BATH — Bath Antiques Show and Sale continues its 23rd season on Sunday, Dec. 9, with more than 50 dealers and an expert on Victorian Glass.

Virgil Fowles was born and raised in Belfast. He took an early interest in antiques. His parents and grandparents used to take him and his brother off to local auctions on weekends. So began a lifelong passion for collecting.

Fowles said in a news release, “We all were assigned an item and had to do research to try to find out what it was, when it was made, and what it was used for… it was a true learning experience. So my ‘forte’ has always been research. A lot of glass dealers/collectors got their start in bottle digging in the ’50s and ’60s, thus my interest in glass. Starting with just plain goblets, I worked my way up the ladder to specialize in glass manufactured in the New England area, specifically Boston & Sandwich Co., Portland Glass Co., New England Glass Co., Mt. Washington (Pairpoint) Glass Co. and since the Boston ‘big dig’ several Boston glass houses that were uncovered during the dig.”

Fowles has never kept a shop. He just does antique shows, mostly on Cape Cod. He is a former president of the Maine Antique Dealers Association, a member of the Sandwich Glass Museum, the Cape Cod Glass Club and the National Early American Glass Club.

He will be available at the Bath show’s Head Table to answer questions about glass, do appraisals and just talk about collecting glass.

The show will be open from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Bath Middle School on Old Brunswick Road. It is easily accessible from the Congress Avenue exit of Route 1. Posted signs will direct drivers the short distance to the school.

Admission is $4.

For more information, call Paul Fuller at 582-5908 or visit www.BathAntiquesShows.co m.