American cut glass is a very valuable collectible on the antiques market. Values range based on quality, maker, condition, and pattern and many pieces regularly are worth $1,000 to $100,000.

On the bottom of many glass bottles, you will find a two-digit embossed number which corresponds to the ending two digits in the four digit year 99 would be 1999, 01 would be 2001.

The embossed maker’s mark or letters on the side of a bottle or on the base of a bottle will help to reveal a bottle’s age. Marks or letters on collectible milk bottles and Coca Cola bottles are commonly indicators of age and origin.

​Most glasses have sharp cuts, while crystals are rounded, polished and they are cut in a precise manner. Remember that crystals with over 35% lead will actually sparkle. Glass usually has a thicker rim than crystal, as it is made thicker for more durability.

If it’s crystal, you will be able to hear a subtle tone that emanates from it. With a close eye, inspect the sharpness or smoothness of the cut. The smoother it is, the more likely it’s crystalware. Meanwhile, crystal has also has a narrower rim than the rims of regular glass.

Ebony vases can sell for hundreds of dollars, while some cranberry and carnival glass can sell for thousands of dollars. Despite the high cost of a few rare examples, you can find Fenton glassware for less than $100 each, with many selling for as low as $10 to $20.

Naturally, a lot of glassware doesn’t have the same provenance as China and other porcelain products when it comes to age, but some of it is still pretty extraordinary. The most expensive piece of glassware ever sold at auction was a Roman glass bowl, intact after 1,700 years of existence.