Ice Blue Acorn Burrs Punch Bowl

by Les and Pattie Harris

Originally published in: The Carnival Pump, Vol. XXXIX No. 2 (December 2004)

Recently a friend called and asked if Les & I were aware that an Ice Blue Acorn Burrs Punch Bowl was being offered for sale in Memphis the next day, and were we going. No, we were not aware, and yes, we were going! We located the advertisement–it was an estate tag sale, except for this punch bowl, which would be sold to the highest bidder at 12:00 noon. The terms of the sale were cash or certified check! By this time the bank was closed, so we decided to use the evening for research, which of course, included calling our good carnival glass friends the Rogers and the Stremmings and asking their opinions on value, availability, etc. As always, they were very helpful and encouraging.

On Saturday morning we were waiting at the door when the bank opened, got our money, and took off! We had printed out a map of the area, which was nothing like it was when we lived in Memphis in the 60s! It was all one-way streets, gated communities with many dead ends and cul-de-sacs. We made every wrong turn possible when we finally saw a lot of cars–oh boy, this is it! We were almost to the door when we realized it was not a home-it was a Jewish Synagogue!

By the time we finally found the right place the time was 11:48! I was about to cry! We ran in expecting to see Bud & Gladys Martin, Charles & Jackie Hayes, Mike Cain, and any number of our carnival glass friends who always turn up where we do, but we didn’t see a soul we knew! I thought it was probably sold and gone, but I asked a lady working by the door “Where is the punch bowl? Has it sold?” She said “No, not yet–here it is, behind this basket!” She moved it out and called the manager of the sale to come and talk with us.

We asked if we could look at it in better light. He told us to examine it all we wanted to and encouraged us to take it outside so that we could see it better. It was in perfect condition and was absolutely beautiful, and we were smitten! We asked him how to bid on it, since bidding at a tag sale was a new way of buying for us. He said his high bid was a mail bid, and we gave him our low bid, fully prepared to go higher if necessary, but since by this time it was 12 o’clock and no one else was there to bid against us, WE GOT IT!!!

He did tell us that his mail bid was from a collector in Texas, and since we have so many Texas friends, we will say that whichever of you it was, you have a standing invitation to visit us, and the punch bowl, any time. We are really happy to have it and it looks beautiful in our pastel cabinet–now, we’re looking for punch cups to go with it!