Collectables in the home
The good thing about many collectables is that it’s possible with a little care to actually use them as well as display them. A good example of this is Whitefriars glass particularly the Geoffrey Baxter textured range. Geoffrey joined the glass factoy in the early 1950s and after much experimentation developed this popular Textured range.
First introduced in the late 1960s this range has become very popular with collectors, it’s bold colours, striking shapes and sturdy vases set it apart from many other glass wares. One of the most popular and stunning pieces is the Banjo. This is an extremely large (and VERY heavy!) vase first introduced around 1966. This vase can be seen in many colours including the ever popular Tangerine and Kingfisher blue, see a nice example currently on eBay here.
You don’t see a Banjo that often, and when you do it’s always a good idea to carefully check the edges and the textured area as these are the places that little nibbles can often be found. Also a good idea is to hold it up the light, this can give you a better look over it to help spot for cracks or water staining (be careful they are very heavy!).
Due to their size and popularity they aren’t the cheapest of Baxter’s textured range. On eBay currently are some of the equally collectable and often more affordable pieces from the textured range, including the ever popular Bricklayer, the TV vase and the far more affordable Bark vase.
I’d advise checking all in the same way, that way you can be sure of what your buying.
