Brilliant white milk glass is durable and beautiful—no wonder it's a favorite among collectors. Here's how to recognize milk glass at thrift shops and antique stores, and how to spot the most valuable pieces.
How to Identify Real Milk Glass
Published on Jan. 07, 2025
Collectors have loved creamy white milk glass for decades. Like vintage Pyrex, the opalescent glass is both beautiful and useful. It comes in a vast array of shapes, from tiny trinket dishes, sturdy candlesticks, bowls and vases to functional objects like lamps.
The glass may look delicate, but it’s durable enough to use. Whether you’re starting a collection or want to score big at resale it, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about this beautiful glass, including how to gauge its age and value.
What is milk glass?
Aptly named, this unmistakable glass has a distinctive, opaque white finish that appears opalescent. Though opaque glass has been around for centuries, milk glass became widely manufactured in the U.S. starting in 1835 and remained consistently popular, with public demand peaking around the 1980s. Antique milk glass was made by adding arsenic to standard glass, creating a grayish, pearly finish. Later recipes added feldspar or tin oxide, which gave milk glass its most common white or ivory hue.
Some milk glass pieces have a smooth finish, while others are made with textured bumps, called hobnails, or embossed designs, like diamonds, flowers and vines. Many milk glass pieces have bent, crimped or wavy edges. Milk glass comes in a wide range of formats, such as plates, dishes, condiment holders, cups and other tableware, as well as decorative objects like vases, lamps and animal-shaped dishes.
Where do I find milk glass?
Since milk glass has been around for decades, it’s easy to find. Most antique stores will offer a wide selection of milk glass pieces, from true antiques to more modern milk glass, typically from the midcentury to the 1970s. You can almost always pick up milk glass at thrift shops and yard sales, and it’s a great piece to hunt for at Goodwill.
It’s easy to identify milk glass: Any opaque glass counts. It’s much trickier to identify an exact manufacturer or era. Unlike other vintage collectibles like vintage cookie jars, milk glass pieces are tricky to pin down. Milk glass manufacturers were notorious for copying one another’s designs, and milk glass factories frequently burned down, leading to sell-offs of their glass molds.
There are a few tricks for finding true vintage milk glass pieces. Feel the glass carefully, especially in areas that are commonly touched, like rims or handles. If it’s very smooth and well-handled, that’s usually a sign of older glass. You can also try tapping the glass with a fingernail; antique milk glass sometimes contained lead, and will ring like a bell. Finally, hold the glass up to a light. Antique milk glass will sometimes have brilliant, warm colors at the edges thanks to the production methods.
How much is milk glass worth?
Milk glass ranges enormously in price. Since it’s relatively common, most pieces are inexpensive. Value increases with rarity. True antique milk glass is the most valuable, while unusual pieces can fetch a pretty penny. According to MarthaStewart.com, for example, a 12-inch statue of a begging dog sold for $3,000 in 2022. If you’re not sure which pieces may be rare, here’s an easy category to spot: colored milk glass. Made in the mid-century, milk glass tinted pink, green and blue is both rare and popular, so snap it up if you spot it. Other trending milk glass pieces include vases and anything with a hobnail design.
