Collecting Vintage Bottles

The main reason that I enjoy collecting bottles is because of the history each one possesses. They take me back in time to a much simpler time. I also like the advertising that is on each one. I really enjoy the hunt to find old bottle dumps and when I find one; to me it like finding buried treasure. The final reason that I enjoy bottles is the beauty each one holds. They are like individual pieces of artwork.

When I was younger, I used to work at the local grocery store. This was back when stores would give you cash for your bottles right at the service desk. Most times, we would get bottles that were still in circulation. One day, a gentleman brought in approximately 50 of the small aqua green Coca-Cola bottles that dated between 1914 and the fifties. Some of the bottles had the actual dates on them. They all had the names of the cities in which they were bottled on the base. One city grabbed my interest in particular. It was Coshocton, Ohio, the city where I was born and raised. I asked the manager if I could purchase them. He let me purchase them for the price the store paid for them which was 10 cents each. This started my interest in old bottles, but hadn't got me hooked yet.
About 5 years later my brother informed me of a place where I could find many old bottles. It was quite an adventure to say the least. The area where we were allowed to dig was land locked behind a junk yard on a peninsula. The owner of the junk yard would not allow access from his side, so my brother and I had to wait until the river was shallow enough to wade across. Even at such a low level, it was tricky because the water was between knee and waist level and we had to walk a certain way to cross just to cross it. The currents were very strong and if we turned to face the current, the river would try to pull us down. In hindsight we should have used a boat and just paddle against the current as I would later do. When we got to the other side I could see a few bottles sticking out from the bank, I thought we were at the proper location. Boy was I ever wrong; this site was nothing when I compared it to the actual site. When we got to the other bank, we saw several bottles of all kinds sticking out. We had hit the mother lode! That day my brother and I carried out several 5-gallon buckets full of bottles. We ran out of time that day and soon after it rained and the water level went back up. I made it back several times to this location and have never been disappointed. Many of the bottles were from the 1800's and I also found an amber coke bottle. I later found out that the old city dump was located on this location and wagon loads of trash were dumped there. From what I have seen, the peninsula must not have been much more than a sand bar at the time the dump was started. The bottles range from close to 6 foot deep up to the surface. The length of the site is probably close to 30 feet wide on the bank side. I am still not sure how far in the dump goes because we always were able to dig on the bank. The next couple of years, I sold pretty much all of the bottles I have found at this location to feed my other collection which at the time was baseball cards. I wish I had kept the bottles instead, because the baseball cards I bought with the money were newer ones and very few are now worth much. I now only have a small collection of bottles, but I used to have several hundred. At least I can go back and dig some more, which I plan to do this summer. I will post my findings here for all to see.

Photo credit
old bottles
by cogdogblog on Flickr some rights reserved

Soda Bottles

People collect soda bottles for several reasons including nostalgia, regional variety and the artistic value that they possess. Many companies at the turn of the century up through the forties put their hat in to the ring when it came to soda. This created regional varieties that are coveted by collectors that live near where the plant was located. Some companies no longer in business include the World Bottling Company that made Dr.Nut with an almond flavor, Wrights Bottling Works who made root beer, and Vess who created cola flavored and fruit flavored drinks.

Photo credit DanKassem Wickimedia

Medicine Bottles

Medicine bottles are in abundance when it comes to vintage bottles and some can be very interesting to say the least. Before the government regulated medicine, wild mixtures abounded. Snake oil salesmen were going from town to town, selling these to unwitting consumers.
Medicine bottles come in a variety of colors with cobalt blue and red being collector's favorites.

Photo credit deepestbluesea Wickimedia

Flasks

Flasks are widely collected and rare specimens can be worth considerable amounts of money. Decorative flasks are highly sought after. Flasks have taken the shape of fish, have been decorated with elaborate scroll work and the busts of famous people including George Washington.
Be careful when buying flasks because a company named Wheaton recreated several. They are easily identified due to the company's name at the base.

Photo credit Olesachem Wickimedia

Beer,Wine and Ale

While many of these bottles are extremely common, regional bottles from small hometown bottlers are highly collected. Most are amber, brown, green black in color. The black ones with a three piece mold and a pontil mark are early examples and date 1850 or before. Most of these bottles can be easily obtained at between $3.00 and $25.00 each from individual dealers

Photo credit Olesachem Wickimedia

Household Bottles

These bottles have many subtypes including bottles that were in the ice box like sauces and ketchup, to bottles that were in garages like oil. They also include bleach bottles other types of bottles that were used for laundry and ink wells some common examples of these types include Clorox Bleach and Vinegar bottles. Some of the ones with the labels can be quite interesting.

Photo credit Joe Mabel Wickimedia

Bitters

Bitters bottles are highly collected and some can be quite valuable. Bitters were originally made for medicinal purposes and later became a staple in bars due to the high alcohol content and were used in a variety of mixed drinks. In 1906 the U.S. Food and Drug Act forced companies to prove that their drink was indeed medicinal. As a result many bitters were no longer available.
The bottle pictured sold for $1240 in 1998.

Photo credit axarus Wickimedia

One of the first things that you can do is look at the base of the bottle and check if there are rings similar to the ones pictured. These rings are called pontil marks and they were left after the glass blowers punty rod was broken off. If there is one, then it is likely that the bottle was made prior to 1858. If you see a circle with a seam extending out, then it was likely made between 1850 and 1870.This mark was made by a mold called a key mold. If the base is smooth, then you have a newer machine made bottle.

photo credit Farther Along flikr

You can also tell the age of a bottle by looking at its lip characteristics. Lips made prior to 1870 were applied by hand and can show irregularities. Around 1880 when the bottle makers were using molds, a lipping tool was used to make a more uniform lip. These bottles have a mold line that stops just before the lip. It wasn't until 1910 that machines made the entire bottle and the seam was included in the lip.The picture on the left shows an applied blob style lip. For more information on lip styles CLICK HERE.

Photo credit Olesachem wickimedia

You can find old and unusual bottles in many places. Garage sales can sometimes yield results but it is hit or miss. Flea markets can be a good place to look, but you have to get up early to beat all of the other collectors. My favorite way to find bottles is to hunt for them in the woods. Old dumps and privies (outhouses) can be a bottle goldmine

Photo credit John wickimedia

Dump Digging

Photo credit jason_crouch wikimedia

Dump digging can be a challenging, but rewarding experience. First you must locate a site. To accomplish this, I recommend that you look at your local library's history section. Look at the old maps to see where the old dumps are located. You can also tell where to look for old foundations that may lead to possible bottle locations.
Once you locate a dump, you are going to need some equipment. Some equipment that can be useful includes a first aid kit, gloves, a garden spade, trash bags and a large bucket to carry your finds out of the dump.
It is very important not to rush your efforts because the bottles that you are excavating can be easily broken. You should always wear gloves and if you happen to get cut clean out the wound and cover it immediately.
Often dumps are located on the banks of rivers and at and can easily be found by boat. Even though many laws state that any place along the river up to the ordinary high water mark is available to the public, always check with the land owner before digging to avoid potential problems. The ordinary high water mark is the average height that the water gets in a year without extreme flooding.
Use the trash bag to separate trash and broken bottles that you don't want and dispose in the proper way. Please don't leave the dig site looking like the picture below, which is disgraceful.

Photo credit Parrot of Doom Wikimedia

Privy Digging

Digging in a brick lined privy.
Photo credit for the following photos Olesachem Wikimedia

Digging in a stone lined privy.
Photo credit Olesachem wikimeda

Privies can be easier to locate because you don't even have to enter the woods. Just think about it for a moment, most every home built prior to 1930 had no toilet. They all had privies that were located somewhere on the property, mostly toward the rear. All the collector has to do is to convince the owner of an older home to let you dig. It doesn't hurt to let the owner have half of the bottles as a way to get your foot in the door. Always clean up after you finish and try to leave the area look as good as or better than before.
Often, instead of using a dump to dispose of the bottles, people used to just drop a few bottles at a time down the hole. Over time, this added up to quite a few bottles. Often, the bottles remain unbroken, due to the (for lack of better words) semi liquid substance at the bottom. It may sound disgusting, but it really isn't. In the time a privy has taken to get filled in (usually many decades), the odor has gone and it has turned in to a dark soil. Rain water has filtered the area several times washing the germs away.
Privy digging is similar to dump digging except you will need a probe that is at least 6 feet long. The probe is a very useful tool and it is used to locate where you need to dig. To find privies, check the soil density and soil type in the area you think one is located. There will be a noticeable difference when you compare your sample to the rest of the yard. You also may be able to actually feel the bottles through the vibrations in the handle.
Privies are different than dumps because they actually have a wall made from brick, stone or wood. This comes in handy because you know exactly what area you need to dig as opposed to a dump that can hard to determine the edges.
You will need a bucket, a long rope and partner to dig privies. The partner is important not only because of safety reasons in case of a collapse, but also to lift the dirt from the hole.

Warning, this is can be a very dangerous activity and you should always bring someone else for safety!!!

Digging in a wood lined privy.
Photo credit Olesachem wikimedia

Assortment of pontil base antique bottles excavated in a New York City privy (1850s-1860s).
Photo credit Olesachem wikimedia

Once you have found your prized bottles, you are going to need to clean them. Here are some examples of what to do and what not to do.
Dawn dish soap is a great way to loosen debris from inside of your bottles, just let them soak overnight and you will notice the results. Be careful to make the water a similar temperature to the bottle. If the water is to hot or too cold cracks may appear and you defiantly don't want that to happen. If you are tempted to use steel wool, don't even try it. Steel wool can leave scratches; a better option is using copper scouring pads because they do not scratch. Never use BB's to loosen the dirt that is difficult to remove. They will scratch your bottle. Use a soft bottle brush instead. It takes more time, but it is worth it in the long run.

All photos used in this lense are from creative commons commercial use.