Tell me about buying Murano Glass in Italy
 

Can you get it cheaper than in the US? Anywhere in particular? Outlets?? Irregulars or overstocks at lower price?

It is much cheaper than in the US, but that means you can still end up spending hundreds or thousands of dollars if you want to buy something substantial like a chandelier or full set of glassware or a very large vase.<BR><BR>The expensive and long-established shops around San Marco like Pauly or Venini absolutely have locally-made pieces, and they do have a very few items that are priced to be a bit more affordable. They are also a pleasure to browse in. The factory showrooms on Murano also feature authentic pieces, at varying prices depending on the size and on the uniqueness of the design.<BR><BR>On the other hand, if you're looking for less-expensive small vases, bowls, souvenir animals, or necklaces, you will see them all over Venice and even on Murano in the shops along the main street. Some of the inexpensive pieces are not actually made there but are imported from other countries.<BR>

If you do buy in Murano, be sure to shop around for price. Our hotel lined up a tour for us to see a glass factory.<BR>We did some price checking, and found about the same design further in town for a much better price!

I was disappointed in Murano -- the pieces are not signed by the individual who made them but by the house they worked for. It is hand made but in a factory type setting where one person makes a part of the item and the next person does a piece of it. We did not find a lot of unique items -- the piece I found ( and couldn't afford) was in a factory that is not open to the public but we didn't know that. It was a piece by the old masters and was very unique and cost about $3200. We like handmade items and want them signed by the artist. Instead the various houses have different designs that are made by several people in the factory. <BR><BR>We were looking for a decorative piece. There is a lot of chandeliers and drinking and alcohol glass sets. For the most part these seemed to be about $150 and up.

To answer your question: yes, you can get some Murano glass pieces cheaper here in the US than in Murano. I prefer buying my Murano glass collectibles directly in Murano, but I am not always able to return to Venezia every single year. Ross-Simons.com carries Murano glass and i have bought several items from them. I was able to get several egg-shaped glass blown designs with a fish inside them for approximately $19 USD. I saw the same exact egg-shaped glass designs in Murano for 25+ Euro. Likewise, I bought several of the glass aquariums and paperweights from Ross-Simons at substantial savings ($25-80 USD) that retailed much, much higher in Italy. All pieces come with information on authenticity, with a Murano, Italy seal on the base of the object. Ross-Simons can sell them cheap because they buy them in bulk. If you can't get to Murano any time soon, I would suggest looking at their selection on-line. I have been very pleased with my purchases and with free shipping offers, Ross-Simons can't be beat!