Bixby Bill
Well-Known Member
This is associated with my post about doing a major weeding out of my Bixby bottles because I can`t find a major show here in the northeast to display them at, for me if others can`t see what you have when a collection reaches a certain point, then it`s time to just keep it for your own enjoyment. After collecting Bixbys for 35 years, I`ve collected every color, shade, mold styles and variants along with a wealth of boxes, advertising, tins, and I believe every trade card that Bixby used for their products. My dream was always to do a display of them at a major show in the northeast, but I was turned down twice at Baltimore, and last Sept. I contacted Michael George about displaying at the upcoming national show. He was happy to have me want to display there, and had me thinking that my display would be welcome.
Then this past winter and spring I emailed him to confirm it and to see about the space restrictions and electricity, and he wouldn`t answer them. I sold him an emerald green stubby on eBay, he was quick enough to try to get it cheaper and buy it from me, I also reminded him then about my wanting to display, but he wouldn`t respond to that. I feel that because I`m not in the upper clique of bottle people and can`t throw thousands of dollars around when I see something I want, that I`m not worth bothering with. Who`d want to see lowly Bixby bottles anyway? There is a small handfull of collectors who seem to feel that they are above everyone else here in the northeast, who I used to be able to chat with but now they won`t even say hello. That is, unless one of us "lowly" collectors get something really good that they can make money on, then they are your best friend and will do you a favor by offering you "top dollar" for the bottle to put in their collection, when in the end they would be selling it for twice what they offered you.
This isn`t pointed at everyone, just a very few whom I know, although I`m sure that they are all over the country. If this rant gets you p____ed off, then good, you are probably one of the ones I`m ranting about.
I`ve decided to just collect the Bixbys for my own enjoyment, and no more display hopes for me, except at our local club own in Enfield, CT. My wife and I have a small farm here in Western Mass. that we are busy building up to be a profitable venture, so I don`t have the time to devote to bottles like I used to. I`ll still be chasing the better Bixby things along with CT made utility bottles (what, someone collects shoe polish bottles who might be knowledgeable about CT glass? Impossible!). I hope the guys, and girls, whom I`ve met through this column won`t get upset by this, and you`ll still see me here as time permits.
I`ll be working on continuing my previous post on Bixby bottles too, hopefully this week. I want to get what I know about them out there for everyone, at least those on this forum anyways.
Then this past winter and spring I emailed him to confirm it and to see about the space restrictions and electricity, and he wouldn`t answer them. I sold him an emerald green stubby on eBay, he was quick enough to try to get it cheaper and buy it from me, I also reminded him then about my wanting to display, but he wouldn`t respond to that. I feel that because I`m not in the upper clique of bottle people and can`t throw thousands of dollars around when I see something I want, that I`m not worth bothering with. Who`d want to see lowly Bixby bottles anyway? There is a small handfull of collectors who seem to feel that they are above everyone else here in the northeast, who I used to be able to chat with but now they won`t even say hello. That is, unless one of us "lowly" collectors get something really good that they can make money on, then they are your best friend and will do you a favor by offering you "top dollar" for the bottle to put in their collection, when in the end they would be selling it for twice what they offered you.
This isn`t pointed at everyone, just a very few whom I know, although I`m sure that they are all over the country. If this rant gets you p____ed off, then good, you are probably one of the ones I`m ranting about.
I`ve decided to just collect the Bixbys for my own enjoyment, and no more display hopes for me, except at our local club own in Enfield, CT. My wife and I have a small farm here in Western Mass. that we are busy building up to be a profitable venture, so I don`t have the time to devote to bottles like I used to. I`ll still be chasing the better Bixby things along with CT made utility bottles (what, someone collects shoe polish bottles who might be knowledgeable about CT glass? Impossible!). I hope the guys, and girls, whom I`ve met through this column won`t get upset by this, and you`ll still see me here as time permits.
I`ll be working on continuing my previous post on Bixby bottles too, hopefully this week. I want to get what I know about them out there for everyone, at least those on this forum anyways.