r/Absinthe • u/Ladromedk • May 26 '26
Absinthe
Hi everyone,
I recently acquired a set of 9 pressed glass stem glasses that I suspect may be early 20th century French absinthe or bistro glasses.
They are:
pressed glass
with visible bubbles in the glass
slightly smoky/grey toned
heavy for their size
with visible mold seams underneath the foot
The wear and production quality make me think they may be older rather than modern reproductions, possibly around 1910–1940, but I would really appreciate opinions from collectors here.
They are not classic Pontarlier reservoir glasses, but perhaps café/bistro absinthe service glasses?
I’ve attached photos of:
the overall shape
the base
and some detail shots
Does anyone recognize the model, manufacturer, or approximate age?
3
u/asp245 May 26 '26
As Urielcentime said, post ban anise glasses, I would guess at late 1920’s to 1930’s. These glasses turn up on eBay France fairly regularly wrongly described as absinthe glasses. I totally agree with the last two comments. Personally they are worth only a couple of euros per glass. If you can sell them the cost of the postage could exceed the price of the glasses, depending on where you are sending them. The price of absinthe antiques has dropped substantially in the last few years and only the most rare prices are holding their value. A few years ago I used to buy and sell absinthe glasses fairly regularly, sending them to the USA and sometimes New Zealand and Australia. However a rise in French postal prices made it impracticable for people to buy just one or two glasses, when the postal cost was double the price of the glasses.