Glass Float Junkie

BLACK FRIDAY SALE!!

2011-11-25T02:00:00.000-09:00

I am such a terrible blogger & I have the best intentions of finishing a post that has been in progress for a while!! But.....I decided to have a sale in my Etsy shop for now!!

Enter the following coupon code & receive 20% off of your order!!!

BLACKFRIDAY

The coupon code will be valid through Sunday (27th).

Thanks so much for your support & business!!!

Happy Holidays to you all! :)

Livin' the Dream...

2011-07-19T23:04:00.001-08:00

Hello everyone!!! This post is totally unrelated to glass fishing floats, but I thought I'd share my latest adventure with you!

I took a month-long road trip not long ago!! I left the Oregon Coast on April 2nd & drove to Oklahoma to visit my family. I towed my travel trailer & took my dogs & cat. It was a bit of a "family" vacation! The journey was 4,300 miles round-trip. It was an incredible trip filled with amazing scenery & A LOT of soul searching. When you drive for 8 hours a day, you have plenty of time to ponder life.

My adventure took me all the way across Oregon, through Boise & southern Idaho, down to Ogden, Utah & then I took the northern route across part of Wyoming (which was really, really windy). I continued south into Colorado (where I got to visit 2 friends from high school), east into Kansas & finally at Salina, I headed south to Oklahoma!! I stayed in RV parks most of the time. I did have to stay in the Walmart parking lot one night in Rock Springs, WY!

Rockin' Down the Highway :)

I was really fortunate to have good driving conditions most of the way. The only real issue I had was with the wind. When you're towing a 19' travel trailer, the wind can toss you around a little bit if it's not blowing in a favorable direction. You just have to go really slow. And, being the rather impatient person I tend to be, that was a total test!! However, when you see big semi-trucks overturned on the side of the road, it reminds you to proceed with caution. Big flashing signs that say, "Advise No Light Trailers Winds Gusting to 55 mph" will also remind you to slow WAY down!

~Photo of an oil well pump in Eastern Colorado. ~

I arrived safely in my hometown on April 7th. I managed to detour to a few antique shops along the way, which added an extra day to my trip. By the time I returned home to Oregon, my car & the travel trailer were pretty loaded down with treasures!!

~Photo taken of the sun through smoke in Kansas. ~

So, I camped out in front of my parents' house for 3 weeks. I should have known that going to Oklahoma in April would mean I'd experience thunder & lightning. Well, I got some hail too! That was a little nerve-wrecking! Thankfully, my little travel trailer didn't get damaged.

There is really nothing like spending quality time with family & friends. I've been away from my hometown for 13 years now & each time I go back I have a different appreciation for it. I am even toying around with the idea of moving back at some point. I think I just need a little more time to do a few more things though.

I chose to take a different route on the way home. My journey took me across the western part of Oklahoma, across the panhandle of Texas (Amarillo), over to Albuquerque, New Mexico & then up to Durango, Colorado. From there I drove over to Moab, Utah. I have to tell you that one of the highlights of my trip was the time I spent around Moab. I took some extra time & toured through Canyonlands National Park, as well as Arches National Park. I want to encourage everyone to visit the Moab area. It is truly a spectacular landscape. From there, I went up to Ogden & then followed the same route I took on the way down.

It was a spectacular adventure. I really want to encourage everyone to explore this beautiful country we live in. I don't have children yet, but I will, without a doubt, take my kids on road trips so they can experience all of the fabulous things this country has to offer!

Here are a few photos from my journey........

Easter egg hunt for my girls compliments of their Grandma!

Mesa Verde in Western Colorado

Rock formation at the turn-off to Canyonlands National Park near Moab, UT.

Inside Canyonlands National Park.

Inside Arches National Park just north of Moab. Put this place on your Bucket List!!

Delicate Arch ~ Arches National Park

Skyline Arch ~ Arches National Park

Balancing Rock ~ Arches National Park

Since I returned home from my adventure, I have been participating in the local Sunday Market. Lots of people are quite intrigued by glass fishing floats. I have been providing a little education to many folks! It's been a great way to meet new people!

My next post will definitely be about glass fishing floats! Is there anything in particular you would like to know?? I'll try to post something a little sooner! Thanks for following me & being patient with my lazy blogging! :)

Kamichia

Woo...Hoo!! A New Post About Floats!

2011-03-10T13:29:00.018-09:00

Colors.....Seal Buttons & Floats

Okay...so it's been a while since I've done a post, but I am going to make a real effort to be a better blogger!! I have lots of great information stuck in my mind about the wonderful world of glass fishing floats that I want to share with everyone who is willing to listen! :)

So....here is a little lesson about glass fishing floats that are different colors & those that have different colored seal buttons!!

The example below is a float just a little larger than a golfball. It has what is known as the "cranberry dot" on the seal button. This particular float also has the "temple" mark embossed on the seal button. This is a beautiful example of what happens when a random color of recycled glass is used to make glass fishing floats!

The photo below shows examples of floats with cobalt blue seal buttons. They come in a variety of sizes. I happen to have a few in my personal collection, including one of the 12" diameter floats, which is about the size of a basketball!! I happen to have a small float with a cobalt seal button for sale in my Etsy shop at the moment.

Photo - Deborah Hillman

This is an example of a large 14" diameter float with an amber colored seal button. These tend to be quite difficult to come by. I don't have one just yet!

Photo - Deborah Hillman

Basically, glass fishing floats are hand blown from recycled glass. There are a few exceptions that are made in molds. The manufacturers wanted to use the cheapest materials possible. Typically they used water jugs, sake bottles, milk bottles, window panes, whiskey bottles & anything else that would work. When the assorted glass was mixed in the furnaces, the common blue/green color was the result.

Of course, occasionally, a truckload of beer bottles would be brought in. After the glass was melted in the furnace, the floats being blown would end up being brown!!

Here is an example of a beer bottle brown roller from my collection. Rollers were made in molds but were also made from recycled glass. I have one similar to this for sale in my shop. They are highly collectible.

Many glass factories produced other glass items such as vases, bottles, etc. If they had excess glass, this was often used to make glass fishing floats. It is believed that this is how the more beautiful colored floats were created. This is also the source of floats that had a different colored seal button from the rest of the float. The theory is that the extra glass used from other product lines was possibly used for sealing buttons. Some of the larger glass companies may have had many furnaces being used at one time with different colors of recycled glass. This explains the variations in the colors of the floats & seal buttons.

Here is a float that I personally beachcombed on the Bering Sea coast of Alaska. It is a 3-piece mold float thought to have originated in Korea. It has an amber seal button.

These are floats from my collection. You can see the assorted cranberry seal buttons, along with the shades of the cranberry floats.

These 2 glass fishing floats are from my collection. The float on the left was found on a beach in Alaska. It is about 14" in diameter & is a nice honey amber color. The float on the right is purple & is about 12" in diameter.

This is one of the rare examples of an authentic blue glass fishing float. Most of them are reproductions that were manufactured for the souvenir/gift trade. This float was beachcombed along the Oregon coast many years ago, along with 4 others like it. It was a rare occurrence. This is considered a Blodgett blue & was named after the woman that beachcombed them.

I rarely come across an actual working float that is such a vibrant yellow. I was lucky enough to get 2 recently. I added one to my collection & the float below is currently listed in my shop. Not only is it a beautiful shade of yellow, it has a kanji mark & the original natural fiber net is on it!!

So....that is just a small sample of the wonderful world of color when it comes to glass fishing floats. I hope this gives you a little insight & you can see why some of us are so drawn to their beauty & uniqueness!

Check out this aMaZiNg organization..........

2011-01-17T23:22:00.007-09:00

BEAD FOR LIFE

This is totally unrelated to glass fishing floats, but I wanted to share this organization with you. Some of you may already be familiar with it. I think it's an awesome way to help others & you get some super cool, recycled jewelry in exchange!! The beads are made from recycled magazines & other paper. :)

Mission Statement:

Bead for Life creates sustainable opportunities for women to lift their families out of extreme poverty by connecting people worldwide in a circle of exchange that enriches everyone.

How It All Began:

BeadforLife began with a chance encounter between a Ugandan woman, Millie, who was rolling beads near her mud home, and the founders, Torkin Wakefield, Ginny Jordan, and Devin Hibbard. Stopping to admire the beads, the women learned that there was no market for her jewelry, and that Millie worked for a dollar a day in a rock quarry crushing stones in the hot sun. They admired her paper beads and bought a few, never realizing that their lives, and the lives of so many impoverished Ugandans, were about to change.

When friends at home admired the beads, the three women realized that there might be a market after all. Torkin returned to Uganda, and Devin and Ginny began to develop a marketing strategy. In Uganda, Torkin held classes to improve the quality of the beads and develop several styles of necklaces and bracelets. Soon women in the US began to hear the stories of the beaders and buy their beautiful jewelry.
In September of 2004 the founders launched BeadforLife in the belief that they could build bridges of understanding and commerce. Little did we know what an amazing endeavor was being born.

*Taken from beadforlife.org.

I hosted a Bead for Life party last year. The great thing about it is that it doesn't cost you any money. Well, except for the money you will spend on buying necklaces & bracelets because you can't decide on just one!! And, they make perfect gifts! All you have to do is go on their website, select your date, fill out the information & about a week before your party, Bead for Life will send you your supply of jewelry & some of the other items they offer. When your party is over, you send the remaining items back, along with the money you raised! It's that easy. They also provide you with printed material about the beaders, recipes, music & other information that you can share with others.

I encourage all of you to host a party, or if you aren't interested in doing that, you can order directly from their website!! The prices are very reasonable & most importantly, you will be supporting impoverished women & their families. They also offer a curriculum for educators. I can't think of a better thing than teaching children about philanthropy & helping those less fortunate.

Check out the Bead for Life website for all of the information about this great organization.

Here are some photos I took of the beads/jewelry I received for my party!

So, host a bead party. It will make your heart happy! :)

hApPy HoLiDayS from the bEaCh!!

2010-12-21T22:56:00.003-09:00

Is it just me, or did Christmas sneak up on us?? This year has gone by incredibly fast!! I do believe what they say...."The older you get, the faster time flies by".

I am so thankful I get to spend the holidays with my family. I am leaving tomorrow to celebrate Christmas in the great state of Oklahoma! Family is so important & I have been blessed with an amazing one!

When I return from my trip, I'll have a new post about floats! I also have a new business opportunity that I'm really excited about. I'll share that with you soon!

And....here is my version of a Driftwood Christmas tree!

8 Blocks

2010-12-06T17:32:00.008-09:00

I finally made it to my new home along the Oregon coast! And I am a mere 8 blocks to the beach. I have been there almost every day with my dogs! I have already picked up almost 75 sand dollars! And, I have taken photos of magnificent sunsets.

I feel so revived & re-energized now. It was the change I certainly needed in my life to move forward, clear my mind & start working towards new things! Although, now my mind is beginning to get filled with other ideas & inspiration!

I have been working on my glass fishing float business in between walks, unpacking & exploring. I have already made lots of great connections & I believe I'm going in the right direction!

With that being said, I'd like to share some photos of the area that I've taken the past 2 weeks. I will do a post about glass floats soon!

Enjoy.............

Ecola State Park

Cannon Beach

Del Rey Beach

The beach at Seaside

I'm FINALLY moving to the BEACH!!!!

2010-10-26T19:46:00.012-08:00

Many of you don't know this, but I have been trying to sell my house & move for just over a year. Well, I finally sold it & I'm gettin' out of here!!! So long to the cold, dark, loooooong winters & hello to the Oregon coast!!! I'm leaving on November 13th & driving 800 miles to Haines, AK, catching the ferry on the 15th, arriving in Bellingham, WA on the 19th & driving another 300 miles to the Oregon coast! And, being the independent woman I am, I am doing this all alone. Well, I will have the dogs & the cat with me, but no human is accompanying me! I am SO thrilled, but not so thrilled with packing. And, if you can only imagine......I have hundreds of glass fishing floats to drag with me! I just finished wrapping & boxing up about 300 floats that are in my personal collection. Let me tell you........although I adore my floats, they are a total pain in the hiney to pack!!

I packed all of these & many more.............

So, with that said, my time is limited for the next few weeks. However, I will have lots more time after I'm gone, as I am having someone manage my business in Alaska & I will be able to focus more on my blog, my Etsy shop, my website & all things associated with glass fishing floats. And, as you know, that is my passion & it makes me SO happy to know that I will be able to do that!!

I leave you with a quick lesson on different colors of swirls in glass fishing floats & photos from those I have in my collection.

Swirls are simply caused by different colors of glass getting mixed in during the glass blowing process. Often a different color of glass is on the rod the glass blower is using & as the float is getting blown, the other color forms swirls around the circumference of the glass.

Here are some examples.

And finally, I just want to ramble on about something I think is quite important. It's true what they say...."If life hands you lemons, make lemonade". I have had a not-so fabulous past few years. Life has tossed me some curve balls & believe me, I had my share of pity parties, cried plenty of tears & been really ticked off at the world. Through all of that, many lessons have been learned. I am a much stronger person. I regained the spirit I thought I had lost, gained the self-confidence I thought I would never get back & I am more determined than ever to fulfill the dreams & goals I currently have & even some of those I forgot about for a while. If you are reading this & something about what I am saying sounds familiar, I encourage you to put on your BIG GIRL PANTIES (or boxers - just say NO to tighty whities) & fight for your life!!! Life really is short & it seems as if we get caught up trying to please everyone else that we forget to please ourselves. Anyway, that's really all I have to say. It was just on my mind.

I leave you with this.......

Glass Float 101: Is it the REAL deal or a FAKE???

2010-09-12T21:06:00.001-08:00

I get lots of e-mails from people asking if their float is ‘real’ or ‘fake’, or if a float they want to buy is, in fact, authentic. I asked a fellow glass fishing float collector & friend to explain the difference between authentic floats & reproduction floats. Stu Farnsworth has been a dedicated collector and beachcomber for over 30 years. He has an impressive collection of rare & unique floats. He has also been somewhat of a mentor to me over the past 6 years by sharing his knowledge of glass fishing floats.

Here’s what Stu had to say…..

Glass fishing floats come in three categories - authentic, contemporary and curio.

Authentic glass floats are those that were manufactured for actual usage. Those can be found made with heavy glass and show normal use such as scars and scrapes, chips, dings and sometimes there are signs of sea life encrusted on the glass. Roughly about 30% may have an embossed marking on the float, either on the sealing button, the side of the glass, or possibly on the top of the glass. Often on the larger floats, there are marks on a separate patch of glass.

Below is an example of an authentic float. It has a star embossed on the seal button. This was once used for fishing. This is a really great float given to me by a buddy of mine!

Contemporary glass floats are also made of heavy glass and usually come in beautiful colors. They show no signs of use, other than possibly some surface scratches from rolling around on the floor from the family cat playing with it. These floats are, however, older and were made at the time authentic floats were in full use. This classification of floats was mainly made by larger glass float companies who made authentic floats. Such is the case with Hokuyo Glass Company and the famous FF mark. Many of these floats were made for gift shops, but have the authentic marking embossed on the glass. These come in a wide variety of colors, and even though contemporary, they are still sought after. Below are 2 examples of Hokuyo floats from the collection of Tom Rizzo, who also has a blog about European glass fishing floats called The Sea Hermit.

This is a rare case for contemporary floats, as they were primarily made for gift shops, junk shops and restaurant decor.

Curio floats, or the later floats, showing up in the early 1980’s came in beautiful colors and were pretty much made with paper thin glass. They have no signs of wear whatsoever and would not ever be able to withstand high seas fishing. These floats weigh much less when even compared to a contemporary float. The examples below are all under $10.00 each. This is a common price, as they are bought wholesale for mere dollars.

And I’m adding…..

Contemporary & curio floats are often misrepresented as being authentic. This is typically because people just aren’t aware of what they have. There are a number of contemporary floats on auction sites & in stores that do have marks on the seal buttons, but were made in China or Taiwan. I have seen some with sea horses & wagon wheels. Those are the 2 that come to mind right now. Those usually have thick ropes on them to represent a net. They also come in bright colors. Below is an example of a 12" diameter float. This float was priced almost $70.00 & the actual value is much less than that.

Often a contemporary float will also show signs of use because it has been used in a koi pond or outside for landscaping purposes. This is seen a lot on Ebay where it appears a float has actually been used for fishing. Typically these floats are bright colors such as red, yellow, cobalt blue, purple, orange, etc. These are beautiful, but they are not authentic. As Stu mentioned, they are also about the same weight as an authentic float & were manufactured while authentic floats were being made. If you don’t mind whether or not a float is authentic, then this might be okay for you. These floats should be priced rather inexpensively.

Below is an example of a contemporary glass fishing float. Although this float is quite possibly vintage (1950's), it is not a working float. I asked a fellow collector to take a look at this & he confirmed this with me. This is a float that would have been made for the gift trade. Although it is purple, because it is not an authentic (working) float, it is not rare & collectible.

Another curio float is in the shape of a square or cube. They are typically 2" - 3" cubed. These were NEVER used for fishing & were simply made for the gift trade. These also get misrepresented as being authentic floats. They also come in a variety of colors & have mold lines. Many were made by Hokuyo Glass Co out of Aomori Japan in the late 1950's for gift shops. Some were also made in Taiwan. Often there is a faint embossing on one of the square ends that says "MADE IN TAIWAN". These are worth a bit more than the Japanese versions, but are still inexpensive. Below are examples of these types of floats.

Bottom line....if you are specifically looking for an authentic glass fishing float, this information should be somewhat helpful in telling the difference. I just looked on Ebay & there are hundreds of 'fake' floats listed. It's no wonder people are so confused. If in doubt, just ask the seller. Hopefully they will give you an honest answer. And, feel free to write & ask me for help. If I am unsure, I will help you find an answer!!

I leave you with this amazing glass fishing float I found on the beach myself! The next post will be about different colors of swirls in floats!

Sorry for Neglecting You!!

2010-08-30T07:15:00.011-08:00

So, I found out that like everything else I try in my life, I start it & then I get temporary ADD. Hope I don't offend anyone, but that's the best way I can describe it. I get so side-tracked with so many different things. I think Heather at SimpleDaisy seems to relate to me! So sorry for neglecting my blog & my blog friends. I'll try harder to stay fOcUsEd!!!

For now, here is a quick lesson about glass fishing floats with spindles!

Spindles are formed inside glass fishing floats during the glass blowing process, or when they are formed in molds (depending on how they are made). They are simply threads, or filaments, of glass that have basically dripped inside the float. Some can be thicker than others. It all depends on the float.

Here's an example of a very cool spindle inside a 4" float!

Here is an example of a 3-piece mold float with 2 very fine spindles inside. This is actually very, very rare! I found this float myself on a beachcombing trip along the coast of the Aleutians a couple of years ago. You can imagine how incredibly thrilled I was to find this beauty! It's a total gem & someone would have to pay me a million dollars before I would get rid of it!!! If anyone has that kind of money laying around & would like to buy this float, feel free to contact me!

You might have to enlarge this photo to see the spindles clearly.

All types of floats have spindles, although they are uncommon to rare in most. I have a really cool sausage float with a spindle inside. This one is quite rare, as well. These floats were made in a mold. Here's a photo of it.

I have actually found 2 other floats with spindles out of thousands & thousands I have beachcombed. The filaments of glass are so fine that they can barely be seen. If you consider the journey these floats had out on the ocean & the fact the spindles are still intact, that is quite remarkable.

There is also another category of spindles ~ side spindles. These aren't really comparable to an actual spindle, but sometimes they are pretty cool. Here is an example of a side spindle in a 12" pink float I recently acquired. It's the line on the right.

This occurs when a drop of glass basically dribbles freely on the side. That's the best explanation I can come up with at the moment, but I think you can probably understand what I'm trying to say!!

Sometimes the side spindles are stuck against the interior of the float. Occasionally, they can be quite pronounced & noticeable. I've even seen some that look like ribbons on the inside of the float. I have one in my collection, but no photo at the moment.

Here are a couple of photos of side spindles from floats I sold in my Etsy shop.

So, if you have any glass fishing floats, or find any, be sure to take a close look inside!! You might find yourself a really unique treasure! Feel free to write with any questions.

Here's a little something extra.........

I took this photo in Homer last week while I was delivering a glass float order!

Have a GREAT week!!!

Life is CrAzY!!!

2010-07-21T06:28:00.005-08:00

Things have been crazy here & I've sort of neglected my friends in blog land. So, while I'm still working on my other post, here are a few pics from my trip to Homer, AK last Saturday. Enjoy!

Enjoy the rest of your week & be sure to check out my Etsy shop!!

Check these out!!!!

2010-07-12T13:48:00.003-08:00

I met Kylie on Etsy. She has some of the cutest pendants & necklaces. She is so creative!! Here are some of her new starfish pendants. Check out her shop!

I have been working on a new post that will provide you with information on how to determine an authentic float from a reproduction or "fake" float. I should have it on here this week!!

Have a most glorious week everyone!!!

And the WiNnErS are.............

2010-07-01T12:55:00.006-08:00

Many thanks to all of you that entered my gLaSs fLoAt gIvEaWaY!!! I wish I could give each & every one of you a float. Thank you so much for all of the great comments!! I used Random.org to select the numbers. There were 76 entries.

✿ simpledaisy

✿ penelope10

✿ beachcombing

✿ bratts29

Please forward your mailing addresses to me via my e-mail (1junkie@glassfloatjunkie.com) & I will get your floats sent out right away!! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do sharing them!

And for all of you that didn't win, I have a special offer for you. If you find any floats you like in my shop, you can use the offer below. You MUST be a follower of my blog to use this discount.

Here is a video for your viewing pleasure. It is from one of my beachcombing trips!! I hope you enjoy it!!

An Interview with a Fellow Junkie....

2010-06-28T10:31:00.008-08:00

This amazing collection of glass fishing floats belongs to Patrick. I recently befriended Patrick on Facebook after he joined my Glass Fishing Float Collectors group. He lives in Malaysia & is also a glass float enthusiast. He answered a few questions for me regarding glass floats.

1. How did you become interested in glass fishing floats?

P: I became interested since encountering them while hunting for wild boars. Never knew anything about it before. Was forewarned by local people about taking them home. They believed they housed evil spirits. That fired me even more.

2. Where do you find them?

P: In the littoral forest bordering the beach in my country. I have traveled the length and breadth of my country hunting them down. I guess there are not many left to be collected. From analysis of currents and winds, I conclude that the balls arrived here via freak storms/tsunamis originating from Japan, Taiwan, Korea....some 40-50 years ago. They were pushed way beyond the high tide zone, stashing them away for decades. Moss has covered many of those I have collected. Many have been covered by sea sand and re-exposed by wild boars digging for food.

3. What types of floats do you usually find?

P: From 1"-14" balls. We find very few 14" balls though. There are also rolling pins, sausages, a bullet roller, half of a binary & others but nothing compared to yours. You are the champ.

4. What is your favorite float?

P: A very black-brown 6" ball, beating my bullet and all others for good reason.

5. How long did it take you to collect all of the floats in the photo?

P: 4 years, but the rate of strikes has diminished. That's why I have time to weave nets to hang them up. Hahaha!

6. How many floats do you think you have?

P: Big & small - a thousand plus-minus. All self found and all authentic. All definitely my darlings! Ah, I fight tooth and nail with my family for space! Hahahaha!

Patrick also mentions that shards of glass floats that are found on rocky beaches are also considered treasures.

Here are a few more floats from Patrick's vast collection.

Patrick with his daughter after a long day of beachcombing.

Sausage roller

Hokkaido roller

A float buried in the sand. Patrick says the wild boars had dug it up.

An American made float found on the beach in Malaysia. It's been on a long journey!

Taiwanese float with the "pie seal"

Patrick with a Tohoku roller

Bullet roller

Thank you so much, Patrick, for answering my questions & sharing your floats with us! May you have many more successful float hunting trips & continue to find these amazing treasures!!

gLaSs fLoAt gIvEaWaY!!!!

2010-06-22T21:16:00.001-08:00

As I was sorting through all of my amazing glass floats, this little voice inside my head said...."Hey, you should give some of these things away!!! It would make someone's day to win such a cool prize. I mean, after all, who wouldn't want a glass float that spent years & years & years floating on the ocean currents until it finally got tossed onto a remote beach by the pounding surf???". So, I am listening to that voice.

Check it out.............

Tell your friends. Matter of fact, just tell everyone!!! Good luck to you all & if you don't win, you can always go here!!!

Super Spectacular Bead Giveaway...

2010-06-21T18:30:00.000-08:00

I heard about this bead giveaway & I thought I'd forward the info to you just in case some of you would be interested. It's a pretty cool prize. Go check out Denise's blog to enter.

Here's the stash of goodies you could win!!!

Lucky Ducks....

2010-06-15T21:27:00.001-08:00

As some of you may know, finding a glass fishing float on the beach is typically a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I have many people write me & tell me about their experiences & how they have scoured the beaches for years in search of the elusive glass fishing float. For many on the West coast, this spring, the ocean has washed many floats onto shore compliments of the strong west winds & stormy weather. Several people have said they braved the wind & weather just to be the first on the beach at high tide to see what might have washed ashore. Here is a photo from a fellow beachcomber. He found this float along the Washington coast in his "top secret" location! They found 3 that day.

Here is another photo of a float as they found it on the beach on a different day. This float was at the high tide line, along with lots of driftwood, garbage & even a shoe! These 2 photos were taken by R. Hannigen.

Another lucky beachcomber sent me the following photo. She & her daughter found these between March 27th & April 1st of this year. The large green float, known as a "garbage ball", was found out to sea just off the coast near Newport, OR. The 2 on the bottom left were found on the beach near the Peter Iredale shipwreck near Warrenton, OR. Photo by E. McMaster.

Well, I feel very fortunate that out of all the times I have gone in search of glass floats, I have always found many. The most I have ever brought home at once was just over 1,000 & we picked those up in 2 days! The sea still has millions of glass floats riding the ocean currents. And, there are still millions in Japan that sit abandoned in old gear sheds & piled up in garbage dumps.

Here are a couple of photos from a beachcombing trip near Cold Bay in May 2008. It was quite successful & most fabulous!! The photo below was actually taken in a dune behind the beach. Often the surf tosses the floats many yards off the beach. Near Cold Bay, we found a lot of floats off of the beach in various locations. I know there were many more buried in the sand, but it would take far too long to search for them all!

Mr. Brown Bear nearly stepped on this beauty! If you go beachcombing in the spring, you have to take a big gun! There are all kinds of critters running around!

I will post information soon about how to determine an authentic float from a "fake" or reproduction float. Feel free to contact me with any questions! I am always happy to share my knowledge whenever I can.

Some Floats from My Collection...

2010-06-14T21:53:00.000-08:00

I do have a substantial collection of glass fishing floats, but below are a few of my "fancy" floats!!

This is a Rare Orange Snakeskin & yes, it is an authentic glass float! These types of floats were used in Japan in the octopus fishery primarily in the 1960's. They were encased in a stainless steel wire cage & attached to a metal jig with numerous hooks, then submerged deep into the ocean. The thought behind the color is that it would help to attract the octopus. They also come in red, yellow, blue & green. This float hasn't been used. It was found in an abandoned shed in Japan. I purchased it from another collector last year. It is, by far, my favorite float because orange is my favorite color!! A yellow snakeskin is known to have been beachcombed along the Oregon coast in 2003 & I had someone write me 2 years ago about a blue one that had been found along the British Columbia coast. Sadly, most are probably lost at the bottom of the ocean.

This is a 14" diameter float with Cobalt Blue Swirls. The swirls are created when another color of glass gets mixed in during the glass blowing process. This is a hand blown Japanese glass fishing float. I acquired it from another collector a couple of years ago. The net on it is original. Isn't it amazing????

This is a Rare Kanji Roller. I found it in an antique store along the Oregon Coast. It is a version of the Tohoku roller. It has a combination of kanji & katakana symbols. It is believed that when translated, it means "special picture".

I have many, many more fabulous floats, but I will post more another time. If you'd like to see some additional photos of floats in my collection now, you can visit my website.

A Little Landscaping Idea with Glass Floats!

2010-06-11T22:06:00.000-08:00

I found a little wooden boat & decided to turn it into a yard decoration! It had blue paint all over it that was chipping, so I got as much off of it as I could. I left hints of it because I thought it added character. I lined it with a pond liner, put in some drainage holes, filled it with soil, planted petunias & some other good stuff, put wood chips on the top & finished it off with some floats. I also put the cracked or damaged floats I find in my flower beds.

That's Sadie in front of the boat & my cat, Josie, in the background.

An Etsy Find....

2010-06-11T09:35:00.000-08:00

I found this great print, In the Sea, on Etsy today. It seems appropriate for my life these days, and of course, it's "beachy"! Thanks, Mae, for creating this lovely piece of art! :)

What do you do with all those rocks & shells you pick up on the beach??

2010-06-09T23:29:00.000-08:00

I've recently accumulated quite a few rocks, agates & shells from the beach. I decided to make an attempt at growing a little bamboo plant. I thought this might work. I added a tiny glass fishing float. We'll see if I can keep him alive!!

Sorting through "new" floats...

2010-06-08T22:37:00.000-08:00

I was unable to go beachcombing recently, so I had someone pick up a few glass fishing floats off the beaches of the Aleutians over the past few weeks. I just sorted through about 250 floats. It is, by far, one of my favorite things to do. It is like opening up gifts on Christmas morning. I look at each float individually & classify them into different categories. I started listing a few in my Etsy store.

Here is a photo of them before I cleaned them & another of them sitting in the tub of water I use to clean them. I will be listing more in my store within the next few days! I found some beauties! :)

Remembering my Grandfather....

2010-06-07T22:23:00.000-08:00

This post has nothing to do with glass fishing floats, but something much more important. I recently lost one of the most important people in my life. My hero. My grandfather. He was an amazing man. He taught me many things....how to drive in the pasture when I was 13, how to play cards & dominoes, how to make tents out of sheets when I was a little girl, how to jump rope with licorice, how to stand on my head, how to pick the perfect watermelon, along with many other odd & end things. The most significant thing he taught me was how important family is. For that, I am grateful.

I miss him dearly, but I find comfort knowing that he is with my Grandmother & the rest of our family that has passed. I have many memories to reflect on throughout the rest of my life. I was fortunate to have had him in my life as long as I did. He was 93 years old.

Grandpa, I love you & will miss you always.

The Birthday Girl

2010-05-16T00:38:00.000-08:00

Today was my little girls birthday. She turned 3. She & her sister have brought so much love & happiness to my life. Sadie is full of life & energy. She is my constant companion & loves her momma! Here is a photo of my "girls"! Bella is on the left & that is Sadie on the right.

My other girl, Josie, has been with me for just over 9 years. Here's a photo of her I took recently. She was helping me with my floats.

At Last....

2010-05-13T13:36:00.000-08:00

Well, I finally made the time to begin a blog. Despite the fact that I should be working, I just can't seem to motivate myself to do that. Hence, here is my first post.

Ahh....the stories of a glass fishing float enthusiast. Some of you may be interested, others may not. Either way, I plan on sharing my knowledge of these fascinating things with you! As I mentioned in my profile, this is my "thing". Some have a "thing" for shopping or unicorns (to each their own), but mine happens to be a little more unique.

My obsession with floats began about 5 years ago. I had spent several years in Anchorage seeing them around town, completely oblivious to what they were. I finally asked my boyfriend at the time where I could find them & I was informed that they could simply be found washed up on the beaches. Well, not just any beach. You had to travel hundreds of miles to just the right beach to find them. And, not only did you have to do that, you had to have another mode of transportation other than your 2 feet. Luckily for me, my boyfriend had an airplane. So we had a trip planned to a friends lodge near Nelson Lagoon, which is along the Bering Sea side of the Aleutians, & I managed to talk him into stopping & looking for floats. After flying for hours, we finally found a lake near the beach to land the floatplane. In a matter of minutes, I had found my first float. It was like an Easter egg hunt. Shortly after the first one, I found another one & it had the original net on it! I was hooked right away. In about 45 minutes, we found 20 floats. I could have kept looking for hours, maybe even days, but the weather began to get nasty & we had to continue our flight to the lodge.

After spending a couple of days stuck at the lodge due to high winds, we started our journey back to civilization. Of course, I made him stop again for floats. We were able to find a few more & I was a happy camper.

So now I had some floats & I had so many questions about them. Where did they come from? What were the marks on them? How old were they? What can I do with them? It didn't take me long to figure that all out. I began my mission for answers online & soon found myself addicted to researching them. In the process, I befriended a collector named Stu Farnsworth. He has become a mentor to me & a very good friend. I can't tell you how many questions he must have answered, but he was always willing to share his knowledge with me.

And this story will have to continue when I have more time. I really have to do some work now. Darn! :)