# Various Vicks Vaporubs



## kjfrey55

In the past few years I've started a small collection of cobalt blue glass just because I've loved it since I was a kid.  I just realized that I don't have a Vicks VapoRub jar which our family went through many of back then.  I started looking on eBay and see several styles from different eras.  I'd be interested in getting a general idea of the age of these, and maybe others can post pics of their jars.  Also, if anyone has been able to date them from the embossing on the bottom of the jar.

One other thought came to mind.  The Vicks throat lozenges were triangular, back then at least.

The three styles (seemingly oldest first) See attached pictures.
- Old green label, old-time red lid.  Mid-late 40’s?  early 50’s?
- Green label, white and red lid - late 40’s to late 50’s?
- White Label, green lid. 60’s – 70’s typeface


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## CanadianBottles

Welcome to the forum!  If you want unlabeled Vicks jars you could probably find loads of them in the woods.  If there's one thing that every single 1950s dump has, at least around here, it's those little blue jars.  Apparently the stuff dates back over a hundred years but I never see them in dumps that predate the 1930s, maybe it hadn't made it to Canada yet at that point.  I think the base embossing on ours is different as well, never seen the top or bottom ones you posted, just the middle one or unembossed.


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## Screwtop

I have one Vicks, which isn't a jar, but more like a small bottle. It came from a 20's dump. I'll have to find it.


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## kjfrey55

Thanks for the replies. I'm not really a bottle collector per se, I only want to have a couple for sentimental reasons. I'll probably just grab two or three of the ones on eBay. It's interesting to see the older ones, which I was not familiar with at all.


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## nhpharm

The ones with the concentric triangles on the base I have found as far back as in the 1920's.  Definitely the earliest one.


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## Dewfus

kjfrey55 said:


> In the past few years I've started a small collection of cobalt blue glass just because I've loved it since I was a kid.  I just realized that I don't have a Vicks VapoRub jar which our family went through many of back then.  I started looking on eBay and see several styles from different eras.  I'd be interested in getting a general idea of the age of these, and maybe others can post pics of their jars.  Also, if anyone has been able to date them from the embossing on the bottom of the jar.
> 
> One other thought came to mind.  The Vicks throat lozenges were triangular, back then at least.
> 
> The three styles (seemingly oldest first) See attached pictures.
> - Old green label, old-time red lid.  Mid-late 40’s?  early 50’s?
> - Green label, white and red lid - late 40’s to late 50’s?
> - White Label, green lid. 60’s – 70’s typeface
> 
> View attachment 203608
> View attachment 203609
> View attachment 203610




 My collection of colbalt 
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE COLBALT blue lol I got tons of vapers rub if you want some.


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## Torringtontg25

Wow... Cool! I just have one, a half dollar sized tin from the 50s.


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## kjfrey55

Dewfus said:


> View attachment 203722 My collection of colbalt
> I ABSOLUTELY LOVE COLBALT blue lol I got tons of vapers rub if you want some.


Wow - that looks awesome.  My mother-in-law also likes cobalt glass and all over her garden she has 3-4ft. poles with blue Bud LIght (I think) bottles upside-down on them.  Looks great!


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## kjfrey55

nhpharm said:


> The ones with the concentric triangles on the base I have found as far back as in the 1920's.  Definitely the earliest one.


Great info, thanks!


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## kjfrey55

Torringtontg25 said:


> Wow... Cool! I just have one, a half dollar sized tin from the 50s.View attachment 203723View attachment 203724View attachment 203725


That's cool.  I've never seen those.


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## Cola-Coca

A small bottle  VICKS VA-TRO-NOL.


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## Ann M.

kjfrey55 said:


> Wow - that looks awesome.  My mother-in-law also likes cobalt glass and all over her garden she has 3-4ft. poles with blue Bud LIght (I think) bottles upside-down on them.  Looks great!


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## Ann M.

Thanks! It's a beautiful color! I love the "Vicks bottle dating guide" posted. Very helpful. I think I may have one of each, along with the tiny sample tin sent out to mothers of small children..possibly  in the 40's?Found one of those still in the original mailer. Sold it as ephemera, but wish I'd kept it now to add to the Vicks bottle collection!


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## Ann M.

Torringtontg25 said:


> Wow... Cool! I just have one, a half dollar sized tin from the 50s.View attachment 203723View attachment 203724View attachment 203725





kjfrey55 said:


> That's cool.  I've never seen those.


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## Ann M.

The sample tin was sent out to households in a small mailer box. Included the sample tin and a brochure about Vapor Rub. I wish I had kept it but sold it as ephemera last spring. Love the sample tins. I have a fairly large collection of tins as well as antique bottles. Love them! Dr. Jaynes made a variety of wooden, cardboard and metal lithographed tins. I have about 12-15 of those, some in boxes with brochure and some with pills still inside. They're very attractive and great lithographs!


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## Torringtontg25

Thanks for the info!


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## jarhead67

Vicks VapoRub was THE most widely used remedy during the Spanish Flu of 1918, both at home and in hospital. It put them on the map, so to speak, and they continue in business today because of it. You can research some interesting info on it's popularity of the time and it's connections to that outbreak. Ironically, it's not being advised for use with this current virus.


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## kjfrey55

Wow, that's very interesting and obviously timely.  I'll have to look up why it's not being advised now.

*Update - a quick Google check actually has several reports of people using it or suggesting it's use.  Mainly to help control symptoms so that people don't feel so bad.  I didn't see one about not using it.


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## Beau64

I just picked this jar today. It is a 16 or 20 ounce jar.  I'm still looking for dating information.  So far, no one has definitive dates for the jar/bottle marks or the lid.  The best I can glean so far, it may be a 1954 jar that Vicks may have been using up older stock lids.  Anyway, I'm guessing early to mid 50s.  The cobalt blue is very dark, suggesting it is in the older class, so maybe late 40s.  Anyone else found anything further on these?  Thanks all!


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