Anyone collect antique bottles?

[TheVTCGuy]

A lot of you know I collect and restore antique clocks, but long before then, I started an antique bottle collection. It actually began when I was a teenager and avid scuba diver, working the summers for a professional recovery company on the Great Lakes. Finding an old bottle that had been in the water 100 or years or more was one of the most fun parts of that job, and find we did! That was back in the year 19-%$##…. I am a member of a local club, we meet every month and have annual show where people can buy/sell/trade. It benefits the local VFW and other charitable organizations. Attached are a couple pictures, I don’t have a specific type I like, although medicines I find very interesting from the turn of the century. The one picture is my pride and joy, I have two Roman-Era bottles. The one on the left is from (approximately) 100 AD and the other from 300 AD. Maybe not a lot of people find these interesting but I am fascinated by the history, 2,000 years ago some Roman was holding that bottle, and now I have it in a display case. If only they could talk.

Does anyone else collect bottles?

[JasoninDenver]

I really like the Roman bottles.

There is a gallery here in Colorado that holds regular auctions for these types of relics. I always end up browsing their listings.

https://www.artemisgallery.com/auctions/

[Rock]

Whilst not a collector, I have always been interested in bottles (particularly those with Scotch in them) due to the interesting variety in colour and shape and the fact that as you say, they have been around for a very long time.
A lot of bottles that hold alcohol are absolute pieces of Art as companies try to catch the eye of the consumer with something different. They are a real exercise in marketing. Enjoyed your photos, Paul.

[Moondoggy]

Kept this one as I like the fact it still has coke in it, do not know much about it tbh.


cokebottle1.jpg

[brandrea]

I didn’t even know this was a thing.

And here all this time, I’ve just been recycling them

[Moondoggy]

Originally Posted by brandrea

I didn’t even know this was a thing.

And here all this time, I’ve just been recycling them

If we keep recycling there will be nothing to collect!

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by Moondoggy

If we keep recycling there will be nothing to collect!

Right


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[1William]

Collect, no. Have a few and like them yes. Mostly blue glass but like it all.

[Tri-Tip]

I love anything that is hundreds of years old (or older). As you said Paul, the idea that someone in ancient times held something and now you have possession of it.

I have a bunch of green glass mason jars in my garage with metal lids. I'd have to look, but off hand, some are from sour cream. Growing up, they were in the garage in wooden crates and filled with nails (some bent), and assorted nuts, bolts, and other small hardware. They were my grandfathers. Every now and then, my dad and I would dig through them looking for a specific nut or bolt to fix something. I haven't looked at them in 15+ years, but they are still there. Not sure if they have any value, but they should be at least 80-90 years old.

[Autococker07]

My oldest sister used to love looking through old homesteads, and had some old glass from them, but I never caught the bug..... she liked the blue glass most.

[Maleg]

I have a collection of Roman glass as well as some enameled glass. I picked up most of the Roman glass when I worked in east Africa and the middle east in the 80's and 90's. It was very common in small trinket shops.

[TheVTCGuy]

Originally Posted by Maleg

I have a collection of Roman glass as well as some enameled glass. I picked up most of the Roman glass when I worked in east Africa and the middle east in the 80's and 90's. It was very common in small trinket shops.

PICTURES!!!!! Please.

[Letsgodiving]

Nice collection.

I found this Calder's Dentine bottle on the wreck Eureka that went down in 1888 off the east coast. The cork top was almost like new after being underwater for 100+ years but it shriveled up once I brought it to the surface.

[TheVTCGuy]

Originally Posted by Letsgodiving

Nice collection.

I found this Calder's Dentine bottle on the wreck Eureka that went down in 1888 off the east coast. The cork top was almost like new after being underwater for 100+ years but it shriveled up once I brought it to the surface.

Mike! We have very similar experience. This is the bottle that started it all. I found it on the wreck of the A.B. Williams, which sank in Lake Huron in 1862. It says: J.J. Butler, CIN. Obviously an ink well.

[Bstewart]

No but maybe in 100 years someone will somehow find all the beers I've drank and have a great collection.

[Maleg]

Originally Posted by Bstewart

No but maybe in 100 years someone will somehow find all the beers I've drank and have a great collection.

Are they signed?

[Bstewart]

Originally Posted by Maleg

Are they signed?

For the right $$ sure I’ll sign them for you.