Topic: Caithness paperweights

[shineyobjects]

Hey all! today I've picked up some Caithness paper weights:

Stardust
King Henry VIII Sulphide
Queen Elizabeth I Suphide


I've tried searching the internet on these about the dates they was issued but can't find anything on it. I'm a more of a glass collector but I just had to have these paper weights as they seemed good value. I'm wondering how much each one is worth.

[tropdevin]

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If by 'worth' you are asking what they would cost to buy or you would get for a sale, it is possible to get a general feel for a price. There are thousands of Caithness designs (well, way in excess of 1,000), and some unlimited editions ran into 1000s, so there are quite a few Caithness weights about. As a general rule the 'swirls and bubbles' type sell for well below issue price (20% or so), and somewhat more attractive ones (IMO) for 20% to 40% - but there are exceptions, for some weights that collectors really like (and I don't know exactly which these are, but if you have a Shipwreck....).

Stardust was issued at £20: I would be delighted of I had one and got £10 for it.  Henry VIII was issued at £50, as was Elizabeth 1, but the mixed news is that the planned edition of 250 each was badly undersubscribed - only 50 or 60 were sold. So, they are not common - but on the other hand, they were not seen as very desirable! If they are like modern Baccarat sulphides in respect of depreciation, then £10 - £15 each sounds par for the course: but sulphides are not my area of expertise, I'm afraid.

Alan

[shineyobjects]

Thanks Alan the stardust one says a limited edition of 500, the Henry the VIII one is out of 1000 same Elizabeth 1.

[tropdevin]

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Apologies - there was indeed an earlier release of the Henry VIII in 1979, which sold 502 out of 1000. Don't know about QE1 though - I can only find the one edition of 250 listed - but maybe the book is wrong: that would not be the first time!

Alan

[shineyobjects]

Thanks Alan, I was slightly confused about the Henry the VIII one as I did do a search and could not find the earlier one thanks for clearing that up.

The stardust is from 1976 which I'm guessing you already know and I'm guessing the QE1 was around the same period 1970-1980. 

[shineyobjects]

Hi Alan, Lovely website you have there you are a world of knowledge away from me!
This was the stardust one, I've added some pictures of it as I saw one like this going for £70 not to long ago at auction, I'm not sure if you mixed up the stardust one for with another one? Or you still stand on your word.

[tropdevin]

***
Hi

I find it is always a bit hit and miss with individual weights and auctions. The prices I quoted were 'typical' - but on the day, you might do better or worse!

I suspect that the £70 one you spotted at auction was the Mellors & Kirk sale - which was all the Caithness factory museum pieces that were sold when they went bankrupt.  The prices at that auction were not typical, and I suspect prices have dropped since then.

If you try an advaced search on eBay for completed listings  and use 'Caithness paperweight', then at the moment there are 677 items (paperweights, spoons, rings etc).  Of those that sold (less than half), nearly 100 sold for less than £5.50 ! 

Alan

[chopin-liszt]

Having just returned from the Scottish Glass Conference in Edinburgh, I was at a lecture, just yesterday afternoon, on Caithness Paperweights, by Andy Nowson, who has just brought out an emormous and rather beautiful tome on them.
Sadly, my brain is awol, and I can't remember all the names of the makers and designers - if I could find a list of them, I'd know who it was who got "landed" with making the sulphides!
They were incredibly difficult to do, and the wastage was simply dreadful. There was one poor chap who was far more successful at it than anybody else, so he got stcuck with them - I can't remember if the wastage was 2/3ds, or just 1/3rd, and that was for this chap (I'm sure his first name was Jeano).

I think the wrecked ship was Willie Manson. Rather lovely beast too.

On Saturday afternoon, I was treated to watching Alistair Macintosh making "A Drop o' the Hard Stuff" -  a large and very, very complex Reticello weight. 1/1 Edition.

Got some (not very good) pics. Need to sort them out for here yet.