Buy off the shelves in Mexico City. The Bazar Sabado (Saturday Bazaar) at the Plaza San Jacinto is home to boutiques that sell high-quality glasses, dishes and figurines made by Mexican artisans. Prices are often higher than when purchased directly from local merchants.
Visit Tonala and Tlaquepaque outside of Guadalajara for a large variety of blown glass items. Check with the tourist center or city office for information on the area's glass factories. It's possible to have your own designs made, but as these factories cater to large industry, it may take some savvy negotiating to get your small order put through.
Visit the intersection of Insurgentes and Basilio Badillo in Puerto Vallarta, where you'll find a tiny but reputable factory that has catered to local industry and countless tourists for a number of years. You may buy off the shelves or have your own creations made during your stay. Many people just come to watch the artists spin hot globs into works of art.
Bring an interpreter, if necessary, on your first visit to a factory to ensure that details like design, price and pickup date are clear. Provide neat, detailed drawings instead of relying on flimsy descriptions that sort of describe what you want made. Mexico uses the metric system, so all dimensions for custom designs should be given in millimeters and centimeters.
Understand that prices may vary depending on the glass's color or the item's shape. Red glass is typically more expensive than blue or green glass. Fancy or intricate goblet stems, vase rims or pitcher handles may run your bill higher than a more basic design or one that's familiar to the artists.
Leave room in your bags to hand carry your purchases home. The small fee incurred for the extra weight of a large glass purchase is cheaper than the astronomical cost of having a package shipped out of Mexico.
