Bottles, Advertising, and Color

I thought I’d better get to work since I haven’t written an update since July. Since the last blog, I’ve been too three bottle shows (Picked up some nice bottles of course), a wedding, took a vacation, and squeezed in two fishing trips. Now it’s time to catch upon on some bottle stuff.

As I’ve written before in my previous blogs, I’ve always thought there are three things that keep fueling the growth and interest in the hobby of bottle collecting; Bottle clubs and their members, Monthly bottle shows sponsored by the clubs, and Variety of items made available for the collectors at these shows. The three bottle shows that I recently attended are great examples, and tie into my “Bottles, Advertising, and Color” theme for this blog; The San Diego Bottle Club Show in June, The FOHBC Sacramento National Antique Bottle Convention & Expo in August, and the Los Angeles Historical Bottle Club Show in September.

The one thing in common at all three of these shows wasn’t necessarily the selection of bottles, or the array of advertising such as posters, artwork, advertising cards, beer trays, and labels and placards, but how all the colors of these items jumped out at me when displayed together. Every bottle collector has heard the term, “Color is King”, along with Condition, but it’s also the same way with advertising.. It’s almost like looking at the 20 outstanding displays that were featured at the FOHBC Expo in August (To quote Ferdinand Myers, President of the FOHBC, “You could rely on every person who visited the displays to say an extra “Wow” to all displays). As a note, I’ve been to many shows during my 45+ years of collecting, and the Sacramento EXPO set the bar high for all future FOHBC EXPO”s. It was absolutely amazing!

To further highlight the allure of antique advertising and color, below in italics are excerpts from an article written on August 6, 2016 for The Journal of Antique and Collectibles, “Antique Advertising at Auction: When Color Became King:, by Mike Eckles, Co-owner with wife Lori, of Showtime Auctions located in Woodhaven, MI. I’ve provided the following link if you would like to read the entire article. http://journalofantiques.com/2016/features/antique-advertising-auction-color-became-king/. For further information for Showtime Auctions, you can visit their website at www.showtimeauctions.com, or email at mike@showtimeauctions.com.

In the last ten years, antique advertising has become a very popular lot in auction arenas around the country. The category is made up mostly of posters and signs but also includes calendars, banners, chargers and trays. Printed advertising as we know it has been around for hundreds of years, starting with simple signs denoting the trade practiced at a particular shop, to lengthy advertisements in newspapers and printed magazines.    It is however, examples produced from 1880 to 1925, when color lithography began and quickly gained in popularity, that are considered the most sought after and desirable among advanced collectors. Some of the specialized printing during that period included ink containing gold in the red and silver in the blue, producing some of the most colorful and vibrant images for advertising. And from then forward came colorful graphics printed on almost every surface available.
During the key segment of advertising history in the late 18th and early 20th centuries, all a company needed to get their name on the walls of general stores, cigar stores, saloons, drug stores, soda fountains, hardware stores, etc. was to hire an artist to portray their product in a colorful image, create the poster, and get the store owner to hang it on their walls.
As early as 1975, the extraordinary beauty of these pieces caught the eye of people who wanted something aesthetically beautiful to grace the walls of their home and business. It wasn’t until 1989 when Peter Sidlow of Los Angeles, California sold his advertising collection at Noel Barrett’s auction house in New Hope, PA, that people started taking notice. Signs that were then selling for several hundred dollars sold for several thousand dollars at this auction.
The next significant auction that created a big stir was the George Cross collection offered in 2008 by Showtime Auction Services in Ann Arbor, Michigan. One example of a growing interest was realized by the sale of a Buffalo Brewing Tin Charger that had typically fetched $10,000 in the past but sold at this auction for $57,750.00 (including buyer’s premium). The amount of collectors seems to be doubling and tripling nearly every year. This increase in demand has kept the prices up and they are continuing to rise. The extraordinary color and graphics displayed in advertising signs creates a compelling esthetic value.
Much of the most beautiful examples of the artwork involved are for alcohol, tobacco and firearms. These companies were the most successful at that time. Therefore, it was easier for them to afford the best artists and the finest printers in the U.S. Some of the original paintings from these artists are fetching hundreds of thousands of dollars at auction houses today.    As you can imagine, subject matter plays an important part of the value of advertising signs. It is not a surprise that nude women rank at the top of list. These mostly appeared in signs advertising Whiskey or Tobacco and were found hanging on the walls of establishments catering to men such as saloons. Cowboys, cowgirls, Indians and pretty women are favorites for collectors living our West. Animals, children and everyday people doing everyday things are popular with collectors in the East.
The signs, posters and calendars put out by makers of farm implements, wagons and equipment were spectacular. Some of the best color is found on paper or tin advertising a steam engine or thrasher. Some other categories that are popular among collectors are drugs, soda, grocery, hardware, millinery, tools, cleansers, soap, shaving, furniture, seed, insurance, candy, stoves, railroad, cutlery, transportation, and clocks.

For anyone just now starting to get the collecting bug, I would suggest taking a serious look at the advertising category. Donna and Bruce Weir of Indiana are promoters of a wonderful Antique Advertising Show in Indianapolis twice a year with a large assortment of signs, trays, calendars, tins and much more. Visit their website at www.indyadshow.com for more information. The Antique Advertising Association of America, better known as Quad A, offers great information. For more about this organization, visit www.pastimes.org. They publish 4 newsletters a year and have a convention for the members each summer.

There’s probably a great Bottle Show, Antique Sale, Flea Market, or an Auction close to home that will also have great examples of Advertising, and probably a few bottles.      Keep Having Fun with the Hobby of Bottle Collecting……..Mike

Hi. American Bottle Auctions (ABA) completed their 61st Auction on April 27th 2015, and was an apparent success. Following the auction, Jeff Wichman, owner of ABA, wrote a detailed review of Auction No. 61 which included his thoughts on the current status of the Hobby Of Bottle Collecting. After reading the article, I thought it would be great for other collectors to read and enjoy. The following is only an excerpt of the article written by Jeff, but the entire article can be read on ABAs web-site at www.americanbottle.com. Enjoy. Mike Polak (Alias the Bottleking)

It’s April 27th and American Bottle Auction finished their 61st auction last night with a roar. It’s apparent that the computer age has now become a reality as only one person bid by phone. We also had a good number of collectors come in and take a look. That helps even the eastern folks who can’t see them but know someone out here who can. We’ve noticed a more educated and alert audience in the bottle market. Ten years ago we’d need to explain various facts or details about a bottle and now it seems everyone knows it already. They often know much more than we do. Condition has become an issue of great importance to some, not all collectors
The hobby is apparently very strong, on most of the bottles we had. We didn’t have any historical flasks in this sale so we can’t elaborate on that but the bitters market seems especially strong, condition and color a major hurdle in getting the top dollar.

The western sodas and mineral waters did well, the rare examples from Nevada were pretty solid, not what they’ve been in the past but the soda and mineral water category is like a roller coaster. Puce umbrella inks are hot and we had a good one that brought $2,400 (all prices before the 10% buyers fee). Who says western flasks are fading? Our Castle flask brought $6,000 and the Fleckenstein & Mayer $1,000, not bad at all. A Wunder Beer tray brought $2,800 but the small advertising pieces were a bit of a disappointment going under $300. Is advertising losing its luster? A beautiful London Jockey did $4,600 and the rarer cleaned variant $2,200. The cleaning had a pretty big impact but the pricier variant was an extremely rare color and in great condition.

Western whiskeys as well as examples from the east did well and our top lot the Taylor’s Virginia N. brought $10,500, nice in these days of wondering where the western fifth market is headed. Good examples are selling strong, maybe not what they did in their heyday but that’s understandable.

Pontiled medicines fared nicely, a large blue and beautiful Wynkoop’s Katharismic and ague and fever cure sold for $8,500 and $3,600 respectively. Other pontiled meds like the Covert’s Balm of Life ($2,200) and Hyatt’s Infallible ($2,200) showed us that prices may be down a bit but solid.

Bitters did predictably well. If all you ever collected was bitters for the last 30 years you’d need a crowbar to get the smirk off your face. Eastern/western, it really doesn’t matter, bitters bottles come in such a stupendous variety of colors and shapes that by all accounts it’s hard to believe they will ever slow down. Some bitters have slowed mostly because of condition or the fact that there are more available. The Wormser Bros. is a good example. When we put out a scarce or rarer and more desirable bottle such as the Kimball’s or Phoenix Bitters we see more interest $1,000 and $1,200 respectively and of course both of those are pontiled. There seems to be a 30% price on the pontil, it’s a big deal. No pontil and they do $800.   The barrels have been showing in swarms lately and although there are a lot of them out there, particular colors in particular variants are showing good returns. A Greeley’s R/H R101 in a very fresh and rare colored green with just a smidgen of a dink on the lip did $2,200. Without the dink? Probably a lot more, even though you can barely see it. Cabins are always hot and although a drop dead example in canary yellow 4-log Drake’s did $2,600 we thought it was underpriced. An amber/olive 6-log Drake’s brought the same. A lot of examples out there and color and condition are going to be the prevailing factors down the road. Color is by anyone’s guess the most important aspect of bottles and especially their bitters bottles next to condition. Bottle collectors love their bitters and there’s no sign of letting down.

We would be remiss in not mentioning the mostly Sandwich Glass Works items we were able to include from the collection of Bryan Grapentine. They included everything from an 1876 Centennial inkwell to fancy cut inkwells and some very rare and beautiful colognes and decanters.

From all accounts the bottle market is still filled with good natured laughter and effervescent moods, depending on condition. Veteran collectors as well as the eager and ready to learn new faces are in full force throughout the country. We see so many new and younger people getting interested in the bottle collecting hobby, is it a sign of things to come? There are so many websites and books new and old that collectors can spend their days and nights checking it out. The hobby is a “big deal,” now and with more core collectors than ever before. With bottles now it seems like we are closing in on the variants, rarity and established collections around the country. It brings a little pause to the hobby, but there will always be a new find or bottle for sale.
Jeff Wichmann

Winter is gone and bottle collectors are looking forward to some good bottle action for 2015. Kicking off 2015, there were 19 Bottle shows during the first 3 months from California to Florida, with dealers offering Fruit Jars, Insulators, Crocks and Stoneware, Bitters, and Whiskeys, with a variety of other bottles. I started the year by attending the Las Vegas Antique Bottles & Collectible Club’s show on February 14th-15th in Las Vegas, Nevada, then drove to the Arizona desert for the Phoenix Antiques Bottles & Collectibles Club’s show on February 27th -28th.

The Las Vegas Bottles and Collectibles Club began their shows in1965 so this year’s event marked their 50th Anniversary. It’s a fun show and always held the 2nd weekend in February. There’s usually a good selection of both bottles and antique collectibles, and a good crowd of collectors. The club’s 2016 show will be held on February 12th -13th.

The Phoenix Antiques Bottles & Collectibles Club show held on February 27th – 28th was the club’s 32nd annual show and as usual did a fantastic job. The crowds for both days were excellent with great deals on bottles and collectibles. Betty Hartnett, the Show Chairperson, said she was very pleased with the attendance. She’s looking forward to next year’s show, which will be February 26th & 27th, since there were a number of dealers on a wait list for this show

But, this is just the start. Throughout the rest of the year there are approximately 80-90 additional shows across the country, including Hawaii, England, and Australia, to satisfy collectors everywhere. To view a full listing of all of the show check out the FOHBC web site at www.fohbc.org. While all of the shows are important and exciting, there are two major shows in 2015 deserving special attention. 
                  
The first event is the 27th Annual Convention of the International Perfume Bottle Association (IPBA) being held in Spartanburg, South Carolina on April 30th to May 3rd at the Spartanburg Marriott. Among the many events are the “Collectors Flea Market”, Awards Dinner with Keynote Speaker Bernard Dennery, a “Perfume Bottle & Vintage Vanity Show”, and a Perfume Bottle Auction being held on Saturday by Ken Leach. For further show information, contact Deborah Washington at brasslady@comcast.net, or additional auction information, contact Ken Leach at ken@perfumebottlesauction.com. The IPBA is also hosting a London & Paris Trip on September 24th – October 6th 2015 which will include visits to Perfume themed museums and other major points of interest. For further information, contact Linda Kerr, Community Education Travel, at linda.kerr@d214.com.

The second event, sponsored by the Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors (FOHBC) is the 2015 National Antique Bottle Show in Chattanooga, Tennessee on July 31st –August 2nd that will be at the Marriott Chattanooga Convention Center Exhibit Hall. Among the many events is an “Banquet & Awards Dinner” , “Battle of Chattanooga Bottle Competition”, a two day bottle show and sale, various seminars with topics such as “History of Jack Daniels”, “The Evolution of the Coca-Cola Bottle”, and “Bottle & Relic Digging”, to name a few. The highlight of the convention will be held on Saturday evening, with a “Bottle Auction” by the “Daniel Auction Company”. There will also be educational displays and exhibits focusing on numerous bottle categories. For show and registration information, contact Jack Hewitt at (770) 963-0020 or John Joiner at (404) 538-6057.

If you happen to be in the Finger Lakes Wine Country of New York, I would recommend a visit to The Corning Museum of Glass. The museum, which is the world’s foremost library and research center on the subject of art, history of glass, glassmaking, is preparing the largest exhibition to date devoted to ancient mold-blown glass from May 16th, 2015 through January 4, 2016. This exhibition will feature examples form the early 1st Century to the 7th Century A.D. More than 120 works of glass, including the Corning Museum’s collection of ancient glass, along with loans from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and other international public and private collections, will demonstrate the relationship between mold-blown glass vessels and their counterparts in ceramic and metal, which had been shaped in molds for centuries. The use of molds in glass-making began at the end of the 1st Century B.C. soon after the introduction of glassblowing, which made the production of glass vessels much faster and simpler. For more information on this historic exhibition, museum hours, and the museum in general, visit www.cmog.org.

A question I’m often asked is what types of bottles are more desirable or popular. Since we’re in still in the early months of 2015 and there are a bunch of shows and auctions where we collectors will be buying, selling, or trading, it’s a good idea to have some information about the more desirable and popular bottles. There are a number of methods that helps the collector know which types of bottles are considered “hot” or the most popular, and which bottle categories are still interesting but not on fire. Besides the bottle shows, one of the best indicators of what’s hot or isn’t hot, are recent auctions that provide a large varied selection of bottles from every category. The results from these auctions usually reflect a strong desire for collectible and valuable bottles by all collectors, and have defined popular or favorite bottle categories.
Based on current 2015 auction results, four categories that rank high with collectors are Flasks, specifically Historical Flasks, Medicines, Bitters, and Whiskey bottles. I’m certainly not saying that other bottles such as Poisons, Inks, Hutch’s, and Soda & Mineral aren’t popular and desirable, it’s just that these for categories are on fire right now. As we know, those categories can quickly change.

As an example, in Auction #106 held by Jim Hagenbuch’s Glass Works Auctions on March 23, 2015, there were 459 Lots representing 12 categories of bottles for bidding, of which 252 items, or approximately 55% of the auction, represented Flasks, Medicine, Bitters and Whiskey bottles. These four bottle categories alone collected a total amount of $340,000 which equals approximately $1,350 per bottle. The most popular bottle was the Flasks which consisted of 113 lots, and collected a total of total of $195,000 of the $340,000, almost 60%. I’ve included a side bar that reflects some of the big swingers in Auction #106 and other auctions.

If you are interested in either buying or selling your items, you can contact Norm Heckler Auctions, Woodstock Valley, CT; Glass Works Auctions, Lambert, NJ; American Bottle Auctions, Sacramento, CA; McMurray Antiques & Auctions, Kirkwood, NY, and American Glass Gallery, New Hudson, MI. For a complete detailed listing of auction houses, check out my website at www.bottlebible.com.

As you can see, there isn’t any shortage of fun and exciting stuff going on during 2015 with shows, digging, buying, trading, and museums, all adding up to a lot of fun with the hobby of bottle collecting.
Side Bar – Current Pricing Examples

FLASKS
Description                                                                                            Realized Price
Bust of Washington/Taylor-Pint-Light Blue Green 1825-1835 $ 350.00
Father of His Country/Washington-Pint Olive Amber1848-1855 $1,100.00
Major/Bust of RingGold- Pint-Pink Amethyst 1846-1850 $4,500.00
La Fayette/Bust Of La Fayette – Pint – Olive Amber 1825-1830 $ 950.00
New Jersey Bridgeton – Pint – Deep Ice Blue Green 1850-1855 $8,000.00
Eagle-Cornucopia – Pint – Light Olive Amber–1815-1825 (Rare) $14,000.00
Cornucopis – Urn – Pint – Yellow Olive Amber -1825-1835 $ 220.00
Prospector – Eagle – Pint – Blue Aqua – 1860-1870 (Scarce) $ 190.00
Union/Clasped Hands/Frank & Sons –Quart –Blue Aqua-1855-1870 $ 140.00
“Jeny Lind” And Bust –Calabash Flask- Quart -Med/Deep $7,020.00
Sapphire Blue- 1845-1860
Pitkin Type Flask – 5 1/8” – Bright Olive Green-1783-1830 $1,404.00
Success To The Railroad – Pint –Med. Olive Amber-1830-1848 $ 761.00
For Pikes Peak and Prospector – Pint-Pale Grass Green -1860-1870 $1,170.00

MEDICINES

Description                                                                                    Realized Price
Dr. Wynkoop’s Katharismic Honduras Sarsaparilla New York $10,000.00
10 ¼”- Cobalt Blue -1840-1860 (Early Pontiled Medicine that
was Blown in Cobalt Blue Glass)
Seaver’s Joint & Nerve Liniment -4”-Yellow Amber-1840-1860 $ 550.00
S.M. Kier – Petroleum- Pittsburg,PA- 6 3/8”-Sapphire Blue-1840-1860 $ 1,000.00
Dr. W.M. Drake’s Concentrated Liniment-8 ¼”-Aqua 1840-1860 $ 275.00
American Pulmonary Balsam – 5 ¼” – Aqua 1840-1860 $ 170.00
G.W. Stone’s Liquid Cathartic & Family Physic-8 7/8”-Medium $ 18,720.00
Yellow Amber – (Rare) 1860-1870
Bear’s Oil – 2 ¾” – Clear with Label-“Genuine Bear’s Oil- For $ 702.00
Promoting The Growth & Beauty of the Hair 1840-1860

BITTERS

Description                                                                                      Realized Price
William Allen’s Congress Bitters – Emerald Green – 1865-1875 $ 3,000.00
Baker’s Orange Grove Bitters – 9 ½”-Black Amethyst -1865-1875 $ 2,750.00
Bismark Bitters – C. Lange & Co. – 8 ¾” –Red Amber -1890-1910 $ 230.00
The Fish Bitters-W.W. Ware Patented 1866-11 ¾”-Medium Lime $ 4,000.00
Green – 1866-1875
Dr. A.S. Hopkins Union Stomach Bitters -9 ¾” –Olive Yellow 1870-1885$ 550.00
DWD E. Dexter Loveridge Wahoo Bitters- 10 1/8” –Medium Blue Green $ 20,000.00
1863-1870 (Extremely Rare)
WHISKEYS

Description                                                                                          Realized Price
Turner’s Brothers New York – 9 7/8”-Yellow Amber-1865-1875 $ 325.00
Southern Turf Nashville Tenn – 12 3/8” –Yellow Amber – 1895-1909$ 300.00
J.H. Cutter Old Bourbon A.P. Hotaling – 11 ¾” – Deep Amber $ 2,200.00
1873-1877
Hilderbrandt Posner & Co. – 11 ¾”- Medium Amber 1884-1890 $ 210.00
The Jockey Club Whiskey – G.W. Chesley & Co. S.F. 11 ¾” $ 4,600.00
Light Amber – 1873-1878

Hi to all of the bottle collectors out there. I hope everyone is digging, buying, or trading for bottles to fit your collections. I wanted to post a couple note worthy events that I was recently involved with.

The first item happened on June 21, 2014in Tonopah Nevada. By a great miracle, the Wyatt Earp “Northern Saloon “ excavation site was reopened in April 2014 to Ray Forrey for some continued digging. I met up with Ray, and another adventurer and friend, Dave Finnern who is also an experienced diver. Dave is an award-winning writer and has published numerous articles and books on underwater exploration. But, he’s also done his share of digging. It didn’t take long until we were digging and sifting for tokens, bottles, and other artifacts. After a full day of digging, we didn’t find any bottles but I did find two Vienna Bakery Tokens-Tonopah, Nev. (Circa 1905-1907) and Dave found two Wheat Pennies dated 1918 & 1920. The second day luck was again on my side and I found three more Vienna Bakery Tokens. Dave had to leave the next day, so Ray and I sent him home with one of the tokens to go along with the Wheat Pennies. He deserved it! We had a lot of fun but there is still plenty of dirt to sift for more treasures.

The next item is regarding an award I was honored to receive from the Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors (FOHBC). During the August 1-3, 2014 FOHBC National Antique Bottle Show held in Lexington, Kentucky, I received the First Place Award for the Best True Story – “Wyatt Earp’s Northern Saloon and Tonopah ,Nevada” which was published in the Federation’s magazine, “Bottles & Extra’s” in the November/December 2013 issue. The plaque reads as follows:

Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors

Commends Mike Polak, Author

First Place 2014 Best True Story

“Wyatt Earp’s Northern Saloon And Tonopah, Nevada”

Published in the “Bottles & Extras”

2014 Bottle Auctions Demonstrate Excitement for Bottle Collecting

There have been a number of recent bottle auctions in 2014 that demonstrate how the hobby of bottle collecting continues to generate excitement for all bottle collecting enthusiasts.

Collectors were reminded just how valuable Perfume Bottles can be during the Perfume Bottle Auction on May 2, 2014 held by Ken Leach with 301 lots of vintage perfume bottles during the International Perfume Bottle Assoc.(IBPA) 26th Annual Convention on May 1-4 2014. Among some of the highlights of the 301 lots was an extremely rare 1922 Rosine Bottle “Antinea” that sold for $18,000, a 1919 Rosine “Aladin” Bottle in the original box that sold for $3,900, and an Egyptian 1920’s Blue Crystal bottle that sold for $12,000. But, the bottle that was the show stealer was an Egyptian style Baccarat Bottle “Toute I’ Egypt” for Monne that sold for an whopping $38,400. If you want to get in on the action, consignments are now being accepted for the 2015 Perfume Bottles Auction. Contact Ken Leach for information at 800-942-0550 or ken@perfumebottlesauction.com.

The excitement continued when Glass Works Auctions joined in on the fun with their “Festival of Color” auction offering 367 Lots of bottles ranging in categories from Bitters, Medicines, Sodas, Beers, and Historical Flasks to name a few on June 16th,2014. Among the highlights of this auction was a bright Yellow Green “Vidvard & Sheehan” Handled Whiskey with a hand crimped pour spout, circa 1860-1870, that sold for $7,500, a scarce Emerald Green, circa 1865-1875, “Union Spring Saratoga N.Y” Mineral Springs bottle that sold for $6,000, a scarce rich Yellow Olive “Eagle-Eagle” Louisville Glass Works Flask, circa 1835-1845, that sold for $8,500, and a Emerald Green Semi-Cabin shape “William Allen’s Congress Bitters”, circa 1865-1875, for $3.500. Consignments are now being accepted for the 2014 Fall Auction. Contact Jim Hangenbuch for information at 609-483-2683 or glswrk@enter.net.

McMurray Antiques & Auctions kept the action going with an auction on June 28th consisting of 190 lots of unique Patent Medicines, Drugstore, Apothecary, and Advertising items. One of the most unique items sold was a11” Tall high quality Porcelain “Leeches” Jar, circa 1886, that sold for $6,500, and a rare “Alvis Brazillian Specific Co. Pat’d June 10, 1890” Bottle, embossed with “The Cactus Blood Cure”, including the complete box, for $1,600. Consignments are now being accepted for the next auction. Contact Terry McMurray at 607-775-5972 or mcmurrayauctions@aol.com.

Not to be outdone, Norman C. Heckler & Company Auctions conducted a live public auction on July 18th 2014 that offered 76 lots of top quality bottles. The star of this auction, and the bottle that attracted all of the bidders, was a rare deep Yellow Green Sunburst Snuff Jar, circa 1815-1830, and made at the Keene Mariboro Street Glassworks in Keene, N.H. The bottle has been seldom seen and in a virtually perfect condition, it sold for an astonishing $57,330. In addition, a light Yellow and Olive Eagle Cornucopia Half-Pint Flask, circa 1815-1830, sold for $39,780, and a brilliant Yellow-Green concentric ring Eagle Flask, circa 1818-1830, sold for $31,590. Consignments are now being accepted for the annual fall auction. Contact Norman C.Heckler & Co. at 860-974-1634 or info@hecklerauction.com.

American Bottle Auctions just concluded a very successful auction on July 20th, 2014 with 186 lots of quality bottles including 35 Western Whiskey Fifths and another 20 Western Whiskey Flasks being offered for sale. There were a number of highlights from this auction including a golden Amber and heavily whittled “Washington/Taylor” Quart Flask that sold for $4,800, a rare light Amber “The Jockey Club Whiskey G.W. Chesley & Co. S.F.” Western Whiskey, circa 1873-1878, that sold for $4,600, and a bright Sapphire Blue “Double Eagle” Pint Flask that sold for $4,400. Consignments are now being accepted for the next auction. Contact American Bottle Auctions at 800-806-7722 or info@americanbottle.com.

As everyone can see, Bottle auctions continue to attract large numbers of collectors with record sales and a continued enthusiasm for the fun Hobby of Bottle Collecting.

I hope that everyone is having fun with the hobby of bottle collecting and finding some new treasures, or at least having fun trying.   In 40 years I don’t think I’ve stopped.

Every month I send out a package of post cards which advertise my book and provide details of the updated information, Bottles: Identification and Price Guide, 7 Edition, to the chairpersons of the many Bottle Club Shows across the US and Europe (If the timing is right) for distribution at their shows.   While putting together the latest group of cards for the 14 shows in April, I was also trying to think about what to write to update my blog on the website, www.bottlebible.com, Then, it hit me.  I started to wonder how many club members, and collectors who aren’t club members, support and attend their local clubs bottle shows.  The impact these shows have on the hobby is astonishing.   During 2013, there were 125 shows across the US consisting of a total of 10,000 tables (80 tables/show), 100 dealers per show, and approximately 30,000 collectors attending the show.   And, that doesn’t include show in England, Australia, The Netherlands, and other foreign countries.  A large number of these shows also include live bottle auctions.

Bottle shows are a lot of fun and can be a very rewarding and great learning experience for not only the beginning collector, but also for the veteran collector.  The shows always offer something new to earn or to share, and of course thousands of bottles to buy, trade, or sell.  The great thing about these shows is that they not only expose the collector to every type of shape, color, and variety of bottles, but also provide the opportunity to talk with experts in specialized areas.  No matter how many shows I’ve attended over the years, I still learn something new about glass and bottles at every show.

I’ve always felt that these bottle shows are part of the lifeline of the keeping the club alive, kicking, and growing.  Also, all the clubs have a New Members Sign-Up table for any collector wanting to join the club and jump in the fun.  By joining a local club and working with other collectors, you’ll find more ways to add to your collection, gather information, and most likely do a lot more digging.  So, let’s get out there and support your local bottle club, even if you’re not a member.  And why you’re there, why not join the club and become a member.   For an excellent listing of all club show, navigate to www.fohbc.org (Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors) and check out all show times and locations.

Now, check out a show this weekend and remember, “Keep Having Fun With The Hobby of Bottle Collecting”

Mike

 

Hi.  This is my first blog entry on my newly revised web-site www.bottlebible.com, and I want to welcome all Antique Bottle & Glass Collectors to the site.  I plan on providing updated news, events, and helpful information regarding the Hobby of Bottle Collecting.  I’m looking forward to everyone’s input and comments.  Remember, “Have Fun With The Hobby of Bottle Collecting.”

 

John Pastor, Publisher of “Antique Bottle & Glass Collector” magazine, recently asked me to write an article on what it would take for a beginning collector to start a  bottle collection from scratch with a budget of $10 to a $100.   John’s question brought back memories of my own early experiences as a new bottle collector 40 years ago, along with discussions I have had with new collectors at antique/bottle shows about the cost involved to start a collection.   This inaugural blog is an excerpt from a full length  article that will be published in the December 2013 issue of “Antique Bottle & Glass Collector.”

I’ve lost count of how many new collectors have walked up to my table, checked out some of my bottles for sale, then with a frustrated voice said, “I’m new to the hobby and want to start collecting bottles, but they seem so expensive?”

Well, that’s partly true.  There are rare and scarce bottles with unique designs, shapes, and colors that demand premium dollars.    But there are even more average or common antique bottles available such as Whiskey Cylinders, Whiskey Flasks, Beer, Inks, Medicines, and Food or Utility bottles, in the range of $1.00-100.00.   I’ve developed a quick look technique of buying bottles into three categories.

Low end or common bottles: Bottles in this category reflect noticeable wear   and in most cases the label is completely gone and there isn’t any embossing or identification.  The bottle is dirty, (which can usually be cleaned) with some scrapes but free of chips.  These bottles are usually clear but can also be found with colors.

Average grade/common bottles: Bottles of this type show some wear, and a label may be visible but usually is faded.  They are generally clear, aqua, or amber and free of scrapes or chips.  Many of these bottles will also have some type of embossing.

Average grade to Mid-High Grade: These bottles can be empty, partially, or completely full, with the original stopper and labeling or embossing.  The color of the bottle can be clear but usually are green, teal blue, cobalt blue, amber, yellow, or yellow green, or variation of shades of each of these colors. The bottle should have no chips, scrapes, and very little wear.  If it has been stored in a box, the bottle is most likely in good or excellent condition.   Also, the box must be in very good condition.

The Low End category can be found for $1.00 to $5.00, the Average grade from $5.00 to $20.00, and the Average Grade to Mid-High grade from $20.00 to $100.00.   Remember, the goal is to keep everything below $100.  As a general rule, I try to only spend $2 to $5 per bottle for the Low end, $10 to $20.00 for the Average Grade, and $20 to $40 for the Average to Mid-High grade.

Another great place for new collectors to find inexpensive bottles is under the dealers table.  Many dealers spend a lot of time digging, find many common bottles that they don’t intend to keep, and don’t the time to clean them.  So, they put them under their tables to sell at reduced prices might even take less.  Don’t be bashful. I’ve seen these bottles offered for $10-20 for a box of 20-25 bottles, and some cleaning.  I’ve even seen large quantities of common medicines sell for as low as .50 a bottle.

Always let the seller know that you are a new collector with a limited budget.  I’ve never run across a dealer who wouldn’t work with a new collector on a limited budget. Most dealers are also experienced collectors and enjoy helping a new collector. Now check out those bottle shows, flea markets, swap meets, and garage sales, handle that glass and ask plenty of questions, and bargain hard to get the best deal.  Above all, “Always Have Fun With The Hobby Of Antique Bottle Collecting.”

Bottles on a Budget