I have been told by a couple people now that they'd prefer a dirty bottle to a clean one. Are these people crazy or is it just that way to some people ?
I just wash off my bottles after I dig them.But by the bottle tumblers standards they are dirty [8D] I like them a little hazy and (not perfect) like they where made.
Bottles as is beauty ....are in the eye of the beholder. I know boring comment but it holds. Regarding the, too clean is not good, some folks esp with the older bottles/flask want to see the base wear & patina of the bottle. They dont want it too look like it was just blown. But in an over all view many of the post TOC bottles look better cleaned and/or tumbled. Just a thought.
Madpaddla
Crazy as charged[] I like some bottles tumbled and others not.More often than not,I will chose not to clean my better bottles I dig if they display nicely even if covered in haze.I see tons of bottles at shows and on ebay I would never own because they have been tumbled to death and look like melted plastic.If I wanted that look I'd collect modern glass or repros.The eye of the beholder is varied,but once character has been removed it can't be returned.
I agree that over cleaned bottles don't look good to the eye or feel right in the hand. Since tumbling bottles has become so mainstream in the hobby more and more people are starting to look at it as altering the bottle rather then restoring it to its orginal condition. I feel most pre 1870s bottles look better with some stain or haze to show their age where as the turn of the century stuff looks better clean and shiny. I think it has to do with the quality of the glass.
i clean most of the bottles i dig, i believe that a cleaned bottle shows its true potential,
i also agree that bottles can be over cleaned, it is up to the collector to decide what he or she likes best. everybody has their own opinion [][]