Imperial "Imperial Grape" Purple Pitcher

Mike & I  purchased this pitcher from Gary Lickver as a room buy in 2014. We were attending a HOACGA special event featuring the Jackie Poucher auction but, as so many of us do, we headed straight for Gary's room as soon as we arrived!

This wasn't one of his shelf pieces. He was taking it home to compare to one he already owned with the intention of upgrading but I happened to spy it in the back of his room lying in a jumble of wraps on his bed. We haggled over this pitcher for 2 days straight because he really didn't want to sell it but I was afraid if we backed off we'd never see it again!

Finally, as a last ditch attempt, I asked him to give me his "I don't want to sell it price " which he then did. It was every cent and more than I expected but then we asked ourselves, "Where are we ever going to find another one with this bright pink iridescence?"

Good Imperial Grape pitchers can be found, of course, but not like this one and since then we've been proven right because we've never seen another one like it so we struck a deal. At the time I ruefully remarked to Judy Maxwell afterwards that we had most certainly set a new record for the highest price ever paid for a purple Imperial pitcher and she replied, "We've all set records buying glass! " which took some of the sting out of it and just proves the heart wants what it wants!

The Mike & Nanci Messana Collection