One of the things I’ve always been drawn to is carnival glass. There’s just something about it, the way it catches the light, the way it feels like it’s holding onto a story from another time. It’s the kind of piece that stops me in my tracks at yard sales, estate sales, and flea markets.
Not too long ago, Jim and I were at an estate sale when I spotted the sweetest little ruby flash glass mug. It had a simple engraving on it:
Sarah Schenk, 1895.
Now, pieces with names on them can go either way. Sometimes people pass them by because they feel too personal, like they belong to someone else’s story. But for me, that’s exactly what makes them special. I took a chance, brought it home, cleaned it up, photographed it, and listed it.
It sat for a while, about six months or so, before it finally sold. Nothing unusual there. But what was unusual was the message that came with the purchase.
The buyer asked me a simple question:
“Are you related to Sarah?”
I told him no, that I had found the mug at an estate sale. And that’s when the story took a turn I never could have expected.
As it turns out, Sarah Schenk was his great-great-grandmother.
Back in 1895, Sarah and her husband had matching mugs. At some point after they passed, the pair was separated, each mug handed down through different branches of the family. Over time, the connection between them was lost. He had his great-great-grandfather’s mug, but had always assumed Sarah’s was gone for good… broken, discarded, or simply lost to time.
But something made him search.
He did an image search of his mug, and my listing showed up.
Out of everything online, out of all the places it could have gone over the last 130 years… it found its way back.
Naturally, he bought it.
And just like that, those two mugs, once belonging to a husband and wife over a century ago, are together again, now in the hands of their great-great-grandchild.
I’ll be honest… that one got to me.
I love what I do. I love finding these pieces, cleaning them up, giving them the care they deserve, and keeping them out of landfills. But every once in a while, something happens that reminds me it’s more than that.
Sometimes, it’s about connection.
Sometimes, it’s about history finding its way back to where it belongs.
And sometimes… it’s about a simple little mug that refused to stay lost. If you love pieces with history and heart, you can browse more of our vintage treasures here: Tonitunes.com, just follow the links to my Etsy store.