Moderntone Platonite Hazel Atlas Glasses

Today hubby and I went thrifting, but it was a little later in the day, and I really didn't expect to find much. The store was packed, but not with a lot of vintage items. I was just getting ready to leave when this set of small fluted glasses caught my eye. There was just something about them.

Look at how the light shines through
these glasses!

I snapped a picture right there in the store and found out they were indeed Hazel Atlas, an old glassmaker. What really surprised me was that there were not only eight of them, but they were all in perfect condition. At $2.00 each I thought about coming back on Monday, when they would be half price, but I'm trying to simplify my life, so I paid the extra money to get them today.

It wasn't until I got home and started researching them that I realized just how special they are. 

First of all, I thought they were milk glass, but it turns out they're actually made from something called Platonite. It's more translucent than milk glass, and apparently that makes it stronger. Platonite was made by Hazel Atlas in the 1930's and 40's, which makes these guys anywhere from 70 to 80 years old. (I'm still amazed at their condition and that there were 8 of them!)

The pattern is where the term Moderntone comes in. That refers to the rimmed rings that go around the glass. This design can also be found in plates, cups and saucers, etc.

What I love about them is how small they are. They hold about 1/2 a cup of liquid and I think they'd be perfect on a table with some sparkling cider. I also thought they would look cute as little parfait cups for dessert.

The coolest thing about these glasses though is the thought of where they came from, and who used them way back in the day. 

The fact that they're white is also important to me because my dishes are white. I love how they go with anything from reds and greens at Christmas to pastels at Easter.

When I researched what they sell for (I need to make sure I got a good buy) the highest price was $25.00 each. Most ran around $15.00 for 2, not including shipping. I'm sure that if I ever get back into reselling vintage that these guys would be some of the first to go. But for now I'm keeping them with hopes of using them real soon.

So if you're out thrifting or yard sale-ing, keep an eye out for old glass pieces like these. They aren't marked at all, but the vintage, in this case art deco design made them stand out. But no matter what the value is of something, if you love it then it's worth it to you!

Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you have a wonderful day!