Set your absinthe table on the cheap using eBay

Published on June 16th, 2010 Join the conversation »

Collecting absinthe antiques is not a cheap hobby. I’m just getting into it after a decade of drinking the stuff and if you stick to dealers, you’re going to part with a lot of cash, hella fast. Saying that, buy a few bits from reputable dealers, get your feet wet, read a lot and research till your brains turn to mush, then try scouting out your own bargains. Bargains will appear, trust me.

There’s loads to be written here on the subject and from the perspective of an absinthe antiques newbie, but really I just want to talk about a couple of bits I recently found on eBay. They are not specifically ‘absinthe’ antiques – in fact, the auctions did not mention absinthe at all – but after you do enough research, you can pick up the things not marketed to the absinthe geek, and often for a fraction of what you might pay otherwise. This phenomenon is not unlike what has happened with expired film on eBay. It used to be that a bucket of expired film would run you a few pounds, and there was tonnes of it out there. Now, with the popularity of toy cameras and a resurgence in film usage, expired film auctions will almost always mention “Lomo” or “Lomography” and in doing that, command a higher price and far more competitive auction.

Absinthe stuff is no different. But here’s what to do…

Look for things that you need for the table setting: Fountain – not much chance getting one of those not marked for absinthe… move on. Glasses – this we can do! Ale glasses often doubled as absinthe glasses and it’s easy to find them without any mention of absinthe whatsoever. Take the one in this photograph:

I was scouring the “Listed in category: Pottery, Porcelain & Glass > Glass > Date-Lined Glass > Victorian (c.1840-c.1900)” section and found it. It shares much in common with the East, Mazagran, and Périgord Flute, but was only listed as a 19th Century Ale Glass. We have a winner! Best part is that the price was £3.99 plus shipping. No mention of absinthe, maybe never held absinthe, but it will look great full of the louched stuff on my table.

Sugar Tongs – there are LOADS of them on eBay and some going for ridiculously cheap prices. The first pair I picked up:

Cute, yes? Yes. And cheap at under £10 shipped, but I was able to more than halve my cost for a much more interesting pair:

There are fascinating sugar tongs out there. Some are like ornate scissors, some plain, long, short- you name it. Victorian and Edwardian sugar tongs are plentiful and go a long way to making your absinthe arrangement look complete.

Don’t forget a water jug or carafe. I found a lovely Victorian green-glazed terracotta pitcher for £12 at a tiny antiques shop in Launceston the other day. It’s lovely and the perfect size to hold about three glasses worth of iced water. There are plenty of jugs on eBay.

I hope this gives you some ideas. Having an absinthe arrangement as they did in the Belle Époque is not out of your reach. A little patience and a sharp eye will get you on your way towards an impressive accessories collection.

I’ll have more on my quest for absinthe antiques in future posts here, but for now- happy hunting!

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