I hope someone out there can help me

[VaChick]

Help! I’m overwhelmed with my parents’ bottle collection. They had hundreds of all kinds. I NEED to sell some as the boxes have overtaken my house! Is there a service that can come in, and help me value them so I can sell them for a reasonable price?

My Mom just moved to a nursing home and I recently was laid off (yeh for outsourcing![]) so I lack time and really need the money. But, shoot, I hate parting with them, some are just so interesting and beautiful. I’m in a quandry!!!!

I live in Colonial Beach, 40 miles from Fredericksburg, Va and it looks like the closest bottle club is in DC, 60 miles away. Yuck, it took a moving van to get them here, and I can't stand the idea of taking them someplace to get appraised.

Any help is appreciated. I attached a sample picture to show you a teeny part of what I'm dealing with.

 

[bottlenutboy]

you can put them up here and get a general consensus on their value because there are quite a few very experienced and long time collectors on the forum, Also, you can sell them here too we have a section specifically for that purpose. in my opinion you will get more out of them if you sell them separately but you will have to keep them longer...quite the quandry if you are pressed for time.... best of luck to you!

 

[epgorge]

Yes put ot pictures and describe any embossments. Unusual colors or pontil bottoms are other things to look for. Any medicines or apothecaries with embossments on them are of interest to most.

Also include the size of the bottle when asking information, as there could have been several sizes in any variety. The neck and lip is important when vizualizing for age. Try to provide pictures of the top and the side seams.

Welcome and good luck.

 

[bottlenutboy]

that is some great advise joel! now if only we could get all the new people to do that things would run smoothly all the time

 

[VaChick]

Thanks all of you! I made up a little site with, so far 5 unknown bottles, it's at Bredland's bottles. If you send comments about the bottles, I'll post them on the individual bottle page, or if you want, I can post any comments here. I'll also try to add about 5 more bottles each week.

Oh, yeah, another question -- what do you-all do with bottles you don't want, and can't sell?

Again, thanks
Drue

 

[zanes_antiques]

I like Pharmacy and Druggist Bottles....They look like medicines. Can I see a list and photos?

 

[Tony14]

I like that extract bottle!

 

[bottlenutboy]

what do you do with bottles you dont want and cant sell?

i keep them until i find someone who likes them and give them away....or you could find a dump and bury them somewhere for someone else to find later...i was going to do that but i havent gotten around to it yet

what do you want for that portners malt extract bottle? it is very pretty and i would like it if the "price is right"

great site you have going keep up the good work!

 

[LC]

This is a little off the path as to what you fellows are discussing, but I just had an embarrassing memory pop into my head. When I first got the Bottle Bug, I was bringing home everything but the dirt I dug.
A friend of my partially responsible for getting me hooked on this hobby stopped by one day for a chat. I made it a point to make him check out the bottles I had been finding, and asked him what he thought of them. His answer was, Well, my advice would be to take them back where you found them and throw them back. Needless to say, that was an embarrassing moment for me. The fact of the matter is though, that I actually did attempt to give them away, and never did find one taker! And I actually did take them back to the place I found them and threw them back..... That was thirty years ago, I would say some of them are probably worth a little bit of money now.................

 

[VaChick]

Zanes_antiques -- I have a little site with bottles I haven't been able to find any kind of value, and any comments are their possible worth is greatly appreciated:
http://www.1stchoiceofficeextra.com/bredlands/default.htm
I'll add new ones when I can. But, as I mentioned, there are hundreds -- most still in unopened boxes. So no list. Besides, it's way more fun to take pictures and play around with the website!

I will be posting some questions to the pre-1900 forum soon just to get some more comments.

And, thanks for your interest!

VaChk