What's the deal, why all but worthless?!

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new2bottles

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What are these worth, $2 or $3 apiece? What?! Are you kidding me?! WHY?! I know that I could put them on eBay for BIN $10 and they would just sit there! They are old, they are gorgeous, they are Americana, they are not everywhere you look! So, why, tell me why they're all but worthless. Don't rich people collect old sodas? Just the poor? Is this the answer?
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BottleDragon

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I know how you feel. There's not a lot of money in this hobby, except for certain rare bottles. It's just simply supply and demand, because there are so few people who collect this stuff.

I think the average person looks at an old bottle and just doesn't care. Bottles were considered trash once they were empty, so how much could they possibly be worth? People may be mildly curious or even attracted to the design or colour, but not enough to open their wallets.

Collecting old stuff is a bit of a niche interest, and bottles have no utility, unlike a classic car or something of that nature. That's the kind of thing rich people spend their money on - classic cars, expensive art, very old artifacts, pottery, etc.

Most regular people only want everything new. Anything old or out of style goes to the thrift store or into the garbage. They won't hesitate to replace their smartphone every two years whether or not it still works perfectly. They renovate their kitchen because it's "dated" after 15 years - lol.
 

nhpharm

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eBay is a killer on these types of bottles because they are $10 bottles for the most part. Since shipping is $10 on these, they are a hard sell. I like them and local ones always sell well at the bottles shows when I bring them...
 

new2bottles

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eBay is a killer on these types of bottles because they are $10 bottles for the most part. Since shipping is $10 on these, they are a hard sell. I like them and local ones always sell well at the bottles shows when I bring them...
But that's the question, why are they so cheap that it often costs more to send them?! IMO, people are stupid for not buying because they cost just as much to ship. They're still a bargain! Would they sell better if they cost $100 and shipping was still just ten bucks? Probably! I give up. smh
 

Robby Raccoon

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The art-deco genre isn't at its height anymore, in bottle collecting. Historical flasks and scarcer bitters are the popular genres of today. The monetary value is assigned only by a limited supply with a great demand. Art deco bottles have a high supply and a low demand. Thus, they're not worth much, monetarily.
 
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RCO

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its often the high shipping costs as to why bottles don't sell online . although some sellers also dream up unrealistic prices and that might also be why they don't sell

these sorts of bottles sell better at antique malls or flea markets and often go for $5 - $10 or maybe a bit more if harder to find
 

nhpharm

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Unfortunately, a lot of these Deco sodas survived, so the supply is high on them. And of course we are talking generically here, as there are some Deco sodas that bring big money. Nonetheless, run of the mill Deco sodas are like run of the mill ACL's in that supply will exceed demand for the foreseeable future, keeping values down. If they are cheap enough, people will buy them because they are attractive and not worry about whether or not it is a good investment.
 

iggyworf

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I like them all, but have to agree with everyone's thoughts on them. Too bad. I have many, many soda bottles that most people would toss out.
 

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