WHATS YOUR OPINION?

[olddump]

Just to get some conversation going I'd like to hear from the members on this. I myself like my bottles to look as old as they are hell Wheatons make brand new old bottles all the time and it's hard to tell from a mint tumbled one. I just got an electric bitters in the mail and was disapointed it was so perfect. Even etching adds somthing to the bottles character.

 

[Harry Pristis]

Well, Tom, maybe we can make a trade. I have an Electric Bitters with bit of "stain" near the toe of one panel -- not enough to bring me to tumble-polish it, but enough to tell it's a dug bottle. Otherwise it is a fine specimen. I would be glad to trade it for a new-looking example, everything else being equal.

------------------Harry Pristis

 

[Gunsmoke47]

Hey Tom,

I myself like them sparkling. Everything I have dug here in Texas has been so sick you couldn't tell if half of them even had embossment on them! As far as the Wheatons and repro's go, to me there is a different look about them. I believe old glass looks old even if it's cleaned. If I plan on selling one, and I haven't already tumbled it, I would always ask the buyer if he wants it left in dug condition as there are many (like yourself) who prefer them that way. As for me, I'll set a cleaned one on my shelf anytime. [] Happy Diggin, Kelley

 

[BRIAN S.]

Well Tom ,
You picked a bitters that is not known for it's crudity and character. The Electric bitters is a newer more uniform bottle . I have never seen a crude and whittled Electric Bitters.
About the only character you will get in an Electric is like Harry's example with stain or maybe an example with ground etching and many collectors consider this type of character as damage !
If you are looking for character in an inexspensive Bitters .....There are many crude Dr. Hostteter's that are available out there for not a bank roll. I have had many Amber examples that were just absolutely hammered with whittle and nice uneven wavey side panels. They looked fantastic in a sunlit window.
Maybe you can trade your Electric for a crude Hossi ??????
Brian

 

[IRISH]

The closer to perfect condition they are the better as far as I'm concerned but I don't mind having scruffy bottles in my collection if I can't get a good one, I do think crudeness and whittled glass is better than without. Anything thats different to the state it was in when it came out the glassworks is not good in my opinion.

 

[deepwoods]

The cleaner the better and the cruder,bubblier,wierder and unusually colored the better. I also firmly belive they look best in natural,window light-if you can pull it off.

 

[bigkitty53]

I'm with Old Dump,
A little wear adds charactor.(Note:Little!)With our damp conditions the vast majority of bottles show varying degrees of sickness and the majority of the embossed finds are too common to bother tumbling.Dived bottles,especially from rich organic mud often show magnificent irridesence particularly when backlit.The opalesence,(the white mother-of-pearl sickness) I don't like at all.

As someone once observed,"It would be a boring world if we all drove a Ford..."

KAT

 

[olddump]

Yes Kat it is nice we all don't drive Fords, Chevies would be much better[] I know what you mean when your this close to an ocean almost all of the bottles come with a degree of sickness [for lack of a better word]. When people are looking at my bottle collection they almost all remark on the rainbow hughs or the wood grain etching, these are not professional bottlers. It took nature over 100 years to do the art work on them. If that is cosidered damage would'nt tumbling be even moreso, I would think.
Good talking with you all and Harry the ELECTRIC has a chip in the lip or I would let you have it but even the chip looks new. Tom, Olddump

 

[olddump]

Brian, like this

 

[luvtodig]

hey BRichardson5!!! I am from Seattle Wash, but am now in Southern Illinois[] use to dig in Eastern Wash. had many a fine day there to be sure...we found a lot of sick glass there...you are probably right about sun and conditions...I prefer my bottles to be clean, but there is nothing like a fresh bottle from the ground, to make my heart flutter...lol..going to go to local Antique Show and Flea Market in the AM...it is being held by local bottle club...hope to make some good finds...have a good evening all[]