MILTON, W.Va. – Fans of Blenko Glass are already lined up outside the Milton factory for Saturday’s sale of the 150th birthday West Virginia piece.
“We’ve got 18 people in line already and some of them have been camping out since Monday,” said Blenko Vice President Katie Trippe.
There are only 150 signed pieces up for sale and you have to be there in person Saturday morning at 8 a.m. in order to purchase one, and only one, per person.
“I think everybody is really excited to get this piece,” according to Trippe. “They were thinking there’s going to be a lot of turnout, specifically for the 150th birthday.”
This is the 33rd year that Blenko has created a special limited edition piece to celebrate West Virginia’s birthday. They’ve become quite the collector’s item. And this year, Trippe said people seem to really like the design the artist chose.
“We designed this piece this year with the thought that we love the state of West Virginia and we wanted to convey our love for our state,” explained Trippe. “So it’s covered with hearts and it’s got that kind of symbolism behind it.”
The blue-glass vase has a heart base with a tapered top.
“Our mold was a little bit different. It was a free-form kind of mold where the hearts were shaped by the expanding glass.”
All 150 vases are numbered and hand signed by the designer, Arlon Bayliss, and Blenko President Walter Blenko, Jr.
Trippe said so far everyone in line is in good spirits and anxious to get their hands on a Sesquicentennial Blenko vase.