# Bottle Enthusiasts



## slugplate (Dec 13, 2019)

I joined this site looking for other bottle enthusiasts and knowledgable people to share their expertise. Yet, it's mostly the same half-dozen people who get involved. Although I see a huge amount of hits, there is not a lot of dialogue. Honestly, I didn't foresee the site as a social media sort of venue. I thought there would be a little more interaction and people sharing their expertise and research on bottles. Yes, there's Google, etc., but I think we can all agree that the people out there digging, collecting, hunting, researching, probing and scratching should post the experiential side of it as well. I'm just as guilty folks, I have recently posted mainly finds, but I'm sure there is a large group of people who know a hell of a lot more than I do. I merely write this to encourage participation, not to project guilt, be a contrarian, or discourage posting. We all share the same interest and hobby, but, speaking for myself, don't share the same knowledge.


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## Bohdan (Dec 13, 2019)

I note there currently 101 guests online - and only 7 members.  Gotta get those guests to sign up. I think that would help.


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## slugplate (Dec 13, 2019)

Bohdan said:


> I note there currently 101 guests online - and only 7 members.  Gotta get those guests to sign up. I think that would help.


Yeah, I think each forum may be best served with a moderator that stimulates discussion with lead topics in those particular areas. It may help to stimulate more interest and discussion. It's kind of like having the most respected of the group to lead the discussion and provide information in their particular specialty. Right now I'm seeing it as an open forum for any member who cares to act. Maybe it's possible to jump start the team with stimulating history posts, bottle design and manufacturing, timelines of specific designs, etc. I can't speak for everyone, but I think it would be a real boon to the site. All it requires is finding someone to moderate each forum and post a particular theme for discussion, maybe each week. Personally, I think a majority of people that are "guests" are looking only to value their bottles and are not necessarily enthusiasts, collectors, diggers or hunters. I think you may attract a hell of lot more inquisitive members who are more interested in bottles than on how much they're worth or what it is.


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## embe (Dec 13, 2019)

Well, I'll tell you what.  I've learned plenty on this site since joining a couple months ago and surely appreciate knowing a bit more than I did before.


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## slugplate (Dec 14, 2019)

embe said:


> Well, I'll tell you what.  I've learned plenty on this site since joining a couple months ago and surely appreciate knowing a bit more than I did before.


Hi Embe, it was just a personal observation to encourage more involvement. I am by no means putting the site down, I'm honestly hoping to stimulate discussion and draw more people in. I do agree with you and please understand I had no intention of creating animus. If I remained in the wings and didn't share my thoughts I'd feel uncaring. I do care and that's why I kind of stirred the pot last night. It was not posted to attack members or the site, it was because I was really trying to help. It may seem like I was being tough, on the contrary, I care enough about the site to point out what I see. If I didn't care about AB, which I see can be one of the finest sites for bottle enthusiasts, I'd certainly remain quiet.


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## Screwtop (Dec 14, 2019)

I agree, and I've noticed this on a few other forums.

I like talking, but I'm not really encouraged to yak my fingers off, if no one is listening...


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## WesternPA-collector (Dec 14, 2019)

Slugplate I get what you are saying. I am one of those who put many hours into research and documenting things here, and where did it all go? It's hard to get motivated to continue doing it here when it can all be deleted at someone's whim.


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## Screwtop (Dec 14, 2019)

WesternPA-collector said:


> Slugplate I get what you are saying. I am one of those who put many hours into research and documenting things here, and where did it all go? It's hard to get motivated to continue doing it here when it can all be deleted at someone's whim.


It just dissapears?


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## sandchip (Dec 14, 2019)

There have been instances where someone would post pictures of some really nice glass with zero response aside from my own.  That has to be very discouraging to the poster and likely to cause them to not waste their time here in the future.  Hard to expect folks to hang around with us when all they get are crickets.  We finally have a "like" buttton which helps tremendously if one doesn't have the time to reply or has little to say, but it too needs to be used.


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## WesternPA-collector (Dec 14, 2019)

Screwtop said:


> It just dissapears?


I have to watch what I say because admin deletes my comments.  But with the new changes made, search results only go back to 2018. Try it out and see.


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## embe (Dec 14, 2019)

slugplate said:


> Hi Embe, it was just a personal observation to encourage more involvement. I am by no means putting the site down, I'm honestly hoping to stimulate discussion and draw more people in. I do agree with you and please understand I had no intention of creating animus. If I remained in the wings and didn't share my thoughts I'd feel uncaring. I do care and that's why I kind of stirred the pot last night. It was not posted to attack members or the site, it was because I was really trying to help. It may seem like I was being tough, on the contrary, I care enough about the site to point out what I see. If I didn't care about AB, which I see can be one of the finest sites for bottle enthusiasts, I'd certainly remain quiet.



I think we're on the same page, I didn't consider you stirring the pot


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## Robby Raccoon (Dec 14, 2019)

There's a reasoning for your concern. Forum activity is down. For the most part, it's FaceBook where people are active, That gives instant updates-- very portable. Most people only access forums on a physical computer, not a smart phone. Further, the main crowd using forums is Gen X and older. I'm one of the few millennials or post millennials that use forums. 
There's plenty of content searchable on the forum from things previously discussed. It's not just our minds that are vast repositories of knowledge. This forum's archives, stretching back 20 years, are also a wealth of knowledge waiting to be uncovered. I prefer the forum-- it's less hectic and has better content than FaceBook. It's also more laid-back and less likely to blow up like social media-- though when I joined here, I came in at the tail-end of the forum wars where there was some major tension. Who knows, maybe FaceBook will also calm down and become peaceful like this forum did!


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## Old Wiltshire (Dec 15, 2019)

-
One of the advantages of a 'forum' type platform is the searchable database it builds up.
-
It would appear that since the change that facility to search the whole database appears to have now gone.
For instance, a search using the keyword Bitters only brings up seven results.
-
I know I had not put up many threads or replies but now, unless I am missing something,
when I check my previous posts only my last two remain?
-


​


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## WesternPA-collector (Dec 15, 2019)

Old Wiltshire said:


> -
> One of the advantages of a 'forum' type platform is the searchable database it builds up.
> -
> It would appear that since the change that facility to search the whole database appears to have now gone.
> ...


That is exactly what I had pointed out yesterday and then also the previous week.  Years of database and research has been wiped out.


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## RoyalRuby (Dec 15, 2019)

Forums in general, for me anyway,  have changed a lot over the last several years, with many people that were on forums joining in on the Facebook games, yes I follow Facebook but post very little, too many times that I ask a decent question I just get some smart-a**'s comments in return, I just delete the posts and move on, I think that kind of negativity keeps me from posting much anymore, I like to showoff a new piece as much as the next person would want to, regaurdless of rarity or value, if there's a story behind it, I still want to either tell it, or listen to what others have to say about the piece,  but still, I just don't post as much as in the past.....


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## slugplate (Dec 15, 2019)

embe said:


> I think we're on the same page, I didn't consider you stirring the pot


Thank you, Embe. I did have a ton of reservations about posting it but I sincerely wanted to help. What's the old idiom, "You have to crack a few eggs to make an omelet?"


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## slugplate (Dec 15, 2019)

RoyalRuby said:


> Forums in general, for me anyway,  have changed a lot over the last several years, with many people that were on forums joining in on the Facebook games, yes I follow Facebook but post very little, too many times that I ask a decent question I just get some smart-a**'s comments in return, I just delete the posts and move on, I think that kind of negativity keeps me from posting much anymore, I like to showoff a new piece as much as the next person would want to, regaurdless of rarity or value, if there's a story behind it, I still want to either tell it, or listen to what others have to say about the piece,  but still, I just don't post as much as in the past.....


Exactly what I was reaching for, RoyalRuby! I foresee this site could be one of the best with a little investment. There are a ton of knowledgable people on this site and think they should lead some discussion to open up more interest... that's all. I don't speak for everyone, but I love to learn everything I can about the hobby.


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## slugplate (Dec 15, 2019)

WesternPA-collector said:


> I have to watch what I say because admin deletes my comments.  But with the new changes made, search results only go back to 2018. Try it out and see.


See, that's sad. Other than attacks, profanity, inappropriate content, irrelevant, etc., we should be able to disagree respectfully and present our qualified information to back it up. However, to become aggressive or demeaning should be deleted.


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## sandchip (Dec 15, 2019)

slugplate said:


> See, that's sad. Other than attacks, profanity, inappropriate content, irrelevant, etc., we should be able to disagree respectfully and present our qualified information to back it up. However, to become aggressive or demeaning should be deleted.



That used to go on here in the old blue page days and I never could understand it.  No telling how many folks were run off back then as well.   I understand that some folks may not mean things the way it appears, but that's a real danger with the written word, where one's inflection, expression and intent can be extremely difficult, if not impossible to interpret.  That's why I take great care in making sure that what I write hopefully cannot be taken in such a way that one's feelings might get hurt.  Unfortunately, some folks just don't give a damn.  There was one individual way back when who had no problem name calling, using profanity, even GD and for some inexplicable reason, he was seen as some kind of hero by many members.  Go figure.  A little kindness and humility go a long way, but maybe I'm just an old dinosaur.


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## slugplate (Dec 16, 2019)

sandchip said:


> That used to go on here in the old blue page days and I never could understand it.  No telling how many folks were run off back then as well.   I understand that some folks may not mean things the way it appears, but that's a real danger with the written word, where one's inflection, expression and intent can be extremely difficult, if not impossible to interpret.  That's why I take great care in making sure that what I write hopefully cannot be taken in such a way that one's feelings might get hurt.  Unfortunately, some folks just don't give a damn.  There was one individual way back when who had no problem name calling, using profanity, even GD and for some inexplicable reason, he was seen as some kind of hero by many members.  Go figure.  A little kindness and humility go a long way, but maybe I'm just an old dinosaur.


Well said, Sandchip. Speaking for myself, what I know about bottles I can fit into a thimble compared to many others. I love talking about them and sharing what little I know. We all share the same enthusiasm for bottle collecting, by whatever means we come across them, and this is where the most knowledgable in the field can be invaluable. To me, it's not a contest of who knows more as it is a forum for sharing and learning. We should all accept members at every level of bottle collecting, from entry collectors to the highly knowledgeable.


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## Harry Pristis (Dec 16, 2019)

*This forum (or its predecessor) was a rough place when I joined in 2003.  I didn't stay long.  When I checked in on the forum many years later, the ownership had changed and the worst moderators were gone.  The forum was a much more pleasant place to exchange info.

What recently has slowed my interest in the forum has been the increased interest in MODERN soda bottles, a category of collecting that doesn't seem to fit into an ANTIQUE bottle forum.  

No doubt, the ACL collectors are a growing group, and perhaps they should form their own forum elsewhere.*


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## sandchip (Dec 16, 2019)

Harry Pristis said:


> *...No doubt, the ACL collectors are a growing group, and perhaps they should form their own forum elsewhere.*



I don't know if I'd go that far, since we already have a section for that on this site, my reason being that when I started collecting my first bottle was a hobbleskirt Coke, but I really thought that I had reached the pinnacle of bottledom when I found a pyramid RC bottle from 1936 with the beautiful red and yellow print, little knowing that my collection would slowly evolve through the years to focus on colored pontiled bottles from various categories.   

Who knows?  One's love for this:




...might one day lead to this:



I can only suggest that we embrace and nurture all collectors of old bottles if this hobby of ours is to survive.


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## WesternPA-collector (Dec 27, 2019)

Harry Pristis said:


> *This forum (or its predecessor) was a rough place when I joined in 2003.  I didn't stay long.  When I checked in on the forum many years later, the ownership had changed and the worst moderators were gone.  The forum was a much more pleasant place to exchange info.
> 
> What recently has slowed my interest in the forum has been the increased interest in MODERN soda bottles, a category of collecting that doesn't seem to fit into an ANTIQUE bottle forum.
> 
> No doubt, the ACL collectors are a growing group, and perhaps they should form their own forum elsewhere.*


To many collectors including myself, ACL bottles are old enough to be considered collectible and have value. If you start limiting the the forum to exclusive groups, see how fast it becomes stagnant. No new users will  be attracted. But I would welcome a name change for the site, to Vintagebottles.net.


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## WesternPA-collector (Dec 27, 2019)

RoyalRuby said:


> Forums in general, for me anyway,  have changed a lot over the last several years, with many people that were on forums joining in on the Facebook games, yes I follow Facebook but post very little, too many times that I ask a decent question I just get some smart-a**'s comments in return, I just delete the posts and move on, I think that kind of negativity keeps me from posting much anymore, I like to showoff a new piece as much as the next person would want to, regaurdless of rarity or value, if there's a story behind it, I still want to either tell it, or listen to what others have to say about the piece,  but still, I just don't post as much as in the past.....


Facebook is toxic and I don't even use it. Plus the fact they are selling people's info to advertisers.


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## WesternPA-collector (Dec 27, 2019)

Bohdan said:


> I note there currently 101 guests online - and only 7 members.  Gotta get those guests to sign up. I think that would help.


Perhaps some of them are members who just aren't signed in at the time?


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## WesternPA-collector (Dec 27, 2019)

slugplate said:


> I joined this site looking for other bottle enthusiasts and knowledgable people to share their expertise. Yet, it's mostly the same half-dozen people who get involved. Although I see a huge amount of hits, there is not a lot of dialogue. Honestly, I didn't foresee the site as a social media sort of venue. I thought there would be a little more interaction and people sharing their expertise and research on bottles. Yes, there's Google, etc., but I think we can all agree that the people out there digging, collecting, hunting, researching, probing and scratching should post the experiential side of it as well. I'm just as guilty folks, I have recently posted mainly finds, but I'm sure there is a large group of people who know a hell of a lot more than I do. I merely write this to encourage participation, not to project guilt, be a contrarian, or discourage posting. We all share the same interest and hobby, but, speaking for myself, don't share the same knowledge.


There's also some users here who don't respond or interact with other people's posts, only the posts they create themselves. Which seems very self centered. They know who they are.


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## hemihampton (Dec 27, 2019)

I remember the old days when you had many instigators & trouble makers in here. They all left & some before facebook was around or popular. I used to post more when I was digging lots of Privy's many years ago but that spot after many years has dried up & must of dug 100 privy's in that area. I've barely dug anything this year but that might change by Tomorrow, Saturday as I'll be out looking for a town dump & possibly some Privy's. LEON.


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## nhpharm (Dec 28, 2019)

I try to add whenever I can...of course 3 kids and life gets in the way.  Been on here a long time and remember the turbulent times.  I don't have any concerns about ACL's and newer bottles being discussed...not everyone is into every type of bottle but in the end it is all part of the hobby.  This forum has always had a lot of "lurkers" and guests...many of my threads have thousands of hits and in some cases, no comments.  Just the nature of a forum that is being financially supported by advertising rather than forum members.  Unfortunately a lot of the extremely knowledgeable people have left a long time ago...and in some cases I don't blame them.  Sometimes people don't know when to simply say "thank you" rather than call a response into question or start an argument.  Anyways, I'm a digger and I will continue to post my digs to my long thread in the digging forum as well as chime in on other topics when I have something interesting to say...


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