Now that it looks as if our recession could possibly be heading towards the dreaded D-word, it might be instructive to look back at that earlier period of economic disaster and see what was being produced and acquired in the 1930s. The most obvious category to come to mind is Depression glass.

It was a time when most people couldn't afford the elegant crystal glassware their parents' generation had enjoyed. So they turned to the cheapest possible wares — often actually getting it for free. The term Depression glass refers to the inexpensive, machine-made dinnerware produced in bulk and either sold in dime stores like Woolworth's and at smaller outlets (sometimes at a cost as low as 3 cents apiece), or given as promotional premiums with other products. Movie theatres had dinnerware giveaway "dish nights," which served to draw patrons in as they attempted to put together sets: When patrons handed their ticket to the taker, he would give the patron a plate. Other items, like punch bowls and cups, were offered at gas stations. Dishes were featured in the Sears & Roebuck Co. catalogs, packaged in Quaker Oats cereal and detergent boxes and as incentives for buyers of magazine subscriptions, etc.

In tune with the economic times, the Depression glass period lasted from the late 1920s to 1940. As a matter of fact, however, the firms most associated with this kind of ware — Hazel Atlas Glass Co. of Clarkesville, W.V., U.S. Glass and Federal, for example — were actually producing it before the Great Depression. Federal opened its Columbus, Ohio factory in 1900, and several continued to market it in later years.

It was a gradual process of the American glassware-producing industry adapting to technical innovations that permitted the creation of this inexpensive machine-molded glass dinnerware. Other major firms included Hocking Glass Co. of Lancaster, Ohio; Indiana Glass Co. of Dunkirk, Ind.; Jeannette Glass Co. of Jeannette, Pa.; and Macbeth-Evans Glass Co. of Charleroi, Pa. They were mostly firms operating in the central and Midwest states, where access to raw materials and power made manufacturing inexpensive.

Depression glass was made in more than 25 colors, most typically clear or pale crystal, amber, pink and green, but also in black, pale blue, green, red, yellow and white. Some of it is transparent, some translucent, and some opaque. The colors and styles were given such descriptive names as Golden Glow, Springtime Green and Ritz Blue. The opaque examples were known as Jadeite (pale green), Delphite (pale blue), Monax (white, resembling milk glass), and Cremax (a creamy beige), the latter also a pattern name.

The various firms produced similar patterns — about 100 in all — with such common motifs as florals and geometrics, and others that imitated Early American Sandwich glass. Quality was not always held to a very high standard. There were often air bubbles, heavy mold marks and other flaws. Yet the attractive colors and patterns compensated for these defects both for Depression-era housewives and collectors today.

There is a hierarchy of values based on color, design and shape. Some of the most sought after patterns include Cameo, Mayfair, American Sweetheart, Princess and Royal Lace — all feminine and uplifting names that would appeal to women. One of the rarest colors is Smoke, a bluish gray with a black stripe. In terms of shape and function, saucers are the most commonplace, followed by dinner plates and then sugar-and-cream sets and salt-and-pepper sets. At the top of the value scale are any serving pieces with a cover or a foot, particularly covered butter dishes, and sandwich servers, a plate with a handle in the middle.

It will be interesting to see whether our scaled-back economy produces any inexpensive wares that will be the collectibles of future decades.

Linda Rosenkrantz has edited Auction magazine and authored 18 books, including "Cool Names for Babies" and "The Baby Name Bible" (St. Martin's Press). Visit her baby names website at http://nameberry.com. She cannot answer letters personally. To find out more about Linda Rosenkrantz and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.