Lessons in Tea Room glassware

Usually, if I share photos of some new Tea Room Depression glass I've found, it's because I've just acquired a great piece in perfect shape. This week, alas, I had the misfortune of buying some glass on eBay that wasn't quite as advertised.

The seller had said these two sherbets were chip and crack-free, but alas, they are not. This chip was evident the minute I opened the box.

And there were a couple of tiny cracks like this, too. I wouldn't have bought the pieces had I known this, and to her credit, the seller (whom I sent photos of the damage) apologized profusely. I was offered a full refund of all payment and shipping costs involved in any return, or she offered to refund half of what I paid. Because it's so difficult to find this glassware at all, and because even the experts have warned that perfect Tea Room pieces are hard to find, I opted to keep the two sherbets at the adjusted price.

I also thought it might be useful to share with you some well-known design flaws in Tea Room glass that are actually *not* considered damage by collectors. Bubbles, for instance, are common in this pattern, and what I thought was a chip at the bottom point is not. I've never seen so many bubbles in a piece!

And these string-like inclusions in the glass could be mistaken for scratches, but they are actually what the experts call "straw marks" or "cooling marks," caused as the hot glass cools.

The other reason I kept these pieces was that they are low-footed sherbets (left), and I have two of the flared sherbets (right) and wanted to compare them. I wouldn't use these latest pieces as individual serving pieces with guests, but I might use them for, say, holding candles or other accessories on the table. Have you ever bought an imperfect piece of glass or china? Why or why not?