jarhead67
Well-Known Member
Hi folks, found this awesome forum since I recently got back into the bottles. I can't believe how big the hobby has grown over the years with availability, websites, cleaning, etc. I'm sure eBay had a lot to do with that.
A little about me. I got into digging bottles back in the early 1980's when I moved out to Salt Lake City when I was 15. I got into the digging with my cousin and a guy named "Frenchie" who used to take me to the dumps around the valley, ghost towns, and up in the Avenues where we did the privies. Maybe someone knew him? He's passed away now. We also found lots of marbles, doll pieces, and other cool stuff we'd then take to the shows. It was a very fun time in my youth and I will always remember it.
I never really settled on anything, but we found most of our whiskies and bitters digging up the outhouse pits. Utah was a dry state even back then and if you wanted a nip, you did it on the pot. I managed to gather up a good selection, but left most of my bottles in Salt Lake when I joined the Navy. I brought some nicer display bottles with me and lost my favorite whiskey in the 1989 San Francisco quake. The only thing to fall and break in the apartment was that bottle and I've missed it ever since. I didn't dig that one, but it was special to me because I won it a my first bottle club meeting on the raffle. Everybody had waited months for that bottle to come up for the raffle draw and here comes some wet eared green kid and snatched it up. All the guys were great about it and we went on swapping bottles that evening. I don't even know if anyone knew what that bottle was, I know i didn't, other than it being a lady leg whiskey from San Francisco. I guess in an almost fitting twist of fate, it met its demise there
I never did any digging since then and I've recently taken down and dusted off a few bottles I still drag around. I'm in Missouri now and have tried to decide on something to collect. I guess I'm still like i always was, just what ever looks good. I've recently been getting some jars for the wife, and a few bottles for myself off eBay. As I mentioned, LOTS of stuff out there on eBay and elsewhere. This forum is amazing! A far cry from the old days before the Internet where you would have to go to shows or club meets to swap stories and bottles.
I'll be hanging around here, getting caught up. I look forward to digging again if I can ever find an old dump that's not on private property. I've got a few small bottles I have never identified so maybe I'll post those up for some help.
Look forward to getting to know you guys. I already have been reading many of your posts, dig blogs, and super finds.
Jeff
A little about me. I got into digging bottles back in the early 1980's when I moved out to Salt Lake City when I was 15. I got into the digging with my cousin and a guy named "Frenchie" who used to take me to the dumps around the valley, ghost towns, and up in the Avenues where we did the privies. Maybe someone knew him? He's passed away now. We also found lots of marbles, doll pieces, and other cool stuff we'd then take to the shows. It was a very fun time in my youth and I will always remember it.
I never really settled on anything, but we found most of our whiskies and bitters digging up the outhouse pits. Utah was a dry state even back then and if you wanted a nip, you did it on the pot. I managed to gather up a good selection, but left most of my bottles in Salt Lake when I joined the Navy. I brought some nicer display bottles with me and lost my favorite whiskey in the 1989 San Francisco quake. The only thing to fall and break in the apartment was that bottle and I've missed it ever since. I didn't dig that one, but it was special to me because I won it a my first bottle club meeting on the raffle. Everybody had waited months for that bottle to come up for the raffle draw and here comes some wet eared green kid and snatched it up. All the guys were great about it and we went on swapping bottles that evening. I don't even know if anyone knew what that bottle was, I know i didn't, other than it being a lady leg whiskey from San Francisco. I guess in an almost fitting twist of fate, it met its demise there
I never did any digging since then and I've recently taken down and dusted off a few bottles I still drag around. I'm in Missouri now and have tried to decide on something to collect. I guess I'm still like i always was, just what ever looks good. I've recently been getting some jars for the wife, and a few bottles for myself off eBay. As I mentioned, LOTS of stuff out there on eBay and elsewhere. This forum is amazing! A far cry from the old days before the Internet where you would have to go to shows or club meets to swap stories and bottles.
I'll be hanging around here, getting caught up. I look forward to digging again if I can ever find an old dump that's not on private property. I've got a few small bottles I have never identified so maybe I'll post those up for some help.
Look forward to getting to know you guys. I already have been reading many of your posts, dig blogs, and super finds.
Jeff
]
