Anyone else into collecting vintage glass bottles? I have a small collection of a couple dozen bottles from the early 1900s to the mid 1950s. Embossed whiskey bottles, colored medicine bottles, etc. I’ve been looking for old Coca Cola/Pepsi bottles and found one out in the woods today that wasn’t broken. I’ve got to do some research to date it but this one in pristine condition is a 6 oz. made in Waterbury Connecticut, about 15-20 minutes from me.
I love random old bottle finds... but haven’t hunted with intention for years. I’ll see if I can dig up the finds from some past hunts.
When I lived in Iowa, a neighbor drove for coke. Had an amazing collection of coke bottles and paraphernalia.
Did you here about the Pepsi driver that was called into the office to be fired? Yeah, he tested positive for coke...
I've done a bit in the past. Lots of local medicine bottles, elixirs and whiskey. My favorites ones that I found is a stoneware beer bottle, and a blob top bottle that is blue or purple. I'll have to find them. I have a few soda bottles too. I did find a complete milk bottle near our barn from a local dairy, but it fell over and broke. Lots of old mason jars pieces and complete glass lids around here.
My street is the original Ohio canal, just past my house part of it is still there. My block was originally all the store fronts and some manufacturing areas. The property I own behind mine was supposed the old brick factory. I can believe it because I can not dig a hole without hitting bricks. Anyhow anytime I dig I also find glass bottles that were used in the pharmacy industry. I have dated them by the logo on the bottoms as not being made after 1905. So they are handmade bottles. I have also found the same style bottle that was the replacement for the original ones that were machine made. I also find a lot of broken plates, not sure if they were used in the manufacture of bricks or if there was a supplier there that shipped them via canal.
Here’s a couple more that I found within the past year or so. I have more squirreled away where my wife can’t harass me about them The large one is a Harry E Wilken whiskey bottle from the 40s, a Nesbitt’s soft drink bottle from (I believe) the 40s, and a small Winthrop Chemical medicine bottle with 1943 on the bottom.
Used to hunt bottles when I lived in Brunswick Ga. during High School. Having been inhabited by both Spanish, English and then American Colonists since long ago, the finds were every where and any where. Sadly, when we moved I gave them all to like minded friends except for a few. Fast forward to the early 90's and I was a Superintendent building a sewage treatment plant in Olympia Wa. We had a huge excavation for the primary clarifiers in the middle of what was once the Olympia dump which closed in the early 1920s. Every excavator scoop had old bottles rolling out. At one time we had over 500 old bottles at our house. Fletcher's Castoria, Kilmers's Swamp Root, Cod Liver Oil and all sorts of condiment bottles were ubiquitous. I ended up collecting various poisons, embossed whiskies, and inkwells which were my passion. Must have had over a hundred hand blown, blown to molds and molded hand finished inks. I also had a bunch of gun oil bottles such as Winchester, Remington I believe it was Western Field and some other more obscure brands. Every widow sill and shelf was loaded with bottles of all colors and embossing. Finally, the Wif said "Enough" and I started selling them at garage sales. I also gave a bunch to the Seattle Bottle club members so club members could round out their collections. We still have a few running around but that hole in our lives has slowly filled up with firewood!
Here's a bunch. I guess they could use a little cleaning. Looking back, I found some of these maybe 20+ years ago.
Sad to say but........ I left a bunch of old bottles at the garage when I sold it. And even more sad...... I busted up even more than I left at the garage...... Two large garbage bags worth.
I wish I had some of the old bottles my brother would find in the woods (old farmstead) and use for .22 plunking.
I just found a faded Pepsi bottle dated 1952 from Auburn Maine. This will compliment my Coca Cola bottle perfectly
My son found an old Gatorade bottle on our place recently. Likely not as old as some of these but I know where some as old or older are likely buried. Previously my grandparents place. I know where a few old dumps are...grandma’s stash.
Today’s unintentional find: a glass half pint milk bottle I came across while hiking with my 10 year old. There were probably a dozen others there, but one is enough for me. Looking at the embossed numbers, I believe it’s dated 1952.
Yep, homemade Secret Santa gifts with the up cycled milk bottles making their way back into the light of the day.... Hint, hint.....
Alright, alright... my wheels are turning... I think I might have an idea for what to fill these antique bottles with that would be absolutely perfect for the holiday season.
