opaline Trinket Dish
Baccarat’s opaline or milk glass pieces are extremely rare to find as the company primarily focused on crystalware. This small trinket dish with a fully ribbed design is a rare find.
Rare & Peculiar Features:
- Translucent white or cream-colored walls
- Etched Baccarat mark on the base
- Elegant ribbed design
| Average Price (Used) | $100 to $400 (based on conditon) |
| Manufacturing Year | 1840–1860 |
| Brand | Cristalleries De Baccarat |
| Place of Origin | France |
Try to get Christalleries de Baccarat Vases with their original turtle feet or Ormolu mold marks for better returns.
2. Torchiere Milk Glass Floor Lamp
This torchiere Floor Lamp is a minimal, natural piece for all the modern hunks out there! It has a simple milk glass shade with a metal stand and base, most probably brass. Antique or vintage torchiere lamps are generally more collectible, especially if still working!
Top & Collectible Features:
- Unique mid-century modern design with a metal base
- Sleek milk glass lamp shade
| Rough Price (Used) | $200 – $1,500+ |
| Manufacturing Year | 1920s to 1950s |
| Brand | Various |
3. Pair Match Murano Milk Glass Chandeliers
If you love intricate carvings, this Murano Chandelier is for you! This one’s obviously rare because of its ribbed, hand-blown shapes and stems. But what makes it even more desirable are the gold-plated seams and frame that add a royal touch.
| Average Price (Used) | $200 to $1,000+ |
| Manufacturing Year | 1960 |
| Brand | Murano Glass Makers |
Look for Murano chandeliers with smooth, ribbed, or frosted textures for a rare make.
4. Miriam Haskell Milk Glass Necklace
Want some vintage jewelry? Look no further than this long and carved necklace from Miriam! It has hand-wired round, oval, or floral beads and metal scrolls at the top. So, this one’s quite sturdy and shiny. Also, it has gold-plated spacers and stones, making it even more special!
Top & Rare Traits:
- Glass beads with hand-embossed rhinestone, crystal, metal, or pearl designs
- Simple hook, spring, box, or toggle necklace clasp at the back
- Original hang tags with the brand’s sign and patent number
| Estimated Cost (Used) | $50-$500+ |
| Manufacturing Year | 1950 – 1970 |
| Brand | Miriam Haskell |
5. Fenton’s Hobnail Punch Bowl Set
Punch bowl is a lovely, octagonal drinkware set you won’t want to miss! It looks glossier than others and has a unique silver polish that saves damage. Plus, this one has 13 pieces, including bowls, cups, and ladders. Also, it’s heavier, weighing up to 3 pounds.
How to Spot Them?
- Simple, tapered, and scalloped edges with a crude hob-nail pattern
- 4-ounce ladles with a deep 3-quart bowl and small 5-ounce cups
- Smooth inner panels and coarse outer panels
| Rough Cost (Used) | $100 to $500 |
| Manufacturing Year | 1950 |
| Brand | Fenton |
6. Atterbury’s Duck on Nest Candy Dish
The Duck on Reeds dish is a realistic milk glass piece with reed plates and a duck lid. You can also spot it by its clear, glossy glaze, sliding candy spaces, and country-style themes.
Unique & Collectible Features:
- Hand-molded or machine-embossed eyes, feathers, and bills
- High capacity of 8-ounce candies
- Unique marketing tags of the ‘Opalware Super Decorated Series’
| Average Cost (Used) | $400, new-edition ones cost up to $70 |
| Making Year | 1902 |
| Brand | Atterbury & Co |
Avoid getting pieces with cool white or bluish walls, as those might be new and forged. Instead, look for glass with an aged yellow patina.
7. Trifari Cameillia Milk Glass Necklace & Earrings
Trifari’s necklace is another valuable milk glass jewelry collectible. Unlike Miriam’s oval beads, this necklace has sculpted floral pendants and polished gold borders that make it stand out. And collectors just love this one for its easy clip-on earrings, gold swirls, and original signs.
Rare & Special Features:
- Golden borders on all pieces
- Signed Crown Trifari marks and gold embossed logos
- Round, Blunt, and gold-toned metal clasps
| Estimated Value (Used) | $100 – 400 |
| Making Year | 1930 – 1960 |
| Brand | Trifari |
8. Westmoreland Paneled Grape Punch Bowl
If simple round bases and fluted rims are your thing, this white punch bowl will surely impress you! You can easily spot this one by its embossed ivy designs, thick rims, and bumped edges.
A complete set with the pedestal base, matching cups and saucers, and the ladle can be worth over a hundred dollars.
Top & Special Features:
- Might have pigmented Blue, Green & Yellow walls
- Original signed logos with a stylized W and G at the base
| Rough Price (Used) | $300, forged ones cost up to $40 |
| Making Year | 1940 – 1960 |
| Brand | Westmoreland |
9. Hazel Atlas Polka Dot Mixing Bowl
Dot mixing bowls are one of the most colorful and funkiest milk glass products. They come with a white base and raised dots for a textured effect. In fact, you’ll also see some typical US base patterns and curved seams. So, they are rare and regional too!
More Exclusive Features:
- Bold color pigments – Red, Blue, Yellow, Green, and Brown
- Rolled rims with a triangular pattern at the bottom
- Shallow walls with a 1-quart liquid capacity
| Estimated Cost (Used) | $280 – 300 |
| Making Year | 1950 |
| Brand | Hazel Atlas |
10. Fenton’s Hobnail Cake Plate/Stand
Bored with typical dinner sets and vases? These unique, pressed milk glass cake plates would suit you well! You’ll easily spot this one by its hobnail patterns, bumps, and knobs. But keep an eye on the textured seams and ruffled edges for more value!
Top & Unique Traits:
- Round, Pedestal plate with about 9 – 10 inches diameter and ruffled edges
- Unique mold or pressed glass marks at the base
| Estimated Value (Used) | $120 – 150 |
| Release Year | 1950 |
| Brand | Fenton |
11. Fostoria Open Lace Milk Glass Ashtray
This Fostoria Milk glass piece is a literal wonder with its unique open lace work on the rim. It’s more lined and delicate than others. And since it’s wholly hand-molded and a small item, pristine examples can be super rare and collectible.
Special Traits:
- Lined surface and a continuous looped illusion at the center
- Colony Lace work on the rims with small windows on all sides.
| Rough Cost (Used) | $10 – 50 |
| Release Year | 1950s |
| Brand | Fostoria Glass Company |
12. “Silver Crest” Milk Glass Epergne
Fenton’s “Silver Crest” epergne is one of the most collectible milk glass pieces. It features a big, ruffled bowl and four trumpet-shaped separable vases attached to the base at the center. There are versions with three ,even one vase, but four-vase epergnes are worth the most!
| Average Value | $100 to $400 |
| Release Year | 1941 – 1980s |
| Brand | Fenton |
13. “Hobnail” Swung Vase
These unique vases are swinging the hot glass around to stretch the neck way up, creating unique finger-like designs on the edge. White milk glass swung vases are generally common, but the really tall ones or the opalescent colors, such as blue, yellow, plum, and green, can be highly valuable.
| Average Value | $50 to $250 |
| Release Year | 1950s – 1980s |
| Brand | Fenton |
14. Mckinley & Roosevelt Milk Glass Portrait Plate
If you are a political freak, here’s a signed milk glass piece from President Roosevelt’s political campaign. To spot this one, look for bust portraits of Sir McKinley and Roosevelt at the center and floral borders on top. Also, check for ruffled blue glaze edges and rims.
Collectible Features:
- Transfer print designs with a reddish-brown dye
- Open work rims and meshed designs
| Estimated Value (Used) | $100 – 150, as per condition |
| Release Year | 1900 |
| Brand | Fenton Glass Company |
15. Islamic Calligraphy Lassi Glass
If you thought that all the rare milk glass pieces have a brand, you might be wrong! Take any local but vintage hand-carved lassi glass! You’ll surely spot some superior Islamic motifs and molded brass seams that hike costs. Also, look for workshop or artist stamps to track them!
Unique Features:
- Regional, artisanal inscriptions – flowers, vines, birds, and calligraphy motifs
- Rounded edges, curved seams, and a funnel-like shape
| Estimated Cost | $280 – 300 |
| Making Year | 1950s |
| Brand | Locally-made by old shops and artisans |
Old milk glass pieces are certainly hard to get! But these yield the best returns if they have rare pigments, shapes, and hobnail patterns as those above. And if you already have such a rare piece, use this guide to spot and value it rightly!
But if you want to identify your colored designer crockery, explore my other detailed guide on rare Corningware patterns!’
Note: This article is intended for informational, educational, and entertainment purposes only. Some images are illustrative and may not represent actual brands, products, or related entities. All trademarks, product names, brand logos, packaging, and other intellectual property referenced remain the exclusive property of their respective owners. Any brand mentions or references are provided solely for descriptive and educational context and do not imply any formal or commercial association.
