# Rumming's - Nanaimo B.C.



## Canadacan (May 16, 2019)

Several weeks back I was on Vancouver island in one of the shops and ran across this version I had been after for ages, well I initially left it behind because it had a chip in the lip 
The next day I went back and grabbed it going against my instinct to not to buy!...lol, I guess I just could not stand being without this variation any longer.
It's a 7oz size dated 1947 and is the last style ACL before Island Bottling took over in 53-54...which they continued to use the iconic HBC Bastion image on their bottles.




Here are my other Rumming's  bottles.


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## RCO (May 16, 2019)

it does look very similar to the Nanaimo bottling works bottle , not sure I've seen this version before


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## Canadacan (May 16, 2019)

RCO said:


> it does look very similar to the Nanaimo bottling works bottle , not sure I've seen this version before


Yes here is one of the very first from Island Bottling mine is dated 1953...I'm not positive but believe there is a Rumming's in the same style.
These are the two bottles most people are familiar with.


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## CanadianBottles (May 16, 2019)

Yes, there is a Rumming's version of the bottle on the left, I've got one.  I'll post a picture when I get a chance.  I have one like the first you posted as well although unfortunately the label is not in very good shape - in that case I'd much rather have the chip!  Rumming's has a huge number of bottles, I think you're around halfway there to getting the full run of them haha!  I remember there being a rumour that they might have even had a stoneware ginger beer but I've never seen proof of that claim and am pretty skeptical of it.


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## Canadacan (May 16, 2019)

Yea CC I have a few to go yet!...and I have come across several of them but often passed on them because of the price tag!..lol
I never seen one, and doubt there is one, if there was I'm sure the late Wayne Wager of Nanaimo would have found it!...there was one from Louis Lawrence though.


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## CanadianBottles (May 16, 2019)

Yeah I think Wayne may have had a post about looking for one on his old site, but never got any results from it.  I've still never seen any stoneware from anywhere on the Island other than Victoria.  I've heard of the stoneware Louis Lawrence bottle but don't think I've ever even seen a picture of it.


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## tsims (Jan 8, 2021)

Canadacan said:


> Several weeks back I was on Vancouver island in one of the shops and ran across this version I had been after for ages, well I initially left it behind because it had a chip in the lip
> The next day I went back and grabbed it going against my instinct to not to buy!...lol, I guess I just could not stand being without this variation any longer.
> It's a 7oz size dated 1947 and is the last style ACL before Island Bottling took over in 53-54...which they continued to use the iconic HBC Bastion image on their bottles.
> 
> ...


I have some Rummings bottles as well. I have the one you have on right but ACL so faded can hardly see (now i know how it should look.. lol. Goodwill and Island Bottling as well from Nanaimo.


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## Canadacan (Jan 8, 2021)

Hey nice grouping!...love the Nanaimo-Ladysmith Rummings!, still on my list.


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## Historical-Info-Service (Feb 15, 2022)

This is my John Mitchell-Rummings-Island Bottling collection.  I know I am missing a Mitchell Hutchinson, a vertical embossed Rummings crown top, and an Island Bottling "ketchup" bottle (basically the Island version of the Rummings that Canadacan posted at the start).  I heard a rumour that there is a "three-city" embossed out there too.  I have never seen that one.


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## Donas12 (Feb 17, 2022)

Historical-Info-Service said:


> This is my John Mitchell-Rummings-Island Bottling collection.  I know I am missing a Mitchell Hutchinson, a vertical embossed Rummings crown top, and an Island Bottling "ketchup" bottle (basically the Island version of the Rummings that Canadacan posted at the start).  I heard a rumour that there is a "three-city" embossed out there too.  I have never seen that one.


Wow great collection!


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## CanadianBottles (Feb 17, 2022)

Historical-Info-Service said:


> This is my John Mitchell-Rummings-Island Bottling collection.  I know I am missing a Mitchell Hutchinson, a vertical embossed Rummings crown top, and an Island Bottling "ketchup" bottle (basically the Island version of the Rummings that Canadacan posted at the start).  I heard a rumour that there is a "three-city" embossed out there too.  I have never seen that one.


You've got some good ones there (especially that paper label!)  I didn't know that the green glass with only white ACL even existed.  I've heard references to that three-city one as well but never seen it and I'm not sure what era it's supposed to be from.  What would the third city have been, Courtenay?


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## CanadianBottles (Feb 17, 2022)

tsims said:


> I have some Rummings bottles as well. I have the one you have on right but ACL so faded can hardly see (now i know how it should look.. lol. Goodwill and Island Bottling as well from Nanaimo.


Do you have a Goodwill that's marked from Nanaimo?  I only know of them as being marked from Victoria, although I know they were active in Nanaimo.


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## tsims (Jun 20, 2022)

Historical-Info-Service said:


> This is my John Mitchell-Rummings-Island Bottling collection.  I know I am missing a Mitchell Hutchinson, a vertical embossed Rummings crown top, and an Island Bottling "ketchup" bottle (basically the Island version of the Rummings that Canadacan posted at the start).  I heard a rumour that there is a "three-city" embossed out there too.  I have never seen that one.


I think I have the John Mitchell hutchinson bottle you mentioned. It's missing the wire closure but I see in the bottle magazine it says too few to determine price. It's not for sale of course but if you want to see a pic I can post it Gerry.


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## tolmanbridge (Dec 27, 2022)

Historical-Info-Service said:


> This is my John Mitchell-Rummings-Island Bottling collection.  I know I am missing a Mitchell Hutchinson, a vertical embossed Rummings crown top, and an Island Bottling "ketchup" bottle (basically the Island version of the Rummings that Canadacan posted at the start).  I heard a rumour that there is a "three-city" embossed out there too.  I have never seen that one.


Your bottle collection looks amazing.  I have a question, though.  I have the opportunity to purchase a number of Nanaimo bottles in very good condition.  The seller wants me to purchase them all in one deal but I have no idea what to offer him or, if he gives me a price, what is reasonable.  He has one John Mitchell, one Adam & Lawrence, a green Rummings crown top which looks more modern but is embossed, and 5 Rummings pick and shovel (two green).  My daughter just moved out to the island so I would like to get some bottles from close to where she lives for my collection.  I recently purchased a pick and shovel Rummings and I think I got a good deal but there are crazy prices online so I don't know for sure.  One auction site sold a clear Rummings bottle for $600 U.S. and another is on eBay right now for $250 U.S.  I don't think the bottles are worth anywhere near that but I am fairly new at this.  Can you assist me in any way?


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## tolmanbridge (Dec 27, 2022)

tsims said:


> I think I have the John Mitchell hutchinson bottle you mentioned. It's missing the wire closure but I see in the bottle magazine it says too few to determine price. It's not for sale of course but if you want to see a pic I can post it Gerry.


Just wondering what bottle magazine you are talking about as I am fairly new to the hobby and want to get as much information as I can.


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## Historical-Info-Service (Dec 27, 2022)

tolmanbridge said:


> Your bottle collection looks amazing.  I have a question, though.  I have the opportunity to purchase a number of Nanaimo bottles in very good condition.  The seller wants me to purchase them all in one deal but I have no idea what to offer him or, if he gives me a price, what is reasonable.  He has one John Mitchell, one Adam & Lawrence, a green Rummings crown top which looks more modern but is embossed, and 5 Rummings pick and shovel (two green).  My daughter just moved out to the island so I would like to get some bottles from close to where she lives for my collection.  I recently purchased a pick and shovel Rummings and I think I got a good deal but there are crazy prices online so I don't know for sure.  One auction site sold a clear Rummings bottle for $600 U.S. and another is on eBay right now for $250 U.S.  I don't think the bottles are worth anywhere near that but I am fairly new at this.  Can you assist me in any way?


Feel free to message me directly.  I think I can give you a ballpark number for what you are looking at, but will need to see some pictures and know some specifics about the green Pick & Shovels, which Mitchell bottle, and which Adams and Lawrence (I do not have one of these, but have plenty of reference materials).


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## CanadianBottles (Dec 28, 2022)

tolmanbridge said:


> Your bottle collection looks amazing.  I have a question, though.  I have the opportunity to purchase a number of Nanaimo bottles in very good condition.  The seller wants me to purchase them all in one deal but I have no idea what to offer him or, if he gives me a price, what is reasonable.  He has one John Mitchell, one Adam & Lawrence, a green Rummings crown top which looks more modern but is embossed, and 5 Rummings pick and shovel (two green).  My daughter just moved out to the island so I would like to get some bottles from close to where she lives for my collection.  I recently purchased a pick and shovel Rummings and I think I got a good deal but there are crazy prices online so I don't know for sure.  One auction site sold a clear Rummings bottle for $600 U.S. and another is on eBay right now for $250 U.S.  I don't think the bottles are worth anywhere near that but I am fairly new at this.  Can you assist me in any way?


Do you know which clear Rummings sold for $600?  I didn't think many, if any, of the Rummings bottles were worth nearly that much apart from maybe some which were only rumoured to exist.  That one on Ebay is definitely not worth anywhere near $250, one sold recently for $40 which is more reasonable.  I bought mine for $20 a decade or so ago and I remember thinking that was a pretty good deal but not shockingly low.


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## tolmanbridge (Dec 28, 2022)

This is the link to the $600 one I saw previously but on checking closer, it says Buy it Now price was $600 and it does say it sold but no where does it say what if sold for.  https://picclick.com/WE-RUMMING-NANAIMO-BC-Riley-screw-closure-221307702230.html


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## tolmanbridge (Dec 28, 2022)

Sure wish there was someone that was putting out some sort of recent price guide for Canadian bottles as going online as shown above gives so many different prices.  I realize something is only worth what one will pay for it but having some sort of guide would certainly help people like me that are fairly new to the hobby.  I would love to build a collection on bottles I found myself but my age and location make that rather difficult.  So I am kind of stuck trying to build a collection of Canadian bottles solely through purchasing them.  I have Bill Wilson's Pioneer Soda Water Co. but that is 1989 I believe.  I also have Western Canadian Bottle Collecting, Vol. 1 and 2 but they are even older.  I had a chance to get Bottles of the Canadian Praries but that is from 1978 and the author wants $200 for a copy, not something I can afford.  Most bottle guides that are more recent are primarily American.  I subscribe to Antique Bottle and Glass Collector which does have some Canadian content at times but hit and miss.  This forum seems to be the best source of information that is reliable but I hate bothering people to ask values.  In the past I have had some snarky remarks when I did that.  I am not building this collection to make a profit.  I love history in general and bottles and the stories behind them are very interesting to me.


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## Canadacan (Dec 28, 2022)

tolmanbridge said:


> Sure wish there was someone that was putting out some sort of recent price guide for Canadian bottles as going online as shown above gives so many different prices.  I realize something is only worth what one will pay for it but having some sort of guide would certainly help people like me that are fairly new to the hobby.  I would love to build a collection on bottles I found myself but my age and location make that rather difficult.  So I am kind of stuck trying to build a collection of Canadian bottles solely through purchasing them.  I have Bill Wilson's Pioneer Soda Water Co. but that is 1989 I believe.  I also have Western Canadian Bottle Collecting, Vol. 1 and 2 but they are even older.  I had a chance to get Bottles of the Canadian Praries but that is from 1978 and the author wants $200 for a copy, not something I can afford.  Most bottle guides that are more recent are primarily American.  I subscribe to Antique Bottle and Glass Collector which does have some Canadian content at times but hit and miss.  This forum seems to be the best source of information that is reliable but I hate bothering people to ask values.  In the past I have had some snarky remarks when I did that.  I am not building this collection to make a profit.  I love history in general and bottles and the stories behind them are very interesting to me.


I feel the same way about price guides...so often a bottle will sell for half or even less than what a guide will list it for and in some case way more..lol. Many of the top tier bottles are now selling for double or triple. 
I think just being connected to like minded folks and asking is still the best way to go. I don't always have the answer to price on some particular bottles but have been able to help many collectors make informed decisions on purchases.
If you are on facebook I run a couple of pages...  https://www.facebook.com/groups/2642082599145081     and  https://www.facebook.com/groups/1254176704700613


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## tolmanbridge (Dec 29, 2022)

Historical-Info-Service said:


> Feel free to message me directly.  I think I can give you a ballpark number for what you are looking at, but will need to see some pictures and know some specifics about the green Pick & Shovels, which Mitchell bottle, and which Adams and Lawrence (I do not have one of these, but have plenty of reference materials).


I tried sending messages to you directly but don't know if they worked.  I am a senior and not the most technologically inclined.


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## CanadianBottles (Dec 30, 2022)

tolmanbridge said:


> This is the link to the $600 one I saw previously but on checking closer, it says Buy it Now price was $600 and it does say it sold but no where does it say what if sold for.  https://picclick.com/WE-RUMMING-NANAIMO-BC-Riley-screw-closure-221307702230.html


Wow that's bizarre to see that one listed as sold, it was up on Ebay for probably around a decade or so just continuously being relisted at that outrageous price.  In reality it's worth about 5% of that, despite being an unusual and good-looking bottle they're very common.  I wonder if someone finally convinced them to sell for a low price or what.


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## tolmanbridge (Dec 30, 2022)

CanadianBottles said:


> Wow that's bizarre to see that one listed as sold, it was up on Ebay for probably around a decade or so just continuously being relisted at that outrageous price.  In reality it's worth about 5% of that, despite being an unusual and good-looking bottle they're very common.  I wonder if someone finally convinced them to sell for a low price or what.


That is why I am so happy to have such helpful people here on the forum.  I really want to build up my collection but my only option to do so it through buying them and without the help of people here, I probably would overpay.  I am trying to focus on Canadian soda bottles with the odd patent medicine as they can be cool bottles.  When I was younger I spent some time searching around old farm buildings and found a few sealers and some medicine bottles but never much here.  Our city's really old landfills are all private property so off limits.  Alberta also does not seem to have the brewing and soda history that other provinces like B.C. and Ontario do so that also limits what I can find.  Any bottles I've seen that were from Alberta were very expensive so I am working on B.C. and Manitoba.  I purchased a large collection of bottles in B.C. because there were a few old hutch bottles from the island that I really wanted and the guy wouldn't sell them separate.  So now I got a pile of bottles I don't need and have listed many for sale on kijiji and Marketplace.  I have always tried encouraging others to get into the hobbies I am in so I like to sell things cheap.  Most of the bottles in the collection I purchased are cheaper bottles but I usually ask under $10 for them or sell them in groups for $20 to get others interested.  The part I like best about collecting anything is doing research to find out about the items, whether they are Roman and Greek coins, old bottles, fossils, or whatever.  Hope you all have a wonderful New Year and I will let you all know if I end up getting the bottles.


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