You probably remember retro glasses like these because of the colorful painted designs and funky shapes and surface textures on these vivid tumblers, interestingly shaped cups, patterned stemware, and other cool drinkware.
Why did these colorful and festive glasses stop being so popular? It was probably a combination of shifting tastes and practical household changes. As home decor and personal aesthetics evolved, the bold patterns characteristic of the era fell out of favor, replaced by minimalist designs that reflected the decade’s changing design sensibilities.
The increase in the use of dishwashers also likely played a role in the decline of such decorated glassware. The harsh chemicals and high temperatures typical of dishwasher cycles caused the vibrant paints to fade, reducing the glasses’ once-trendy look, and leading to a gradual phase-out in favor of plainer, more durable and dishwasher-safe alternatives.
But we remember! Through ads and vintage catalog pages, scroll down to see just how many old-school Libbey glasses from the 70s you recognize. (Looking for some older versions? Check out 60 vintage Libbey glassware designs from the 60s!)
Vintage 70s Libbey home decor & drinkware (1972)
Libbey Glass. Nothing else that costs so little makes you look so good.
Libbey makes glass pretty and handsome and tall and small and formal and fun and everything else glass can be made except expensive. It’s a very special gift.
Products shown: Frost (clear glass tumbler with white painted patterns), Decorator brandy snifter with lid, Two-Tone Tulip drinking glass, Cane Canister (call green glass container with a white and green screened wicker-style print), Mary Gregory (juice glass with white paint on blue)
Capture a special moment with vintage Libbey glass from 1970
ALSO SEE: 57 popular 70s things: Stuff people had in their homes in the 1970s
Vintage Libbey glasses: Deep Sea pattern
Party shrimp bowl costs about $7… Same for 8 Libbey Deep Sea glasses. (…and the glasses will be around long after your party’s over.)
Swing into your party season with bright, new Libbey glasses. There are hundreds of fresh, smart designs as fun-loving or as elegant as you choose to be. Unusual color combinations, exciting new shapes, a variety of sizes… to please!
Other glass styles shown: Flowers tumblers, Stained glass tumblers, Stained glass casual stackable stemware, Orbit tumblers, Flutter tumblers
Retro-style NEW Libbey glasses you can get now
Libbey spring drinkware shapes & styles (1975)
Libbey comes out looking more beautiful every spring.
Flower pots and beehives and Liberty Bells. Look at the shapes Libbey transforms in glass. Look at the natural beauty and country warmth and classic simplicity Libbey makes new in glass… Very few things that cost so little bring so much to life.
Vintage styles shown here: Gala Grande wine glass, Queen Anne’s Lace, Spice Garden, Charlestown Blue, Berry Patch, Beehive canister, Liberty Bell canister, Hanging crystal glass pots (in a macrame plant hanger)
Libbey Glass. So much more than you imagine, for so much less than you think. (1976)
Vintage styles shown here: Crystal candle,Giant crystal milk can, Crystal pear, Gold Ashburton stemware. Decorated glasses: Strawberries, homemade jelly, yellow bells, flora
Vintage 1970s Libbey glass coffee mugs
You can buy 8 Libbey Orange Lotus glasses (1972)
… for under $6… around the price of a turkey. (And the glasses last.)
New, exotic Orange Lotus (shown) has a captivating, raised design on Libbey’s new Tawny Apollo glass. Also available as Purple Lotus.
Other glass designs & patterns shown: Coppers stackables, Golden Foliage wine, Stained Glass beverage, Gold Tapestry, Chalet
Retro Libbey wine glasses: Wine for your party costs about $9…
Which is about what you pay for 8 Libbey Prado wine glasses. (…and the glasses will be around a whole lot longer.)
Put new Libbey glasses in your holiday scene… with cocktails, at your table, or when friends drop in.
Other glass styles shown: Golden foliage casual cup, Spain tumblers, Gold coins USA tumblers, Summertime tumblers, Cut stemware and tumblers
Libbey Prado: Beautiful Mediterranean gifts of glass
Luncheon Goblet, Wine/Juice glass, Rock glass, Goblet, Sherbet/Champagne glass
Artica textured glassware for spring 1971
Other glass styles shown: Daisy tumblers, Daisy stackable stemware, Needlepoint tumblers, Prado stemware and tumblers, Nordic stackable stemware, Stained glass tumblers
Libbey’s Artica: Gold, Olive & Tawny colors
Libbey’s Artica sets the pace in textured glassware. Smart concave shape, fresh exciting design make Artica the most appealing textured glassware in America.
In-and-out promotions or for display all year long, Artica sells and sells. Four colors, four tumbler sizes in handsome, carry-home 4-packs or bulk. 80-ounce companion pitcher also available in Gold and Olive.
Old Libbey Gold Brocade Glasses (1972)
New, raised Antique Gold decoration enriches the feel, the distinctiveness of Libbey’s new Gold Brocade (shown). It looks expensive, yet is reasonably priced.
Explore all the new Libbey designs, shapes, and stunning colors in today’s glassware… You can buy 8 for about $8… about what you pay for party snacks. And the glasses last.
Other glass styles shown: Garland Stackables, Calico Garden, Blossom, Prado Sour, Blue Strawflowers
A lively expression for two (1970)
You keep life alive. You really get into it. By taking every opportunity to express yourself.
Here’s one — Libbey’s Super Graphic glasses. Less than 2 dollars for a set of 4. That’s almost free expression.
ALSO SEE: 1970s supergraphics are ready for their comeback! And we have the vintage inspo & easy instructions
Makes the best of the good things (1977)
Libbey makes more good-morning glassware than anyone else. It’s the beautiful eye-opener. Mix or match. Pick up your decorating scheme in glassware.
The best of the good things about Libbey glassware is how surprisingly little it costs. It gives you inexpensive ideas that do beautiful things for everyday living.
Try serving dessert in Libbey Glass stemware. You’ll see what you lose in a dish. Try decorating with a light touch. See what you can do with a small bouquet. a large candle, and a giant brandy snifter. Find a style of your own…
70s glassware from Libbey
Candy-store jars, Ashburton pattern glasses, beer glasses, Mickey Mouse & Friends glassware, decanters, wine glasses
MORE: Fancy vintage Fenton glass from the 1960s & 1970s
Crystal Castles: Glass home decor (1977)
Libbey takes sand castles and turns them into glass. New Crystal Castles. Three imaginative sizes tor creative packaging as well as home decorating.
Affordable elegance from Libbey (1975)
Libbey shows you the art of original giving. Here’s a decanter fit for the Captain’s table. For collectors of Americana, here’s the charm of old Sandwich glass in modern form.
For sentimental sensibilities, Libbey Crystal Bells and country-kitchen canisters in glass. You’re giving a lot more when you’re giving Libbey Glass.
Shown here: Spice Garden canister, John Paul Jones Captain’s Decanter, Vino Grande, Citation Wine, Americana stemmed glass, Iris design glass, Strawberries juice glass, Golden Plaid tumblers, Crystal Bell glass decor with lid
LIBBEY GLASS: Division of Owens-Illinois – Toledo, Ohio 43693
Vintage Libbey Country Garden glasses
Look! Libbey’s great new Country Garden glassware is now in 24-piece sets. Exclusive country-clean embossed pattern is a natural profit maker. Available in Gold and Dusky Blue. Eight each Cooler, Beverage. Juice to the set. New! 24-piece Super Set.
(From the 1974 Pacesetter Line supplement sales brochure)
Libbey’s look is everything but the same old thing (1974)
A mushroom-capped canister over a half-foot high plants a thought for a wildly wonderful terrarium.
A ginger jar blown to giant proportions becomes a glittering showpiece. With color and pattern and style and scale, Libbey turns glass into sculptures and pictures. Libbey makes fashion flower in glass.
Also: Blue Ming glasses, Gingham Coaster, Prado & Olive Strawflowers
Glass home decor: Crystal mushrooms & Egg on a Stem (1974)
Look! Crystal Mushrooms in two new, smaller sizes. Nature’s own shape reproduced in glass for imaginative home decorating. Natural additions to an immensely popular line. Includes attractive decorator glass cover.
New! Egg on a Stem. Another natural form in sparkling crystal elegance. Perfect for use in imaginative home decorating, as a candy dish, or a miniature terrarium. (From Libbey’s 1974 Pacesetter Line sales brochure supplement)
2 Responses
I think I have a set of Libbey glasses from the 1970s, clear with aqua (turqouise) striping
Please help!
In the ’70s we used the large Libbey jars to make terrariums, which was a trendy thing to do at the time. Every elementary school classroom had a bunch of these.