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ROBBYBOBBY64

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This is an example of one I would never tumble. It is amazingly opalescent. My opinion, but others might agree.
ROBBYBOBBY64.
 

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Jimmy Langford

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I would clean. I personally wouldn’t want that visible outside patina on a amber bottle unless it’s very iridescent. I think it would look very nice and shiny tumbled. You probably won’t be able to get much to any off by just scrubbing it. You would have to use a tumbler to get it all off or use very strong acids like Nickneff said. Tumbling is the best and most effective way though. It’s up to you if you want to clean it if your already have a tumbler or when you do get a tumbler.
 

treeguyfred

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So, I'm kinda what you'd call on - the - fence- financially regarding this topic. I do love a shiny clean crystal clear bottle, But! the iridescence that often comes along with a dug bottle has it's merits as long as it doesn't ugly up the embossing or a figure if there is one.
I have several hostetter's bitters and many have been pretty clean or got tumbled. This one was pulled out of the ground when the homeowner used his 2500 sierra to pull a arborvitae out of the probed privy pit, so that we could dig! He was fun ppl! It was tangled in roots and some rusted barbed wire loops! I decided to leave it with this iridized look

IMG_1215 (2).jpgIMG_1216 (2).jpgIMG_1217 (2).jpg

I have some pics of the Mckee base embossing too, just can't find them right now...
Anyways...
~Fred
 

Jamdam

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I’d clean that one. Keep the ones with the best patina as found. One of my favorite bottles is an old cone ink with a burst lip. Not worth much but to me. Check out the patina. Pictures attached. Any like this are worth keeping as is.

By the way, it’s pretty dangerous to use acid to clean your bottles. As many here say, you can get them tumbled and will look like new. Just my personal opinion.
 

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hemihampton

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If they got the heavy Rainbow Color look I'd may prefer to leave it that way. This one I dug looks more ancient with it's dirty sick look. I mainly didn't tumble it because it has a big Crack but I kinda like the beat up rough look on this one, adds to it's Charachter. LEON
PKlingPeninsular.JPG
 

J.R. Collector

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Just for basic info, some collectors specialize in collecting iridescent glass, also called “Benicia”. Here’s a link to more detailed info.

A nice iridescence/rainbow adds value in my mind. I can't stop thinking about how beautiful and freaking cool it can make a bottle look. I for sure would pay more for a mint bottle with a sexy rainbow iridescence then a tumbled perfect bottle. Tumbling is definitely situational to me.
 

ROBBYBOBBY64

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A nice iridescence/rainbow adds value in my mind. I can't stop thinking about how beautiful and freaking cool it can make a bottle look. I for sure would pay more for a mint bottle with a sexy rainbow iridescence then a tumbled perfect bottle. Tumbling is definitely situational to me.
I see bottles go for more than they are worth all because of the Benicia iridescence. Thanks for the correct term used for this condition.
ROBBYBOBBY64.
 

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