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

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new2bottles

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IF I had dug/found that row of Deco Sodas, I'd certainly think it was a fantastic day! Just that green one towards the right would make my day. I think those would sell pretty easy at a sale or flea market.
They would sell easily. The question is for how much? For $2.50 or $25?
 

new2bottles

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I've decided that low prices are mainly due to low demand, not high supply. Of those pictured, none are common, especially in this condition. As throw away items, that's what happened. So maybe you'll dig them, but then they don't look like this. People just don't appreciate them, which is very surprising. Isn't there just loads of nostalgia associated with them? I would have thought so, much more than bitters. Collecting is in something of a rut when something so nostalgic and visually interesting and satisfying gets a ho-hum.
 

new2bottles

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Here are some more beauties, a set that contains a case in point. The Red Bud, Ill. bottle was just $2! The others cost at least $7.50, but I was probably the only bidder, i.e., they are not worth that to some other people. Hopefully, they are all experienced collectors who passed on the opportunity because they already own one. The silver lining though is that I'm buying nice bottles cheap. Yes, the price often doubles with shipping, but they're still cheap if you ask me.
 

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RCO

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in my opinion , bottle collecting shouldn't really be about the money , there needs to be a certain amount of passion and self interest . especially when your collecting items that aren't overly valuable . as often a collector could spend the entire day digging a dump and only find broken worthless bottles , yet they still had fun

there is other collectables which are obviously worth more money , few examples would be coin collecting . there is coins which are worth considerable money . or antique firearms , there is older firearms that can be worth thousands , although the market may be shrinking as mostly older buyers who remember watching western movies fuel that market



I've seen some art deco's / embossed bottles go for bigger money but mostly only cause a local collector wanted something that was really hard to find and from a specific town or city
 

shotdwn

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I agree with RCO. If you see collecting anything, other than extremely rare coins or paintings, as an investment chance are you are going to be disappointed. Collecting should be looked at as something you do because you enjoy it. It should be more about the fun of finding a new piece for your collection and the people you meet.
 

UncleBruce

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Why do you worry about value? No one appreciates the type of bottles I collect and I still love them and the history behind them. I have never been sad that others do not appreciate them and a large part of the time it makes it easy for me to acquire them as no one else wants them. I enjoy the hobby for the people in it and the friendships that can be gained. Collect what you like and like what you collect. Bottles are made of glass which in itself makes them pretty much worthless anyway. Friends... are priceless.
 

SODABOB

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A couple of questions to ask that might shed some light on the subject are ...

1. What are the top three most sought after Deco* soda bottles?
2. What is it about those top three bottles that makes them so popular?

*The reason I highlighted the word 'Deco' is because the glass companies who made that type of bottle referred to them as 'Decorated' bottles. They also used the term 'Decoration Department' that referred to the area of the glass factory where the bottles were made. At some point I will share a few documents from the 1920s and 1930s that will confirm the use of those terms.
 
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SODABOB

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P,S,

For those who are not already familiar with it, this link is to a website that has a lot of interesting patent images and information about Deco / Decorated / Designer soda bottles. Maybe it will assist us in determining which bottles are the most sought after. After accessing the site just click on any image to expand it ...


https://bottlebooks.com/Designer Sodas/designer_soda_bottles.htm
 
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WesternPA-collector

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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?
View attachment 186374
Everyone who responded pretty much summed it up. The "community" of bottle collectors is shrinking. I will refer to the song "You can go your own way" by Fleetwood Mac. Art-deco might have fallen out of favor with most but the important thing is collecting what YOU enjoy. I do love the art-deco bottles myself because they look great in sunlight or backlit. I have yet to find any of the bottles in your photo and would love to someday. I don't want to paint a broad picture of everyone but for the most part the Millennials or Generation Z do only want new stuff. Vintage things are considered clutter to them or even junk. Just try to think of it this way. When you save these old bottles you are taking care of the past. We can only hope that someday our bottles eventually make it to a museum after we are gone. Or at least a historical society.
 

WesternPA-collector

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Here are some more beauties, a set that contains a case in point. The Red Bud, Ill. bottle was just $2! The others cost at least $7.50, but I was probably the only bidder, i.e., they are not worth that to some other people. Hopefully, they are all experienced collectors who passed on the opportunity because they already own one. The silver lining though is that I'm buying nice bottles cheap. Yes, the price often doubles with shipping, but they're still cheap if you ask me.
Also a way to avoid the high shipping prices is to find one seller who has a lot of bottles and then buy a bunch of bottles from them in one transaction. Usually they will bundle them and you'll get a huge discount on shipping because they can use Priority Flat Rate.
 

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