Carnival Quest

by Co-Vice Presidents

Melody and Gary Briggs

Gary and I have been collecting Carnival Glass for about ten years. I started with a Butterfly Bonbon that belonged to my great- grandmother. I have always loved pretty glass, but when my mother gave me that bonbon, I felt it was something special. Actually, my mother explained how people would pitch pennies into the glass at carnivals and that is how it got its name. Well, I’ve learned since that there is more to the story...

About ten years ago I would go out antiquing on my own. I would find a piece of carnival glass and thumb through my Edwards book to find the name and worth of the piece. When I brought the glass home it would sit on the dining room table for a few weeks to admire. After about a year of this, I learned from a vendor that there was a Carnival Glass auction coming up. I went to the auction in March, 1998 and spent a fortune. Then I learned there was glass for sale in the hotel rooms. I was in Carnival Glass heaven! When I walked in the door at home, I shared my treasures with Gary. Much to my surprise, he didn’t seem angry about the money I had spent.

A few months later, (it was during the Christmas holidays) Gary asked me, "Do you want to go Carnival Glass hunting in the antique stores?" My mouth dropped open. We have been hunting for glass continually ever since, and still enjoy the quest. Gary reads all the Carnival Glass books cover to cover, over and over. His memory for patterns is much better than mine. Needless to say, Gary joined me the following year to the auction. We learned about the Southern California Carnival Glass Club and attended and joined at the next meeting. Now we are Co-Vice-Presidents. We are in this together!

Gary and I want to keep the Club comfortable and friendly. We enjoy sharing our quest and learning about Carnival Glass from others. Making new friends has been an important part of our journey. We hope to encourage continued membership and want our members to look for others that will join our club and become a part of our friendship.

GOOD LUCK! AND HAPPY HUNTING!