Like many people, I had no idea what Carnival Glass was. But a story that I remembered from childhood sparked a major interest and has given me one of the most rewarding hobbies I could have ever asked for.

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When I was growing up, my grandparents would go to local auctions regularly. My grandmother was a collector of many things, but among them was Millersburg Carnival Glass (produced between 1909 and 1912 in Millersburg, Ohio, roughly 20 minutes from their home). As the story goes, at one particular auction, someone ticked her off and she got into a bidding war on a piece of glass. When she got home, rumor circulated amongst the family that she had spent "$1,200 on a fish." No one could believe that at the time. That saying would surface time and again at family gatherings and dinners, and I would let it go in one ear and out the other, being only 14 years old and uninterested at the time. A few years later, that story would fade into posterity.

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Fast forward about 15 years, and something put that story back into my head. I knew where Grandma's carnival glass cabinet was, but I had no idea what was in it. All I could remember was the $1,200 fish that was supposed to be in there. During one of my visits with her I looked but saw nothing that looked like a fish. However, through a little research, I learned that what she was referring to was Millersburg's Big Fish pattern. Through a little more research, I learned the value of some Carnival Glass and began collecting a little myself (mostly contemporary).

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One day, as she was talking about downsizing and moving to a smaller place from her farmhouse in Loudonville, Ohio, I told her not to sell her Carnival collection, and that I would buy it from her. Straight faced, she looked at me and asked, "can you afford it?" I laughed, and that was pretty much the end of it. About a year later, and after many conversations about collecting and glass, Grandma Jean passed away. Much to my surprise, I found out that I was to inherit her collection.

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I had no idea what she had, really, other than the Big Fish bowl. But as I began to clean out her cabinets and move it to my home, I found many other Millersburg patterns including Rays and Ribbons, Zig Zag, Seacoast, Sunflower, Blackberry Wreath, Strawberry Wreath, Peacock, Peacock and Urn, etc. After assuming that there couldn't possibly be any more left in the house, we found a second cabinet with even MORE Millersburg. Hobstar and Feather, Ohio Star, Country Kitchen, Trout and Fly, more Big Fish bowls...the list went on and on. At that time, I knew almost nothing about what I was looking at.

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From that point on, I began really researching Carnival Glass and began to understand just how captivating it was. However, I had no idea really how to go about it. That's when I got hooked up with the Millersburg Glass Association and found a group of people who could help me on my journey. I began buying to add to the collection and upgrade some of the pieces I had inherited. As a result, I got into selling it as well to make room for more, which is exactly what Grandma Jean would have done. I joined all of the Carnival Glass clubs, began giving seminars on Millersburg at their conventions, became a member of the Millersburg Glass Association Board of Trustees, and began editing their quarterly newsletter. I've always said that the more you put into something like this, the more you get out of it.

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Carnival Glass has afforded me the opportunity to meet many good friends and enjoy many good times together. I have greatly enjoyed "the hunt," adding rare and beautiful pieces to my collection. I remember thinking in the beginning that there were certain pieces that I would never be able to add to my collection, because of price, rarity, or other circumstances. I'm happy to say that those pieces are out there to find, you just need to know where to look. The opportunities come more regularly than you might think! This hobby has been so rewarding for me, and that led me to wanting to share it with the world. Thus was born The Carnival Glass Emporium.

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I wanted to create a platform to educate people about Carnival Glass, share it with those who might not know about it, and give them the opportunity to purchase pieces, some rarer than most, for their own collection from a trusted, knowledgeable source. I also wanted to create the opportunity to interact with more members of the Carnival Glass world. If you aren't here to buy, I hope you stay and learn a while. If both your cabinets and knowledge banks are full, just drop me a line to say hi! After all, the glass is beautiful, but the friendships are what this hobby is really about.

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Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you enjoy The Carnival Glass Emporium!

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Best,

Matt Young