Fun Happenings with Bottle Collecting

It’s been awhile since I’ve updated the Bottle-Bible Web Site along with my Blog, so I thought I better get myself in gear on what’s been happening with Bottle Collecting. There’s been a bunch of great stuff, so let’s get going.
As everyone knows by now, I’m always reminding the collectors that one of the best ways to support the hobby of bottle collecting is to support not only your bottle club, bottle shows, but as many other club and bottle related events as possible. Keeping that in mind, I want to give a big shout-out to the National Bottle Museum located in Ballston Spa, NY and their yearly request for support. I first connected with the museum in 1999 when I attended the Saratoga Bottle Show and participated in a book signing for the 2nd Edition of “Bottles: Identification and Price Guide” and again in 2008 for the 5th Edition book signing. At that time, Jan Rutland was the Museum Director, and now Gary Moeller has assumed the responsibility as Director, and doing a great job.
Over 1,000 visitors have signed the guestbook for the first eight months of 2017 representing 29 states as well as other countries such as Canada, Hong Kong, Turkey, Germany, Great Britain, Spain, Australia, Philippines, Dubai, and China. The museum continues to grow with over 3,000 bottles, a library containing over 1000 books and publications, and numerous educational Bottle Displays and Exhibits. The museum is a must see for all collectors, and your donations will help with its continued mission of providing a valuable resource of education and research for all Bottle and Glass collectors. If interested, contact with Gary Moeller, Director, or Ellie Dillon, President, at 518-885-7589, or www.nationalbottlemuseum.org.
Have you ever dreamed about finding a room with nearly 100 bottles and demijohns containing Madeira wine dating back as early as 1769? I’ve dreamed about it, but I’m still waiting for it to happen. Recently, museum workers and historians have been renovating the Liberty Hall Museum, originally the home to New Jersey’s first elected governor and signer of the Constitution, William Livingston, at Kean University in Union, New Jersey. During the renovation, they found a Prohibition-era wall with a locked wooden cage containing 50 Bottles and 42 Demijohns of a rare Madeira wine dating back as early as1769. The six-month renovation also led to major discoveries of additional wine bottles in the attic. Keep the faith collectors, there has to be other rooms left to discover.
And, there’s been plenty of hot action with numerous bottle auctions. As part of the Reno Bottle Club’s 53rd Annual Show on June 16th – 17th, Fred Holabird’s Western Americana Collections held a two-session auction of 400 lots of limited scarce and rare bottles, headlined by the Ralph Van Brocklin collection of Western Whiskey Flasks and the Rod Stock Hutchinson bottle collection. One of the highlights of the auction was an 1880’s “H.T. Tobin Western” Pumpkin Seed Flask, made for the Walla Walla Saloon when Washington was still a territory that sold for $4,840. Van Brocklin said, “I consider this to be one of the top five Western pumpkinseed flask.”
Not to be outdone, Glass Works Auctions conducted their “Colors of Fall” auction September 18th – 25th with 312 lots including Mineral Water, Soda and Beer, Medicines, Bitters, Historical Flask, Whiskies, and much more. Some of the highlights of the auction were a very rare “Crystal Spring Water/C.R.Brown/Saratoga Springs/N.Y.” Emerald Green Quart, 1865-1875, for $8,000; an extremely rare “G.A.P. Mason-Alpine/Hair Balm-Providence, R.I.” Olive Green, 1850-1860, for $7,500; and a very rare “General Washington/ Bust of Washington-Eagle/J.R./Laird.SC.Pitt” Clear Glass with Amethyst Tint, Pint, 1830-1860, for $10,000.
Like I said, there’s a lot of good stuff going on with the Hobby of Bottle Collecting, and let’s make sure we all keep making it happen. “Have Fun with the Hobby of Bottle Collecting. Mike

2017 Reno Antique Bottle Club Show & Sale 6/16 – 6/17/2015
Holabird Western Americana Collections Live Bottle Auction

REMINDER:

I wanted to send out a reminder that the Reno Bottle Club Show & Sale will be held on June 16th & 17th 2017 at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center on 4590 South Virginia Street. It is a return to their old haunts after a number of years of having the club shows around town in various venues. Along with the show, Fred Holabird of Holabird Western Americana Collections will be holding a fantastic live auction with 1400 Lots of Western Bottles, Gaming & Mining Collectibles, Native American Items, Western Art, Tokens, and much more on Friday 6/16 at 6:00pm & Saturday 6/17 at 4:00pm at Western American Collections, 3555 Airway Drive, Suite 309, Reno, Nevada 89511. (PH –775-851-1859 / Website – www.fhwac.com)

The Reno-Sparks Antique Bottle Club has been going strong for 55 years and is one of the oldest clubs in America. “The hobby remains strong and vibrant. People are still fascinated with this art form” said club president Marty Hall of Reno. “Over the years we’ve had shows with hundreds of dealers. This year we hope to pull in dealers and collectors alike from all over the Western United States. There will be historical and topical displays of antique bottles, as well as vendors from all over the West.” Hall invites all interested collectors who may wish to display, sell or acquire special pieces for their collections. For more information, please call Marty Hall (775-355-9467) or reach him thru email, rosemuley@att.net.

This is always a great bottle show, and this year there will be a great auction to complement the show. Let’s not miss it. “Have Fun with the Hobby of Bottle Collecting”. Mike

Hi to my fellow bottle collectors wherever you may be, or whatever hole or dump you’re digging in. I hope you’re finding some good stuff, or at least having a good time trying. This is a message that Fred Holabird recently sent out regarding the upcoming Reno Antique Bottle Show on June 16th and 17th at the Reno Convention Center. The reason that I’m posting it is that I wanted to share the good thoughts and words on the hobby of bottle collecting, and the impact it still is having on the entire hobby of Bottle Collecting. Remember, “Keep Having Fun with the Hobby of Bottle Collecting. Mike

“The world of antique bottle collecting has taken a full turn from collecting pretty old purple and blue bottles in the desert to investment quality pieces envious of any art museum. With key rarities often trading in the tens of thousands of dollars, a new breed of collector has developed. “We are seeing many more new collectors who are collecting for the beauty of the product. The investment angle has also taken a toll, with some collectors heading straight for the rarities,” said national auction house seller Fred Holabird of Holabird’s Western Americana Collections based in Reno. “The spectacular shapes and colors rival anything else I can imagine” says Ferdinand Meyer V, a major collector of colored bottles and president of the Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors, a national collecting organization formed for historical education about antique bottles.

Other collectors love the history. And what’s not to love – the aura of collecting bottles from Wyatt Earp’s saloon. “Antique Bottle Bible” author Mike Polak (Krause Publications) maintains the bottles found behind Earp’s old Northern Saloon in Tonopah have added value, and if nothing else “bring home incredible history to the bottle field itself.” Holabird’s new book “Ghost Towns and Medicines” highlights the Nevada collecting genre, with stories rich in history and local lore. Holabird has planned an auction of one of the top collections of western whiskey flasks and Hutchinson soda bottles from all over America on Friday night of the show.

The Reno Bottle Show this year will be June 16-17 at the Reno Convention Center on South Virginia. It is a return to their old haunts after a number of years of having shows around town in various venues. The Reno-Sparks Antique Bottle Club has been going for 55 years strong, one of the oldest clubs in America. “The hobby remains strong and vibrant. People are still fascinated with this art form” said club president Marty Hall of Reno. “Over the years we’ve had shows with hundreds of dealers. This year we hope to pull in dealers and collectors alike from all over the Western United States. There will be historical and topical displays of antique bottles, as well as vendors from all over the West.” Hall invites all interested collectors who may wish to display, sell or acquire special pieces for their collections. For more information, please call Marty Hall (775-355-9467) or reach him thru email, rosemuley@att.net.

The Loss of a Great Friend and a Great Mentor
Bob Ferraro

The Bottle Collecting World lost a true giant of the hobby when Bob Ferraro passed away at 81 on Saturday April 29th following a lengthy illness. Since his passing, there have been numerous condolences and messages to his family, especially to his wife Connie, and there most likely will be many more over the next few weeks. I know that all of these messages recall his many contributions and devotion to the community of Boulder City, Nevada, the Hobby of Bottle Collecting, his passion for the State of Nevada, and his positive influence and kindness to everyone he met. He always had a great smile, never refused to help or answer a question, was a tremendous inspiration to everyone he met, and a true Gentleman.

I began my love of bottle collecting in 1974 with a trip to Tonopah, Nevada for the first of many adventures of digging in the early 1900’s dump. A year or two later, I met Bob at a bottle show while we were both looking at bottles on a sales table. I paid attention to the type of questions he was asking the seller about some of the bottles, and realized he knew much more than I did. That never changed. No matter how much I’ve learned over the years, Bob still knew more I did, or ever would. I introduced myself, told him about my trip to Tonopah, and asked how I could learn more about bottles. He took it from there and never stopped teaching and helping. He not only became a mentor and supporter, but also a great friend.

This information has been printed elsewhere, but I wanted to highlight some of Bob’s many accomplishments. He was appointed to the Boulder City Council in 1976 and served 31 years, including six separate terms as the Mayor, spend 19 years on the Clark County District Board of Health, Chairman of the Southern Strategic Planning Authority, and served on the board of numerous organizations in Southern Nevada, including the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. In addition, Bob was an active supporter of the Boulder City Hospital and served on its board for 12 years. As if this wasn’t enough, he worked for Pacific Engineering and Production Co. in Henderson, Nevada for 31 years.

But, his passion was bottle collecting. Bob got the collecting bug in the mid-1950’s, and accumulated an outstanding and superior collection of Figural Bitters, Western and Eastern Whiskeys, one of the best mint pristine Nevada Collections ever seen, and a vast amount of other Nevada collectibles and documents. He wrote his first book, The Past in Glass (1963) and A Bottle Collector’s Book (1964). He was the President of the Southern Nevada Antique Bottle Collector’s Club from 1971-1973, Chairman of the FOHBC’s Western Region from 1971-1973, President of the Federation of Historic Bottle Collectors (FOHBC) from 1977-1978, and was inducted into the FOHBC Hall of Fame in 2002. He continued to serve the Federation as First-Vice President from 2008-2014, and Director at Large in 2015.

While we won’t have Bob around anymore to enjoy that smile and his willingness to help and teach, he will always be with us in spirit because of the great legacy he left for everyone. Bob, you were truly a Great Friend and A Great Mentor.

            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 50^th 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 (51^st), Northwestern Bottle Collectors Assoc.(50^th), New England Antique Bottle Club (50^th), Golden Gate Historical Bottle Society (50^th), Chico Bottle Club (50^th), San Diego Historical Bottle Club (51^st), and Las Vegas Antique Bottles & Collectible Club (51^st).  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 50^th 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 50^th Anniversary Antique Bottle Show and Sale on Saturday, September 17^th, 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 50^th 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