# Any point in keeping blank pre-1900 bottles?



## FreeRangeAsparagus (Aug 11, 2019)

I have quite a few pre-1900 bottles with no markings lying around, is there any interest in these? If someone wants them I would be glad to send them, but I imagine interest is low. Here's a photo. They haven't been cleaned yet as I usually just throw them out.


----------



## Screwtop (Aug 11, 2019)

I like stuff if it is before 1930. These look to be 1950-1990. DO NOT THROW THEM OUT. Someone will take them sooner or later, especially if you hand them out to kids or something. It was the "throw it out, it's trash" mentality that has destroyed countless bottles that collectors in the future would pay a premium for.


----------



## FreeRangeAsparagus (Aug 11, 2019)

Screwtop said:


> It was the "throw it out, it's trash" mentality that has destroyed countless bottles that collectors in the future would pay a premium for.



Very good point. I will clean them up and put them in storage, maybe I can set them out at a yard sale someday. And it looks like I'll have to get a little better at dating bottles. I was just going by the seam on these but I think it's fair to say it may have just eroded away for some of them.


----------



## CanadianBottles (Aug 11, 2019)

No I think you're more or less right on the date for the ones in the back, apart from maybe second from right.  They look like tooled-lip bottles.  Probably not actually pre-1900 but from around 1910 or so.  The one in the front right is an NDNR bottle from the 60s or 70s, and the one in the front centre is a modern beer bottle which looks like the ones you can still buy today.  I've never had any luck selling this sort of bottle at garage sales, even for $1 each.  You might be able to sell a box of them for a few dollars on the classifieds.


----------



## FreeRangeAsparagus (Aug 11, 2019)

There’s a handful of this sort lying around in my collection, I’ll make a box of them and maybe I can hand them out to kids at a yard sale like you said.

By the way, this is rather off-topic, but what’s the best place to show my collection and possibly get some insight on certain bottles? I haven’t really taken collecting seriously until this year, I have ~40 bottles to date and some I’m stumped on.


----------



## CanadianBottles (Aug 11, 2019)

FreeRangeAsparagus said:


> There’s a handful of this sort lying around in my collection, I’ll make a box of them and maybe I can hand them out to kids at a yard sale like you said.
> 
> By the way, this is rather off-topic, but what’s the best place to show my collection and possibly get some insight on certain bottles? I haven’t really taken collecting seriously until this year, I have ~40 bottles to date and some I’m stumped on.


You could always post them in the "What is it?" section, even a picture of a bunch of them is often enough to identify several at a time.  If some stand out we can ask for more photos.


----------



## FreeRangeAsparagus (Aug 11, 2019)

Thanks! I will dump a bunch of photos there tonight.


----------



## Eric (Aug 11, 2019)

Yeah post images here.. You'll find out what you have and probably history and makers, etc. Lots of knowledge here.


----------



## American (Aug 14, 2019)

De-clutter your life and dump those in the recycle bin.


----------



## Screwtop (Aug 14, 2019)

American said:


> De-clutter your life and dump those in the recycle bin.



Are you insane? That's madness! Someone will take them, for money or not. Don't destroy history, just because it doesn't have a face.


----------



## WesternPA-collector (Aug 14, 2019)

Some bottles are better off being recycled. In 100 years there will still be hundreds of thousands of those bottle types in our environment. The ones with tooled tips might be worth holding onto. The other ones, no. We will be lucky if future generations are even into bottles at all.


----------



## Gunsmoke (Aug 18, 2019)

Hey Screwtop, would you like a few bottles from before 1890? I have a ton of them and they have a little provenance. They are from an Indian Wars era fort in the panhandle of Texas. This fort was in operation from 1875 to 1890. It's the same fort I dug all those U.S.A. Hosp. dept. bottles. Fort Elliott. They are all slicks. Medicine, inks, beer and whiskey If you are interested in a few, send me your address and they are yours. 
  Sincerely, Kelley


----------



## SoCal_bottle (Oct 15, 2019)

They are also very hard to sell as well. I've tried at yard sales and such for $1 each. Finally lowered to 50 cents each. No sales!
Recycle bin.


----------

