Are you familiar with Hobbs Brockunier glass? Don’t feel bad if the answer is ‘no’ - this can vary depending on what your tastes are.

J.H. Hobbs, Brockunier and Company was probably best known for their hobnail glass (check out Nana’s cabinets if you want a refresher on what hobnail glass looks like) and their improvement on the formula for soda-lime glass. They were one of the largest and best known manufacturers of glass in the US in the 19th century. They went defunct back in 1891, but the company was largely absorbed by the United States Glass Company (which itself fell apart in 1963). Hobnail glass from Hobbs Brockunier is considered antique, and very desirable for the right buyer.

Like with many antiques and collectibles gauging the market is key - most of this stuff could be deemed too “old lady-ish” for a modern collector, so focusing on hobnail items that have crossover appeal to many collectors is key. Personally, I look for the barber bottles and vanity collectibles that still carry weight with collectors, hence the barber bottle that I picked up being a desirable item.

So now that you’ve gotten my scoop on what it is (if you didn’t already know), where can you find it? This is a great time to hit all of your usual stops - garage sales, thrift shops auctions.