Fun Happenings with Bottle Collecting

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