Carnival glass bowls form part of the large carnival glass collectible items. These are produced by pressing the glass and coating it with an iridescent coating which gives it shiny look. This process is known as doping, hence this glass is also sometimes referred to as dope glass. This process was first adopted in the early 1900s and it lasted only till the mid to late thirties, and today is extinct.

The first, and largest, widely recognized producer of carnival glass was by the company Fenton. Fenton first began as a company that decorated blank glass produced by other companies, and then started creating carnival glass in 1907. When they started production, Fenton glassware was marketed as "Iridill" or more simply, iridescent ware. It quickly became a hit and many other companies began making and marketing their own carnival glass bowls.

In the late twenties, demand for their products began to wane. This was due to the decrease in sales during the Depression, and also in part to the saturation of the market by glass companies. To get rid of stock, companies began selling their wares at deeply discounted prices to carnivals, which the carnivals then used as prizes for their games. Several companies went out of business during this period.

Carnival glass bowls experienced resurgence in popularity during the fifties. The term "carnival glass" was given to these items by the collectors after learning of their term as carnival prizes. Reproduction of carnival glass bowls were started by many companies. To this day carnival glass, particularly antique Fenton glass, is a prized collectable

Presently, carnival glass can be found in auctions, antique shops, and online for various prices. Fenton antique glass fetches high prices, as well as other well-known carnival glass. Some of the more common colors are marigold, as well as dark hues like blue and green. The most prized and pricey kinds of carnival glass bowls are red or pastel colored. One rare ice-blue plate even sold for $16,327.55 on a popular auction website!

There are many resources available for a would- be collector. Many books and websites are available containing information on antiques, their shapes, colors and where they came from. A great way to learn more about antique collecting is through joining organizations of would-be enthusiast.

Carnival glass bowls are a highly collectible type of glass. They were produced by covering glass with an iridescent, shiny coating. The largest producer of carnival glass was Fenton. Fenton glassware quickly became popular, and other companies started producing carnival glass as well. Due to market saturation and the Great Depression, demand for carnival glass declined sharply in the late 1920s. Today, antique Fenton glass in particular is sought after by collectors, with red and pastel colored pieces considered the most valuable. Many resources are available for those new to collecting, such as websites and books with information on the various types of carnival glass.