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willong

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Mold lines or "seams" can end before reaching the top on machine made examples of milk bottles dating after 1903. The tops were fire polished to elimate those lines that could possibly give bacteria a place to hide. Milk bottles are one of the rare exceptions to the mold line method of determining if a bottle was hand blown or not.

Thanks for that tidbit sandchip. While I am familiar with fire polishing, I never knew that it was applied to machine-made milk bottles in that manner.
 

willong

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Yerington Nevada...what I have posted is such a small number of what I have and I don't know how or where to start to figure this out...I have separated the bottles that the seam stops from the ones that the seam goes all the way to the top for example and I don't even know what that means or if those have any value...my father passed away about 4 months ago and before he passed he wanted to sell all the bottles and insulators and I kept him from doing it because I love them so much...there is a story with everyone of them...now tho, I am going to sell a large portion of them to help finance a trip back to Yerington and go out into the desert to spread his ashes...he always told me I need to take a solo adventure on my motorcycle before I get to old, and I think he would approve...there are a few I will never let go, even if it were to make me rich, or if it's worthless...

Welcome to the forum Dink1957; and condolences on the passing of your father.

Speaking for myself, I would welcome seeing additional examples of your bottles and insulators. Like RobbyBobby, I am more taken by the insulators I see, rather than the bottles that are apparent in your first photos posted. From what I observe so far, I would caution you not to get your hopes set too high on funding a trip from bottle sale proceeds. That said, I highly endorse your father's advice to make the journey.

I note your "Seattle area" location with interest. I am presently living in my late parent's home in Port Angeles. I have long desired to get back into bottle hunting and digging, a pastime that I enthusiastically pursued in 1970-71 before economic mandates took over my life. I want to add metal detecting to my dump-hunting methods, a resource I could not afford in my youth.

Judging from the "...1957" portion of your member moniker, I suspect you are nearly as old as I am. If you enjoy exploring the woods, mountains and deserts, and are still physically able to do so, and if you'd like to hunt for some possible digging sites therein, let me know.

Alternately, if probing backyards in older sections of NW communities in search of privy pits appeals to you, I'd be up for that if you have the personality and demeanor to knock on doors and ask permission. I've never been that guy myself; but I am fond of the research that discovers prospects; and I already have a trove of pertinent maps.*

I also have to make several trips through NV over the next year or two, could possibly work some bottle hunting into the itineraries if combining resources for such an adventure would appeal to you. I am tentatively planning a trip to the Cerro Gordo ghost town near Death Valley for September (I'm offering to trade some water delivery for access to the site). See: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEjBDKfrqQI4TgzT9YLNT8g
If able to make that trip, my route home to the Northwest is flexible.

* In 1971, I did do some urban digging in an old Seattle dump that was located on the shoreline of Union Bay near edge of the Washington Park Arboretum. Back then, the city actually allowed the activity as long as people were responsible and considerate enough to back-fill their holes. Now, they have more tolerance for rioters than bottle diggers.
 

American

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The most interesting thing I see is that large aqua insulator on the top shelf, if that is an insulator. Need a close up of that.
 

Dink1957

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Welcome to the forum Dink1957; and condolences on the passing of your father.

Speaking for myself, I would welcome seeing additional examples of your bottles and insulators. Like RobbyBobby, I am more taken by the insulators I see, rather than the bottles that are apparent in your first photos posted. From what I observe so far, I would caution you not to get your hopes set too high on funding a trip from bottle sale proceeds. That said, I highly endorse your father's advice to make the journey.

I note your "Seattle area" location with interest. I am presently living in my late parent's home in Port Angeles. I have long desired to get back into bottle hunting and digging, a pastime that I enthusiastically pursued in 1970-71 before economic mandates took over my life. I want to add metal detecting to my dump-hunting methods, a resource I could not afford in my youth.

Judging from the "...1957" portion of your member moniker, I suspect you are nearly as old as I am. If you enjoy exploring the woods, mountains and deserts, and are still physically able to do so, and if you'd like to hunt for some possible digging sites therein, let me know.

Alternately, if probing backyards in older sections of NW communities in search of privy pits appeals to you, I'd be up for that if you have the personality and demeanor to knock on doors and ask permission. I've never been that guy myself; but I am fond of the research that discovers prospects; and I already have a trove of pertinent maps.*

I also have to make several trips through NV over the next year or two, could possibly work some bottle hunting into the itineraries if combining resources for such an adventure would appeal to you. I am tentatively planning a trip to the Cerro Gordo ghost town near Death Valley for September (I'm offering to trade some water delivery for access to the site). See: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEjBDKfrqQI4TgzT9YLNT8g
If able to make that trip, my route home to the Northwest is flexible.

* In 1971, I did do some urban digging in an old Seattle dump that was located on the shoreline of Union Bay near edge of the Washington Park Arboretum. Back then, the city actually allowed the activity as long as people were responsible and considerate enough to back-fill their holes. Now, they have more tolerance for rioters than bottle diggers.
That last line you wrote is so true!!! And very sad.... the name dink1957 is for my dad...when he was a little kid his dad called him dink and he was born in 1957...I was born 1987, which makes me 34...I do know better then to put to much hope in selling these bottles and insulators...I am curious as to why, in a bottle and insulator community that people are always more interested in the insulators they see...I always thought they were basically worthless and made for a good decoration in your house....I have so many insalators in my house and I literally have a pile of them outside...i am always up for any kind of adventure and metal detecting is something I have always wanted to do, but I haven't had the funds for a decent detector...when you were at the dump in 1971, I was still 16 years from being born!!!! Just giving you a hard time, but in all seriousness, I would love to do any of the things you mentioned...I am so tired of the way the world is now and getting out and doing something like that is such a good way to get away from it all...here are some pictures of the insalators
The most interesting thing I see is that large aqua insulator on the top shelf, if that is an insulator. Need a close up of that.
16178474358956243894855640354654.jpg
. I have so many insalators it's not even funny...I'm not sure which one you were talking about so I took a closer pic of them all...I asked some one else this question; why are the insalators more interesting then the bottles? Just curious
16178474358956243894855640354654.jpg
 

hemihampton

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To me the Bottles are more Interesting then the Insulators. I do like the Mickey Mouse Ear Insulators though. LEON.
 

Dink1957

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The most interesting thing I see is that large aqua insulator on the top shelf, if that is an insulator. Need a close up of that.
Hey I thought I sent you a reply with a picture of those insalators but somehow the reply I sent to someone else and the reply I was trying to send you was sent to "willong"...anyways, here it is againView attachment 222915View attachment 222915
 

willong

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.I am curious as to why, in a bottle and insulator community that people are always more interested in the insulators they see

Generally, I am more interested in bottles. Don't get me wrong, you might own some great and valuable bottles, but I have not seen them in your photos yet. To my eye, the photo you attached to your posting contained more insulators that looked like they might have value than it did bottles of similar quality.

I do believe some of your insulators are genuinely solarized, especially those gathered in the NV desert. That adds some interest and value, but it is scarcity of model and demand that drives value the most, as others here have already mentioned.

Good luck with all.
 

Dink1957

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Generally, I am more interested in bottles. Don't get me wrong, you might own some great and valuable bottles, but I have not seen them in your photos yet. To my eye, the photo you attached to your posting contained more insulators that looked like they might have value than it did bottles of similar quality.

I do believe some of your insulators are genuinely solarized, especially those gathered in the NV desert. That adds some interest and value, but it is scarcity of model and demand that drives value the most, as others here have already mentioned.

Good luck with all.
I wish I had the knowledge you and the others have... even just common sense knowledge such as the last reply you sent...if I got a dollar for each insulator and bottle I have, then I would be close to financing my trip ...I really appreciate you taking your time with me, because you could have been doing something else more important...just for kicks, here is another small group of bottles
16178706237686486574943825155682.jpg
16178706845575643509850926212872.jpg
 

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