# VALUES ... guides vs e-bay vs dealers vs ?



## SODAPOPBOB (Sep 12, 2010)

It is my opinion that values of soda bottles is a significant aspect to collecting. For example; Who wouldn't get excited and purchase a Mountain Dew party jug if they found one for sale with a price tag on it for $50.00? I would! Especially because I know they typically sell on e-bay and elsewhere for $1000.00 or more! And yet my acl book doesn't list a single Moutain Dew bottle whatsoever. And the guide I have is considered to be the best of the best. It has been said many times, and I agree, that the value of something (soda bottles and/or just about anything) is for the most part based on whatever the market will bare or what some collector is willing to pay for it. I also know that guides are just that ... "guides" ... meaning a general guideline with "ball-park" values. So where does that leave us when attempting to determine the "true value" of a particular bottle in our collections? For me the answer lies, for the most part, on first hand experience. Take for example the Big Chief acl shown below. This is from my personal collection and is from the small town of Ely, Nevada. (By the way; it is in near mint condition, and dated 1956). I have seen this same exact bottle (town and date) sell on e-bay numerous times anywhere from $35.00 to $135.00. So what is it's true value? My acl guidebook list one from Placerville, California (1951) that sold sometime between 1995/97 for $80.00. So then is this the true value?  And does it truly make a difference which small town it's from? You bet it does!

 So let's take a closer look at one that is currently on e-bay. It is the same bottle, but from Taft, California. Which is small town of approximately 6000 residents. (Ely, Nevada has currenty has about 4000 residents). The e-bay Taft bottle currently has 12 bids, with $39.00 as the current high bid. It closes today at appx. 4M Pacific time. Here's the link to check it out and watch for yourselves.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dllViewItem&item=280559432340&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT 

 Note: I accidently hit the wrong key, so I will continue this on the next page. Please stand by. Thanks.


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## SODAPOPBOB (Sep 12, 2010)

Sorry about that. Something happened to cause it to post before I was ready. But that's okay, because I'm almost done here anyway.

 So my point is this ... How do we determine the true value of a particular soda pop bottle if e-bay prices and personal opinions are scattered across the board like so much dust in the wind? And why even have price "guides" if they are outdated the minute you buy them? And what about "Dealer" pricing? I bought my Big Chief in an antique shop for $15.00 

 Bottom line?  What is my Ely, Nevada Big Chief bottle really worth?

 SODAPOPBOB


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## SODAPOPBOB (Sep 12, 2010)

The e-bay link I posted doesn't work so I will try it again. I knew something was wrong when it automatically posted. My apologies again. I tested this one and it works. But personally I see no difference between the two links. ???

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250693868478&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT


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## SODAPOPBOB (Sep 12, 2010)

Final thoughts / questions ...

 Let's say I wanted to trade or sell my Big Chief bottle to a A-B.net member. How would we ever agree on a value? Is it worth $35.00 or $135.00 ???

 Thanks,

 SPBOB


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## SODAPOPBOB (Sep 12, 2010)

I got to thinking, and just so there is no misunderstanding, I wish to point out that my Big Chief bottle is not the subject of a trade or sell with any A-B.net member. Nor is it currently for sale on e-bay or elsewhere. It is one of my personal favorites and I have no intention of selling/trading it anytime in the foreseeable future.

 So if you have comments to post, please feel free to do so as it will have absouletely no influence on anything going on at present. I simply use it as an example of a bottle in my collection that I have been trying to determine the true value of for quite some time now.

 Thanks again,

 SPBOB


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## morbious_fod (Sep 12, 2010)

That's the age old question, and has no answer due to it's vagueness and reliance upon the whims of both the seller and the buyer. The seller could decide that the price he's asking is "what it books for and thus what its worth" regardless the economic times, actual availability (someone could have just found twenty of the exact same bottle and has started selling them), perceived availability (the seller himself has only seen one themselves and thinks its uber rare thus worth a mint). Then there is presumed rarity which I deal with a lot mainly due to the fact that my area has very few outlets for bottles to show up in and when they do the sellers decide they are worth a bunch of money, and since the buyers usually haven't seen them that often as well and are willing to pay the premium. All the while one person could have a crate of them in their basement and have no idea how to offer them to the collecting world, or even realize that the bottles are worth anything.

 Then there is the "It's a small town so naturally they are rare." perception that you noted. A couple of examples in my area may help with this one. The small town of Tazewell, VA had the Sun Rise Bottling Company located there, technically it is North Tazewell, VA but the towns combined three years after the company closed. People in this area automatically assume that any bottle from this town is Uber-Rare, and will charge higher prices for them, never mind that the bottling plant existed for well over fifty years and had a large distribution area which included a lot of the area where there are almost know outlets for these bottles save word of mouth, and maybe a small flea market. No antique malls, one junk shop, and very little else. There are collectors of the company in the area; however, even with my four years of research I've only scared up one, who I need to try to meet sometime. My point is that while there are high priced bottles from this company namely the Tazewell Orange, with is one of the highest desired ones and usually runs around $100 in mint shape, and the Rooster Sun Rise bottles, there are some that I once thought were rare only to find out that they are more common than some of the national brands, and these are the Rhythm Punch bottles. The company closed down in 1960 and had ordered several grosses of these bottles dated 1960. These ended up on the market and in the area where they don't show up as much they can sell for upwards of $15, but go to Sevierville or the local bottle shows and you can expect to pick one up for $5.

 Another good example is the Nesbitt-Double Cola Bottling Company of Falls Mills, VA. Falls Mills, VA is the poster child of a "hole in the road town" there really isn't a town as such, but more a small community which grew up around a flour mill. The bottling company moved from nearby Pocahontas, Va to Falls Mills, VA in the late 1940's. If Falls Mills has a thousand people living there I'd be shocked. The company distributed throughout the Virginia and West Virginia coal fields which are the same area as Sun Rise did, and the same situation applies, no outlets for people to bring in bottles. The only real good outlet closed about two years ago in Bluefield, I got several interesting bottles from this source and miss it greatly. Yet again we have a company with several fairly tough bottles to find, namely the Pocahontas Beverages line which features a Native American on the bottle; however, this same bottle came in a 16oz size from 1965-1981, and these bottles are everywhere. I have picked up nine variations of this bottle for $1 each, and this source still has about thirty or forty of them sitting there. 

 So don't be fooled by the "only 4000 people live there so it must be rare" justification. The distribution areas for most of these small bottlers would surprise you, and not all of the bottles from that town are necessarily uber-rare.

 A bottle, or anything really, is only worth as much as the buyer is willing to pay. The Seller can ask as much as he wants, but in the end it doesn't matter if you don't sell it. There are a lot of bottles sitting in antique shops right now that someone thinks is worth the price they have on them, but they still sit.


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## SODAPOPBOB (Sep 12, 2010)

I promise, this will be my last comment at the moment ... (I think - I hope)  []

               Hey Morb ~  In the middle of posting this I saw yours. I will read it now. Thanks.

 Some of you may recall that about a month ago I mentioned in one of my threads I was considering the possible liquidation of my entire collection except for certain western themed acls like my Big Chief's and various others. Well, I have been working on that very thing now for awhile. And even though I thought I knew what I had and what they were worth, the more I look into it on e-bay and price guides, the more uncertain I have become. It's weird, because I want to associate a value of the Big Chief referred to here at about $75.00, but now I don't know for sure what to think. Not to mention the 100-plus other bottles I'm trying to price out. I think the main challenge here involves "region." A certain bottle in one part of the country is worth more than it would be in another region. So this brings me right back to where I started this in the first place. How in the heck do you determine a true value of any bottle? Maybe you can't, and I'm beating my head against the wall for nothing!

 What do you think?

 SPBOB


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## morbious_fod (Sep 12, 2010)

Speaking of perceived rarity, I own one of the rarest bottles that I have come across from the Sun Rise Bottling Company, and shock of shocks its a Canada Dry Ginger Ale from 1955. I have never laid eyes on another one, and I found mine in a bunch of them from Bristol, Tenn. and picked it up for twenty five cents. I've been looking for more ever since with no luck. Is there fifty crates just sitting somewhere? I dunno, but for know I own the only one that I know about, but there could always be more owned by those Tazewell collectors. That's why perceived rarity is so dangerous, you never know what has yet to surface. This is also why I never get into prices or even rarity of the bottles on my website. I learned that lesson a while back, I once thought the 7oz Blue Ridge Ginger Ale acl was very rare, and traded a good bottle for one that wasn't in great shape, only to have four of them show up at the Grey Tn. bottle show for five bucks each. Just because you haven't seen a ton of them doesn't mean its rare.


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## morbious_fod (Sep 12, 2010)

Simple answer is to price it for what you think its worth. If it doesn't sell then start lowering the price till it does.


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## SODAPOPBOB (Sep 12, 2010)

> ORIGINAL: morbious_fod
> 
> Simple answer is to price it for what you think its worth. If it doesn't sell then start lowering the price till it does.


 
 Morb ~

 Thanks a million. I agree with you 100% ... especially the part quoted here. But there is no way I am going to piece-out 100+ bottles! (I just don't have the time or inclination). And the likelyhood of someone buying/trading all of them at one whack seems slim to nil as well. So I guess I may be stuck with them at present whether I like it or not. But we will see what develops. 

 In the meantime, what is your opinion on price guides? Why all the fuss over these guides if all they have is a bunch of cool photos, but can't be relied on for values? Again, I know some of the guides are simply examples of what someone "thinks" a bottle is worth, while others are examples of bottles that sold at some point in time for a particular price. But, seriously, why even publish them? One says my Big Chief is rare, and another has it as dirt common. Personally, I think e-bay is a deterrent to true values ... at least from a buyer's viewpoint. But, then again, that's just my opinion.

 Thanks again,

 Bob


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## SODAPOPBOB (Sep 12, 2010)

Morb ~

 I forgot to ask ... In your humble / personal / respected opinion, what do you think my Big Chief is worth?  And I mean a "general price range." I will not hold you to this, but I am truly curious what you (and others) may have to say about it. Let's see if we (the experts ?) can actually come up with the true value on one simple bottle. (We'll deal with the remaining 10,0000+ at a later date).  Lol  []

 All opinions and comments not only welcome, but encouraged.

 Thanks,

 SPBOB


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## SODAPOPBOB (Sep 12, 2010)

I realize there is a lot to read here, and for that I apologize. And even though I look forward to any and all opinions regarding the title ... Values ... guides vs e-bay vs dealers vs ?  I would like to shift the primary focus now to the Big Chief acl in question. And with this said, I place a true value on it of ...

                                                                 $75.00

                                                           What say you?


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## fishnuts (Sep 12, 2010)

Ebay currently is the best representation of bottle values.  Each completed transaction represents the 'market value' of that bottle at that time, because each complete transaction  has a satisfied buyer and satisfied seller...at that value.  Shows also represent the fair market value but in a different setting and with more bargaining.  
 Shows tend to be one on one transactions with just one each of buyer and seller while auctions might have few  buyers, or many.  The number of  buyers can vastly alter the price. However, in order to get true values you'd have to track the numbers for years to get enough data to make sense of it, eh.
 From my  nearly 40 years experience in the colletcibles marketplace I can add that most dealers price items based on what they paid modified by what the market will bear.  And if they're in the business to make money (and not for love) they will always take a reasonable mark up, sell the item and move on. 
 Here's what I said on another thread a couple days ago
_Funny thing, eh?  What gets high value, and what don't 
  We like pictures over text. Go higher... 
  Good pictures.  even higher... 
  Size makes a difference?  higher... 
  Local favorite?   higher... 
  Hot topical exotic gorgeous...even higher... 
  Rarity?   Way higher... _
 Add vintage, like morb says...higher.
 I am sure there are more variables than listed...and those intangibles that exist to make one pay way too much...sometimes.

 Oh, and I recently(this summer) got an Ely BC: on Ebay and was the only bidder at $29.95 and I thought it was fair and reasonable at that price point.  I'd say bu**sh** @ $135.00, guide be danged.


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## LC (Sep 12, 2010)

I do not see where eBay is such a great reference for pricing an item either for that matter . I used to sell quite a bit on eBay till they started the PalPal crap . Point is what an item brings on eBay depends on how many people know it is there for sale at a given time it is listed . I put a toy on there once, and it sold for twenty some dollars . The buyer failed to send payment for the item . I listed the same item again a couple of months later and it brought sixty some dollars , and the buyer was tickled to death for getting it at that price .

      I never took much stock in price guide books either , A bottle that might be rare where the price guide book is published may be a commonly found bottle in other states . 

      For example , Kovels price guide listed a Cincinnati world champions Reds bottle from Cincinnati as being worth $50.00 The bottle may have brought 50 in the area they had researched due to availability . I am within forty miles of Cincinnati , and the most I could ever sell one of those bottles for was fifteen dollars .

      I have bought bottles at times , and later thought why in the world did I give that much for that bottle , and other times I thought I may have got a pretty good deal on another .  I go by my own judgment . I will pay what I feel is a reasonable price for a bottle . Later I may find out I over paid , and another time I will find I got a good deal . But I never feel bad about it either way because I paid the price I wanted to , not a price that a book quotes me . Maybe a person should take the price guide price as a reference only , and never use it as a guide for what a bottle is actually worth . I believe that is what those books are intended to be used for to begin with , a reference .

      Then again , maybe a book on flasks or bitters is more accurate than some of the other price guides on the market . Can't really say about that being those particular bottles are mostly out of my league to begin with , so I have little experience in purchasing such bottles .

      This is my opinion of the subject . but like bottles prices , I am sure there will be many people that will have a different opinion all together .


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## Oklabottles (Sep 12, 2010)

Ebay is about the only way to do the pricing because its the only way to market something to the masses but you cant get an exact value just a range or average because it depends if the people who would like that certian bottle actually seen it, whether a certian person had the money at the time of the auction or maybe they were broke and couldn't bid, and maybe there are only a few people that would really pay much money for a certain rare bottle, For example I had a art deco Dr. pepper bottling co. bottle I sold the bottle for $45 about 2 months before the an example of the same bottle sold for $95 the month before an example sold for $170 the first two sold higher because a couple people got in a bid battle over the 1st one the the second one was probably one buy the person who lost the bid battle on the first one and so on, now that the people who really wanted that bottle got 1 and it may never sell for that again, it all depends on local interest really, and you never know when intrest is going to go way up but thats why its better to collect rare and extremley rare bottles because when people do finally take a liking to a certian bottle and you one of the only few that has one you can make a killing off of it, its just all about timing,marketing,demand, and supply.


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## LC (Sep 12, 2010)

I also wanted to add pertaining to eBay , that I saw a mint bottle bring $229.00 on eBay . I listed that same bottle in mint condition as well , and it brought $85.00 . No that is a big difference in value .


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## SODAPOPBOB (Sep 12, 2010)

I know I'm getting a little carried away here, but all of the elderly residents I provide care for are napping, plus my San Diego Chargers don't play until tomorrow night, plus I'm bored, so hopefully no one will object if I indulge myself.  []

 And this is for all interested members who wish to participate.

 Let's pretend for a moment that someone you knew was putting together a soda bottle price guide, and they offered you $5000.00 to assist them with it. (Okay, sounds good to me so far). But that this someone had hundreds of bottles already catagorized and photographed, but didn't know squat about pricing them. So they came to you. Of course you could explain how there were variables depending on condition, local, etc. etc. But let's say the person who came to you said they were aware of all of that, and that they just wanted you to give them "approximates" for bottles in "excellent condition." And remember, despite the variable, they are still prepared to pay you the $5000.00 for your help. And when you got to the Big Chief in question, what would you say?  Would you say that because it wasn't a bottle you collected that you wouldn't give $5.00 for it? Or would you say, I think it's worth approximately ...   Hmmm ... what would you say for $5000.00?

 Thanks for allowing this indulgence. Hopefully it will amount to something more than just the whims of a bored individual.  []

 SPBOB 

 Wow!  I just realized there were some replies while I was indulging myself. Thanks.


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## LC (Sep 12, 2010)

I would think that would have to do with whether or not a person had a conscience or had none at all . In good conscience , I would not even take the job . being I would have no idea what to price them at to begin with . I would sure hate to lose out on that five grand ! I really do not see how anyone could even be able to perform such a task . On the other hand , a person with no conscience would take the job and say what ever the person wanted to hear whether or not there was any accuracy to it or not , just for the sake of the five grand .. I do not think there would be a very good price guide provided using that senerio. Or maybe I am misunderstanding the question .


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## Oklabottles (Sep 12, 2010)

what I would say would depend on what I know if you go off the average price of most big chiefs you may say $15 dollars but the one you have instantly to me by the colors looks like a better one and I would research it and would average the prices it sold for as a fair buyers price, but the only way to find out what the value for that bottle right now is to try and sell it, it realy dont matter whats its worth unless your buying it or selling it and if your buying something look around a buy the cheapest one you can if your selling something make sure you list the item under the right keywords and tell people on here, a selling price really is never definite, I think price guides are better used for a fair buying price than a selling price. I think you could sell the big chief quickly for $60 dollars, but if the right people come alonmg and want it bad enough you could hit that $135 mark if you get multiple people wanting it bad enough.


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## morbious_fod (Sep 12, 2010)

So why publish price guides if there are so many variables to pricing based upon whim, location, and perception? Money really. They author and publish these books to both educate and inform and to make a buck. Some of the smaller authors do it for more altruistic reasons; however, most of the time they charge you upwards of $40 for a book. Who can blame them really, it cost money to publish; however, you don't write a price guide for purely altruistic reasons.

 That being said I'll give an example of a price guide that got a price horribly wrong. Dick Bridgeforth's Mountain Dew: Hillbilly Bottles is a very good guide for what a each Mountain Dew Hillbilly bottle is worth, including variations etc; however, I won't completely rely upon his prices without question due to a glaring misjudgment I found in it. He has a section in this book for Mountain Dew related bottles, which includes the 6oz and 10oz Tip bottles. His prices for both the 6oz and 10oz Tip bottles are $175 per bottle for each size. He didn't include the 7oz so I can't speak to that. Ayer's Pepsi Cola price guide from 2001 puts them at $5 for the 6oz, $15 for the 10oz, and $10-$15 for the 7oz. That's a pretty large gap, and when Dick came up to take pictures of my Dr. Enuf bottles for his book I ask him about this, and he told me that the prices had come from ebay. Of course I told him that the real time prices for most of these in the wild usually ran $10 for the 6oz, $20 for the 10oz, and if you are lucky enough to find one the 7oz actually could cost you more as it seems to be the harder to find. 

 So you see that price guides are just as subject to perception and error as anything else; however, the real reason for the continued publishing of price guides is that it gives you an idea of what it actually out there, which is the reason that I purchase them myself. They are guides, that's all, you really can't rely on them for a go to source for up to date prices, because more than likely they are out dated two years prior to publishing. It takes time to write, take pictures, and publish a book. A website which constantly monitors ebay and other auctions would prove more valuable in that respect; however, as an earlier poster noted, ebay is never really completely reliable due to bidding wars, that one crazy person who will pay huge money to get a certain bottle, or a possible bidder who might have driven up the price not being able to bid.


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## SODAPOPBOB (Sep 12, 2010)

Morb ~ L C ~ Oklabottles ~ (And all who have replied faster than I can keep up with them) Thanks!

 Personally, I think L C has come the closest to the answer I was hoping for. Not that the others are without merit, because they are, and I truly appreciate each and every comment. It's just that L C hit on something a little more specific by indicating a general price range between $60.00 and $135.00. Which I believe is how all price guides (and you know there will be numerous in the future) should list each and every bottle ... which is in a value "range." Even some of the world's leading appraisers on "Antiques Road Show" do this very thing on a weekly basis. So with this said, a person should be able to "estimate" on their own and gauge my Big Chief bottle to be worth approximately $90.00, which is about half-way between $60.00 and $135.00. I realize I said $75.00 earlier, but now I'm changing that to ... (especially if it was a for real guide and not just a pretend one) a fair and (I believe accurate) price guide value of $75.00 to $100.00

 I think we're making some progress here folks. And I want to thank everyone again for your contributions. I can see this is a subject that has a great deal of interest, but that may need some more research for future interest. By the way, how in the heck does the "Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide" do it with over 285,000 listings?  (I collect a few comics as well). [] 

 SPBOB


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## morbious_fod (Sep 12, 2010)

Well my points were toward the general topic of values and value guides more than your specific bottle, because I won't even insult you by venturing a guess. The reason is that I have no idea what a Big Chief is worth, that's why I was sticking to the general topic. Which is an interesting one really as far too many non-hobbyist or dealers use price guides as the Word or God for pricing, and unfortunately many of the non-hobbyists can't grasp the concept that the price listed is for an example in perfectly mint condition, not their ratty sick glass three huge chips on the bottom example they are trying to sell for full mint price. Dealers who do this should know better, but I've seen it, and have argued with quite a few who had their head up their posterior when it comes to condition and price guides.

 A little knowledge can be deadly in the wrong hands. LOL!


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## SODAPOPBOB (Sep 12, 2010)

Right on Morb! You really hit the nail on the head this time regarding an "online/internet" webside dealing with this very subject. In fact, I should have thought of it myself.  Lol  []  There is a good (and well respected) site for comic books that I use to follow my 100+ comics (Mostly 1970s Spiderman's) and it has changing values on an almost weekly/monthly basis. It works well for that, and I see no reason why one wouldn't work for soda bottles as well.

 So who is going to be the individual who starts one up? You just know it's coming! At least I hope there is. I think it would be the coolest thing ever. At least that way I wouldn't have to spend so much time here bugging all of you fine people.

 Mucho Gracias'

 SPBOB


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## bottle34nut (Sep 12, 2010)

my bottles have really no monetary value what soever.   if i dont collect the type i have i simply give them away to someone who will cherish them,  no matter what the value.  its just the way i am.  and i have given away nice bottles and shipped them at my cost.   just the way i am.   greg    ps.  i just just love old glass


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## SODAPOPBOB (Sep 12, 2010)

bottle34nut ~

 Here's my "Hat's Off" to you owl if I can get it to work right. Sometimes it does, and sometimes not. That is very generous of you, and I feel a little guilty now for seeming so greedy. Which I'm not really, but I do consider my collection as a form of investment, and hopefully in about 50 years or so it might actually be worth something. But that, my friend, is the topic of another discussion. And speaking of that, there was a thread several months ago that dealt with the very subject of the future of bottle collection. I can't recall exactly where it left off, but I do recall my saying that I hope counterfeiters never get involved with the hobby. Just think how easy it would be for someone who is extremely knowledgeable with paints to take a plain old soda bottle, like so many that are similar in many respects, and stencil-paint a rare label on it. The thought makes me shutter. And if something like that ever happens, it will likely change soda bottle collecting forever. Heck, for all I know my Big Chief is a counterfeit.

 Anyway, sorry for getting side-tracked. It seems to be the order of the day for me. But may hat is still off to you ... oh, by the way, you don't happen to have a "Big Hit" acl you're wanting to give away do you?  (Just kidding. I couldn't help myself).  Lol  []

 SPBOB

 This animation is really cool if it works. If not I will not be able to correct or delete it. Here goes.


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## SODAPOPBOB (Sep 12, 2010)

The (Taft, Ca.) e-bay Big Chief just sold for $41.00 + $7.95 S&H = $48.95  (13 bids)

 So at least we know "today's" price for a "similar" one to mine. But as popular opinion dictates, who knows what one will bring next week or next year? I will keep an eye on e-bay and post ocassional updates.

                                    Thanks to all who took an interest in this topic. 

          And who needs a stinkin' badge ... er, I mean who needs a stinkin' price guide?  Lol  []

                                          SODA"READYFORDINNER"BOB


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## div2roty (Sep 12, 2010)

I've dealt with comics for years and only recently got into bottles, but there are some major differences.  Its easier to catalog comics and of course less variances.  Overstreet doesn't list a range, although it, like most price guides on any collectible will mention in the begining of the book that there does exist a range of normal prices and what they are listing is the average.  I've set up at some of the biggest comic cons in the mid atlantic and i don't think i've ever sold a book for actual book value.  The only ones that have come close are the key issues.  However, I like to sell and for instance if you look at my booth from the Balt bottle show this year and next year, at least 50% of my merch will be differemt, if not closer to 75-80%.

 So there are questions of how long you want to try and sell something.  Eventually you could get top dollar, or in my case I might sell something for less, but then in the mean time sell two other bottles that would have taken that same spot on my table.  So I might make more profit selling three bottles in the time it would take to sell the one for top dollar.


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## SODAPOPBOB (Sep 12, 2010)

div2roty ~

 Thanks for that. Very interesting and applicable.

 Let's say I was interested in trading my Big Chief bottle (which I'm not). But exactly how would we agree on a value without getting into a squabble over it?  Example: I say $75.00 and you say $25.00. How would we ever come to terms on a genuine value?  E-bay?  Price Guide?  Or what?  With the experience I've had with comics, almost everyone refers to "Guide Price" and then goes up or down from there. But, again, how do we achieve this with soda bottles?  And I don't mean just with my Big Chief, but with all soda bottles?  It gets a little crazy. But I guess all we can do is to try and do our best and hope things work out.

 Thanks again,

 SPBOB


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## epackage (Sep 12, 2010)

> ORIGINAL:  bottle34nut
> 
> my bottles have really no monetary value what soever.   if i dont collect the type i have i simply give them away to someone who will cherish them,  no matter what the value.  its just the way i am.  and i have given away nice bottles and shipped them at my cost.   just the way i am.   greg    ps.  i just just love old glass


 Many have monetary value to guys like me and "Silk City Tom" and "eyeluvold$" and "ferbiava" and a few others Greg !!!!!........:O)


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## cyberdigger (Sep 12, 2010)

> ORIGINAL:  bottle34nut
> 
> my bottles have really no monetary value what soever.   if i dont collect the type i have i simply give them away to someone who will cherish them,  no matter what the value.  its just the way i am.  and i have given away nice bottles and shipped them at my cost.   just the way i am.   greg    ps.  i just just love old glass


 
 I will cherish them, Greg.. no matter who you give them to... I know what you mean, man....!


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## bottlingco (Sep 13, 2010)

One of the biggest misunderstandings of ACL collectors is that the colored picture books published with prices by the Soda Net or Soda Fizz is a "price guide."  The prices included in these books are "prices realized."  That means they are prices that were paid by people at a bottle show, auction, Ebay, etc.
 It does not necesarily indicate value.  
 2 good examples:  The Birdie bottle shows a price of $1,000.  This price occurred from a call in auction where people called in and placed bids, including proxy bids, back and forth until there was only one person willing to continue to bid.  This ran the price up really high and is quite inflated.  (Who can blame them, it's a beautiful bottle.)  However, it is a false assumption that a Birdie bottle is always going to be "worth" $1,000.  
 Example 2, The r/w/l version of the Cola Root Beer bottle shows a price of $50.  I think this was a private sale or a sale at a bottle show.  At any rate, this was a great bargain.  One should expect to pay considerably more for that bottle.  It would be a false assumption that a Cola Root Beer bottle should only be $50.  
 These guides are still extremely useful once their intention is understood.  They are to show the pictures so we will know what the bottle looks like, and also give us an idea what someone at a particular time was willing to pay.  
 Thanks for continuing to discuss and post interesting and informative threads on this forum.
 bottlingco


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## SODAPOPBOB (Sep 13, 2010)

Here's a real case scenario (sort of) involving a trade that could happen to any of us.

 1.  I have a Big Chief acl that you want like the one discussed, and I claim it's worth $75.00

 2.  You have a Donald Duck acl that I want like the one below, and you claim it's worth $75.00

 3.  So far it sounds like an even trade. Right? 

      Not exactly ...

 4.  Because I am "certain" that your Donald Duck acl is only worth $25.00 despite what you claim.

 So under these circumstances how would ever come to terms on a legitimate trade? And what resource do we turn to that would settle the dispute once and for all? An accurate price guide would be one place. Of course we would have to agree that the price guide was accurate which, according to popular opinion, doesn't exist yet.   

 I realize this may seem a little silly, but multiply this by ten or twenty bottles and perhaps you will see my point. So I guess we are left with the original dilemma of how to accurately put a value on any given bottle on any given day. I for one do not know exactly how to do that. Selling a bottle outright is one thing, but it appears when it comes to trades it is a horse of an entirely different color. I for one vote in favor in a bonifide price guide, and hope the day comes soon when we at last have one.

 SPBOB


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## SODAPOPBOB (Sep 13, 2010)

bottlingco ~

 I was posting at exactly the same time. Thanks for your observations. Very intelligent and to the point. And I agree with how that particular price guide is set up and meant to be used. I have two copies that I refer to on a regular basis. But for some time now I too have questioned some of the listed prices that "suggest" value.

 Thanks again,

 SPBOB


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## bottlingco (Sep 13, 2010)

When I trade, I just make sure both parties are happy.  I don't worry about who is getting a $5 or such upper hand.  While I'm not going to trade a Grapette bottle for a Big Chief, if I want a bottle, and the other party wants mine, I'm happy.  That philosophy is just my opinion, but it seems to work well.  I still like to trade after doing it many times.  
 In the Big Chief bottle world, there are 3 that have the design similar to yours with a red/yellow label.
 While the values are based on what others would pay, I will list them with the rarest first, and the least rare, last.
 1)Placerville,CA  very rare
 2)Taft,CA (says Taft on the front label) rare, but more difficult to find than the Ely
 3)Ely,NV still a rare bottle.  

 These opinions are based on the scale as follows:
 Extremely rare, Very rare, rare, common, very common with extremely rare being the most difficult to find. 
 bottlingco


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## TJSJHART (Sep 13, 2010)

OK,,,I'll put my 2 cents in . when i am bidding on a bottle on line i check a couple sites . to get a rough estimate ..then figure what I'm willing to pay , bid or make an offer if i win or they want what i offer it's done . in a store,(flea market, junk store or mall ) i make an offer or have the attendant call the seller about my offer. recently I've found very dirty NDNR'S  that are marked at 1 to 2 dollars a piece , i believe they are very under valued , the prices will go up i believe .  in a nut shell it's what you are willing to sell them for and what they, the seller, whats for them or what they payed for them.            TIM


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## SODAPOPBOB (Sep 13, 2010)

bottlingco ~ 

 Thank you for the third time. Or is it four? You have been a big help here. Especially with the last part that really put a cap on things. (Pun intended). The rairity factor is where it's at. The $5.00 to $20.00 bottles are easy to price. Everyone knows the ones I'm talking about. But it's those other boogers in the $100.00 plus category that get tricky.

 Anyhoo, I learned one thing today. And that's that I have very little experience with selling and trading. And that I am a self made victum of my own folly. Which means that I keep finding - digging - buying bottle after bottle after bottle, and it comes down to the fact that I really don't know what the heck I've got. Or what they are worth. I just collect them and leave the rest up to others. So the next time I say I got a $100.00 bottle, you will know I really mean a $75.00. If you remember that we will get along just fine.

 Your fellow bottle collecting friend - who's got the bug and can't stop - no matter what - Bob   [8|] 

 TJSJHART ~

 I Just read your post and want to express a quick thank you. The edit button has been triggered and


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## simpleman (Sep 13, 2010)

Hello ALL ~ ~
   .
 SODAPOPBOB ~ ~
  First - Youre welcome on the idea to start this thread, concerning price guides/catalogs. 
 I believe everyone is basically saying the same thing, but just going about saying it in slightly different ways. 
 .
 A price guide, is just that... a guide. The value/price given in a guide/catalog is the top $$$ that you can expect, in a best case scenario(the right buyer, at the right time, willing to spend that amount).  EX.- Your Big Chief may sell for top dollar to the right buyer...and may even sell for more if you have more than one anxious buyer. Then on the other hand, it may difficult to sell at all, if its not the right buyer/right time. - - - The true value of anything is what someone is willing to pay for it at the time. What the value is to one person may be a world apart from the next person. A price guide/catalog will give you an idea of what price to start at, as a buyer & as a seller. 
 .
 We have all probably seen it before. You go to the flea market/antique store and find 2 sellers with the same bottle, same condition. One is asking a fair price and the other is going to retire wealthy. 
 .
 With all that said. The bottom line to me is - The true value of anything is what someone is willing to pay for it at the time.
 .
 .
***** Still like to know whats the best ACL guide/catalog/book out there, thats available, and where to get it?
 The reason I even asked about catalogs/books/price guides, is that I havent ever seen one...at all. I figured the book stores or surely the library would have something. NOTHIN. All I really want is a ACL bottle guide with some general info. Heck, I might be walkin right past something that is _considered_ very rare/valueable, & buying something else because I like it more.
 .
 Take care all


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## SODAPOPBOB (Sep 13, 2010)

simpleman ~

 I'm glad to see this discussion hasn't disuaded you from seeking out a good guide. And please note that I did not say "price" guide, as the popular consensus here seems to be that guides are best used for determining the multitue of varieties out there as opposed to their actual values, which is fleeting at best. And if I may be so bold as to glean from what I personally have learned from all of this and draw a conclusion, it would be that "regional" interest is a major factor here, especially when it comes to values. As we have seen, certain bottles, say, from West Virginia, would obviously be more in demand and more valuable to W.V. collectors than they would be to a collector like myself who lives in southern California. Take for example my 1936 Perfect Host acl from Yuma, Arizona. It's the only one of it's kind I have ever seen, and have to conclude it's somewhat rare, and possibly worth more than even I am aware of. And yet, this same bottle is likely to be of very little interest to a W.V. collector who wouldn't pay $5.00 for it if it bit him in the nose. And so it goes. Of course, certain bottles are popular everywhere. After all, who wouldn't love to have a Big Hit acl or a Birdie? (To mention just a couple).

 Putting everything in a nut shell, it appears that the acl book most often recommended and referred to ( The one shown on your thread) is about as good as it gets, except that because of the internet and other resources, the 2002 Edition is obsolete now (at least as far as prices are concerned) and that it is best used to see what's out there more than anything else. Perhaps someday a guide will emerge to will knock all of our socks off. But until then I still recommend the one mentioned ... "if" you can find one. And regarding that, I am of no help, except to suggest watching e-bay and elsewhere in the hope one turns up. And if you or anyone else happens to order one from the publishers and actually receive it, please let the rest of us hear about it.

 Thanks again,

 SPBOB


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## SODAPOPBOB (Sep 13, 2010)

But ...

 "What if" in time it was determined that my Perfect Host acl was even more rare than the acclaimed Big Hit acl with the baseball player on the label. Would this automatically boost the demand and/or value of the Perfect Host?  I say "possibly." And what is it about the Big Hit that makes it so valuable? Is it just it's rarity? Or is it because it has a baseball player on the label?  I say "both." But "what if" there were as many of the Big Hit's as there are of the everyday Pepsi Cola double-dot bottles? Would the Big Hit still be so valuable?  I say "no." So exactly what is the main factor in determining a bottle's value? I say "rarity first," followed by "demand." It seems to go that what we can't have is what we want the most! (Appx three years ago I was told by a very advanced collector that at that time there were only three known examples of the Big Hit bottle known to exist. I wonder how many Perfect Host there are?)  

 SPBOB


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## #1twin (Sep 13, 2010)

Bob,  Years ago I was looking at the RECENT FINDS listed with the South Eastern bottle club, and the Mountain Due party bottle you mentioned sold for over 3k. Didn't know if you ever saw that or not? Wouldn't it be great if that were the standard price.  Finding a reliable price for soda's can be as hard as pricing a local med[8D] I am not really into selling, but I always try to find a price for all my bottles, in the event of my passing my two girls won't box them up and sell them for $10 a box. I guess all we can do, when selling, is put a price on it and hope for the best, like Morbious said. Good luck on your journey of clearing out.    Marvin


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## SODAPOPBOB (Sep 13, 2010)

#1twin ~

 Thanks. And, yes, I followed a couple of the recent auctions. I sure would like to find one of them thar party jugs. I'm a partier < (is this a word?) from way back!  []

 By the way, I'm not entirely sure what you meant by "my journey of clearing out." Did you mean my intent to thin down my collection to just western themed bottles?  If so, yes again, I'm working on it now but cringe at the thought of piecing them out one at a time. If someone were interested in the whole shooting match that would be better. Eventually I  will have a list compiled, but it may be a while before it's ready to post. 

 Thanks again,

 SPBOB


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## bottle34nut (Sep 13, 2010)

epackage,

 unfortunatly we collect the same bottles,  otherwise you would have a lot more paterson hutches.  and im starting to thin out my hutches from other states besides nj, and hi. im trying to concentrate on paterson and newark squats and hutches.   greg


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## SODAPOPBOB (Sep 14, 2010)

Just this morning I discovered there is "another" Taft, Ca. Big Chief open for bid on e-bay. Currently there are no bids with a starting price at $35.00. It closes in about four hours. I will watch it and let you know what it sells for ... if it sells. Eventually I hope to have a track record on the three variations of this particular bottle, and hopefully establish some kind of "current" (average value). I guess it's as good a bottle as any to track. The last one earlier this week sold for $41.00 

 SPBOB

 Here's the link if you want to check it out for yourself.

 Link :   http://cgi.ebay.com/BIG-CHIEF-BEVERAGES-acl-TAFT-CALIF-1959-VRare-sodas-/370429716672?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item563f54e8c0


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## SODAPOPBOB (Sep 17, 2010)

As promised, I'm back to say the last Taft, CA. Big Chief did not receive a single bit which had a starting price of $35.00. Which just goes to show how fickle the market is. The first one we watched received 13 bids and sold for $41.00. And yet here we have an example of a similar bottle (In a lesser grade - but not too bad) that didn't generate any interest whatsoever. Hmmm ... how strange and unpredictable soda bottle collecting can be. (Note: At first I thought the two might be the same bottle, but was abale to determine they were not. One has a scratch on the front and the other does not). 

 SPBOB


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## fishnuts (Sep 17, 2010)

Now there is one with opening @ $25.00.

 The goofy thing is that could close at more than $41.00!


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## SODAPOPBOB (Sep 17, 2010)

fishnuts ~

 I can't find the e-bay listing for that bottle. Do you have the link available? It may be listed without the words "Big Chief bottle" or "Taft, Ca." which is the way I searched for it. Unless it is one of about 1,100 other "Big Chief" listings that I did not go through.

 Thanks,

 SPBOB


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## fanboy (Sep 17, 2010)

I guess that is the power of starting the bidding at .99; get the bidders invested...

 Chris


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## fishnuts (Sep 17, 2010)

http://cgi.ebay.com/BIG-CHIEF-BEVERAGES-acl-TAFT-CALIF-1959-VRare-sodas-/110587246313?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19bf8376e9


 There ya go.


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## SODAPOPBOB (Sep 17, 2010)

fishnuts ~

 Thanks. I see now that it's the same bottle as the last one that didn't receive any bids at $35.00. They just lowered the price and relisted it.

 And this is a good lesson learned when searching e-bay. I experimented and discovered it would not come up under "Big Chief Bottle" nor "Big Chief Soda Bottle."  I had to add the word "Beverage" to find it. And there is no way I was going to scroll through 1,100 various other listing for "Big Chief" items. So the lesson learned here is (especially for "sellers") if they have a "Bottle" for sale, use the dang word "Bottle."  []  (I'll keep an eye on it anyway and see what develops). 

 When they lower the price to $10.00 I may bid on it. (So much for my "it's worth $75.00" opinion).  Which just goes to show again what's happening to the market. I just wish I could find a "Big Hit" acl that is the victum of this same thing. Wouldn't that be cool?

 SPBOB


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## SODAPOPBOB (Sep 17, 2010)

P.S. ~

 I am not embarressed to admit I paid $50.00 for my Ely, Nevada Big Chief about three years ago. (I just "had to have it!") But even then the $50.00 was the cheapest one of this particular bottle that I could find. Most were going between $75.00 and $100.00. Again, another example of the declining market for a lot of acl bottles. Of course, certain ones seem to hold there value no matter what. At least for now. But what about the future?

 There ... I feel better now.  []

 And for those "sharp cookies" among us who remember I said earlier that I paid $15.00 for my bottle, you're right. except I failed to mention that I actually have three of the now. The third one I paid $35.00 for. So I hope this clears that up.

 SPBOB


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## cyberdigger (Sep 17, 2010)

The way I figure it is like this:  ..sometimes we overpay, sometimes we underpay, but either way, we pay. To collect or not to collect, that is the question..


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## SODAPOPBOB (Sep 17, 2010)

cyberdigger ~

 Right on! I like your Shakespear spin-off phrase. And to add to this it "may" be of interest to note that when I was a senior in high school (1970) my English teacher had a little contest to see who could come up with the best answer to that age old question. And I won (true story) with ...

                               "To Believe or not to believe. That is the answer."

 And partly because of winning that contest I was also voted "Most Talented." (And this one I can prove because I still have my yearbook with my photo in it). Please note, I am not bragging, but rather "sharing." There is a world of difference between the two, and hope I am never guilty of the former.

                                          Whew ... I really feel better now!

                                                             []

                                                      SODA"BS"BOB


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## cyberdigger (Sep 17, 2010)

You don't look too bad either! Shakespear? I thought that was nietzsche.. 




                                                    []


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## SODAPOPBOB (Sep 17, 2010)

~ cyberspear ~

                     I may be getting a little carried away with this, but what the heck.

                        Here's how it starts ... (Contains more, but this should suffice).

                                                     ~ From Hamlet ~

                                    To be or not to beâ€“ that is the question:
                                    Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
                                    The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
                                    Or to take arms against a sea of troubles
                                    And, by opposing, end them.

                       And you said something about "looking good." Check this out.

 Peggi Willi won due to having an almost opereatic voice. I won because (I'm still not sure). But I do recall being the very first male stundent in our high school's entire history to have hair below the collar.

                                               1970


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## cyberdigger (Sep 17, 2010)

> Â To be or not to beâ€“ that is the question:
> Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
> Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
> Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Or to take arms against a sea of troubles
> Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â And, by opposing, end them.


 
 If you babelfish it enough, it means: "C'mon dudes! Are we gonna take this bizniz or are we gonna go kick butt>?"

 Thanks for the image from 1970! You look like a righteous dude there.. []


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## cyberdigger (Sep 17, 2010)

...[8|]...


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## SODAPOPBOB (Sep 17, 2010)

Lastly ... (I promise).

 Regarding my "below the collar" hair. I literally had to go before the school board with my parents to fight for my hair. I won! But had I lost the consequence would have been expulsion without a diploma. My victory actually set a president for future students. At the time students all across the country were fighting (and winning) school dress codes, including the length of male student's hair. For some weird reason my parents supported me 100%. Something to do with individual rights that they, and my dad now, (88 years old) stills believes in. 

                                  Just a little bit of American history for everyone.

                                        SODA "NOW 58 YEARS OLD" BOB


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## mattinad (Feb 9, 2012)

Can anyone tell me what a big chief taft california bottle is going for it it's yellow and red not very good condition tho


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## SODAPOPBOB (Feb 9, 2012)

mattinad ~

 I'm just going to blurt it out and say in my opinion a Taft, California Big Chief is worth about $50.00 in mint condition. But if the condition were anything less than near-mint, I wouldn't pay $5.00 for one. But that's just my "opinion" and because of my personal collecting interest. The older I get and the more bottles I buy, the more particular I am about condition. However, someone else (who just has to have one) might pay $100. So for me its all relative to ... 

                                                              1.  Collecting interest
                                                              2.  Condition

 I have the same yellow/red Big Chief from Ely, Nevada (near mint) that I wouldn't sell for less than $75.00, even though I know its probably only worth about $50.00. If/when I do sell it, I'm holding out for the collector who "just has to have one!"  []

 SPB


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## mattinad (Feb 9, 2012)

I understand completely bob I am the same way I wish this taft california bottle was in better shape.  I found it at a garage sale for a dollar.


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## SODAPOPBOB (Feb 9, 2012)

Matt ~

 That's the crazy part. Even if you offered it to me for free with free shipping included, I'd still say thanks but no thanks. On the other hand, if you had a "30 Below" (San Diego's rarest acl) that you wanted to give away, I'd be all over it like white-on-rice! A "30 Below" in mint condition is worth about $750 to $1,000 locally.

 SPB


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## biguns (Feb 10, 2012)

I just recently started collecting ACL  bottles. I found and bought a " Rola" bottle from Erie Pa. I dated it to be 1950. Is this bottle rare or common.?


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## celerycola (Feb 10, 2012)

Very common. I bought a case of 24 including high wall wood crate for $10. In two years I haven't sold enough to recover my investment.



> ORIGINAL:  biguns
> 
> I just recently started collecting ACL  bottles. I found and bought a " Rola" bottle from Erie Pa. I dated it to be 1950. Is this bottle rare or common.?


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## splante (Feb 10, 2012)

I read some of the post then jumped to the end so if some of my opinion has already been stated I appoligize.
 one..the old saying supply and demand rules...you can have a very scarce acl bottle with just an average label and subject matter and have trouble finding a buyer for it, or you can have a semi common with the subject for example baseball and it cross references so many collectors they sell for better prices

 For example the Devil shake bottle Ive seen them sell for$45.00 to $200.00 and IF my research is correct it was produced for about 4 years..while the (here it comes) The Patio Diet cola bottle from the same company(pepsi) was test marketed in 1963 after just over 6 months of production it was changed to diet pepsi,(you can see some of the first diet pepsi bottles are the patio bottle with just a diffrent acl) while the other patio colas' hung around to the early 1970's before being phased out. You can get the Patio Diet colas still cheap $3.00 to $10.00. Again devil shake(cool name and acl) produced longer high demand and price..while the very low production number of i guess( boring )patio diet colas' are still cheap...


 Two ..as more and more new collectors come aboard,they may want to fill parts of thier collections with the staples,coke,7up,pepsi ect ect again driving supply. and on the other hand a new collector discovers a case of attic mint Big Chiefs and floods ebay with them and drives the prices down.

 three..knowledge  as i am pretty new to acl collecting..Iam discovering more and more about the hobby weekly, I know they have some pretty rare local Rhode Island acl bottles that you just don't see for sale...Glee Club and speedball are a few examples of one you just dont see . I would put a preimum on those because they are rare and local..2 for 1.....if not for sites like these I would of never connected with some local collectors who have enlightened me on RI bottles

 ...ok Iam rambling now got to cut myself off...


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## SODAPOPBOB (Feb 10, 2012)

splante ~

 Regional interest is another major aspect. I realize now that a "Speedball" is in high demand in your region. But if I saw one here in southern California, (before I learned about them recently) I might think it was cool but still pass on it for something of more regional interest to me. And the same thing might apply if you saw a "30 Below" in Rhode Island. 

 Tell ya what ... I'll find a "Speedball" for you if you find a "30 Below" for me ... and then we'll trade!

 SPB

 Here's the only "30 Below" I currently own and paid $75.00 for. (Which is a contradiction to what I was saying earlier about only wanting near-mint bottles). But when rarity comes into play - that's a horse of a different color. I have been offered $125 for this crappy looking thing. But I probably wouldn't sell it for $200 because I know the likelyhood of finding another one (in any condition) is slim to none. There are very few local collectors who own one, and those that do won't part with them ... including me unless I am lucky enough to upgrade some day, which is doubtful.


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## SODAPOPBOB (Feb 10, 2012)

P.S. ~ splante

                                           The point of my "30 Below" regional story is this ...

 Q:  Without knowing what I just told you about it, would you be as excited to find one as I would?

 SPB


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## TJSJHART (Feb 10, 2012)

I WOULD ...  I WOULD GRAB ANY OF THE THREE  " LOTTA COLA " THERE ARE ALSO...


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## splante (Feb 11, 2012)

SPB.  exactly if not for this site I would overlook a 30 below at a shop while looking for the RI bottles, I would of said Sandiego...naw move on....IF you come up with any acl soda  bottled in Saugus Calif let me know I want one from the area I grew up in in the 60's, moved back to RI after the 71 or 72 earthquake and would love to have a bottle from that area if not too expensive oh and deal on the speedball/30below


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## splante (Feb 12, 2012)

heres an example of what I said a few post above this guy floods the market with 1000 nesbitts not that they were ever scarce or worth much but it dives the prices down even more
 http://www.ebay.com/itm/HUGE-Collection-Lot-1000-Vintage-Nesbitts-Soda-ACL-Painted-Label-Bottles-/320837044349?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ab360c87d


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## cyberdigger (Feb 12, 2012)

At least he's not trying to sell them individually.. someone's gonna have to go for the BIG TAMALE..[&:]


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## SODAPOPBOB (Feb 12, 2012)

splante ~

 Exactly! The base of that one bottle looks like LG 75 (Laurens Glass 1975). If so, then in my opinion that bottle is worth about $1.00. And he's asking $2,000+ for the entire lot. No way, Jose! I predict the guy is stuck with them for "life."

 I'll keep my eyes peeled for the California bottle you mentioned.

 SPB


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## SODAPOPBOB (Feb 12, 2012)

P.S. ~

  I just punched the numbers into my calculator and, at 24 bottles per case, 1,000 bottles comes to ...

                                                         41.66666666666 cases!


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## sodapops (Feb 13, 2012)

I agree with celerycola, I bought a bunch at auction one time only becuse a few signs came with it. Could'nt get rid of the bottles so I use them as salt shakers at my restaurant.


> ORIGINAL:  celerycola
> 
> Very common. I bought a case of 24 including high wall wood crate for $10. In two years I haven't sold enough to recover my investment.
> 
> ...


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## jays emporium (Mar 19, 2012)

When this post was current I kind of got tired of reading about the Ely, Nevada Big Chief but now I found one.


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## jays emporium (Mar 19, 2012)

So in about 2 weeks we're gonna find out what this one is worth, on ebay.


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## jays emporium (Mar 30, 2012)

Well now we know that Big Chief is worth exactley $45.00 on March 29, 2012
 http://www.ebay.com/itm/330706663711?ssPageName=STRK:MESOX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1559.l2649


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 30, 2012)

Jay ~

 Thanks for the follow up on your Ely Big Chief.

 I'm not sure what condition the bottle was in, but it looks like it had a little paint loss of the lettering on the back side. If this is true, then I'm going to double the value on my bottle to $90.00 which is in 9.9 near-mint condition. But without splitting hairs, I'm happy to see that yours sold for $45.00. Especially considering that I only paid about $15.00 for the one I have. 

 Thanks again.

 SPB   

 Here's a picture of the back on my bottle. That faint rust spot has since been removed.


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## jays emporium (Mar 30, 2012)

Yes, yours looks a lot better on the  back.  $90 might be a good estimate.  Doesn't matter unless you sell it.
 Jay


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