# PRICE CHECK in the Coke aisle



## Uncle_Jarvis (Nov 16, 2011)

I recently acquired this lil' gem. to add to my core collection []







 If anyone has a Porter Coke guide to look this one up real quick it would me much appreciated !

 I'm mainly interested in mfg. date / aprox. value / and rarity 

*specs:* QUINCY, IL ; says ROOT on the bottom and is in about 8.5-9 out of 10 condition wise 

 Thanks !!  

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## beith_2005 (Nov 16, 2011)

I have one just like it. In Porters book its listed as common. As far as value I think I paid around $30 dollars for mine and its a pretty clean bottle. You know like I do its all in what somebody's willing to pay. I would say its from around 1910 or so just my guess.


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## splante (Nov 17, 2011)

in petretti's book
  bottles like that with the same design,text and slug plat go for 60 to 150, IL bottles go for that range too, couldnt find your quincy one though, harder towns could be worth a little more


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## surfaceone (Nov 17, 2011)

Good morning guys,

 How "real world" are the values in the Porter ant Petretti books? The Kovels and Mr. Polak seem to be viewed pricing wise as unrealistic by many folks. I know that the bottle "market" is down from many previous exuberant levels for older bottles. At least I think I know that...

 I'm largely clueless on values, other than what I read here. Have Coca-Cola items swum against the current of hard times pricing? Has the *big Schmidt Museum sale* raised all boats, so to speak? I've seen frequent mention of Mr. Porter's book, but never a copy of his book. Is it *the book* for Coca-Cola bottles?


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## Uncle_Jarvis (Nov 17, 2011)

Thanks beith and splante for the info so far..  

 hey splante what version of petretti's book did you have? 

 All the stuff I could find so far is pretty scarce on the town of Quincy IL coke bottles 

 I did find a Quincy variant on the *:37 sec* mark of Bill Porters video he posted on youtube 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJOIOIavov4

 Its odd though that this town seems to have multiple glass manufactures. mines from ROOT co. but the one in the vid is from L & M  ?  the age of those bottles can't be more than a few years apart. Did single towns have multiple glass manufactures ? can anyone give more insight on this ?  

 I do agree value of coke bottles are kind of random. If they are uncommon / good condition / and have appealing embossing its almost certain they will bring in some decent $ as my constant research of ebay will indicate. On the other hand there are always curve balls. 

 surfaceone - for the most part special / uncommon coke bottles have held their ground in the dismal market. Theres always at least one person on auctions whose willing to bid an arm and a leg on the right bottle. For you question , yes the Porter book is only for Coca-Cola bottles.  

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## surfaceone (Nov 18, 2011)

> Its odd though that this town seems to have multiple glass manufactures. mines from ROOT co. but the one in the vid is from L & M  ?  the age of those bottles can't be more than a few years apart. Did single towns have multiple glass manufactures ? can anyone give more insight on this ?


 
 Hey Dave,

 I think that you may be confusing a bottler (L & M in this case,) with a bottle manufacturer; Root. Root was located in Terre Haute, Indiana. That video needs some soundtrack or narration. 

 Quincy has always been a good sized river town. "Quincy grew rapidly during the 1850s. Steamboat arrivals and departures made Quincyâ€™s riverfront a center of activity. In 1858, Quincy was the site for the sixth Senatorial debate by U.S. Senator Stephen A. Douglas and his challenger, Abraham Lincoln. Quincy was the largest city in which Lincoln and Douglas appeared..." From wiki-Quincy.

 Quincy did have multiple bottlers:

 "QUINCY	46	S	 	IL	L	 	"BERGMAN'S BOTT."-(8")
 QUINCY	46	S	 	IL	C	 	"BIG ONE"-"FLYNN, J J"-(9-1/2")
 QUINCY	X	S	 	IL	L	6	"COCA-COLA"+"B/C"+ City(C/M)-Nm(N)
 QUINCY	V	S	 	IL	L	8	"DUNHOLD & CO"(C/M)
 QUINCY	1	H	 	IL	L	6	"DURHOLT, H. & CO"
 QUINCY	46	H	 	IL	G	 	"FLYNN, J J & CO"-(7")
 QUINCY	1	H	 	IL	L	7	"FLYNN, J J & CO"(M)
 QUINCY	16	S	 	IL	C	6	"FLYNN, J J & CO"(M)
 QUINCY	V	S	 	IL	L	6	"FLYNN, J.J. & CO" Vertical
 QUINCY	46	S	 	IL	G	 	"L & M SODA"-(8-1/2")-Green
 QUINCY	1	S	 	IL	L	8	"L & M SODA"-(8-1/2")
 QUINCY	46	S	 	IL	G	 	"MILLS BROS BOTTLERS"-(8-1/2")
 QUINCY	16	S	 	IL	L	7	"MILLS BROS B/W"-Vert(M)-"M"(Btm)
 QUINCY	V	S	 	IL	L	8	"WAGENER BROS"Vertical" From gono.com.

 Any one of the bottlers might have had multiple bottle suppliers over the years.


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## Uncle_Jarvis (Nov 18, 2011)

ahh.. thats makes sense.. thanks surfaceone.  I had no idea that town had soo many bottlers ..  good stuff


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## surfaceone (Nov 18, 2011)

Afternoon all,

 Can someone 'splain a little further on the Porter book (I'm thinking of you SPB) and the Petretti book regarding the values that each cites?

 Do the values reflect realistic sale number's in today's world? The "value guides" that have been put out by the Kovels and Mike Polak have been criticised previously elsewhere in the blue pages as being unrealistic. I have several of the Kovels'n books and several of Mr. Polak's (I do like his photographs). I've been of the opinion that the values included by them, reflected the highest and best examples taken from auction and private sales.

 I'm aware that as soon as a book is published that the value data would be out of date. Are there any value guides in the soda world that y'all endorse or recognize as "accurate," whatever that is?


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## beith_2005 (Nov 18, 2011)

Porters Blue Book isn't really considered a price guide but a guide to all the known cities Coca-Cola was bottled in which is well over 1500.  In  the front of his book there is a little formula he uses based on rarity to come up with a value. The book I have was copyrighted in 1996 which was 15 yrs. ago and back then it may have worked  but it doesn't anymore. As far as Petretti's Book it has quite a few bottle pictures in it with prices but in his book the prices are based on really nice bottles. I have never seen any bottles sell for the value he has placed on them. Its either way higher or way lower. So what does that mean? It all comes down to what someone is willing to pay for anything whether its a bottle or a car. I myself don't trust any value in a price guide. I know Petretti is the foremost expert on Coca-Cola stuff but its hard to put a price on what somebody wants. Thats just my thinking right or wrong.


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## surfaceone (Nov 18, 2011)

Hey Clifton,

 Thanks for clarifying for me. I'm over here nodding my head in agreement, despite never seeing the Porter Book and wondering if I didn't peruse a copy of the Petretti at the late Borders Bookstore, once upon a time. If I recall Petretti's focus was mostly on the wide variety of Coca-Cola go withs.

 Is the Summers Book of the same stripe?  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 These authors, bless their industrious little hearts, keep turning out these pricing guides. I'm assuming all the while that they are selling. I remember trying to find my first Warner's Safe in Kovel's, came up with a 3 figure value, and excitedly show & telling the bride. Haven't seen that Safe since...


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## beith_2005 (Nov 19, 2011)

I think all the books or price guides are good for letting you know whats out there to find but some of the values are questionable. I myself have bottles I paid way too much for but are hard to come by and I really wanted them. On the other hand I have bottles that I paid no where what they are worth. So for me it all works out in the end.


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## SODAPOPBOB (Nov 19, 2011)

Surfaceone ~

 Here's the value formula from Bill Porter's 2008 book. (By the way, he has a new updated edition ready for ordering). oldcokes@aol.com

 Rather than my commenting on the formula at this time, I will let you experiment with it first and see what you think. Following this post I will post a sample page from the book with some rarity factors. It works best if you do your formulations on paper as opposed to in your head. And don't forget the "Then multiply again" part. 

 As for Petretti's book, he states in the introduction that it is "an ever-changing guide," which he states is one of the reasons he keeps publishing new editions. (Twelve now that I am aware of). In any event, he believes in the prices and adds they are the result of 40 years of experience with collecting Coca Cola memorabilia.

 SPB

 [ Bill Porter's Value Formula ]


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## SODAPOPBOB (Nov 19, 2011)

[ Sample Page with Rarities ]

 Surfaceone ~ 

 Please price out a couple of these and then report back to us with your results. Consider the ones you price to be in "Mint" (5.0) condition.

 Have fun.

 SPB


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