BOTLDGR03
Well-Known Member
I am a new member and would like to say hello to everyone on this forum. My name is Robert Cutchins and I live in a suburb of Dallas, Texas. The bottle bug hit me 17 years ago at the ripe old age of 18. My friend had a little collection he had found in Virginia. I picked each one up and looked them over, thought they were pretty fascinating. A short time later, me and the same friend were fishing in a local creek. The fish weren't biting, we were bored, and why we did what we did next I'll never know but am grateful. We sitting on a pebble creek bank and just started digging a hole with our feet, still sitting down. I turned up an ABM Carter ink. Then an ABM Sanford ink. I was astonished and very happy. I had just acquired my first 2 bottles in my collection which would eventually reach 10,000. I would walk that creek twice a week for a year. The best finds were a couple soda's from the twenties. Then I started hunting abandoned houses. I would crawl under the house and look every square inch. This is how I found my first blown bottles, a Febrilene Trademark and National Remedy Company. I remember it like it was yesterday. After extensive research any buying plenty of Bottle books and publications, I can find bottles almost everywhere I go. I have been selling on Ebay for 2 years under the same name botldgr03. I have stayed up late reading the posts on this forum and have really enjoyed them. The people on this site are very friendly, helpful, and knowledgable. I collect Texas drugstores ( DFW area and Ellis County, which is where I reside.) I have plenty of bottles I need some info on, and will post plenty of digging adventures. Yesterday, I went to a city 40 miles south of Dallas. My digging partner and I dug for about two hours. I ended up with a tiny BIM Bromo, a square sided snuff (pretty rare in this area), and a BIM Corsicana Bottling Works (missing top lip of crown). I also found a Union Standard cigar tab. My friend pulled out a nice BIM Joseph Cambell catsup from Camden, N.J. and a large ABM ring neck Bromo. Slim pickens. This dump looked like the bottles went through a shredder. Awesome pieces though. I have been pretty fortunate the past couple months. I dug a couple of rare Cokes ( one sold to a collector in Georgia for $500 and the other on Ebay for $588 ), two BIM Circle A's from Waco ( Dr. Pepper founders ), a few BIM poisons ( 2 - common ambers and a honey amber true Triangle w/ the blocks on the corners), plenty of medicines ( teal Dr. Pierce's Anuric Tablet's - which I traded with my digging partner for a Ft. Worth drugstore and a large, awesome Seminole Indian Medicine Company from Boone, Iowa which I sold on Ebay, just to name a couple). Even though Texas bottles aren't as old as other states', they are very collectible, bring a fair price, and some fairly rare. Unfortunately, a digger like myself, can make a rare bottle scarce, and a scarce bottle common, which makes the market value go down for certain bottles. The money is nice sometimes, but I mainly dig for the thrill and adventure. I can reduce a lot of stress from the era we are living in. Gas shooting through the roof, a gallon of milk which is now $4, and so on. It's great to get out and enjoy the wildlife and outdoors. Before long, there won't be any. I used to hunt 20 excellent spots regularly. Out of just those 20, only four remain not covered up by a new building, housing addition, or the NEW DALLAS STARS ARENA parking lot. That was an early, awesome, huge dump which I made several excellent finds. It just leaves you shaking you head saying " Why didn't I hit that joker more often than I did? or " I could only imagine the rare and possible one of a kind bottles and other treasures of historical value that they just covered up!" I heard the construction crews were selling them buy the bucket full. Enough jibber jabber. I could always use extra digging partners. Anybody close to DFW, or if you are just passing through, look me up and I can show you a digging good time. I would like to just thank the members who take time to help others. It definately makes this hobby grow and feel comforting to others who are as I have seen stated "newbies" or even someone with a question about a bottle. I also have seen other's who think they're from the planet Pluto and wisecracker's which could turn someone off from the hobby pretty quick. Gunsmoke from Abilene, hope you get over this way. If dig's are ever getting drab in your neck of the woods, come over this way for a Saturday or Sunday, and I will show you a place you won't wan't to leave. Gunther, the great, you're always lending a helping and knowledgable hand. Keep up the good work, I'm sure you've made lots of people's days. Same goes to Whiskey and too many others to list. Even telling people their not so great finds are great. I'm sure it brightens up their day and outlook toward this great hobby and will make them pursue it til they are finding bottles we all will envy. I hope to hear from many of you and HAPPY HUNTING & COLLECTING!!! Robert ( BOTLDGR03)
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