Some vintage collectibles have odd names. For example, Carnival Glass. Perhaps you have seen a piece before, and either admired it or disliked it, but either way you were still left wondering how it the piece received such an unusual name.
In the early 20th century, this sort of iridescent glass was given away at carnivals. Instead of taking home a stuffed animal, a contestant could win a piece of glass to take back as a prize. Not everyone liked carnival glass though. To the uppity folks in the neighborhood, carnivals were for riff-raff and these prizes were rejected as being beneath them.
Fortunately, there were many people who valued this type of glass enough to save a few pieces so collectors can enjoy them today. In fact, most carnival glass pieces were purely decorative so they tended to sit on shelves undisturbed rather than being subjected to daily use.