The term depression glass is loosely used to describe tableware made during the 1920’s, 1930’s, and 1940’s and in some cases into the 1950’s. This period encompassed the despair of the 1930’s from which the name has been derived. China was much more popular in these years, both for dinnerware and for utility purposes, than it is today. Plastic was in its early stages, and depression glass was often cheaper than china. Very inexpensive when first produced, depression glass was America's early experimentation with the mold etched method for producing patterns. Recently hailed as one of the top collectibles sought on the Internet, depression glass has attracted the interest of many young enthusiasts.