There is a blue glass mixing bowl sitting in a thrift store somewhere right now with a sticker on it that says $2. It is not labelled. Whoever priced it saw blue glass and priced it like blue glass. The person who buys it and knows what the mark on the base means will sell it for $150 to $300.
That bowl is the Hazel-Atlas Crisscross, made in the 1930s during the height of Depression-era kitchenware production. The pattern, the mark, and above all the color are what separate it from the dozens of similar-looking glass bowls that genuinely are worth nothing. Here is exactly what to look for.
The pattern
The Crisscross pattern is exactly what it sounds like: a pressed grid of vertical and horizontal lines covering the exterior of the bowl, with a small square stamped at each intersection point. It is not painted on. It is molded directly into the glass, so the texture is raised and you can feel it under your fingers. Run your thumb across the outside of the bowl. If the crosshatch is a smooth print rather than a physical texture you can feel, it is not Crisscross.
The bowls were made in nesting sets of four, graduating in size from roughly 6 inches to just over 9 inches in diameter. A set of four is more valuable than a single bowl, but single bowls show up alone constantly and are worth identifying on their own merits. The Crisscross line also included butter dishes, refrigerator dishes, a reamer, a pitcher, and a creamer and sugar, all in the same pressed grid pattern, so the mixing bowls are not the only Crisscross pieces worth knowing.
The mark on the base
Flip the bowl over. You are looking for a capital H with a smaller A nested directly underneath it, positioned lower and centered, so the whole mark reads like a capital H with a small footstool beneath it. That is the Hazel-Atlas mark, and it confirms you have the right maker.
The mark most commonly confused with it belongs to Anchor Hocking, which also used an H in its early marks. The difference is unmistakable once you know it: the Anchor Hocking mark always includes an actual anchor symbol. If you see an anchor anywhere in the mark, it is Anchor Hocking, not Hazel-Atlas. No anchor means the H-over-A is worth investigating. Some Hazel-Atlas kitchenware from the 1930s was not marked at all, so the absence of a mark does not rule out Hazel-Atlas, but the presence of the H-over-A confirms it.
Color is the key: what yours is worth
The Crisscross line was made in four colors, and they are not equal. Here is exactly where each one lands.
Cobalt blue
This is the one. Hazel-Atlas used its Ritz Blue glass for the Crisscross line, a slightly warm cobalt with a softness to it that looks different from harsher modern cobalt. In good, chip-free condition, cobalt Crisscross mixing bowls bring $150 to $300 or more depending on size, with the larger bowls at the higher end of the range. A complete set of four in cobalt is worth considerably more than four individual bowls. This is the color that collectors specifically search for, and the color most likely to be mispriced at a thrift store.
Pink
Pink Crisscross exists and has a collector following, but it brings noticeably less than cobalt. Individual pink bowls in clean condition typically trade in the $50 to $100 range. Still worth grabbing if the price is right, but do not expect cobalt numbers from a pink piece.
Green
The green pieces are worth knowing for a different reason: Hazel-Atlas green glass from this era contains uranium, which means it glows under a blacklight. This is not dangerous, and it actually helps you identify and date the glass. Green Crisscross bowls bring roughly similar amounts to pink, sometimes a bit less. Worth picking up, but not the prize.
Crystal (clear)
Crystal Crisscross is the most common color and brings the least. Clean individual crystal bowls sell for $20 to $50. A complete clear set in excellent condition is a pleasant find, but it is not going to change your day.
What kills the value
A chip anywhere on the rim drops the value sharply. Depression glass collectors are picky about condition, and even a small chip on an otherwise beautiful cobalt bowl will price it out of the top tier. Run your finger around the entire rim before buying or before getting excited about what you have.
Cloudiness is the other big issue. Glass that has been through a dishwasher dozens of times takes on a hazy, etched look that does not clean off. Hold the bowl up to the light. Clean cobalt Crisscross should be clear and jewel-like. Haziness means someone dishwashered it, and haziness is permanent. A cloudy cobalt bowl is still pretty, but it brings a fraction of what a clear one does.
Cracks anywhere in the glass are disqualifying. Hairlines reduce value severely. No serious buyer wants a cracked Depression glass bowl at any price.
