The Green River Glass Show isn’t just for Depression-era glass items anymore.
Depression-era glass, which is American-made glassware manufactured just before, during or right after the Great Depression that started in 1929, will remain a primary feature when the 33rd-annual show opens 9 a.m. Feb. 27 at Kent Commons.
But for the last several years the show also has included glassware from the 1950s to 1970s as well as china, jewelry, pottery, kitchenware and miscellaneous table-top antiques.
“We’ve opened it up to general antiques,” said Kay Larsson, of Kent, one of the organizers of the show, and a member of the Green River Depression Era Glass Club, the entity organizing the show. “There’s not big furniture, but we have jewelry, china, pottery and other collectibles.”
Larsson said a lot of people who collect pattern glass have full collections and that younger people are looking for items from the 1950s to 1970s.
“That’s why we broadened the scope of the show,” she explained.
Larsson joined the Green River Depression Era Glass Club in 1981 after she heard about the club at a garage sale from a club member.
“If you like glass, come to our meeting,” the club member told Larsson, who decided to go with two of her friends.
“I’m the only one who stuck,” Larsson added. “But it’s been a lot of fun and a real learning experience.”
Once Larsson started to bring glass items home, her husband Swede Larsson also became interested.
“Before you knew it, we were dealers,” Kay Larsson said.
“It’s more like hoarders,” Swede Larsson added.
Nearly 40 vendors are expected to display more than 200 tables of items at the Kent event. The Larssons no longer sell at the show because of health reasons, but Kay Larsson helps set up and publicize the show. But the couple does sell glassware at the Centralia Square Antique Mall in Centralia.
Glassware at the Kent show includes pieces manufactured by Cambridge, Fenton, Fostoria, Heisey, Westmoreland and many other companies. The companies made thousands of pieces during their peak in the 1930s. But many glass manufacturers went out of business as the nation geared up for World War II.
The show also features special guests Randy and Debbie Coe, of Hillsboro, Ore., who are authors of numerous books about glassware. Randy Coe will identify show attendees’ glass items for free, with a limit of two items per person.
Roy’s Glass Repair will offer services (at a price) to fix chipped glass items.
“That’s a big plus for a lot of people who want to get an item repaired,” Kay Larsson said.
Past Green River Glass shows have attracted as many as 1,000 people.
“You’ll see items that your mother or grandmother had or that you recognize from growing up with,” Kay Larsson said about what first-timers can expect at the show. “If you have never been before, you will be absolutely amazed at the transition of the gym at Kent Commons to a glass show.”
Admission is $3. Proceeds benefit local chapters of the American Lung Association, Lupus Foundation and Northwest Kidney Center.
If you go
What: Green River Glass Show and Sale
When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 27
Where: Kent Commons, 525 Fourth Ave. N.
Cost: $3
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