A trip down memory lane with chronicles of old Waterford Crystal employees in audio and video. Oops, maybe I should say retired workers. From when Waterford Crystal started out in the fifties to the present day. The first one is about how several workers started in “Waterford Glass” as it was affectionately known. The trials and tribulations of former times and how good they were and were not. Blowing crystal bubbles in the blowing shop and how Waterford Crystal Ireland came to be.
Enjoy the videos! Comments are welcome. You can visit the site of one of these old workers here www.waterfordcrystalappraisal.info for all your Waterford Crystal appraisals and pattern identification

The following is a Waterford Crystal Master Cutter in the Special Dept giving a cutting demonstration.

This is a video of some of the Waterford Crystal Blowers in action. Will Forever Blowing Bubbles rise again in all its glory, we shall see!

The following is a video clip of the Waterford Crystal workers led by my old buddy Unite member Tom Hogan, travelled to Dublin and arrived at the Receivers’ head office on Tuesday morning last. Four workers entered the reception area where they were asked to leave. Deloitte then called for Garda Siochana (Irish Police) presence to come to the offices but there was no trouble. Yeah Right! How times have changed. Hope you’re well Tom!

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The answer is Yes and No!

Let me begin to explain that with the current situation in Waterford Crystal Ireland, where bankruptcy has taken place and the workforce has been reduced to a minimum, little to no manufacturing is taking place and the company is just there to facilitate the tourist trail and the visitor center.

Now, you might ask what this has to do with the safety of purchasing a true Waterford Crystal product on Ebay. Let me elaborate.

From as far back as I can remember, Blowers and Cutters were allowed to blow and hand-cut their own designs, while the foreman or supervisor turned a blind eye, so to speak. Sometimes they didn’t. You might say it was one of the perks of the trade of being a craftsman, working for the now bankrupt crystal company.

Over the years, thousands of these so called “rogue” crystal pieces were painstakingly and lovingly hand-crafted by the masters and even the apprentices created one-of-a-kind gems, which were of no standard production line. They were then sneaked out under overcoats/jackets and took prize of place in their homes, for friends and family to enjoy and appreciate. No, they didn’t have the acid watermark or the seahorse logo. That does not mean they are not a true Waterford Crystal product, on the contrary, these pieces have increased significantly in value over the years and turn up all the time on Ebay and antique stores.

So, getting back to the question of whether it is safe to purchase Waterford Crystal without the acid mark or logo on Ebay, or anywhere else for that matter, is best determined by an expert, who will authenticate with true valuation. So many variables come into play and each crystal piece has a story to tell. Wouldn’t it be nice to know for sure if you are getting a genuine Waterford Crystal product and not some piece that was duplicated in China.

James Connolly, retired Waterford Crystal Master Cutter with 36 years of experience in the crystal business, will (for a small fee) authenticate and appraise Waterford Crystal found on Ebay, or anywhere else, by way of photographs and research.

James is also working on a “new website” to facilitate collectors of the famous Waterford Crystal Ireland, meanwhile, visit his site at www.waterfordcrystalappraisal.info