WesternPA-collector
Well-Known Member
Nice set of bottles there. Embossing really makes all the difference and gives them more character.
Hey RCO have you been to a bottle show recently? Have you noticed that prices have skyrocketed to ridiculous amounts? It's been a couple years since I made it to an Ontario show, but I went to the Longueuil show today and I came away with almost nothing except for postcards and bottle caps. It seems like prices for lower-end bottles have increased by 1000% over the past couple years, and that's not hyperbole. People were asking $10 for slicks and common meds, and $75 for ABM sodas that cost $5-10 at the last Ottawa show I went to. Last year's Longueuil show was pricey but not like this. I only came away with two ACL Quebec sodas from a cheap bottle box - one of only two such boxes in the entire show. Granted, there were some other cheaper offerings here and there, but still at the sort of prices that I would have considered on the pricey side not that long ago.
If they actually were selling for those prices I'd rent myself a table at the next show and cash in. I'd be sitting on a gold mine in that case. But I didn't see the stock on the tables decreasing much at all as the show went on. Maybe there just aren't many collectors interested in unloading things in Montreal. Ottawa always had some collectors looking to get rid of stuff. It's so strange, antique stores are closing down and people are worried about the death of the hobby, but around here the supply of cheap antiques has dried up almost completely over the last five years. I don't know what's going on. Standard market economics do not seem to be at play here.
Antique Mall to close at end of September
The Strathroy Antique Mall will close their doors at the end of September, once again putting the fate of the once-popular downtown building in limbo.
https://www.strathroyagedispatch.com/news/local-news/antique-mall-to-close-at-end-of-september
I find it interesting that declining sales are one reason the Strathroy mall is closing. I used to regularly check this mall's online postings and whenever I wanted something, I'd contact the mall operators about buying said items, shipping terms, etc. Out of around a dozen inquiries, I got one response and that was months later after that particular dealer pulled out of the mall. I've heard similar tales from other collectors of bottles and other things. Yes, I realize a few missed sales here and there may not add up to a huge amount of dough, but I think the poor response rate indicates the mall's management wasn't as aggressive for sales as other malls are. As far as I'm concerned, a retailer should do whatever it reasonably takes to make a sale, no matter how big or small.