Excited!

[pinxbinx]

I haven't been on in a while because most of the bottles I'm finding are 70's era and though they are new to me, so they are nice, you guys have been there and aren't looking back, lol. You guys find all of these really old and really cool bottles that I cannot even compare mine too.

I'm really excited though because a guy is giving me some bottles for free! I cannot wait until I get them so I can post pictures, but I will finally have some bottles I think I can proudly share with all of you! I also found a bottle today I may go back and get. It was tiny and only a dollar. I only passed it up because it was amber and I was short on cash. I really liked it though and may go back for it. I don't really know anything about it. I'm just really excited that a stranger is being so kind and I'll finally have "real" bottles for my collection. I know it isn't nearly as satisfying as finding them and digging them up, but I'm excited if you cannot tell! I did buy two cobalt colored bottles today for $3 total. Not sure if it was a good or a bad deal, but I'm doing my bathroom in shades of blue, so I figured they were worth what I was willing to pay.

Oh, I did find another cobalt one in my yard. This time it looks like a pill bottle. Again, I'm pretty sure it is 70's era though so nothing spectacular, but come on, there is something about those bright blue bottles that call my name!

 

[Plumbata]

We all started somewhere, and even though many here won't get excited about 60s-70s bottles, it is the interest and passion that is most important.

When I dug my first dump, back in 4th grade while hanging out at a good friends house (dump was behind the house) everything was late 1940s-50s. Found some coins and valuable non-bottle items (including gold-wired dentures) but the bottles were pretty much utter crap. We had a blast sifting through the history though, and the screw-top common bottles i carted home were a real treasure to me back then.

And even though the best ones may have only been worth a few bucks, the memories they provided were, in my young personal reality, real treasures. More as a result of the experiences than the actual glass items, but the memories one associates with such things are 100% real. Some diggers/collectors are very jaded and focus on only the rarest and most valuable items, so if they find some attractive but common 1890s bottle it might as well be as if they found a bottle of beer they consumed the night before in a pizza box they are cleaning off their coffee table.

Anyway, you shouldn't be worried about getting judged; what makes you happy is most important. The bottles might not be very valuable in the open market, but the happiness and satisfaction they provide you is what truly matters, because those great memories and happiness are the only things we can take with us at the end of our days. Post the stories of discovery and learning, not just the glass alone, and everyone will be able to relate. []

 

[pinxbinx]

Thank you! I take my kids with me, but my son just likes to go for the nature walk. He's only 7 though. My daughter is 10 and absolutely loves going with me. She gets so excited when she finds a bottle we haven't seen. We found a glass Aunt Jemima bottle with the head missing and she was heart broken. The next time we went back, we found another with nothing wrong and of course she stuck it in her bag and brought it back to the house.

 

[Plumbata]

That sounds great Pinx; experiences like that spent with your loved ones are just about priceless. The bottles might not sell for much on ebay or elsewhere, but such bubbling excitement and happiness and lifelong glowingly positive memories can't be purchased for a million bucks.

As I said, feel free to post the discoveries you and your daughter and son have made, but please include a story about the hunt and thrills of discovery. I was 10 (4th grade) when my friend and I started digging in the ravine behind his house, and i still remember audiovisual snippets of our excursions like it was just yesterday. That was 15 years ago. What you are trying to expose your children to is a wonderful and beautiful thing, and it doesn't matter if you come out with pontiled bottles or bottles from 100 years later. I can say from personal experience that the memories would have been just as positive and unforgettable for me either way. []

Best of luck, and hopefully you find a great, untapped digging spot full of stuff older than all of your family members combined. Those spots are still out there, I tells ya! Regardless, best of luch and happy hunting. I'm sure that the cobalt blues you have (in addition to the nice pieces you posted which were had at a good price) make great decorative items in your home. Don't be shy and please post your finds!

 

[pinxbinx]

Thank you! I agree with you 100%. BTW, I think the bottle was actually Mrs. Buttersworth, lol. Anyway, I'll have to dig up a picture from our last adventure with her carrying her loot. When I find it, I'll post it.

Also, I collect wheat pennies just because of the memories I have of looking through my nana's collection when I was little. They are like small tokens of our past together. When I find a new one, I think of her. None of them are worth much more than the penny itself, but like you said, it is about something greater than money.