I belong to two bottle clubs in the Los Angeles area, the Los Angeles Historical Bottle Club, and the South Bay Historical Bottle Club. While the South Bay Club is only 5 years old, the Los Angeles Club is celebrating its 50th Anniversary during 2016. The year was 1966, a few wannabe bottle collectors got together, found a location to meet, and the Los Angeles Historical Bottle Club was officially born, becoming the Fifth Charter Member of the Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors (FOHBC). The club’s mission statement was simple, “To socially unite the bottle and fruit jar collectors of Los Angeles County and to promote, foster and encourage all legal activities toward the betterment of bottle collecting. We encourage the exchanging of information and the exhibiting, promoting and researching of bottles and related collectibles. The club is still going strong with 50 members, celebrating 50 years of carrying out their mission, while having a fun time with the hobby of Antique Bottle Collecting.
My thought for this blog was to do a little bragging about our club and all of its many accomplishments during its 50 years. Then, the light turned on. 50 years? Wow! That’s a long time to stay together, for anyone, and I began to wonder about how many other clubs are celebrating anniversaries. It’s interesting to note while the Los Angles Club started in 1966, there were numerous other clubs that had formed between 1965 -1968 across the US, Canada, and Europe, during a peak wave and frenzy of interests in bottle collecting and glass in general. This accounts for the large number of bottles clubs that have celebrated their 50+ Anniversaries in 2015 and 2016, with many getting ready for celebrations in 2017. Just to mention a few; Antique Bottle Collectors of Colorado (51st), Northwestern Bottle Collectors Assoc.(50th), New England Antique Bottle Club (50th), Golden Gate Historical Bottle Society (50th), Chico Bottle Club (50th), San Diego Historical Bottle Club (51st), and Las Vegas Antique Bottles & Collectible Club (51st). But following close behind, and too many to mentions, are numerous clubs with 45+years of having bottle collecting fun following close behind.
To help celebrate their 50th Anniversary, the Los Angeles Historical Bottle Club is extending a warm and welcomed invitation to all Bottle, Insulator, and Glass Collectors to attend and join in the celebration during their 50th Anniversary Antique Bottle Show and Sale on Saturday, September 17th, 2016 at the Santa Ana Elks Lodge, 212 Elk Lane, Santa Ana, CA 92701, centrally located near both Los Angeles and Orange Country Freeways. The show hours for Saturday start with a special 8:00am Early Bird Admission of $10, 9:00am – 3:00pm with Free Admission, and plenty of Free Parking. The Los Angeles Historic Bottle Club would like as many collectors as possible taking part in their 50th Anniversary celebration. For additional show information, contact Don Wippert at 818-346-9833 or Dick Homme at 818-362-3368.
I think that the spark that feeds the fire for the Hobby of Bottle Collecting, and the life’s blood of the hobby, are all Bottle Clubs, both domestic and international. Let’s make sure we always support these clubs through their shows and sales and all activities. Have a great time this summer finding bottles and other treasures. And don’t miss the “National Antique Bottle Convention and Expo” in Sacramento, California 8/4- 8/7. “Have Fun with the Hobby of Bottle Collecting” – Mike
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