When most people hear the phrase “functional glass art” they scratch their head in confusion. When they hear the word “bong”, they think of $30 generic beakers sold at seedy headshops. Little do they know that there’s a whole culture based around extremely intricate and functional pieces of glass art, forged by well-known artists with hundreds of thousands of followers and sold for thousands to tens of thousands of dollars. Glass art has been elevated to the spotlight by celebrities such as Action Bronson and Dan Bilzerian and even the storied luxury department store Barney’s is adding a high-end headshop to its Beverly Hills location. Entrepreneurs like Riley McDonnell believe that we’re just now scratching the surface of a potentially multi-billion dollar industry.
Riley started GlassPass, which he describes as “an online community and sales platform for functional glass art”, over the summer after his freshman year at USC. “I didn’t start GlassPass for the money,” he says, ” I started it out of my passion for glass art. We want to foster a community where everyone can transact and discuss freely.” Recruiting a couple of friends, the GlassPass team developed a full web application for glass resale from scratch, akin to Grailed which provides the same tailored service but for high-end streetwear (a market with a similarly dedicated and niche community).
Riley simultaneously became well-known in the glass community through creative and scenic videos showcasing glass art, building a dedicated Instagram following and making GlassPass’s Instagram page into the go-to place for resale. At its peak, the website hosted several hundred listings and averaged 5-10 transactions weekly, with an average transaction price of $500. While the web app is currently disabled pending a community driven redesign and mobile app, GlassPass regularly receives 75+ daily story mentions from sellers looking to promote their posts through Instagram. Even without the full service, these followers donate hundreds of dollars a month, showing their gratitude.
“The secret sauce is being customer focused. Since we’re a platform, it wouldn’t exist without the artists and buyers that support us. They trust in our brand, check our page consistently and are constantly spreading the word and showing love. Having good relationships with the customer is key.”
In the spirit of community, Riley recently attended Glass Vegas, an industry trade show, in order to speak to potential users and high-profile glassblowers in person. Taking away many lessons and a renewed passion for the business, GlassPass is now focusing on next steps, beginning a friends and family fundraising round, considering crowdfunding from the community and looking to hire more developers and marketing professionals. While the company currently operates in the “tobacco ancillary” space, the sky's the limit for GlassPass as regulations change. New partnerships with marijuana companies are an inevitability as the potential end of federal prohibition approaches, and as the cannabis community expands, so too will the market for functional glass art. While it may still be early, look for GlassPass to be making substantial waves in the near future.
Starting July 9, 2023, USPS introduced a new service, USPS Ground Advantage™. This service is cost-effective for sending larger packages within the U.S. Here's what you should know:
We're excited to see how this new service pans out. Happy selling!
]]>Buyers feel safer when purchasing from sellers with active profiles. It's important to make your profile stand out and immediately appear legitimate to any potential buyers. This guide will go over a few of the best ways to do this.
We hope this helps get you started on GlassPass, we're so excited to have you here :)
]]>The Sovereignty Glass 8-arm is a near perfect model of the classic 8-arm tree perc. There are many other companies that use the 8-arm (or any other number of arms) perc, but very few are able to match the quality of seals, airflow, proportions, and symmetry of Sovereignty’s 8-arms. Not to mention the quality of the bottom perc, which really is the most important part of the piece.
The 8-arm is slang for a bong that usually has 2 or more chambers: the bottom chamber connected to the joint, and the top chamber(s) which contain the 8-arm perc. The 8-arm perc is similar in style to a tree perc, but has individual tubing to disperse the water when it’s carried from the bottom chamber to the top. A single arm is basically a tall and narrow tube with slits or grids at the bottom, which create the bubbles. These arms are arranged in a cylinder shape around a tube in the center, which pulls the water up into the arms, and out through the slits/grids at the bottom of each arm. The number of arms in the cylinder determines the name of the perc, hence 8-arm. Sovereignty also makes a larger 12-arm.
Over the years, the team at Sovereignty has narrowed down the 8-arm combos into a few main categories of variations: 1) neck size, 2) bore/tubing size, 3) color, and 4) the bottom perc(s). There are also other options like reduction bands, sandblasting, cold work, flared lips/joints, etc., but for the sake of simplicity we’re going to stick with those 4 main categories. The bottom perc is arguably the most important factor when making a decision on which 8-arm to buy, but we’ll save that breakdown for last since it’s pretty complex.
There are 3 different neck sizes commonly found on Sov 8-arms: 38mm, 44mm, and 50mm. 38s and 44s are common, while 50s are a bit rarer. The neck size primarily affects 1) how your lips fit around the mouthpiece, and 2) the airflow. Like most things in glass, it's really up to personal preference, but some have strong opinions on 38 vs 44 necks: a poll on my IG story resulted in an 80:20 split for 44s vs 38s.
38mm |
44mm |
50mm |
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I'd recommend choosing your neck size based on how big you want your rips to be. If you're looking for a daily ripper, I'd go with a 38. If you're looking for something to take big rips with, go for the 44 or 50 (if you can find one). However, keep in mind 80% of heavy smokers chose the 44 over the 38.
The bore size is also known as the tubing size, and is very important when choosing an 8arm. This refers to the width of the bottom 2 chambers, which contain the bottom perc and the 8arm. There are 1) Double and 2) Triple bores: the difference in function between each is massive.
A double bore means the bottom chamber is the same width as the 8arm chamber, resulting in 2 different tube sizes when considering the neck. A triple bore means the bottom chamber is skinnier than the 8arm chamber, resulting in 3 different tube sizes.
Double |
Triple |
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I prefer triple bores. Double bores have a lot of airflow and are made less often, making them harder to find. I personally think the triple bore has the perfect proportions for airflow; the Double bore has almost too much volume, sometimes resulting in more stale/hot smoke. However, that's just my opinion!
Minor
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Partial | Full |
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The bottom percs from Sovereignty Glass need a full article on themselves, which will come soon. The best way to know what you like is to try it. Overall, most horizontal percs are smoother, fixed & natural percs are usually more choppy and chug harder. My personal favorites are the g-line and fixed 4.
Horizontal
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Fixed | Natural |
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Note: Fixed grid percs may have a reduction band added.
Overall, this subject is vast and very opinion-based. Any combination will get some lovers and some haters, so you really have to go with what fits you. There are rarer combinations than others: the g-line 8 arm is rarer than a stem-8, etc. Sovereignty has done a great job of including a wide variety of combos in 2022 and 2023. In the future, I'll update this article with more details, prices, and pictures! Thanks for reading :)
Find Sovereignty Glass 8 arms on GlassPass!
When buying a pillar, there are a ton of different options and variations available on resale apps like GlassPass, since it's pretty difficult to find a new piece at a drop now.
Sovereignty has mastered the Pillar design and has been able to create multiple different sizes and shapes of the same piece with slightly varying function. Hollowfoot, straightfoot, natty neck, straight neck, peyote, 4arm, pint, full-size, or mini? There's too many to choose from, and it's hard to try them all, so I'll help break it down for you based on my opinions and experience. Please feel free to comment your thoughts below!
First, let's start by going over what the Pillar is and why it's so unique.
The "Pillar" is the term used to describe the percolator/model created by Sovereignty Glass. A pillar consists of anywhere from 4 to 8 arms in the center chamber, with a peyote ball perc, or a 4arm perc in the bottom, and a chamber at the top which leads to the mouthpiece.
The function and innovation of the pillar is pretty mind boggling. The first pillar was created circa 2008 by Stephen C, Steve, the owner of Sovereignty Glass. The pillar's design is extremely unique, as it's basically a recycler built into a flower tube.
The smoke is drawn through the joint into the center chamber, through the tall vertical slits between the tall pillar arms. The smoke then travels down through the center of the center chamber, and out through the perc in the bottom, where bubbles first form. Those bubbles are then carried back UP through the pillar tubes, never touching the center chamber again. The bubbles and smoke are carried up through the tubes, into the top chamber where the bubbles pop and release the smoke into the mouthpiece section, where the splashguard blocks any extra water.
A true masterpiece of functional glass art. Let's get into the details of the different variations available for this tube:
This is usually the most common question when it comes to buying a pillar, but it ultimately comes down to ease of use, in my opinion. The difference in function isn't very significant, but maintaining and cleaning it is. Let's start with the hollow-foot breakdown.
Hollow-foot Pros |
Hollow-foot Cons |
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The hollow-foot is for those that want the pure pillar experience and don't mind the increased difficulty while cleaning. The straight foot is a little more user-friendly and allows for bigger rips.
Straight-foot Pros |
Straight-foot Cons |
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The straight foot, in my opinion, is the better option for those who want to have a pillar and don't want to spend a lot of time maintaining it. The rip isn't much different, but requires much less lung power for those who don't smoke as often. Either way, you can't go wrong – I'd recommend trying before buying, if possible!
This is usually the next question when buying a pillar, and largely depends on how you want to experience the rip. Natty necks are short for "natural neck", since the shape acts as a natural splashguard. They require you to "kiss" the mouthpiece, while straight necks are much more similar to a regular bong with an inv4 perc splashguard. Either way, you don't have to worry about getting water splashed in your mouth, unless you overfill it. Let's break it down with natty necks first.
Natty neck Pros |
Natty neck Cons |
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The differences between a natty neck and straight neck are mainly based on personal preference. The most important questions to keep in mind are: 1) Do you like a smaller mouthpiece or a wider one? 2) Do you prefer the look of the natty neck or the straight neck? The function isn't much different.
Straight neck Pros |
Straight neck Cons |
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Overall you can't go wrong with either one, and you should try before you buy if possible! Remember the 2 questions above to keep in mind when deciding.
The perc at the bottom of the pillars makes a big difference. Generally, peyote percs are more smooth and 4arms percs are a little more chuggy. Personally, I think the 4arm works best in a hollow-foot since it has more room to breathe.
Peyote Perc |
4arm Perc |
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The important question to keep in mind when deciding between these 2 percs is: Do you prefer a smoother pull or a choppier, chuggy pull? The Peyote is more consistent, with constant bubbles. The 4arm is a little more random and sporadic with its bubbles, leading to a choppier pull.
The sizes of each pillar are the most impactful decision when buying, because each one has a vastly different pull. See the chart below for more details:
Full-size |
Pint |
Mini |
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The Full-size pillar is a heavy pull that delivers a huge rip. The Pint-size is much easier to draw on, and is personally preferred over the full size. The Pint is a little harsher for big rips, but has more flavor. The Mini is basically a rig, primarily used for concentrates. It fits in the palm of your hand, and is super responsive to pull on. I love using my mini straight-foot for flower, even though it hurts, because the choppiness of the pull is so satisfying and the flavor is crazy. The hollow-foot mini pillars are a little more dull of a rip than the straight-foots.
There are some pillar prototypes floating around that have unique variations, but overall the pillar has remained the same over the years. The main things that have changed are 1) the shaping of the hollow-foot bases, 2) the number of grids in peyote percs, 3) the shaping of the natty neck, and 4) the colors of the bridges. All of these changes have been very minimal though.
Below are some pictures of different pillars over the years. (Yet to be added)
In the early days, Steve made all of the pillars. Some of them have retti bridges, which is an easy way to tell. There's only 1 other person who is able to make pillars at Sovereignty, so chances are if you own a pillar that looks different than what's coming out these days, you have a pillar made by Steve. However, there are hundreds of those pillars out there, so the fact Steve made them doesn't really affect the price much. Just know that the older ones are usually the better functioning ones!
At the end of the day, a pillar is a pillar. It really depends what you prefer in a rip. I love pillars, and they have great pricing on the resale market. It's hard to say which is my favorite, because it all really comes down to personal preference. I think everyone needs at least one form of a pillar in their collection. I've owned almost all of the variations, except for hollow-foot pint pillars. Those are probably super fire. But, I've only kept my straight-foot, straight-neck full-size, my straight-foot natty-neck pint, and my 2 mini pillars: one is hollow-foot, the other is straight. I like the straight foot better for function.
I hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts on Sovereignty Pillars, and I hope I helped provide a little more insight when you're looking to purchase your first pillar. Reach out to me at riley@glasspass.co or on IG @bakolivesagain and I'm happy to help more :)
]]>Lighting
When setting up your piece, there are a few things to remember to achieve the best lighting:
Camera Settings
Your camera settings are a critical part of taking the best picture:
Background
A good background completes your shot.
Editing
To tie everything together, do some quick editing on your image after. This can be done in your Photos app on your iPhone.
Now that you’ve learned a few important things to keep in mind when photographing your piece, we’re excited to see your pictures on the app! Play around with a few pieces to get some practice – glass is a beautiful medium to photograph and it makes a huge difference when done properly. As always, don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions at support@glasspass.co.
]]>Bloom affects all glass; from your favorite rig getting wear and tear through use, to faded windows getting hit by the sun. Luckily, there are some easy ways to prevent this, but first we have to understand: what is bloom?
“Bloom” (also known as weatherization) is the formation of Carbonate Crystals. Most of the time these crystals are made up of Sodium Carbonate (Na2C03) or Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3). Both of these form Bloom. Although it seems to go away when the tube is filled with water, don’t be tricked! It will show again once it dries – unless something is done to prevent it!
The easiest way to prevent Bloom is to use distilled water as much as possible. When using your glass, use distilled water. When cleaning your glass, use distilled water. Always rinse with distilled water to get those leftover minerals out! Although Borosilicate glass naturally has a resistance to Calcium and Sodium Carbonates, it doesn’t mean that it’s invincible to it. You can also add Fluorine Gas to reduce the risk of bloom forming in your piece.
The environment your glass is kept in can also have a large impact on Bloom. Sometimes, it can show up randomly depending on how the glass was made. After you clean a piece and rinse with distilled water, fully dry it before you store it. When you put it away, make sure it’s in a place with stable temperature and humidity. This helps reduce the possibility of Bloom forming from leftover water.
To summarize, the easiest way to prevent Bloom in your glass is to:
There is no guaranteed way to avoid bloom, and sometimes it may never even show! But if you follow these steps and take good care of your glass, your piece will thank you!
Have any suggestions or additions to this article? Email riley@glasspass.co!
]]>written by Sam from StemClenz
Sam is the creator and owner of StemClenz, one of the most innovative cleaning products for slides, stems, and other smaller glass accessories. The team at GlassPass truly couldn't imagine life without one.
Alright Folks! I know these times have been unprecedented, and we obviously have all been spending a lot more time at home, and with little else to do you’ve most likely been smoking. As you read this, you may be peering over your shoulder at what once was a bong, but now resembles more of an overgrown swamp with its own ecosystem. You may be thinking to yourself, “meh almost needs to be cleaned”. Well, hopefully, this blog sheds some light on why you might want to consider cleaning your glass more often.
Staying Healthy
The primary reason to clean your glass is your health. We have all seen a buddy or maybe even ourselves, take a rip through a piece that has probably never been cleaned since the day it was purchased. You think to yourself, “that doesn’t really look that healthy”, but the thought passes.
Well, it turns out that a bong left sitting for just 24 hours can begin to rapidly develop a dirty biofilm. Microbial biofilms are “communities of microorganisms attached to a living or inert surface in aqueous environment and surrounded in a matrix of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS)” (Sciencedirect.com). The EPS’s in a bong are the organic materials that are subsequently pulled into the water after being smoked through. This organic material is the nutrients that feeds the microorganisms harbored in the biofilm; Which acts as a protective barrier.
These biofilms can have some dangerous bacteria such as: Streptococcus, Escherichia Coli (E.Coli), and Stachybotrys chartarum (Black Mold), according to LiveScience.com. Now you might be saying to yourself, “Well, okay, sounds bad but it’s not like I am drinking the water, right?”. Well yes, I would hope not, but the problem arises when you inhale through the piece and create percolation. This percolation allows the bacteria to enter the smoke and then is carried up with the smoke into your lungs. Long story short, smoking out of dirty glass can seriously negatively impact your health. So, keep your glass clean!
Preventing Stains
Now that your health is safe, onto something that haunts collectors’ dreams, stains. There are few things worse than a gorgeous piece of artwork that has a fat stain. I think stains are the most frustrating because there’s always that nagging feeling that you could have done something to prevent this! So here I will present a few tips that can help fend off those stubborn stains.
The REAL Cost
You probably spend a lot on your medicine, right? Wouldn’t you like to get the most out of your hard-earned money? For most, $300 is a few days of work – hours and hours – but how long does it take to clean a tube? And really, does anyone actually enjoy a dirty rip? I don’t think so, and with that being said, it’s time to bust out the coarse sea salt and 91%+ isopropyl alcohol and do a little cleaning before kicking back for a smoke!
Sources:
]]>When choosing the right size, we recommend having at least 2 inches from the top and bottom of the piece, and at least 2 inches from all sides of the base when in the box. So if your piece has a 6-inch wide base and is 18", you should get at least a 10-inch wide box that is at least 20" long.
For larger bongs (20"+), you want something that is 30"x15"x15" or in that range.
For medium size bongs (15-20"), you want a box that is 24"x12"x12".
For smaller size bongs, you can use a variety of box sizes as long as there are a few inches of extra space on all sides.
Cheap and huge selection but mostly for bulk orders. One consistent brand. Expect to get 20 boxes. They have great bubble wrap/peanut options.
Cheap and largest selection, but mostly bulk orders. Lots of random brands. Expect to get at least 20 boxes, but for less than $1 per box. Scroll down to look for other sizes.
Expensive, but strong and durable. Convenient if you need a box same day and you have a location near you. I typically go in-store and buy the Letter or File boxes. They have the best shape and are thick. They also have dishware boxes that are strong.
USPS flat rate boxes
Only really good for smaller things like rigs, bowls, ashcatchers, accessories, etc. They can't fit full-size bongs and are not very safe so make sure you package very well. Go to your local USPS Post Office to grab these boxes for free.
UPS and Home Depot also have boxes for sale but I find the above to be the best places.
I hoped this run down helped you find a perfect box to ship! If there's anything you think I should add, email me at riley@glasspass.co!
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Scamming has always been a problem on the internet, and it can be especially easy to get scammed when buying glass. When buying a piece of glass art, one of the biggest questions is, “Will my glass get to me safely, if at all?” But, you don't have to be a victim – this article will help you avoid scams on Instagram & other social apps by providing 5 key tips and tactics to keep yourself safe. Beyond just scamming, there have also been countless disputes over who has responsibility for the piece while in transit. In order to safely navigate social media for glass, you must maintain safe buying practices. The easiest way to protect yourself from scammers on social media is to use the secure glass marketplace app, GlassPass, available now!
Here are the best ways to avoid IG scammers:
Though seemingly obvious, this is one of the easiest ways to tell if the account reaching out to you is attempting to scam or not. Here are a few things to look for:
1) Low activity on profile
The biggest sign is if they haven’t been very active on their profile.. People can create unlimited new accounts, and can have completely different identities than who they really are. If a page has no posts and/or little interaction with other community members, they may be scamming.
2) Brand new profile
Some easy things to check are the profile picture, having multiple posts that date back at least 2+ months, and a group of followers that seems to correlate with their positioning in the community. If an account is new, a safe practice is to ask for pictures of the piece with a name and date to prove the account’s ownership of the piece. Also, using a safe payment service helps.
One of the most important things when buying glass online is to protect your money. Using GlassPass to mediate your transaction is one of the safest ways to protect yourself. GlassPass has escrow on all transactions, meaning the money you pay is held safely by GlassPass until the item has arrived as described. Once you verify it is safe, your payment is sent out to the seller.
The best way to make sure that a piece gets to you as safely as possible is to inform the seller of your shipping preferences, and ensure they pack the item safely. You can read our other blog post on best shipping practices here. Making sure that the seller is shipping as securely as possible and using the carrier you prefer will help make the process less stressful for both you and the seller.
Another simple way to put your mind to rest and feel confident about a purchase is to ask the seller for a “Ref Check”. This allows them to put you in contact with those that have done business with them in the past and vouch for their good service. This can also be done by reaching out to us at GlassPass and asking us to post a reference check for the seller in order to allow previous buyers to respond.
These are just a few tips that we follow when purchasing glass on social media. Though these steps don’t guarantee a safe transaction, we think that if you follow them closely the odds are in your favor. As always, if you need help buying or selling your glass, don’t hesitate to reach out to us on Instagram or our website and secure glass marketplace app!
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