He soon decided that Dutch factories were unnecessarily expensive, and took his contracts (along with the moulds?) to Belgium
The glasses were manufactured exclusively for him over many years at the Verrerie de Braine-Le-Comte ('s-Gravenbrakel), south of Brussels, and labelled with the distinctive RIMAC-shield label at the factory. For many years the factory used the RIMAC contract to fill gaps in the regular production (such as its jobs for Val-St-Lambert), and small batches of irregular colour would usually be made while waiting for the next job to begin.
By the mid-sixties RIMAC was wholesaling at least 100 thousand units per year in The Netherlands. Bulb-wholesalers sometimes included the vases alongside their bulbs for export.
 Rimac's Belle |
Rimac vases came in bright colours and swinging sixties shapes that sold well. The Rimac vases were mouth-blown into iron moulds, and the shape and height is therefore slightly variable. Dutch collectors have identified at least 16 distinct colours, and more than 10 Rimac-labelled designs including a few which do not seem suitable for bulbs. |
Rimac models Fancy (160mm), Lotus (125mm) and Jolly (90mm)
With the glass market in depression in 1970, Machielsen's attention was on other lines. He sold off his remaining stocks of glass in the late 60's and the RIMAC vases passed into the 'antique' traders hands. The list of designs here is based on price-lists dated 1967 and 1969. The simplicity of the designs often encourages the belief that they are older than they actually are. The last of the exclusive models was still being sold in the early 1970's.
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Curent prices see the standard colours of the preferred designs changing hands at about 10-18 euros, and the less-desirable shapes costing 5-10 euros each. Rare colours such as ruby red bring a premium of up to 100%. |
The Jolly crocus vase (90mm) made in a wide range of shades
The Rimac pricelist for 1969 (page 1, page2, page 3) and a sheet from 1973 (page 4) are shown here for collectors to see.
Lotus, Fancy, and Belle were exclusive designs. In addition to these, Rimac offered Primo (a standard 'tall glass' with 16 optics and a castellated rim), Olivia (with a dented neck), Super (a pot-bellied vase similar to Rozendaal's 'Norma', and Jolly (a crocus vase of 90mm shown above).
It is also known that the 185mm hyacinth glasses with 16 vertical optics, sold as 'Primo' under the RIMAC label, were produced at Leerdam (and elsewhere?) for some years (which helps to explain why the RIMAC product is so similar to the Leerdam version). The pot-bellied shape of Rimac's 'Super' (150mm), was almost identical to the design known as 'Norma' by Maastricht (165mm).
Rimac probably bought occassionally from other factories on a casual basis, and often added their retailer's label.
Several of the models were produced for a while at Sussmuth in Germany.
Mr. Machielsen was always looking for an opportunity to find new markets and over the years he also dealt in earthenware, imported kitchenalia and pet products, and RIMAC labels have consequently been found on a very diverse range of objects. Some vases have not been traced back to the surviving catalogues and pricelists and so the names remain unknown.
Copier's design stands between two Rimac vases to reveal a slightly different profile. This (later) model was made for Rimac at the Sussmuth factory, but is not named in surviving Rimac catalogues. It has been given the nickname 'Suzie'.
