# UNOPENED HOSTETTER'S BITTERS



## goldennail (Aug 20, 2007)

Hi!  I was wondering if someone could give me an idea of value on an UNOPENED bottle of Dr. J. Hostetter's stomach bitters (the bitters are STILL inside!).   Made at 57-61 Water and First St, Pittsburg in 1889.  It is 25% alcohol and barks, roots, herbs and seeds.  Still has the original label on the bottle.  Bottle is brown. 

 Much thanks!


----------



## bikegoon (Aug 20, 2007)

please tell you me you have a good camera, purdy please?

 [8|][8|][8|]


----------



## bikegoon (Aug 20, 2007)

freakin time outs.....[]

 Anyway, most Hostetters on the market are without a label, are opened, and are common in color, those pups can go for 10-20 bucks shipped.

 But sometimes, a rare color comes along and wham! The auction house has it. I think I saw a "stetters" on glassworks for a few hundred in a rare color, keep in mind that it was just the bottle, no label, no contents.

 So please.....take a few good shots of that pup and post it here, try flouresecent lighting or the natural sun as sort of a backdrop of sorts.


----------



## bikegoon (Aug 20, 2007)

I ma a big fan of bitters and you have my interest in the piece, this is off the glassworks auction site

 "23, "DR. J. HOSTETTERâ€™S / STOMACH BITTERS", (H-194), American, ca. 1865 - 1875, dark olive green, 9 3/4"h, smooth base, applied mouth, perfect. One of the earlier example having a somewhat larger capacity. Dr. James Carter Collection.

*Current Bid: $ 170*

 Estimate: $ 300 - $ 400


----------



## goldennail (Aug 20, 2007)

bikegoon,

 I asked my mother to take a picture of the bottle and will post it on here as soon as received.  The bottle has been in my family, I presume since initially purchased in 1889.  My brother has "dibs" on it so we're not interested in selling it right now.  Mainly, we're just curious about what it's worth.


----------



## goldennail (Aug 20, 2007)

Here's the pictures of the bottle!  Can you give me a guesstimate on value?


----------



## goldennail (Aug 20, 2007)

Another pic!


----------



## goldennail (Aug 20, 2007)

One last one!


----------



## RICKJJ59W (Aug 20, 2007)

> we're not interested in selling it right now. Mainly, we're just curious about what it's worth.





> ORIGINAL: goldennail
> 
> My Man! whats it Worth![8D]         []       [8D]        []         [8D]


----------



## RICKJJ59W (Aug 20, 2007)

90 million dollars  but your not selling it  so what does it matter[8D]


----------



## goldennail (Aug 20, 2007)

Well, Rick, we'd like to know for insurance purposes and who knows?...maybe we would be willing to sell it.  Not my decision on that tho, as it belongs to my mother and she's promised it to my brother.


----------



## bikegoon (Aug 20, 2007)

[][8|]
 Like looking at a 07 corvette......[]

 IF that had been any other shade than brown glass. the value wold have shot thru the roof.

 I have never seen a full blown Hostetters. cap and all.

 I think its worth more than we all think, will do some digging for you.


----------



## goldennail (Aug 20, 2007)

bikegoon and lobeycat,

 Thanks for the info.  FYI, I'm not a kid (I'm 50!...but young at heart) and I'm a woman!    My mom read something somewhere that a bottle in somewhat similar condition (though without the lead seal and contents)...went for $3500.  I thought that was ridiculous.  That's why I was checking out this forum to see if you could provide some better info.


----------



## madpaddla (Aug 20, 2007)

Welcome to the forum.  Bunch of great people here/  All shapes and sizes.  HAHA.  The others are correct about the color, rarity of a full label as yours etc.  From seeing other antiques, bottles etc for insurace purposes $300 is a fair value.  Normally insurance values are almost double cost but I think the bottle could go for 150 b/c of the contents and label.  These types of bottles are rarely seen.  And if you listed it on ebay as Hostettlers Full Contents 3/4 Label Pittsburgh Bottle PA it should do very well b/c you are hitting many markets.  1.  PA  2. Pittsburgh  3.  Label  etc.   Not saying that you are selling it but that is an attractive bottle to many people.  Good luck just my thoughts
 Madpaddla


----------



## goldennail (Aug 20, 2007)

Thanks, Madpaddla.  Appreciate your thoughts/info.  I'll pass all on to my mom and bro and they can determine what, if anything, they want to do with the bottle.


----------



## tigue710 (Aug 20, 2007)

what you have there is a later A.B.M. hostsetters.  The original mix was 47 percent alcohol, after the food and drug act in 1906 they brought it down to 25.  on the side of the bottle it says 20 fl. onces right?   That would date it to 1910 or so.  Although it is in great sahpe with the label and all because it is a late bottle and not hand blown it would sell for 40 dollars tops.  more around 20 on e-bay....


----------



## RICKJJ59W (Aug 20, 2007)

AHHHH come on lobe he knows IM kiddin,if he didnt I was kidding goldinnail And he doesn't know about  the what's it worth thing  anyway. IM not hard, I help old ladies across the St. come on now! [8D]OK goldennail I should have not said its worth 9 million but I was just messing around please forgive I ofended you, and loub you have to be kidding calling me a hard man? I seen you in action dude []  and its my B day so cut me some slack.HardmanRick


----------



## RICKJJ59W (Aug 20, 2007)

Hey Goldennail Sorry I came off that way, but the for (what its worth) thing was just a reaction,(in side joke) nothing to do with you, just messing around that's me, sorry if I shook you up, as to your bottle you have, on ebay I saw one that was half full go for 100 bucks, so I would say over the 100 buck mark no problem with the great shape that's in, its cool to have an untouched bottle and  know that's how it sat on the shelf way back when. Good luck with it. Rick[/align][/align]


----------



## goldennail (Aug 20, 2007)

Rick...I didn't take any offense to your "outrageous" dollar figure answer.  I'm a retired Navy Commander so I'm used to hearing "bs".    Tigue...I've asked my mom for more details on the bottle re: ounces and year so that I may provide more info.


----------



## tigue710 (Aug 20, 2007)

i can see in the pic it has embossed writing on the opposite side of the Hostestters panel, a small arch on the top of the panel... either way it is for sure a machined bottle, can tell that from the alc. content... not to mention they didnt put the alc. content on there until the food and drug act made them do it!  and that arch, what ever it says makes it later too....

 they say 18 fluid oz's, looked it up...


----------



## RICKJJ59W (Aug 20, 2007)

yea sometime I dont think before I type,I dont even bother to see how old members are  I just rattle it off, I have to check my self some time, Jim may be on to some thing. SICKRICK [:-]  have a lovely day


----------



## RICKJJ59W (Aug 20, 2007)

cool, EYE EYE SIR! hey how old are you any way? if your a retired navy commander you cant be a kid? tell me your not a kid so I can bust lobes lobes bhahahah!!! Rick


----------



## RICKJJ59W (Aug 21, 2007)

> You're a hard man Rick! Dude just want's to know what he has here. And he's a kid! Geesh.





> Getting ready for the
> commanders answer  lol[/align]


----------



## GuntherHess (Aug 21, 2007)

I think she said she was 50...

 The later Hostetters with labels and contents are somewhat common. But still nice items for bitters collectors. The early ones are pretty rare in complete condition.


----------



## RICKJJ59W (Aug 21, 2007)

> I think she said she was 50...





> ORIGINAL: GuntherHess
> 
> I think she said she was 50...
> 
> ...


----------



## goldennail (Aug 21, 2007)

Rick...Bust lobes?  Is that ears?  Gosh, I can bust a lot more than that!...but this is a public forum and I do like to maintain my decorum as a retired military officer!    For Tigue, my mom states that the bottle says 18 ounces.  How does that date it?  Still around 1910 or so?   I'm attaching a side picture of the bottle, but in the picture it looks like Braille to me...though my mom states that it indicates Hofstetters.


----------



## tigue710 (Aug 21, 2007)

> ORIGINAL:  goldennail
> 
> Rick...Bust lobes?  Is that ears?  Gosh, I can bust a lot more than that!...but this is a public forum and I do like to maintain my decorum as a retired military officer!    For Tigue, my mom states that the bottle says 18 ounces.  How does that date it?  Still around 1910 or so?   I'm attaching a side picture of the bottle, but in the picture it looks like Braille to me...though my mom states that it indicates Hofstetters.


 
 18 is what I meant, my memory failed me there!  About 1910 to 1920 or so, about 40 bucks...  A nice bottle all the same!


----------



## Tony14 (Aug 21, 2007)

Hi welcome to the forum! You have a very very nice example of a common bitters...I would definately say 40 or 50 on it. 

 Dont mind rick hes a little schizophrenic...and lobes stands for lobeycat...ricks fuel for the fire[]


----------



## goldennail (Aug 21, 2007)

I appreciate all the info from everyone.  Obviously the bottle is not worth as much as hoped/I'd been led to believe...thus, my brother's "dibs" on it isn't a big deal to me.    I'll find something else in my mom's "treasures" to put my own "dibs" on!  

 Thanks, again, for all your info and inputs!


----------



## RICKJJ59W (Aug 21, 2007)

*Don't listen to that Tony guy ..... SHUT UP RICK!!  noooo you shut up! rick! Im Talkin here!!!   [:-]  wooo  what was that?*

*   that bottle will bring more then 50 bucks its full, 100 bucksor more , get back to me if you sell it so i can say Rick you where right! [8D] Rick rick*


----------



## GuntherHess (Aug 21, 2007)

The "18 ounces" indicates its a later bottle. One way to identify the early bottles is the "r" in Dr will have 2 dots under it. The later bottles used a bar under the "r". On the later machine made bottles the seam will go all the way to the top of the lip but thats hard to tell with the lead foil on it.


----------



## CALDIGR2 (Aug 21, 2007)

It is an ABM Hostetter's from the late 1910s and would currently bring the 40-50 dollars that Tony mentioned. I have had several full contents, full labeled Hostetteter's, ranging in age from 1870s to 1910s, none of which brought much more than a hundred bucks. There are LOTS of them out there.


----------



## appliedlips (Aug 21, 2007)

Goldennail,

     Very nice bottle!As someone else mentioned there are alot of Hostetter's in alot of attics so it is not real rare even with label and contents.Another thing I noticed is that your bottle is the machine made variant and dates to 1910 or so.Without the label the bottle would be worth less than $10 but with label I would say $30-$50.The amber hostetter your mother seen sell for $3500 must have been an iron pontilled example.Nice find and thanks for posting.Doug


----------

