# Buster Brown????



## glassgopher721 (Mar 16, 2015)

Hey guys I picked up a nice old crate from an antique shop in northern NH a couple weeks ago. I haven't been able to find any info on it at all. I even contacted to the town of Nashua's historical society and they couldn't find anything.  The box reads registered Buster Brown beverages Nashua NH div.


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 17, 2015)

glassgopher721 Interesting find and one that is probably rare. I haven't been able to find any related pictures, but I did find the following that hopefully will get the ball rolling for you ...                                                          *Frank & Goldsmith  ~  Chicago, Illinois* *                                                                                 145, 327* 
                                                              Claims use since August 1, 1920

http://tinyurl.com/kzglm5g

                                                                   Published August 8, 1921

* http://tinyurl.com/kh43wse *


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 17, 2015)

This link is to a detailed trademark record for the ...                                               *Buster Brown Beverage Company**                                                          Frank & Goldsmith**                                                        1757 W. Polk Street**                                                           Chicago, Illinois* * http://historicip.com/trademarks/registration_certificates/0148652.pdf*               Except I cannot find a single reference indicating it was ever produced and sold!                                                                     *?*


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 18, 2015)

I spent several hours searching for anything related to "Buster Brown Beverages." But aside from glassgopher721's wood crate and the patent information I posted, I cannot find a single thing. Which leads me to wonder if there is a connection between "Buster Brown Beverage Co." and "Buster Beverage Co." in Alton, Illinois? (Which is sometimes listed as "Buster Bottling Works")                     I plan to take a closer look into this. In the meantime here's some of what I've found so far ...  1.  Alton Evening Telegraph  ~  Alton, Illinois  ~ July 20, 19282.  Buster deco-style soda bottle  ~  Embossed with ... Patented July 11, 19223.  Buster bottle cap Note: Other than the similarity in name, the only other connection I can see is that Chicago and Alton are both in Illinois


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 18, 2015)

P.S. Is it possible Frank & Goldsmith filed for the name "Buster Brown Beverages" but were unable to fully secure it?


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 18, 2015)

According to this newspaper article ...                         "A non-alcoholic beverage, Buster Brown soft drink, was sipped in Chicago."                       From:  The Spokane Daily Chronicle ~ Spokane, Washington ~ June 18, 1964                                            (Of course, the article is speaking in the past tense) https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1338&dat=19640618&id=A1ZYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lPcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3090,4543073&hl=en


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 18, 2015)

After changing my search words from Buster Brown *Beverages *to Buster Brown *Soft Drink *I started to find enough references to support there was indeed a Buster Brown soft drink produced and sold at some point, probably in the 1920s. Even though I have not found any images related to the brand, I'm confident they are out there somewhere. The following link is to one of the best accounts I have read about the history of Buster Brown and includes mention of a soft drink. It also mentions there were something like 10,000 different products that carried the Buster Brown name, including whiskey and cigars to mention just a couple of them. I read another article about a woman who was one of the top Buster Brown collectors in the world and who had been looking for a Buster Brown whiskey bottle for years but never did find one.                                                http://xroads.virginia.edu/~DRBR2/gordon5.pdf


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 19, 2015)

Christopher / glassgopher721  I'm obviously intrigued by your Buster Brown soda bottle crate and the more I research it the rarer it gets. Take for example the approximately 450 different Buster Brown collectibles listed on the Kovels website link - it list every Buster Brown collectible you can think of - but nothing related to a soft drink. Based on what I've been seeing, it appears the holy grail of all Buster Brown collectibles is the Bourbon/Whiskey bottle. It seems all of the collectors want one but that no one has found one yet. (I can't even find a picture of one). Next on the list of most sought after items is a Buster Brown cigar tin. The one pictured below sold in recent years for a whopping $14,400. Just where all of this places your wood crate, its hard to say, but I do believe it's extremely rare and an item that serious Buster Brown collectors would love to get their hands on. Speaking of which, howz about some pictures of it. Based on your description I suspect it does not have the image of Buster and Tige on it - but if it does, I'd say it would increase the value dramatically.                                                                Here's the link to the Kovels site ...                               https://www.kovels.com/price-guide/buster-brown/Page-2.html?limitstart=0    [ Attachment ] Buster Brown cigar tin that sold for $14,400.00( Notice the man is blowing smoke on Buster and Tige - which would be a huge no-no in today's advertising )


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 19, 2015)

Here's one of numerous references I've seen for Buster Brown "Soft Drinks" ....                                                                                  From ...                                      The Janesville Daily Gazette ~ Janesville, Wisconsin ~ October 1, 1964                                               ( But, again, it's referring to earlier times and not 1964 )


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 19, 2015)

Just for the record ...                  This link is to the auction site where I found the Buster Brown cigar tin that sold for $14,400 http://morphyauctions.hibid.com/lot/14971654/buster-brown-cigar-tin-?cat=0&sort=1&hide=0&qs=0&view=0&aView=0&q=buster+brown&selCat=0


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## glassgopher721 (Mar 20, 2015)

Will try to load picture from mt pc. I can't figure out how to do it on my mobile phone.  Thank you for your help so far.


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## glassgopher721 (Mar 21, 2015)

[attachment=104.jpg]


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## glassgopher721 (Mar 21, 2015)

[attachment=008.jpg] [attachment=012.jpg]


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## glassgopher721 (Mar 21, 2015)

[attachment=009.jpg]


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## glassgopher721 (Mar 21, 2015)

This is just a guess, but judging by the wear marks on the bottom inside of crate that it may have held the more rounded type bottles like the Atkinson bottle shown. I also noticed when I took picture of the underside of the bow that there was an impression from a crown cap.


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## glassgopher721 (Mar 21, 2015)

Underside of box. Notice the impression from a crown cap.[attachment=014.jpg]


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## carling (Mar 22, 2015)

With the metal bands, it looks like the standard 1930's and newer style crate to me.  Nice looking crate, I like the little extra touch they gave it with whatever that design is above Nashua, N.H.


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## carling (Mar 22, 2015)

Now I'm second guessing myself after zooming in on those bands and the nails, maybe it is older than the 30's.  Someone smarter than me will come along....


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 22, 2015)

Andy Thanks for the great pictures - they are possibly the first and only one's ever posted on the Internet. If you haven't done so already, take a close look inside of the box - sometimes the manufacture stamped their boxes. I think you're probably right about the bottles being the taller, slimmer type. As for the age of the box, I think its hard to say at this juncture and I would only be guessing. The only thing I can add to this is that in Allan Petretti's Coca Cola books he shows similar boxes with the metal straps that he claims are pre-1920. But where he came up with the dates and just how accurate they are, I don't know. I'm still searching for answers but not finding much. The abbreviation for the word "Division" on the box is a clue in itself and suggest the brand was distributed in more than one area. If the patent/trademark document tells us anything, it appears the headquarters was located in Chicago, Illinois. Speaking of which ...


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 22, 2015)

P.S. I especially like this part of the document ...


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## glassgopher721 (Mar 22, 2015)

Nice work finding this info. I have been debating whether or not to sell it. I'm a Manchester NH collector, but when I saw this crate I just had to buy it.


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## Eric (Mar 22, 2015)

Nice piece... Hope you find out more about it and some bottle show up for you.


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## sunrunner (Mar 24, 2015)

I'm betting it had a paper label .


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