Topic: A silly question about plastic stoppers

[Margi]

Could someone please advise me that if a lovely looking decanter say for example has a plastic screw style stopper does that mean that the glass from the stopper has been broken at some point and replaced or does it mean that it is quite recent?  I apologise in advance for my dim question.

[Lustrousstone]

It probably means it's a recent decanter.

[aa]

Difficult to say without an image - the decanter could be old and the stopper new! But as Christine says, if the stopper is a definite match and clearly original to the decanter, it means the decanter is recent.

[Margi]

Thank you both I thought as much so have stayed clear but sometimes I do like the decanters only  to find a silly plastic stopper which really puts me off.

[glassobsessed]

If a decanter has a plastic sleeve on the stopper I generally assume the item was made to be decorative rather than to hold liquid. The plastic tends to perish over time (many years) resulting in the stopper no longer fitting properly.

Most of the tall decorative decanters from Empoli in Italy (made in 70s) now have wobbly stoppers.

John

[Frank]

Future collectors will just have to get use to the use of plastics and all the attendant problems.

[Margi]

John - the empoli tall decorative decanters were meant to be with a plastic stopper were they?  I do see some what I presume are Empoli decanters here in France but always dismissed them because of the plastic stoppers. 

[Cathy B]

Yes. Empoli region factories generally made cheap & cheerful glass. Some of it is quite funky.

[chopin-liszt]

Wonky stoppers with the Empoli bottles can be stabilised for display purposes with a bit of blu-tac.

Alternatively, you can stick (for example), one of those Inwald "poisson volante" centrepices in the top of a bottle.

[mrs vulture]

Now I know where all the fishes from the Inwald bowls have gone!!! I have picked up a beautiful blue one and a pink one for a couple of pounds each without the centerpieces. Takes ages to find the fish and then they cost far more than the dishes.  Cheryl