It’s a mess now, but look at the possibilities . . .”. If I said that once I said it a dozen times before I finally convinced my husband to buy our house. The lot was overgrown with a dense thicket, half the trees were dead or dying, there were two large slabs of concrete where out-buildings had once stood and three sets of concrete steps randomly wandered through the yard leading to nowhere. Still, I could envision turning this neglected property into a home where we could raise our family, and with a shrug and a sigh, my husband gave in.
Eventually we got our deck, our garage, a concrete-free yard and even some flower beds and healthy trees. We also got a history lesson. For as we dug into the earth to clear away the years of accumulated debris, we unearthed some amazing things, including the start of our bottle collection.
The hobby of collecting old bottles has attracted a strong and growing following since the mid-1900s. Antique malls, flea markets and even garage sales abound with bottles. But to many collectors it is the thrill of the hunt, or should I say the “dig,” that is the crux of their enthusiasm. For just under the earth’s surface a whole world of antique bottles lay waiting to be discovered.
The majority of the bottles that turn up here in central Indiana were produced from 1850-1930. These break down into four basic categories: pontiled or mouth blown, 3-mold, blown-in-mold and machine made. Acquaint yourself with each of these, as the way a bottle was manufactured can be of great help in determining age.
The weight, shape and density of a bottle hold many clues to it’s original use. For example, perfume bottles were intended for one time use and will be made of thinner glass than soda or mineral water bottles that were intended for reuse. It is not unusual to find very old bottles that have held soda pop, mineral water and beer during their lifetime. Some of these were marked “THIS BOTTLE IS NEVER SOLD” to clarify to the “renter” that he was purchasing the content, but the bottle was considered the property of the manufacturer.
A bottle’s color can greatly effect it’s value. While clear colored bottles are considered common and of minimal value, if you happen upon a clear embossed poison bottle, you are holding a rare specimen. Somewhere in the basement most of us have a few clear or aqua canning jars. But check again, because if you have a purple, amber or black jar, it can be of considerable value. Historic flasks are a nice find and an aqua one in good condition is worth $75-$100. Find the same flask in amber or cobalt blue and you may be looking at a bottle worth several thousand dollars.
Figural bottles from violins to pigs are popular with collectors. Be on the lookout for figural whiskey bottles (“nips”) from the early 1900s. Purchased from the Sears and Roebuck Catalog, these were given out for promotional purposes filled with 3-4 shots of drink at local taverns. They will be 2-3 inches wide and 3-7 inches high, although some multicolor 10 inch examples have surfaced.
Bottles are collected by their manufacturer, area of origin, color and a number of categories including: dairy bottles, soda bottles, ink or perfume bottles, medicine bottles, liquor and beer bottles, flasks, snuff bottles and Ball and Mason jar. Whichever your passion, there are 8 points to consider in determining value: rarity, condition, age, color, esthetic appeal, embossing, size and historic significance.
“Rare” bottles are just that, rare. Most of the time a dig will yield old Coke bottles and a smattering of cobalt poison bottles. But, every now and then “Lady Luck” smiles down and you find a truly rare piece, like the milk bottle our friend dug out of his garden and sold on eBay for over $400!
So, are you ready for a little subterranean sleuthing? Grab a shovel and let’s go! Until next time……Linda
Irvington resident Linda Kennett is a professional liquidation consultant specializing in down-sizing for seniors and the liquidation of estates and may be reached at 317-429-7887 or lkennett@indy.rr.com