Reformatory milk bottle

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All,

My bro just found an embossed pint "Petersburg Federal Reformatory Dairy" bottle in mint condition. He was instantly offered $200 for it by a shrewd local collector. I told him hold on till I could message out on the forum regarding the market for such bottles.

I am guessing that such prison bottles are scarce, and am thinking this one must be extremely rare based on the interest expressed by the seasoned collector, anybody got a clue on the value of the item?

Thanx in advance, E

 

[appliedlips]

I would advise him not to sell it in a hurry.If it is that rare it's a safe bet that the possible buyer is going to find another any time soon.He may get double that,who knows?

 

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I try to reason with him, but when somebody waves cash at him he melts - this is the same guy who sold an open pontil Richmond "Purcell Laboratory" and a very old Farmville "Jackson & Sons" liquor flask (never seen/heard of another one) together for $100. I coulda killed him, makes me even madder when I recall that I waded right past both bottles on same stretch of a creek we were working and he picked 'em up side-by-side.

Maybe I should offer him $201 for it? (being smug here).

 

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Meech,

I sent you an e-mail regarding the fate of this bottle, unfortunately my brother needs cash and wants to sell it in near future.

I got a line on where he dug the bottle and likely will hit the dump with him in a couple of weeks - sure would be nice to find one for my own collection.

Thanx, E

 

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Meech,

This Purcell was different than the cylindrical version (think there are two specimens known of that one): this was a very crude rectangular version about 8" tall with a sweet tulip blob and very rough pontil. I have never seen reference to another one. It truely was a "dream bottle"- I was shocked/sickened when he told me he had sold it for next to nothing.

I do know who conned him out of it - a local bottle collecting lady who is big into milk bottles, likely you know her. She also got the Jackson flask: I'll bet you even money that she turned around and traded them away for milk bottles (oh the pain...). I'll e-mail her contact info to ya if you want to follow up on either bottle.

 

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I have no book of any kind, does this guide include Petersburg bottles?