Need help with value of ACL bottles I found

[SODAPOPBOB]

P.S. Notice that both ads are promoting the 28 ounce bottle with screw caps. They also mention cans. But no 10, 12, or 16 ounce bottles. ???

 

[BullGill]

I see, my bottles acl label is based on the Johnsonburg paper label. You can tell that the logo used in the add is taken from photo copied paper label because it says 28 fl oz at the bottom. "Where are all of the other Canada Dry label bottles?" Good question, also I have not seen a Canada Dry paper label outside of those adds. My guess is simply that not many survived, there have to be more out there undiscovered sitting in a box.

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Because the two 1972 ads show the 28 ounce label depicting the Canada Dry logo, I am confident the family size bottles sold at that time carried that label. That's why they included the image in their advertisement so consumers would recognize the brand on sight. Of course, finding such a bottle is a horse of a different color. But even if we did find one, that still doesn't explain the Canada Dry label on a 1976 acl bottle. Especially when you take into account they were producing 16 ounce bottles with the mug label as early as 1974. The only thing I can think of to explain the 1976 Canada Dry label is they were experimenting with a new label for a limited time in a limited market but decided against it for some reason, possibly because consumers were already accustomed to the mug label by that time, so they dropped the idea and continued with their standard label with the mug. As for that test market area being in Canada, I can find no evidence that Barrelhead Root Beer was ever sold in Canada at any time.

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

P.S. If in fact it was a test-market label, it could be they distributed it for only a few months. And then after realizing the experiment had failed, they recalled the bottles and/or asked their dealers to destroy them so they wouldn't get recirculated. If this was the case, it would explain why we have been unable to find any survivors - its because the majority of them were destroyed. ?

 

[BullGill]

That is what I am going with, that is where all of the evidence points to. If it were dated 1972 it would be case closed but the 1976 date indicates a very brief production because we can't find any like it. I am still wondering where all the Canada Dry paper labels are, maybe none survived being paper and all. At any rate it seems finding any Barrelhead with the Canada Dry label is next to impossible let alone finding one from 1976. I am glad I picked up that box of bottles! I am going to try and contact the individual who sold these to me and try to find out where he got them from. I imagine he got them from an estate sale because on the side of the 7-up box it says SAVE. I bet this was somebodies collection that was sold off at an estate sale for less than $1 per bottle and then sold to me for $1 per bottle.

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

This link will open to a newspaper archives which list 10,917,308 results for Barrelhead Root Beer. Its not the site I'm subscribed to but is similar and will give you an idea how time consuming such searches can be. It will only show a snippet view of each listing and you will have to subscribe to actually open each page. But on many of the snippets you can see images of bottles, and if you look long enough and hard enough you might find a Barrelhead bottle with the Canada Dry label. However, in order to view all 10-million+ listings, be prepared to devote several years to the search because that's about how long it will take. Good luck! http://goo.gl/jRiUaD

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Speaking of Barrelhead ads, this is the latest one I can find, from ... The Indiana Gazette ~ Indiana, Pennsylvania ~ March 6, 2001 (As near as I can determine the brand was completely discontinued around 2001)

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

BullGill: Because I was unable find another Barrelhead bottle like yours or even a reference to one during the 20+ hours I have already been searching, I've decided to call it quits. I have enjoyed participating and thank you for bringing a most unusual bottle to our attention. In the future when anyone searches for anything related to Barrelhead, they will no doubt find this discussion and hopefully have the answer regarding what at the moment appears to be a one-of-a-kind bottle. If I stumble onto anything myself I will be sure and let you know. Sodapopbob

 

[carling]

Bob, Thank you for all the dedicated research you do! Rick

 

[BullGill]

Bob, Thank you for all the dedicated research you do! Rick

I second this statement! The thing that puzzles me the most is that we couldn't find a single surviving Canada Dry label at all paper or acl. They have to be out there!... Glad I could introduce an unknown bottle! I am going to try and bring it to the attention of some people that catalog bottles. Probably help me when I eventually go to sell it to have some documenting many years prior to the sale, give people a chance to come up with another one. I can only imagine how many bottles will be discovered and listed in the next 20 years, I hope I can add a few to the lists.