# 1977 Find of a Lifetime



## BigJock (Feb 21, 2007)

It was 1977 august, myself and angelo Maloco got sole permission to empty Gilbert Rae Lemonade works was in operation from 1868-1948, the building was a typical old Victorian building as seen on their large tin signs, we hunted high and low for ginger beers with no luck ,so Angelo searched inside and all that was inside was Pattisons whisky jugs green topped with a conical shape,hundreds of different patents all on stacked shelves various types of stoppers, I was digging  into the floor of an old part of the boiler house when hit metal plates on floor I manage to lifet one and it was like Alladin finding his treasure there was rows and rows of Ginger beers all green tops and red tops and blue tops all different companies as well as Gilbert Rae GBs and Guiness stouts, within an hour I dug out 1800 bottles and 90% were mint,50% still had original ginger in them..after we loaded what was there to take to a safe place we returned to old works and started to see what else there was ,,signs of metal and card, paperwork everything that a lemonade works would have,, it was as if we were in just after workers had left, they had an 1906 Mercedes Lorry, and a 1903 truck to deliver the lemonade, there was horses harness etc as well as Gilber Rae doing lemondade sodas in coloured syphons he was an inventer as well he invented a TamoShanter bicycle, and numerous other things we had a whole week to empty the building as demolishers were knocking it all down..grand total of 3000 ginger beers with Green tops,1800 Edwards patent
 Hamiltons, coloured and aqua,,Guiness stouts 3with green tops other GBS with red tops, whisky jugs,, enamel signs, tin signs,was the best month of my life we manage to still dig about after demolishers left,,





 The company of Gilbert Rae, aerated water manufacturers, was established around 1868 or 1869. The company was based at the Baldridge Works, Dunfermline, Scotland, but had branches in Alloa, Scotland, Falkirk, Scotland and Portobello, Scotland.
 Gilbert Rae manufactured the following goods: ginger beer, ginger ale, ginger champagne (original introducer), sparkling ginger, lemonade, kola, potash water, seltzer water and lithia water. All of these were available in screwâ€“method, glassâ€“stoppered and corked bottles. Potash, soda and seltzer were also available in bottles and siphons.







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 Gilbert Rae claimed to be the inventor of a number of appliances. He was the inventor of an appliance for the extraction of air from the water before carbonating, as well as the inventor and patentee of a germâ€“preventing syrupâ€“filling appliance, a screwâ€“top siphon bottle for the dinner table and a steamâ€“power cork filling machine.


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## Bottleman (Feb 21, 2007)

Wow, great digging story. What did you do with that many bottles?


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## epgorge (Feb 21, 2007)

Big Jock, 
 What was the total take in $$ on all that booty?

 Joel


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## appliedlips (Feb 21, 2007)

You were actually excited about finding a bunch of turn of the century English ginger beers?In my opinion they lack any character and cannot believe people collect them.In a country that had glass and stoneware for hundereds if not thousands of years it would seem these would be considered "new".I see pics of guys in England,Scotland,etc. digging them by the hundreds,seems like the British answer to Bromo-Seltzer's.If you have dug anything old and interesting,I would love to see some pics.No,Codds aren't old either!Anything made after 1900 is pretty worthless,if you ask me.


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## dewdog (Feb 21, 2007)

I thought it was a great story myself....................


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## brokenshovel (Feb 21, 2007)

Hey!! No fair comparing english beer to Bromos.  Bromos rock and you can still buy the tablets today!!
  I can't imagine moving 4800 bottles.?.?. interesting "story"
  You sure have quite a memory


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## GuntherHess (Feb 21, 2007)

That's a great story... reminds me of the time we dug the old Kilmer plant out in Binghamton. Its amazing no one thought to dig there before. We found a chest with 666 bottles of Dr Kilmer's Catarrh Cure mint with labels and contents. I have been selling one bottle every five years as to not bring down the value. We even found Dr Kilmer's body in an amazing state of preservation still sitting at his desk clutching a pen. We didnt disturb the body due to our reverence for the old man.


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## epgorge (Feb 21, 2007)

> We even found Dr Kilmer's body in an amazing state of preservation still sitting at his desk clutching a pen. We didnt disturb the body due to our reverence for the old man


 
 [][][][][][][][][][]

 You had up til that..... I thought you pretty honorable to only sell one every five years so's not to hurt the value. Talk about gullible.

 Joel


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## bottlenutboy (Feb 21, 2007)

yeah i agree its a great story....but i think thats it its just a story


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## SergioWilkins (Feb 21, 2007)

Sounds absolutely amazing to me... but this coming from a noobie in Ontario, who's never dug a dump older than the turn of the century, and who still has an appreciation for the history of these things. It's not all about the aesthetics. There's more to it than that.
  As far as I'm concerned, anything with a cork top is an awesome find.


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## towhead (Feb 22, 2007)

Matt- Since you have so many of those Kilmer's bottles, send one my way!  Or actually, did  you get the pen from his hand?  I'd like to see that!  []


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## cowseatmaize (Feb 22, 2007)

delete


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## cowseatmaize (Feb 22, 2007)

Wow Matt, your great, great to near âˆž grandkids got their work cut out for them. I figure they'll be done about the year 5300. If humans are still arount that is.
 Two really great stories, I wish I had one. Story or bottle that is.


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## pabottles (Feb 22, 2007)

Dang,tough crowd tonight .


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## bottlenutboy (Feb 22, 2007)

the things he posts would be more believable if he didnt already give himself a reputation for being an idiot and a liar.

 and also being insulting to what most of the people on here have spent most of their lives trying to build

 so i guess it is a tough crowd for him!


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## Brains (Feb 22, 2007)

tell you what, wile the whole "no bottles worth collecting after 1950" sorta pissed me off however the story if true sounds like i really good one, whatever the hell a ginger beer is[] (yea, thats what i know) and stuff from the turn of the century, like 1900-1921, is old in my opinion.


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## Tony14 (Feb 22, 2007)

I agree with Kyle in the post below. very well said so i edited out my opinion on this guy.


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## Bixel (Feb 22, 2007)

I vote we either delete the thread, or delete some posts as always we have a few idiots who like to start stuff. OK boys, I have said this too many times.... Get over it. If you can't.. leave. I dont care whos right, and whos wrong, its been going for long enough. I have a feeling another war is in the making here, and I dont like those, they never end up with anybody winning.....


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## appliedlips (Feb 23, 2007)

They are just opinions,that is what an open forum is about.I know most people hate honesty,that is why everbody will sit by and say "great find" no matter what someone post.The administration put up with this goofballs ignorant and insulting posts for a while.I really don't care if  his story is real or not.Besides,I don't dislike gingers or codds just don't like some insulting others choice of collections.Personally,I like 1870's and older but I am glad people want my milks,SS Cokes,etc.If someone enjoys it good for them.No war is developing,just one guy without many friends.By the way who is the idiot,and needs to leave?MOMMY


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## Road Dog (Feb 23, 2007)

OH, SNAP![]


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## Digger George (Feb 26, 2007)

oh ya well look what I found! Two Butterflies eating a Dead Frog. I thought butterflies only ate nectar? This is the find of a lifetime!


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## bevyn (Feb 26, 2007)

> ORIGINAL: GuntherHess
> 
> That's a great story... reminds me of the time we dug the old Kilmer plant out in Binghamton. Its amazing no one thought to dig there before. We found a chest with 666 bottles of Dr Kilmer's Catarrh Cure mint with labels and contents. I have been selling one bottle every five years as to not bring down the value. We even found Dr Kilmer's body in an amazing state of preservation still sitting at his desk clutching a pen. We didnt disturb the body due to our reverence for the old man.


 666 what an unlucky number, pretty sweet tho!


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## Digger George (Feb 26, 2007)

VERY funny GuntherHess! 
 OOOOoooooo here is a clearer pic of the butterfles munching on the frog.


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## baltbottles (Feb 26, 2007)

George,

 Those butterflys are actually sucking Salts out of the dead frog. They feed on flower nectar however they like all living things need mineral salts to survive. Which flower nectar contains very little.

 Chris


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## Digger George (Feb 26, 2007)

Chris you are so brilliant! I was waiting for someone to say that. I just needed to post these pics. Now lets go find some privies to dig or abandon houses to raid or whatever. Baltimore Bottle Show this Sun, BooYaa!


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## preditor (Mar 1, 2007)

> OK boys, I have said this too many times.... Get over it. If you can't.. leave. I dont care whos right, and whos wrong, its been going for long enough. I have a feeling another war is in the making here, and I dont like those, they never end up with anybody winning.....
> 
> You have been on for a long time, I respect that and your opinion has been heard. however, I wonder if it didnt make things worse instead of better. when I read all this "I have said, I dont care, get over it or leave" stuff only made me think "now who's mama did you say you were"
> We all have a right to post our opinion, even you and Big Jock.
> ...


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## GuntherHess (Mar 2, 2007)

> oh ya well look what I found! Two Butterflies eating a Dead Frog. I thought butterflies only ate nectar? This is the find of a lifetime!


 
 You assume the butterflies only started eating the frog AFTER it was dead. Wouldnt it be great to find out that the butterflies stalked and killed the frog?[]


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## BigJock (Mar 14, 2010)

*BottleNut Boy you speak out yer Butt.*

I can proove all I ever found all over Scotland in rarieties. my rare finds mentioned in many books and news media,
 Gilbert Rae Green Top Ginger Beers at Gilbert Raes as stated English Dealer Roy Morgan of Northampton who had a book called KOLLECTORAMA bought everything that Angelo and I found, was in the monthly magazine at that time edited by Roger Green "Antique Bottle Collectors", also found Green top Guinness stout botles, Pattisons whisky Jugs, Rare Patents called Edward patents all went to Peter Savage of Coventry Bottles at that time,Was at Knebworth show that year met Ted Fletcher famous bottle collector author, Chris Hunt famous Cream pot collector, Alan Blakeman, owns today BBR magazine
 even read by Americans, I was first to find White Ginger Beers Comrie of Helensburgh, transfer of Victorian Man holding a bottle of Ginger, Russells of Banchory Ginger Beers that had unusual patent tops,First to Find Green transferred Comries of Glasgow. Wilsons of St Andrews inverted Ginger Beer white shoulders red tops found in minatures also, first to find F Danks with Dunfermline Abbey on Transfer, First to find in Cobalt Blue Nurse Ednas cough mixture, found a castle dump at Tillicoultry in Clackmananshire that had hundreds of Prattware lids on top just lying in grass, also had underground Stone case gins and Double teakettle inks, Also dug with americans who visited me and we dug Heavily Embossed Thistle whisky bottles James Dixon of Leith, first one sold to Roy Morgan who sold to a guy in adelaide australia for $1000, I then found others and kept, and anyone an american ink collector, will have heard of William Colville Collection of inks was selling up and I sold all my collection and bottles etc and bought quite a bit of his ink Collection could be verified by the Famous Kenny Gallon of Falkirk ands other wellknown Bottle and pot lid collectors,,

 Then in 1980 my house caught fire lost all collection my wife and daughter and I never collected anything again.  just still take interest and help others, I dont need to lie about anything I ever found,, sadly hobby got ruined by to much commercilised and now they even use Earth diggers and bulldozers to do dumps, thats not digging for fun. trieds digging in USA my family moved to Kansas and I stayed with them a while diggers there dig in old wooden shacked Johns, ghost towns,mines, didnt like to many rattlesnakes nothing like that in Britain.............In 70s when bottle collecting started in Britain most bottles sent to USA as americans went crazy for anything in Cobalt blue, in Australia they loved Scottish bottles from Perth and places in auz with scottish names.Americans even bought milk bottles, they were so nieve they even bought Oven stonedware shaped like hedgehogs english collectors told them they were for cooking real vermin in 1900s, Now Ebay ruins the hobby, most people cant be bothered to dig and foolish people pay many bucks for a fifty cent codd.I have even noticed on ebay many english people who had fingers burnt buying handpainted bottles with staining used in church window repairs, next will be a tartan cottage ink.


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## Lordbud (Mar 14, 2010)

How sad...in suzanne's :') cleaning and repairing area:
 https://www.antique-bottles.net/forum/m-295393/mpage-1/key-/tm.htm#296546


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## deepbluedigger (Mar 15, 2010)

For what it's worth, the 1970s discovery of the huge hoard of Gilbert Rae green top ginger beers, signs, ephemera and other stuff is well known here in the UK. 

 It did happen. If it hadn't happened the Gilbert Rae green top bottles would now be Â£1000+ items. As it is they change hands for less than 1/20th of that amount, even after 35 years of dispersal.

 Whether or not the discovery happened exactly as Big Jock says (from my memories of old magazine articles about the find, it probably did) the responses of some folks on this thread are amazing.

 Pontils and pre-1850 stoneware are my main collecting interest, but good luck to the many folks who collect that later stuff. (but I do have bottles as late as the 1930s, including some very rare and interesting ones, because they add important details to the story of patent medicine quackery).

 Here are a couple of attractive ginger beers my digging buddy and I found about 5 years ago, both from one hole. They both date to the late 1890s but there's no real difference between these and many, many others dating to as late as 1920. Combined value of these is about $2.5k. Both rare, both very attractive items. Neither of us collect these things so they've both gone (via swap deals) to homes where they'll be more appreciated.


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## glass man (Mar 15, 2010)

GUTH I WANT TO FIND MR. KILMER AND GNAW ON HIS HEAD!!!! WONDER WHAT MIGHT BE FOUND AT THE WARNERS PLANT? WOULDN'T HAVE TO WORRY BOUT FLOODING THE MARKET IF I FOUND 100S OF WARNER SAFE CURES!!


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## glass man (Mar 15, 2010)

I HAD THE ONLY GINGER BEER FROM FLORIDA AND SOLD IT.WISH I HADN'T,IT HAD A COOL PICTURE OF A GUY WITH A MUSTACH,IT WAS FROM AROUND 1912 FROM JACKSONVILLE. 

 AFTER I BOUGHT IT I WROTE A PERSON ABOUT IT FROM A LINK ON REGGIE LYNCHS SITE. THE PERSON WAS FROM CANADA AND COULD NOT HELP ME WITH MY FLORIDA FIND,BUT DID SAY GINGER BEERS WERE MUCH MORE COLLECTABLE IN CANADA THEN USA.

 FINALLY DID FIND A PERSON THAT KNEW ABOUT MY GINGER BEER AND THAT IS WHEN I LEARNED IT WAS THE ONLY GINGER BEER FROM FLA. 

 I AM SURE A LOT OF STATES PROBABLY DON'T HAVE A STONEWARE GINGER BEER.KNOW THEY ARE A GOOD MANY FROM NEW YORK AND THERE ARE SOME COLLECTORS IN THE STATES.

 WHEN I ONCE GOT THE BOTTLE MAG. FROM UK I NOTICED THEY DO COLLECT A LOT MORE STONE WARE THEN WE DO AND OF COURSE CODD BOTTLES.WAS VERY INTERESTING! LOVED THE MAG. JUST TOO PRICEY FOR ME AND IT ONLY CAME OUT BI-MONTHLY.

 FOR MY 60CENTS WORTH I THING THE STONEWARE GINGER BEERS ARE COOL LOOKING,JUST NOT ENOUGH FOR ME TO COLLECT THEM,JUST CAUSE I LOVE COLORED GLASS SO MUCH!!  JIMMY


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## glass man (Mar 15, 2010)

> ORIGINAL:  baltbottles
> 
> George,
> 
> ...


 

 COOL! NOW THAT IS SOMETHING I NEVER LEARNED ON THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL! AND I ALWAYS THOUGHT BUTTERFLYS LANDED ON ME CAUSE THEY LOVED ME ! ALL THEY WANTED WAS MY SALT! DAMN I FEEL USED!!! [&o] JERRY


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## tigue710 (Mar 15, 2010)

sounds like a hell of a find...  dont sweat it, people screw around a lot on this forum...  shoot were only on here cause were not out digging and feeling antsy... so a little shit is gonna be talked...


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## druggistnut (Mar 16, 2010)

The story is in one of the old bottle mags, replete with photos. It did happen as the guy just posted it. If I find the story, I'll post the mag info and issue.
 I'm not saying HE was there, but the story was printed.
 Bill


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## JGUIS (Mar 18, 2010)

Yes, butterflies are just as nasty as any other wild animal or insect.  This one sat down at this freshly dropped organic snack stand, within a minute of my dog dropping it.


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## glass man (Mar 18, 2010)

> ORIGINAL:  Antiquenut
> 
> Ive asked questions and never got a reply,but now if I state something wrong,I always get a reply.When fishing for answers you sometimes have to change the bait.[]


 


 THATS THE TICKET![] JAMIE


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