Book Updates?

[rando]

Hello Gang,
I was wondering or does anyone know if anybody out there in bottle world plan on re-doing the Covils ink or McKearin/Wilson flask books?? You can't tell me that there isn't more people collecting now then when these books were first printed. So i cannot see there not being a market for them, especially the prices some are fetching. The poison crowd uses the Kuhn numbers, do the inkers all use Covil's number system?? You have to admit the McKearin/Wilson book is informative as hell but horrible in the pic department. In a hobby such as this how can you not have nice color pics? Just wanted to see what anyone elses take is on it.
Randy

 

[GuntherHess]

I hate bottle books with no color pics.[]

 

[bearswede]

I hate bottle books with no color pics.

Me too! That "American Antique Medicine Bottles" price guide by that Matt Knapp guy would be sooo much nicer with color pics... Maybe next year... ROR!

 

[saratogadriver]

Ed and Lucy Faulkner have done a new Ink Bottle book. Here's the link to their website.

http://home.comcast.net/~edandlucy1/For_Sale.html

It is VERY difficult to get a book published these days, so for marginal hobbiests like all of us, self published books are probably going to be the norm. Their book isn't a catalogue of types, but it IS a nice source for information about the companies. Lots of excellent research, and some really wonderful color photos of bottles.

And yes, as far as Inks go, Covill's numbering system is most universally accepted. However, he owned in the days before ebay, so much of what he has pics of is eastern in nature. I find that he's weak on the mid-western and western inks.

Jim G

 

[daeldred]

My brother has this book. It is a great reference book for inks. It doesn't get into values, if I remember correctly. Values are so very subjective. Putting a value on bottles is very hard. So, having to update a book every so often is very cost prohibited. GunterHess' Medicine bottle CD is the way to go. It is easy to update and cheap, relatively, at $15. But, it does has its draw backs sucha as being easy to duplicate.

 

[saratogadriver]

I've never been a big fan of the "value" books. They are so seldom anywhere near accurate. A bottle is worth what someone will pay for it. One stoddard Green Mt. Renovator will sell on ebay for 2500, then a month later a virtually identical renovator will sell for 4000. Who'se to say what it's worth? I follow the on-line auctions and fleabay, and generally have an idea what I think a particular bottle is worth (usually about 1/2 what it sells for...) I like the catalogue books like Covill as they give us all a frame of reference. If we say it's Covill illustration 53, we can go look it up and see what it is.

Jim G

 

[daeldred]

I totally agree. If someone collects medicines from thier hometown, they will almost always pay more for a bottle that they need to complete thier collection. While someone from across the country could care less. For example: if I saw an amber druggist from my home town that I needed for my collection I would be capable of paying up to twice as much to get it. Value is a very relative term.

 

[rando]

I have the Faulkners book on inks, excellent book but if it would use the Covil number it would be even better to categorize and i-d them. I am not looking for prices, just something to i-d a bottle. The insulator gang use the Consolidate Design(Cd) system for i-d'ing and grouping. The flask's already have the G numbers just need them in color and in their respective categories.