Dr Kaufmann's vegetable pills & Spout bottle

[Robby Raccoon]

Mainly I deal in labeled antique bottles. Had I the labeled one to sell, I'd put $5 on it if on an online auction, as I'd expect shipping to be about $3.

If you have any paper-label bottles, I'd love to see them as I'm always interested in adding more to my collection, though I'm peculiar in what I purchase.

All date between 1840 (on the brick behind the main display) to the 1910s in the photo above. I keep them in a cabinet so they do not fade in the light, get extra water protection, and have a chance of escaping smoke-damage in case of fire.

 

[Kathi Groh]

Thank you for your input!! Well, I do have quite a few with labels on them. Lash's Bitters, Zoeller's, some brewing bottles, medicine bottles, etc. I am working my way through 500 bottles! It looks like you are a serious collector, like my father was.

 

[Robby Raccoon]

In General, a bottle with a seam going up to the top of the lip is after 1915, usually at the start of Prohibition to now. If it lacks a seam up to the top, it's almost certainly before 1920 and often before Prohibition. The lacking of a seam is because a man or boy had to finish off the top by hand.
With labels one must be careful. People for the last 30 or so years have been slapping old labels (or reproduction labels) on old bottles and then selling them as original. If the label looks perfect, or if the bottle has white staining (mineralisation) in it, the label may not be original. Only one in my collection had fooled me when I made my purchase; since, I've made a heavy study of them (originals and repros and how they appear on bottles).

 

[Kathi Groh]

I have learned through this forum the concept of reproductions. My father passed many years ago, he had his bottle collection packed away for a long time prior to that, and he was an avid collector. He learned from an expert. (would go on digs, etc) I feel pretty confident, that nothing in my collection is a reproduction, but I guess I can't say for 100% sure. I will be careful, for sure!!

 

[Robby Raccoon]

While the modern bottle hobby came out in 1958, reproductions of historical flasks have been made since the 1930s, and commemorative and decorative bottles based off other bottles were made before that even. The 1960s to now has seen many decent and poor reproductions made. Wheaton made many miniatures of historic bottles. The bottles so far posted are all originals as far as I can tell. I mentioned Doug LeyBourne's book as he gave us a presentation at our club one day, and it was on reproduction jars. He has repros and originals in his book. Many of the jars are made from moulds identical to original examples. So too with some bottles today.

Good luck.

 

[Kathi Groh]

Oh my gosh!! Well, then that's another thing I will have to be really cognitive of! Although, I wouldn't know a reproduction from a "real" bottle anyways! lol

 

[Robby Raccoon]

I won't even comment on historical flasks unless the falseness is obvious. Some even fool authorities on the subject. If it's worth the money, people will make fakes.

 

[hemihampton]

Do you have any old beer cans? Curious as many rare beer cans come from Pennsylvania. Let me know. THANKS, LEON.

 

[Kathi Groh]

My brother has a huge beer can collection that he started collecting when he was very young. Not sure if he would be interested in selling any of them, but I can ask him!

 

[hemihampton]

I pay good money, Top dollar for certain rare cans. For example. for a mint Bushkill J-spout cone top from Easton Pa. I'd pay $5,000.00 for. $10,000.00 for a mint Old German cone top from Phillipsburg PA. Pic of 2 rusty Bushkills below. LEON.


P.S. Same for a Class can from Philidelphia.