What was that first bottle you found that got you hooked?

[lexdigger]

Hey Buster, I dig here in Lexington Ky. not far from Louisville. We dig alot of Paul Jones whiskey bottles and the one you have is definatly the best. Paul Jones started in the 1880's and your bottle is from the 80's or 90's. They are pretty common and not very valuable, but still a great find. It's one of the few sealed whisky bottles from this area. There are actually two of them for sale on ebay right now. You should run a search and watch these auctions to get an idea of what they are generally going for. What state did you find that one in? Chris

 

[logueb]

That one made it all the way to Georgia.

 

[lexdigger]

That's pretty cool. Whiskey and Bourbon have always been one of our most exported products. Chris

 

[bevyn]

i got OBSESSED around october 2005 when I found two bottles, a white house vinegar bottle and some pepsin syrup one.

 

[stonemason]

1972,a small dump out behind the house my mother found while putting in a garden. My first find was a 1/2 gallon Buffalo Lithia Water, aqua and beautiful. Addicted erer since.

 

[RICKJJ59W]

Since I didn't reply to this thread,I thought id bring it back to life.
My first love was the milk bottle,you might say I was raised on milks.[] I found a baby face milk at a dump with my grand mom since then I was hooked.
The story about my early bottles days is on my web site.
Bottles in the blood 2

 

[cyberdigger]

An excellent idea, Mr. Rick!!! I still have mine.. 5 years old, splashing down a streambed.. this was sticking butt-end out of a bank.. I've been looking for more ever since.. Monmouth is the county where I lived at the time, so it's "kinda" local.. and the cork is still intact.[]

 

[mr.fred]

I like your site Rick----i go there every now and then------i have several of those glass tanks i dug---------------------------Like you my first bottles were MILK---they were the only things in that dump------I still have a thing for them----every time i dig one----i drag it home to live with me.[8D] Fred.

 

[RICKJJ59W]

I sold a lot of milks over the years but I still have a local from landsdale Pa where I grew up,and a few baby faces.

 

[CWBookAuthor]

Okay, I'll finally tell you about my first bottles, believe it or not!

About 40 years ago, I worked for a museum in Alexandria, Va. We were digging out the remnants of a Civil War dump that we had located. While we were digging, a cobalt blue umbrella ink and then a small group of various pontiled and smooth base bottles rolled out. I had been interested in bullets and buttons, but the umbrella ink changed that. At the time. I had no idea of value, but certainly do now. It was life changing for me.

I began advertizing for bottles, opened a coin and relic shop, and began publishing many books (one was the first edition of The Collectors Guide to Civil War Period Bottles and Jars, now in its 3rd edition). Yes, the umbrella ink changed my life.