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Step 1
Educate yourself about antique glass. Go to the library or bookstores to check out or buy books about antique glass, or search online. It's vital that you become as knowledgeable as possible about the kind of antique glass you want to collect.
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Step 2
Buy only from reputable sources. Attend antique shows and shop at antique dealers who have a good reputation for carrying the types of pieces you want to buy. Authentic pieces often will come with some type of certification from a dealer that will protect you in the event of a counterfeit.
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Step 3
Develop the ability to know counterfeit merchandise. Often, people spend so much time looking for certain elements that identify an authentic piece, they unknowingly purchase a replica instead. It's just as important to know those characteristics that identify a piece as fake. Many pieces of antique glass are marked with characters to indicate the manufacturer. If a piece looks antique but lacks a manufacturer's mark, it may not be authentic.
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Step 4
Look for marks on your piece that you can verify. Manufacturers of known antique glass patterns place their identification symbol, known as a mark, on the bottom of each piece. If such a mark exists, you can research the symbol online or in books to see if it's an actual piece of antique glass. Compare authentic versions of the mark to the mark on your glass. These marks were usually standardized, so if it's not identical, you are likely looking at a fake.
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Step 5
Take your piece to antique glass collector groups. This group can become a resource and a knowledge bank for you as you build your collection. As you become more familiar with antique glass, you'll find that you can rely more on your instincts than you can when starting out.
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Step 6
Look for flaws. Antique glass was made in manufacturing conditions that were hard to control. As a result, the glass may be bubbly or wavy in places. It's unlikely that it will be uniformly smooth and unmarred inside. If it is, check carefully before you buy it; it could be a modern production that's the result of newer technology than would have been available to the antique glass manufacturer.
