If You Spot These Vintage Pinup Drinking Glasses At The Thrift Store, Grab Them

Long before the advent of beauty influencers and centerfolds, Americans had pin-up girls. As images of idealized women, the photos depicted women with exaggerated curves, long legs, and pretty faces. Pin-up girls were depicted in playful, flirty poses doing everything from talking on the phone to working on car engines. Sexy without being over the top, they appeared on calendars and in magazines like Life and Esquire. During the 1940s, the titillating images were distributed to World War II soldiers to boost morale, solidifying their place in pop culture. 

As early as the 1920s, pin-up style images of attractive women migrated onto bar glasses, but with a cheeky twist: When liquid was added to some glasses, the clothing would disappear to reveal lingerie (or sometimes nothing) underneath. Some of the glasses were valuable hand-painted dishware, while others used decals. The decals were made by companies like Meyercord and Duro-Decal, which made a wide range of decals and sign-making materials. The glasses used a white chemical called "Mystic" to create the pin-up girl's clothing, which would then disappear when the glass became wet. Peekaboo glasses, as they were sometimes called, are a little bawdy, a little naughty, and 100% fun — and they are one type of classic vintage glassware that belongs in your collection.

Amus-U, a part of the H. Fishlove company (known for producing gag gifts like wind up dentures and fake vomit), made peekaboo glasses sold through novelty catalogs like Johnson Smith's Fun Catalog. Even well-known glass companies like Anchor Hocking, Libby, and Federal Glass made their own versions of peekaboo glasses. The barware came in various sizes from shot glasses to high balls and could be found in home bars across the U.S. The glasses could be won as prizes at carnivals, were sold as souvenirs in tourist destinations, and are definitely vintage cocktail glasses to look out for at thrift stores.

Peekaboo glasses off all kinds and eras are highly collectible, but Federal Glass Company's Magic Follies set is especially valuable. A complete set includes one glass for each of the six different characters: Flirt, Frenchie, Ingenue, Talkie, Artist's Model, and Sweet Sixteen, each with different dresses and lingerie. Prices at places like private auction house sites, eBay, and Etsy range from $25 for an individual glass to around $100 for a complete set. Other valuable examples include those from the Philip Ronald World War II victory collection of pin-up girl glasses. Serious collectors will want the bible of peekaboo glasses, "Collectible Girlie Glasses" by Tigre McMullan, which features hundreds of glasses, plus information about their provenance and collectability.