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!

It’s not easy to get ahold of, but if you want to search, here is the ISBN-10: 2951531613 and the ISBN-13: 9782951531611.

I feel much more confident in my bargain hunting now.

I just got these for a great price on eBay.

The auction description:

By JOHNATHAN BELL & SON – SHEFFIELD 1897

Silver Plated
Sugar Tongs ( 105mm/4⅛”)
All pieces are stamped on the underside of the handle.
This is vintage cutlery but has been well looked after with just a few signs of wear.

They’re just cute as can be!

Now, Parisienne (also sometimes labeled Parisian) is far from being a favourite of mine, but I’ll drink it if it’s around. One thing I’d like to experiment with is making absinthe chocolate truffles and so this will be perfect in cooking. The NV is something I’m curious about but wasn’t ready to buy – to be honest, I’d rather the money go towards a bottle of one of my favourites – but now that I have it, I shall try it and review it.

Santé!