# Is it Worth it?



## Brandons Bottles (Jan 23, 2011)

I got this bottle today and it is missing some of the lip. It's a pretty old bottle, but I don't even think its american. Its an aqua BIM Tooled Lip. I saw a someone trying to sell it for $12 and said they got it out of the Panama Canal Zone. Would it be worth fixing? And if it is, is there an inexpensive, at home way to fix it? And out of Curiosity, does fixing a bottle bring up its value? It says -Milano- on one side and -Carlo Erba- on the other. Here are some pictures. Thanks for any help. It's greatly appreciated.











 HERE'S THE DAMAGE[]


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## Poison_Us (Jan 23, 2011)

I don't know.  This is the only Milano I know of...






 I probably wouldn't fix it.  But I like the crudeness.


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## cowseatmaize (Jan 23, 2011)

Carlo Erba was an Italian pharmacist, the bottle probably a malaria remedy. They may be common down there. 
 I wouldn't bother but that's just me.


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## Brandons Bottles (Jan 23, 2011)

I'm actually "up" here but not canada. do you think the when they made it they could've messed up?


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## Poison_Us (Jan 23, 2011)

Stupid mouse sent me all over the place...went back too far....need a new mouse.


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## cowseatmaize (Jan 23, 2011)

I had to go USB on my laptop. it was bringing 2 or more windows and those runaway characters that just don't quit.
 Best thing I ever did. I never could get used to the pad thing anyway.

 Now, back to the bottle. By down there I was talking Panama, the Caribbean malaria prone areas in general. It could have been something else too.
 As to the top, they were just on step above the burst lip stuff. It looks like they took the time to paddle it flat anyway.


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## Brandons Bottles (Jan 23, 2011)

Ok, thanks for all the info. It's really smooth to the touch like someone did something with it. One last question- is this classised as a "damaged" bottle?


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## cyberdigger (Jan 23, 2011)

It's a chipped lip, so, yeah it's damaged.. could be worse, obviously!
 It's probably an Italian bottle.. ships from all over the world used the Panama canal, so it would be no surprise..


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## Brandons Bottles (Jan 23, 2011)

Thanks fore all the information.[]


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## Plumbata (Jan 23, 2011)

If it was a malaria remedy, could it have been from the initial attempt by the French to build the canal in the 1880s (and used by hired Italian labor)? 

 I would leave it as-is. It is damaged, sure, but even bottles fresh from the factory can have "damage". As an interesting piece of history which may well have been used by a laborer who died from diseases contracted down there, it is venerable in the present condition regardless of the chip. Spending the time it would require to craft the clay (or other) walls to hold in the epoxy which would have to be dyed, and then waiting for it to cure, then polishing would cost more in man-hours than would be compensated in increased value.


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## Brandons Bottles (Jan 23, 2011)

Thanks for the information. I totally forgot that that was the time period when the Panama Canal was being dug. I was going to leave it as it is anyways.


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## Plumbata (Jan 24, 2011)

I did a quick search based on cowseatmaize's information and found that Carlo Erba started his pharmacy in 1837 and died in 1888. The company he started still lives on, albeit after name-changes and a few mergers.

 With that being the case, it would make sense if it was from the failed attempt by the French, though the name could have been used years after his death by those who inherited the business and thus it may be from the later, successful American attempt.

 Nifty bottle.


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## Brandons Bottles (Jan 24, 2011)

Thanks for your help and opinion Plumbata


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