with the help of keen eyed dealers and friends it is happening.  

We hardly remember when we really became obsessed with Hawkes Brunswick -but at least a decade ago we decided we'd like to collect eight place settings of it.

"What? Are you planning to live to be 253 years old?" one dealer suggested when we first mentioned our wish. "I don't remember ever seeing any stem ware in Brunswick." Today we have a married set of eight beautiful water goblets. Oh yes, it took almost the full decade to do it-with the help of 2 Collector's Night sales at two conventions; another friend we met at a convention and two chapter friends traveling though Texas.

Four of our stems come from a small antique store in Fredericksburg Texas. Now that's not a place we go antiquing from California. However, Leigh and Kathy Emmerson had driven to the Dallas convention and while taking a meandering trip home stopped to browse in this shop. There, Leigh found four perfect and signed water stems. Thank goodness ,(at times like this) for cell phones. Early one Saturday morning from the shop, Leigh dialed our number and really rang our bell. "You found what? Oh my gosh! Yes, bring them home." That left only one to complete the set. We placed a notice in the Hobstar Matching Service and within a few days we received an offer from friends in St. Louis we met by attending the Dallas convention. After ten years searching and about six years having only one stem, the other seven suddenly appeared in only six months -all thanks to friends from all sorts of places.

Maybe you see the theme emerging. Yes, it was through active participation in ACGA at all levels that got the word out ... we were prowling for Brunswick. Through chapter activities and attending conventions every year, ACGA members and dealers across the country knew of our Brunswick passion.

Actually, it is true that almost everything we've been able to get was through friends and dealers all over the U.S. the set of tumblers we put together came in bits and pieces. Some local antique shows revealed one or two singletons now and then. But it was at a convention dealer's booth that we finished the set with a group of four beautifully matched glasses. Our cider and milk pitchers were both found at conventions, as was the elegant berry bowl.

Looking for the seven-inch plates (still incomplete -we only have 5) started on the sale shelf at the Highlands Museum. Again that was because of a pre-convention side trip. This was also the plate that exposed the fact that there are apparently two variations of Brunswick plates. The "true" ones have an intricate hobstar cut in the center. But, years before we actually started our table quest, we'd bought another plate advertised as Brunswick, but it was cut with a simple rayed star in the center. When we put the two together the hobstar cut looked much more authentic. Still, both are signed Hawkes -and the clear and notched bars extending out to the ring of hobstars on the rim are exactly the same. Then the celery dish and berry bowl (both signed) have rayed stars. HUM???

Another great thrill came just a few months after the Dallas convention. The phone rang again and this time it was Elton Linville who asked: 'Are you still looking for Brunswick?" "You bet! Why?" "Well, we got four nice seven inch plates at a little auction recently." "Pack' em up!"

Sure, the pursuit goes on. Where are those other three plates, whe re is that oval sauce bowl and under plate, where is ... ? Well, who knows what else might turn up for our Brunswick table? What we really find most interesting and exciting is how the success of the never-ending pursuit of that special piece of glass has come through local chapter membership and especially attending conventions.

Besides the glass, of course, you get to know really fun and fine people at chapter meetings and conventions. That's something you don't get on eBay.