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All Forums >> [Bottle Forums] >> Digging and Finding >> Big Dump in Ravine

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Big Dump in Ravine - 6/22/2004 1:20:04 AM    BRichardson5   Posts: 378 Joined: 8/29/2003 From: Pacific Northwest Status: offline Finally, I've found my first large dump this year. After doing planty of researching on the county assesors site, I found a home that was built in the early 1900's (old for this area). The home sits on one edge of five acres, and a ravine lies on the other edge near a road. Anyway, I had a good feeling about finding the dump in the ravine, so I went exploring. Within 30 minutes, I had found a very large dumpsite that spans from early 1900's to 1960. Of course, I will have to get under the new crud, but I did already find a few pockets of older stuff on the surface. I only had time to look for 10 minutes, but I was able to grab some fruit jars, milk glass, and the previously mentioned Ace of Spades bottle. Anyway, I attached a few picks of the finds/site. Does anyone have any advice on digging a deep ravine like this? There are tons of old heavy farm equiptment that I'll have to get under in the bottom of the gulch. Enjoy the few pics. -Brian R. Attachment (1) Post #: 1

RE: Big Dump in Ravine - 6/22/2004 1:22:09 AM    BRichardson5   Posts: 378 Joined: 8/29/2003 From: Pacific Northwest Status: offline Another pic of the site- kinda hard to spot some of the bottles, but they are everywhere Attachment (1) (in reply to BRichardson5) Post #: 2

RE: Big Dump in Ravine - 6/22/2004 1:23:36 AM    BRichardson5   Posts: 378 Joined: 8/29/2003 From: Pacific Northwest Status: offline Just a couple low-end finds; the good stuff is deep and yet to be found. Attachment (1) (in reply to BRichardson5) Post #: 3

RE: Big Dump in Ravine - 6/22/2004 5:29:23 PM    Ryan Posts: 86 Joined: 12/6/2003 Status: offline Wow, cool find! Need any help? hehe... I'm in Idaho so I know what you mean about being excited about a circa 1900 dump (pontil? what the hell is a pontil? ) It's so nice when the research pays off... I can't offer much advice as I've dug very little myself, but the machinery can certainly be difficult. I was recently in a little dump that was full of woven wire and old stoves etc... and it was a real pain. I never did dig the whole thing out, found a nice Jumbo Peanut Butter Jar under an old box springs though! no lid for it, darn... Anyways it can obviously be hazardous to tunnel under some of that stuff, and in my opinion I don't think you can ever get everything out of a dump like that unless you completely move all the big stuff (like car bodies, machinery, box springs). Of course this can be pretty tough to do. Looks like there's some trees around, I'll bet you could winch some of that stuff out of there with a bit of cable and a come along... If it were me I'd probably use a come along on even some of the smaller stuff, saves some backache... Good luck and be sure to post what you find! -Ryan (in reply to BRichardson5) Post #: 4

RE: Big Dump in Ravine - 6/23/2004 12:42:35 AM    BRichardson5   Posts: 378 Joined: 8/29/2003 From: Pacific Northwest Status: offline Hey Ryan- I know what you mean about the pontil business. I get ecstatic about everything ABM (well, can't be too new), while most members in the east avoid ABM like the plague. This dump is chalkfull of huge pieces of equiptment- I was trying to get around an old sewing machine, but the thing weighed a TON. I was getting frustrated, because I kept coming up with newer stuff, including plastic (Now THAT I avoid like the plague). However, I eventually found a good spot near the top of the ravine- I pulled out a cool Sanfords ink that has 8 sides, along with shoe polish, some perfumes, and a cool orange marble. I also got an intact saucer, a Ball Ideal fruit jar, and some other various bottles from the 20's-40's. We Northwesterners must make do with our situation, which is enjoying everything, ABM included. (in reply to BRichardson5) Post #: 5

RE: Big Dump in Ravine - 6/23/2004 1:22:29 AM    Maine Digger   Posts: 823 Joined: 2/4/2004 From: Augusta, Maine Status: offline Did I hear MARBLE! Brian, don't dismiss a lot of that metal 'junk' that may be getting in your way. There's a lot of collectors of early farm equipment, auto trim etc. You will probably find the top of the bank has some of the earlier stuff, at least that's been my experience. You and Ryan are right, over here in New England, if it's a ABM or un-embossed, we usually leave it behind, even though many of them are 75 to 100 years old! Perhaps we should ship some out your way! (I recall about 25 -30 years ago, we couldn't find any antique oak furniture for a decent price because it was being shipped to the Northwest.) There's a guy out your way who sells a lot of drugstore bottles on e-bay, his 'store' is called Oregon Bottles, and he gets a lot of action. By the way, if the "dr" checks in, I picked up a Hostetters and 5 other bottles up on ebay tonight for $7.95! < Message edited by Maine Digger -- 6/23/2004 1:19:19 AM > _____________________________ Norm Miller (in reply to BRichardson5) Post #: 6

RE: Big Dump in Ravine - 6/23/2004 9:05:13 AM    Oldtimer Posts: 744 Joined: 5/13/2004 From: Effingham NH. Where else? Status: offline The only ABMs I keep are cobalt or very unusual shaped/colored ones. I actually started breaking the Bakers Extracts...I have dug literally thousands of them. It got to me one day, and I started smashing them with glee...They seem to be the only ones in any dump that remain whole... _____________________________ STOP THE CAR !! I think I see a cellarhole !!! (in reply to BRichardson5) Post #: 7

RE: Big Dump in Ravine - 6/23/2004 9:26:40 AM    Maine Digger   Posts: 823 Joined: 2/4/2004 From: Augusta, Maine Status: offline Hey Richard, don't break them, pile them all together in one hole, and 100 years from now some lucky guy/gal will hit the mother lode! _____________________________ Norm Miller (in reply to BRichardson5) Post #: 8

RE: Big Dump in Ravine - 6/23/2004 9:39:34 AM    Dawny   Posts: 31 Joined: 5/21/2004 Status: offline Wow what a wonderful site to see! you have given me a real case of bottle fever! I wanna go dig so bad! Post more pics... would love to see em :) -Dawn (in reply to BRichardson5) Post #: 9

RE: Big Dump in Ravine - 6/24/2004 9:43:06 PM    BRichardson5   Posts: 378 Joined: 8/29/2003 From: Pacific Northwest Status: offline It's my first day of summer vacation, so I spent the day huntin' bottles. I've recently been in a lucky streak, and today was definitely no exception. I worked on the top part of the ravine where I last left off. I first removed the top foot of dirt and new garbage, and dumped it further down the ravine. With this area cleared, I was able to go to work in a very methodical way- I dig very slow, removing dirt and objects one bucket at a time, so that I will not miss a thing. This method always comes in handy, as I found 15 bottles today, of which were about 30 years older than the top surface! The very top is plastic, then glass with plastic tops, then glass with metal screw tops, then corkers at about 2 feet. I also found four porcelain and glass lids, along with a small cache of porcelain animal figurines (a dog, squirrel, elephant, bear, cat, and chicken). Kinda weird to throw out perfectly good figurines, but these surprises certainly are pleasant. The bottles included four decorated pint whiskey bottles, an ice blue Ball Perfect Mason, a square Kerr, a completely 12 sided catsup, 2 Sanford ink bottles (1 has dots all over it), a brown bottle with Whitehall embossed on the side, a liquid veneer, a beer with a ring on the neck, and an awesome emerald green bottle with cork top that is embossed Moone's Emerald Oil Rochester N.Y. Any info on these bottles would be appreciated. Attachment (1) (in reply to BRichardson5) Post #: 10

RE: Big Dump in Ravine - 6/24/2004 9:48:10 PM    BRichardson5   Posts: 378 Joined: 8/29/2003 From: Pacific Northwest Status: offline Here's a pic of the main spot I'm working on at the top of the ravine- I've carved into the side, exposing the dump as I go. The green plants are nettles- they hurt badly when touched. Attachment (1) (in reply to BRichardson5) Post #: 11

RE: Big Dump in Ravine - 6/24/2004 9:52:16 PM    BRichardson5   Posts: 378 Joined: 8/29/2003 From: Pacific Northwest Status: offline This is the best sight of bottle digging- you've revealed part of a bottle (or two), and the mystery of what it could be is overpowering. Attachment (1) (in reply to BRichardson5) Post #: 12

RE: Big Dump in Ravine - 6/24/2004 10:00:15 PM    AvoidingWork   Posts: 33 Joined: 5/21/2004 From: Ottawa Canada Status: offline Hey All I've been following this thread closely to get some idea of how to approach a ravine that is a few metres away from the foundation of a log house we disassembled. The house is from 1827, early for our area, and we already found a pontil bottle in the chimney. The ravine seems to be a likely spot to dig since it was so close to the house. The biggest obstacle is the overgrown lilacs covering the whole bank. I'll follow your lead and start near the top of the bank, but how do you deal with all the greenery? ps--wish some of you folks were near Ottawa Ontario. I contacted a local bottle group to ask if anyone was interested in digging out the dump that is on my own property, from which all sorts of neat stuff has emerged--emailed some pix to one person, then never heard more. I have only about a week left before the area in question gets bulldozed for a foundation. (in reply to BRichardson5) Post #: 13

RE: Big Dump in Ravine - 6/24/2004 11:01:27 PM    Gunsmoke47 Posts: 1160 Joined: 12/29/2003 From: TEXAS Status: offline Congratulations Brian! Looks like you have found a great spot! Keep those pic's coming, and... Happy Diggin, Kelley AvoidingWork: I wish I wasn't 3000 miles away I'de go with you in a heartbeat! Good luck on your site, Kelley (in reply to BRichardson5) Post #: 14

RE: Big Dump in Ravine - 6/26/2004 2:05:43 PM    BRichardson5   Posts: 378 Joined: 8/29/2003 From: Pacific Northwest Status: offline Went digging again on Friday, and came out with 12 bottles, four porcelain lids, and one red insert for a railroad light. I continue to get older and better bottles- today I found a nice cork top Mary T Goldmans, Rochester NY bottle in amber (seen in picture being removed). In response to AvoidingWork's question, lilac's can be a huge pain! I suggest using a probe or ski pole to find a possible area, then go down with a hatchet/ large clippers. Patience is the only thing that leads to great bottles! Attachment (1) (in reply to BRichardson5) Post #: 15

RE: Big Dump in Ravine - 6/26/2004 2:08:04 PM    BRichardson5   Posts: 378 Joined: 8/29/2003 From: Pacific Northwest Status: offline A look at the total finds for today Attachment (1) (in reply to BRichardson5) Post #: 16

RE: Big Dump in Ravine - 6/26/2004 2:33:33 PM    David E Posts: 995 Joined: 5/24/2004 Status: offline Ok South Sound here is the infor one one, Well fell asleep at the wheel, but you asked for Moones Emeral Oil Rochester N.Y. New label adoped Jan. 1925 Advertised 1948 by International Laboratories Invc. Forbes St. Rochester N.Y. Emeral green 5" x 1 3/4" by 7/8" ABM Dave < Message edited by David E -- 6/27/2004 4:01:33 AM > (in reply to BRichardson5) Post #: 17

RE: Big Dump in Ravine - 6/27/2004 1:37:26 AM    bne74honda   Posts: 156 Joined: 2/19/2004 From: Barrie, Ontario, Canada Status: offline Brian, Another Brian here....I am a MAJOR pack-rat....what kind of sewing machine did you find that 'weighed a ton'? Definitely do not discount all the assorted items you find. Someone somewhere will be collecting most anything. I have started collecting porcelain marretts (the plastic thingies we use today to insulate a twisted pair of wires). I found 2 today in an old barn on a scouting trip and that's the start of my collection. Just because I like 'em! Some folks (plenty!) collect sewing machines regardless of condition and age....let me know! Brian _____________________________ I believe in compulsory cannibalism. If people were forced to eat what they killed, there would be no more wars - Abbie Hoffman (in reply to BRichardson5) Post #: 18

RE: Big Dump in Ravine - 6/27/2004 1:48:03 AM    BRichardson5   Posts: 378 Joined: 8/29/2003 From: Pacific Northwest Status: offline I've actually come across quite a few of those porcelain marrets in my dig. The sewing machine is made of heavy metal- there actually is a metal tag on it that is made of an anti-corrosive material, because it says the name brand along with a picture of a man. I'll take a pic of the tag and post it- I can then see from the name if it is collectable, etc. Thanks for the heads up- I'll be sure to keep an eye out for possible collectors items. I have found two license plates (Oklahoma & Washington State).. are these collectible too? (in reply to BRichardson5) Post #: 19

RE: Big Dump in Ravine - 6/27/2004 4:12:39 AM    leebran20 Posts: 84 Joined: 2/18/2004 From: Honolulu, Hawaii Status: offline License plates are most definitely collectibles. We just had our annual bottle show and sale this weekend, and my partner -- who's also a dealer with his own store -- dropped over 2 grand on about 30-40 plates because they were in good condition from collectible years, many of them pairs and with the same number spread over several years, and also because he knows he can easily turn them around for at least double. Dug ones are harder to find in as nice condition, but he and I still keep our better ones and they can still fetch more than a few dollars at times too if the right year. _____________________________ Brandon "In Mud We Must" (in reply to BRichardson5) Post #: 20

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