# WHAT IS WRONG WITH A BROKEN BOTTLE... NOTHING AT ALL.



## UncleBruce

These are strictly my own opinions and nothing said here is to be taken personally or out of context... but what separates collectors from investors?  Lots of things especially when it comes to a broken bottle.
Today I share a few of my broken dreams and as a collector I enjoy these as much as any other bottle in my collection.  An investor would not look twice at such bottles... a collector recognizes these are little bits of history, deserving of preservation, doing their best to save them, while an investor will look for a trash can.​I have several broken bottles in my collection.  I wish they were not damaged.  Who doesn't like a nice clean minty condition bottle?  Nobody and that kind of bottle appeals to just about everyone.   What about the other bottles?  Below are selections from my collection, which in all likelihood will be the only examples of these bottles that I will ever own.  The odds are against for ever upgrading these bottles.  My line of thinking is that it is better to have a lesser one than NONE AT ALL. I am a collector.
The first bottle *BUFFALO BOTTLING WORKS // BUFFALO LAGER BEER* is so rare that I have yet to meet another collector who has one.  It had been listed on feeBay and I watched it for week after week as the seller kept trying to find a buyer.  I didn't want to spend any money (that was my investor side) on a broken beer bottle, but I felt (the collector coming out in my) that if I didn't acquire it, it would be discarded and the world of collecting might never know about this obscure bottle.  Missing its entire top has not stopped me from respecting this bottle.​The second bottle is a sad tale of a seller fail.  Having inverted embossing this *BOTTLED BEER // F. GOMILLA *is a wonderful oddity it. Many years ago the owner of this bottle contacted, they were no longer collecting and were looking for a good home for this embossed beer. To say I was excited would be an understatement. The day the package arrived I couldn't get home quick enough so I could open it. What a shock  of disappointment when I looked inside. Having started its journey as a whole bottle it was now a pile of pieces and shards!!!!  Trying to be nice the seller had thrown in an extra bottle (that I did not want), the bottles were very loose in the box as the seller had not packed the items well enough to survive... alas... the wrong bottle was broken.  I have searched high and low for another one of these with no success.  Even with the glue job I still really like this bottle.
Finally I was at a bottle show in St. Louis and a dealer had this *F. RAACKE // WHITE BEER* on their table.  Every time I walked by that table I would stop and look at it.  Late in the day I started up a conversation with them and discussed how I was surprised no one had purchased this bottle even though it was broke I thought it was a great example because of the color.  I actually had (have) one that is a very pale aqua and this broken one was much prettier.  The dealer said he was going to take it and cut it up and make a drinking cup out of it.  I couldn't let the bottle be humiliated.  I immediately asked him what his bottom dollar for would be and acquired it.  He then produced the blob top, gave that to me, when I got home I made this funny looking neck from packing tape, have kept it and never been ashamed of it.​How about some of you *COLLECTORS*, show us what you've saved from the trash?


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## hemihampton

I got a few rare bottles busted up in pieces & unfortunately have received many in the mail all busted up. I'll post more pics later. LEON.


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## Robby Raccoon

I do have one bottle on display that is missing its bottom, and another that is just a shard. But when I can find a nicer example of one, I would like to upgrade for aesthetic reasons. The other, eh. I don't collect milks. It's just too rare (two known examples) to toss out-- yet no one wants it! I tried selling it for ten bucks and no one bit.


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## mike garrett

broke is broke nothing more.


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## BF109

I broke two of my bottles recently by accident.  One was toast and went in the trash, but I kept this one.  Lesson learned is do not bounce balls in the house near your bottles!


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## ROBBYBOBBY64

True heart breaker, roman perfume bottle. I got a full refund. Too bad.
ROBBYBOBBY64.


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## glassdigger50

I have lot's of broke bottles in my collection, weather it is chipped, cracked, glued together or just a shard. If it is something I do not have or it is rare I keep it.


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## hemihampton

Super Rare Bitters Bottle found in 1860's Pontil Privy. And C.F.

 Spencers Fruit Jar in same Privy. LEON.


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## Mjbottle

Heres a few of my broken spot holders,


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## hemihampton

Rare Broken Schmitts Quart. As far as I know only 2 blobs known & 1 crowntop. not sure which one this would of been? LEON.


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## embe

I had one that busted in shipping, superglued it back together (like a jigsaw puzzle) and it lasted that way for about 8 years before my kids bounced a ball and knocked it off the shelf.  Silver lining is at least it was already busted (and not another one I'd need to superglue back together) lol


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## hemihampton




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## EdsFinds

UncleBruce said:


> These are strictly my own opinions and nothing said here is to be taken personally or out of context... but what separates collectors from investors?  Lots of things especially when it comes to a broken bottle.
> Today I share a few of my broken dreams and as a collector I enjoy these as much as any other bottle in my collection.  An investor would not look twice at such bottles... a collector recognizes these are little bits of history, deserving of preservation, doing their best to save them, while an investor will look for a trash can.​I have several broken bottles in my collection.  I wish they were not damaged.  Who doesn't like a nice clean minty condition bottle?  Nobody and that kind of bottle appeals to just about everyone.   What about the other bottles?  Below are selections from my collection, which in all likelihood will be the only examples of these bottles that I will ever own.  The odds are against for ever upgrading these bottles.  My line of thinking is that it is better to have a lesser one than NONE AT ALL. I am a collector.
> The first bottle *BUFFALO BOTTLING WORKS // BUFFALO LAGER BEER* is so rare that I have yet to meet another collector who has one.  It had been listed on feeBay and I watched it for week after week as the seller kept trying to find a buyer.  I didn't want to spend any money (that was my investor side) on a broken beer bottle, but I felt (the collector coming out in my) that if I didn't acquire it, it would be discarded and the world of collecting might never know about this obscure bottle.  Missing its entire top has not stopped me from respecting this bottle.​The second bottle is a sad tale of a seller fail.  Having inverted embossing this *BOTTLED BEER // F. GOMILLA *is a wonderful oddity it. Many years ago the owner of this bottle contacted, they were no longer collecting and were looking for a good home for this embossed beer. To say I was excited would be an understatement. The day the package arrived I couldn't get home quick enough so I could open it. What a shock  of disappointment when I looked inside. Having started its journey as a whole bottle it was now a pile of pieces and shards!!!!  Trying to be nice the seller had thrown in an extra bottle (that I did not want), the bottles were very loose in the box as the seller had not packed the items well enough to survive... alas... the wrong bottle was broken.  I have searched high and low for another one of these with no success.  Even with the glue job I still really like this bottle.
> Finally I was at a bottle show in St. Louis and a dealer had this *F. RAACKE // WHITE BEER* on their table.  Every time I walked by that table I would stop and look at it.  Late in the day I started up a conversation with them and discussed how I was surprised no one had purchased this bottle even though it was broke I thought it was a great example because of the color.  I actually had (have) one that is a very pale aqua and this broken one was much prettier.  The dealer said he was going to take it and cut it up and make a drinking cup out of it.  I couldn't let the bottle be humiliated.  I immediately asked him what his bottom dollar for would be and acquired it.  He then produced the blob top, gave that to me, when I got home I made this funny looking neck from packing tape, have kept it and never been ashamed of it.​How about some of you *COLLECTORS*, show us what you've saved from the trash?
> View attachment 214045
> You really explained a dilemma I have always had! On the one hand, no one wants a broken bottle ( no matter how old it is since it has lost its value), yet on the other, it may be the only remaining example of that bottle. For that reason (if they are not completely smashed or gone) there is still some value in keeping them (if for nothing else than to preserve them). I feel like you in some regards! You just helped me to put my thoughts into two categories regarding the "disposition" of the bottles that I find (one would be to keep because of its age and rarity; two, to try to sell them if they are common, like a coke bottle). I often find older bottles, but because they are broken, I sadly leave them since I was judging the value of them instead of their historic or "aesthetic" value. Now I know that I am more of a collector like yourself than just an investor. I do have tons of the common old sodas that I honestly need to get rid of since I do not have space. Yet, as you say, I want to keep the more rare ones, since it may be the only example I will find.


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## EdsFinds

You really explained a dilemma I have always had! On the one hand, no one wants a broken bottle ( no matter how old it is since it has lost its value), yet on the other, it may be the only remaining example of that bottle. For that reason (if they are not completely smashed or gone) there is still some value in keeping them (if for nothing else than to preserve them). I feel like you in some regards! You just helped me to put my thoughts into two categories regarding the "disposition" of the bottles that I find (one would be to keep because of its age and rarity; two, to try to sell them if they are common, like a coke bottle). I often find older bottles, but because they are broken, I sadly leave them since I was judging the value of them instead of their historic or "aesthetic" value. Now I know that I am more of a collector like yourself than just an investor. I do have tons of the common old sodas that I honestly need to get rid of since I do not have space. Yet, as you say, I want to keep the more rare ones, since it may be the only example I will find.


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## EdsFinds

Thanks to your post, I now have my first broken bottle to add to my collection. I found it next to another whole wine bottle. They were in a wooded area behind the ruins of an old restraunt/liquor/deli building! Here they are!


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## ROBBYBOBBY64

hemihampton said:


> View attachment 214220View attachment 214221View attachment 214222


Story of my life. Sending a bottle thru the mail is like playing Russian roulette.  You never know who is gonna get it.
ROBBYBOBBY64.


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## DeepSeaDan

Give your broken bottle-top glass new life! I've been cutting my broken favourites into drinking glasses for some time now:


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## UncleBruce

DeepSeaDan said:


> Give your broken bottle-top glass new life! I've been cutting my broken favourites into drinking glasses for some time now:
> 
> View attachment 214347


I think this is interesting and in a new way makes a bottle look less junky, it does a nice job of preserving the embossing, which I like, but... they don't really look like bottles now.  I just don't know if I could do this to some of my examples and be happy with them.  Personally my broken gems don't bother me that much.  This may be a good option for lots of collectors.  Not sure if it would increase the so called "value", but may save a few bottles from being tossed out letting them be appreciated for the history behind them.


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## DeepSeaDan

UncleBruce said:


> I think this is interesting and in a new way makes a bottle look less junky, it does a nice job of preserving the embossing, which I like, but... they don't really look like bottles now.  I just don't know if I could do this to some of my examples and be happy with them.  Personally my broken gems don't bother me that much.  This may be a good option for lots of collectors.  Not sure if it would increase the so called "value", but may save a few bottles from being tossed out letting them be appreciated for the history behind them.



Well said, UncleBruce. I have many bottles that are cracked, chipped or otherwise "damaged", but I still appreciate them, & proudly display them. 

Occasionally, myself & some Bottle Buddies get together for steaks n' ales. We all bring a favourite bottle to the party, and fill them with our chosen libation; I find decanting a beer from a new beer bottle into an old beer bottle to be too cumbersome, so I opt for one of my embossed glasses - right out of the freezer! We toast the joy of the hunt, and the historical past of our rescued treasures.

Always a great time!

Regards,
DSD


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## hemihampton

I've tossed hundreds of broken top Bottles in the past many Years. BUT, For past couple of Years been keeping some with cool embossing figuring I'd Cut & make a glass out of IT.  Bought a Glass cutter a Year ago but still haven' used it yet. Procrastinator I guess. LEON.


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## DeepSeaDan

hemihampton said:


> I've tossed hundreds of broken top Bottles in the past many Years. BUT, For past couple of Years been keeping some with cool embossing figuring I'd Cut & make a glass out of IT.  Bought a Glass cutter a Year ago but still haven' used it yet. Procrastinator I guess. LEON.



If you decide to start cutting, let me know, & I'll share what I've learned thus far. I'm at a point now where cut failures are few and far between. There's never a guarantee that a cut will have the optimal outcome, but there are a few hard-earned lessons that just might help.

DSD


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## glassdigger50

Better to have a broke bottle in your collection that you need than not having one at all.


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## hemihampton

1870's Wolf & Fischer Amber Quart Blob. Picture of a Wolf on the Bottle. This would be a Killer Bottle & Rare if not Broke.


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## ROBBYBOBBY64

I like the glasses. I made one a while back. Good pencil holder. Never used mine for drinking although you can.

ROBBYBOBBY64


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## UncleBruce

*A broken bottle post of a different nature.  *
I am from the tiny town of Downing, MO, the town has never had much of population, even today it is less than 300 and my parents still live there.  They had this paper label bottle and their stupid cat got up on their fireplace mantle and broke it.  Fortunately they did not toss it and the label didn't get destroyed.  I took the bottle and for years have looked high and low for a similar bottle.  I found a nearly identical one on feebay, it arrived today and I moved the label to its new home.  Now I can't decide whether or not to keep the old bottle.  The whiskey and cork on the new bottle were my additions, which I think turned out nicely.  H. CHOULETT was a liquor merchant so I thought this would be an appropriate way to display it.


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## ROBBYBOBBY64

Looks like a happy ending. Nice job.
ROBBYBOBBY64.


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## UncleBruce

This happened March 28th.   Bottle collecting... it's not for the faint of heart.


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## logan.the.collector

I broke a big blue round cork top poison this year. Just got it home out of the woods, too... it didn't actually say poison or have the crossbones, but it was a heartbreaker. I broke an 1890s whiskey one time in 2014 too... shame.


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## rickmarbles

DeepSeaDan said:


> If you decide to start cutting, let me know, & I'll share what I've learned thus far. I'm at a point now where cut failures are few and far between. There's never a guarantee that a cut will have the optimal outcome, but there are a few hard-earned lessons that just might help.
> 
> DSD


I have tried to cut and sand-  using a tile saw to cut, sanding is what is killing me.  any tips


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## ROBBYBOBBY64

rickmarbles said:


> I have tried to cut and sand-  using a tile saw to cut, sanding is what is killing me.  any tips


What are you trying to do? Cut chip free? I have been polishing marble and granite for over 35 years and I find glass to be a breeze to sand and polish.
ROBBYBOBBY64.


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## rickmarbles

I will post you some pics of results of what I have tried when I get to the bottles later.  The tile saw does a pretty good job- few chips.  But the score and crack method I cannot get to work because these are old straight side cokes and similar from a dump that are pretty scuffed up and the rig I have just cannot get the score right.  So I use the tile saw.  But getting the edge sanded(the older ones are softer glass than the few duraglass bottles I have tried) is very difficult and time consuming.  I have silicon carbide I think sandpaper but it takes forever and I have never been able to get a shine like what you have


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## mike garrett

well a broken bottle is just that ,nothing more!


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## hemihampton

Only known Black Glass 1870's Geo Norris from Detroit Michigan. Probably Norris first Bottle in Detroit. I have his Pontiled 1850's Bottle from Cleveland. Unfortunately this one has a Broken Off Top. Crier Heartbreaker.


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## east texas terry

UncleBruce said:


> These are strictly my own opinions and nothing said here is to be taken personally or out of context... but what separates collectors from investors?  Lots of things especially when it comes to a broken bottle.
> Today I share a few of my broken dreams and as a collector I enjoy these as much as any other bottle in my collection.  An investor would not look twice at such bottles... a collector recognizes these are little bits of history, deserving of preservation, doing their best to save them, while an investor will look for a trash can.​I have several broken bottles in my collection.  I wish they were not damaged.  Who doesn't like a nice clean minty condition bottle?  Nobody and that kind of bottle appeals to just about everyone.   What about the other bottles?  Below are selections from my collection, which in all likelihood will be the only examples of these bottles that I will ever own.  The odds are against for ever upgrading these bottles.  My line of thinking is that it is better to have a lesser one than NONE AT ALL. I am a collector.
> The first bottle *BUFFALO BOTTLING WORKS // BUFFALO LAGER BEER* is so rare that I have yet to meet another collector who has one.  It had been listed on feeBay and I watched it for week after week as the seller kept trying to find a buyer.  I didn't want to spend any money (that was my investor side) on a broken beer bottle, but I felt (the collector coming out in my) that if I didn't acquire it, it would be discarded and the world of collecting might never know about this obscure bottle.  Missing its entire top has not stopped me from respecting this bottle.​The second bottle is a sad tale of a seller fail.  Having inverted embossing this *BOTTLED BEER // F. GOMILLA *is a wonderful oddity it. Many years ago the owner of this bottle contacted, they were no longer collecting and were looking for a good home for this embossed beer. To say I was excited would be an understatement. The day the package arrived I couldn't get home quick enough so I could open it. What a shock  of disappointment when I looked inside. Having started its journey as a whole bottle it was now a pile of pieces and shards!!!!  Trying to be nice the seller had thrown in an extra bottle (that I did not want), the bottles were very loose in the box as the seller had not packed the items well enough to survive... alas... the wrong bottle was broken.  I have searched high and low for another one of these with no success.  Even with the glue job I still really like this bottle.
> Finally I was at a bottle show in St. Louis and a dealer had this *F. RAACKE // WHITE BEER* on their table.  Every time I walked by that table I would stop and look at it.  Late in the day I started up a conversation with them and discussed how I was surprised no one had purchased this bottle even though it was broke I thought it was a great example because of the color.  I actually had (have) one that is a very pale aqua and this broken one was much prettier.  The dealer said he was going to take it and cut it up and make a drinking cup out of it.  I couldn't let the bottle be humiliated.  I immediately asked him what his bottom dollar for would be and acquired it.  He then produced the blob top, gave that to me, when I got home I made this funny looking neck from packing tape, have kept it and never been ashamed of it.​How about some of you *COLLECTORS*, show us what you've saved from the trash?
> View attachment 214045


I HAVE DUG CIVIL WAR WHISKEY THAT WAS OPEN  BY A BAYONET CHOP  TO  THE NECK


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## rickmarbles

Here is an example of one I cut with saw and sanded edge-how do you get it smooth?


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## UncleBruce

ROBBYBOBBY64 said:


> What are you trying to do? Cut chip free? I have been polishing marble and granite for over 35 years and I find glass to be a breeze to sand and polish.
> ROBBYBOBBY64.


What is your method for giving that rim a nice finish?


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## ROBBYBOBBY64

Diamond Composite discs. Wet polisher. I have 80 up to 10000 grit. I can buff with aluminum oxide powder then with the cerium powder I get that super wet shine.
ROBBYBOBBY64.


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## UncleBruce

ROBBYBOBBY64 said:


> Diamond Composite discs. Wet polisher. I have 80 up to 10000 grit. I can buff with aluminum oxide powder then with the cerium powder I get that super wet shine.
> ROBBYBOBBY64.


The shine makes all the difference.  Are you using a stationary buffer or a hand held buffer?


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## ROBBYBOBBY64

rickmarbles said:


> Here is an example of one I cut with saw and sanded edge-how do you get it smooth?


You need a better method. I use a wet saw (Target saw brand) with a ultra thin disc. Very slowly. I set the stop and roll the bottle all the way around making a deep score then slowly work that deeper as you turn eventually you will cut through. If you just cut it straight through it tends to chip. They have jewelers saw blade that are super thin. I think they would work even better.
ROBBYBOBBY64.


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## ROBBYBOBBY64

UncleBruce said:


> The shine makes all the difference.  Are you using a stationary buffer or a hand held buffer?


A handheld slow speed wet grinder. The same ones they use at the marble and granite fabricators use. Mine is an alphasonics, a local company.
ROBBYBOBBY64.


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## mike garrett

you say norris is far from detroit the first bottle.


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## ArmyDigger

Here’s one I found when they drained the river in Newmarket last year Conner’s bottling works Newfields NH I can’t find this bottle really anywhere but it’s the largest slug plated bottle I own even if it’s broken


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