bottle books

[Lineman3]

I'm new to bottle collecting and I would like to know what books can I get to help me learn more about the hobby.

Dom C.

 

[Poison_Us]

What bottles do you collect or are interested in collecting?
There are many books out there, but most are written around a particular style or category of bottle.

 

[RED Matthews]

Hello Lineman3; A good place to start regarding books is to go to my homepage and review the list of books that I have recommended. There are lots of books and I have tried to explain some of the things that are covered in my favorites. Your specific interest is what you have to establish; whether it is relative to a specific type of bottle, or a particular forming era of bottle making, or what ever is your main interest. If you read about my life of glass interest and experience you will get some idea of what I am most interested. Since retirement, I have concentrated on how glass items and bottles were made before 1900. Since that date, I have had a lot of exposure as to how things were made. Please go to:

 

[saratogadriver]

If you are going to collect American Bottles, one of the bibles is "American Bottles and Flasks and their Ancestry" by Helen McKearin and Ken Wilson. But, for a new collector, it's a bit like trying to drink from a fire hose. LOTS of information.

You might want to poke around on ebay and look at something like one of the Kovel's books. Just take all price listings with a shaker of salt. You want some basic stuff. You can also consider going to a bottle show, and asking questions. Most dealers are probably better sources of basic information than the books.

Jim G

 

[Recovering Relics]

Antique Trader Bottles Identification & Price Guide by Michael Polak is a great book. It really helped me out when I first started. Good luck!

 

[Lineman3]

Thank you all for your help. Now comes the hard part trying deside what type to collect.

Thanks agian
Dom C.

 

[RED Matthews]

Hi again Lineman3; I just ran into this thread and decided to add another comment or suggestion. One of the early books I bought was very good at telling what type of books I would enjoy collecting. It was "The Illustrated Guide To COLLECTING BOTTLES" by Cecil Munsey. It is well worth obtaining, but then so are the others on my homepage, for the reasons I tried to explain.

I happen to have a third copy of Munsey's book that I would sell to you for $ 40 +5 for shipping media mail. Clarence RED Matthews

 

[cowseatmaize]

Check out this web site by the BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT. BLM Historic Bottle Homepage . I bit hard to navigate but a great place to start.

 

[surfaceone]

Hello Dominick,

There's a lotta avenues for learning about old glass. Books are one of the best. I don't know where your interests lie, so I'm gonna try and stay general:

"Ketchup Pickles Sauces 19th Century Food in Glass

by Betty Zumwalt

Full-color hardbound 480 pages. Includes historical background and loads of early photos of both the bottles and other go-withs. For those who have collected bottles over the years, they know that Betty Zumwalt has been a premiere contributor to the hobby, almost in a league of her own. Her first book she wrote with her husband, Bill Wilson, was called Spirit Bottles of the Old West and set the standard for western collectors and their pursuit of western spirit bottles. Next came Western Bitters and a couple years later, 19th Century Medicine in Glass. Today, over 30 years later, those three books are a highly sought after collectors item and can sell in the hundreds of dollars. With Ketchup Pickles Sauces, Zumwalt has captured the essence of this area of collecting the way she did in her earlier works, with superb historical information and well written descriptions and informative photographs. Another must have for the bottle enthusiast, when you find a pickle or food bottle you haven't seen, there's only one place to look it up. Includes their star rating system, which to this day has been an invaluable measuring tool to judge rarity and value. First printed in 1980, here's a book that has stood the test of time. Order from Mark West Publishers P.O. Box 914 Sandpoint, ID 83864."

"The Collector's Guide to Old Fruit Jars 9 (There is now Redbook 10)

by Douglas M. Leybourne, Jr.

Color covers 422 pages with black and white drawings and descriptions. For those who collect fruit jars, they know they wouldn't be without the "Redbook". In its ninth printing, Leybourne has managed to assemble a reference guide unequaled by anything on the market. While still finding a new variant now and then, it's a certainty that this book has almost every fruit jar ever made listed. A wonderful area of collecting, here's the Bible for fruit jar collectors. Available from Douglas Leybourne Jr. P.O. Box 5417 North Muskegon, MI 49445 (231) 744-2003."

"Antique Glass Bottles Their History and Evolution (1500-1850)

by Willy Van den Bossche

Full-color cover with 440 pages. Includes pictures of almost every bottle in full-color. Certainly one of the best books on bottles to every come out, Van den Bossche has outdone himself with the first major comprehensive book on the history and evolution of antique glass made from 1500 to 1850. There are over 770 color photographs all done with exquisite taste and professionalism. It also includes a bibliography on glass bottles with over 1,150 listings, unsurpassed to date. A true work of art and a book which no serious collector should be without. To order, contact Market Street Industrial Park Wappingers' Falls, NY 12590 (845) 297-0003." From.

"ISBN-0-8407-4318-1
Publisher: Thomas Nelson Inc

An extremely interesting book on what one might think to be a dull subject, we only recently acquired this book from Mitty Leroux Heynes and find it invaluable as it pictures the emblems, logo's, lettering and numbers found on the bottoms of bottles and gives dates and history on each factory." From.

"A large format book with 96 pages and over 100 photos and drawings of bottles from the Civil War period. Also chapters on 'Tips on Digging Civil War Glass'; 'Survival Rate'; 'The Glass Industry and Its Products'; 'Related go-withs', etc. Over 550 bottles described and priced!
Mike Russell is a known authority on the subject on Civil War artifacts and has been involved in bottle collection and research for over 20 years.
Price: $16.95" From.

"The Bottle Book [Paperback]
Richard E. Fike (Author)" From.

These oughta keep you readin for a bit. There's a plethora of additional books, specialty books, State Bottle books, etc. that you may wanna look into later.

 

[Lineman3]

Red thank you for the offer but I must say no but if I change my mind I will contact you.

Dom C.