# What is a true blob top bottle?



## Brandons Bottles

Someone told me that a blob top bottle is a bottle that has a seam that goes up to the cork lip and stops then there's another seam that goes through the lip and doesn't connect with the side seam. Is this true and if not what would this be called? Also she said this specific type of bottle is dated from the 1920s and 30s. Is this also true. I'm just wondering because I have three of these and they don't resemble any blob tops i've seen on the internet, and those blob tops were beer bottles and these aren't even close to beer bottles. Thanks in advance.


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## cyberdigger

Hi Brandon..
 These are blob tops.. the name describes the shape of the lip, it's pretty obvious!
 The information you were told ...well, I don't even understand.. blob tops are mostly found on beer and soda bottles, dating from the mid 1800's to around 1920... and there are very few, if any.. machine-made blob tops..


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## Brandons Bottles

Ok the person who told me this wasn't actually a bottle collector- someone this person knew was and I guess they just got confused or just altogether didn't know what they were saying. Anyways I looked more closely at my favorite of the three and it looks like the lip was made seperately and then applied on because it goes too far to one side.Like there's a seam around the neck and it hangs over the neck on one side. If you want, I can probably post a picture. Thanks for the information.


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## cyberdigger

Put up a pic, we'll tell you exactly what you've got..


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## Brandons Bottles

Here's the pictures. The bottle is clear glass, 3 1/2 in tall and 1 7/8 in wide.  Sorry if they're blurry- it was hard to get a good, clear photo...

https://i1021.photobucket.com/albums/af335/4Taxidermy4/DSC03744.jpg
https://i1021.photobucket.com/albums/af335/4Taxidermy4/DSC03745.jpg
https://i1021.photobucket.com/albums/af335/4Taxidermy4/DSC03747.jpg


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## cyberdigger

This is another modern decorative bottle. I don't want to tell you what to collect, as long as you know what it is you are collecting, but if you are trying to find ANTIQUE bottles, look for ones which have no mold marks at all on the lip portion. []


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## Brandons Bottles

Ok, thanks again. I do have one more question- Do they purposely make display bottles look old? i buy anything that looks old and is in great condition. oh and another thing. If got the same kind of lip on another bottle, but it is about 10 inches tall- it has no marks but the bottom has a rough design on it. Do you think this is a decorative bottle as well. THANKS


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## cyberdigger

Bottles have been pouring in from all around the globe for decades that "look" old, and the easiest way to discern them from genuine antiques is by the lip features... there's plenty of other clues, but first look at the lip.. you want to see the mold seam disappear on it's way up the neck, like it was wiped off while the glass was still molten.. better yet, the lip portion really seems to be "glued on" the neck with molten glass.. these are signs of hand-finishing. They don't do that too much any more.
 If the bottle looks too new, it likely is.. old bottles usually have some evidence of wear, like scratches, stains, and such.. better have an imperfect antique than a perfect modern one.. wherever you live, look for sales in the older part of town, this will up your chances of running across the good ones..


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## surfaceone

> Ok, thanks again. I do have one more question- Do they purposely make display bottles look old?


 
 Hello Brandon,

 Yes, yes "they" do, and apparently targeted at folks who "buy anything that looks old and is in great condition." Spotless, shiny glass that looks "old," is not necessarily a good criteria to go after antique glass.

 Maybe you could actually attend an Antique Bottle Show, and see and handle the glass to get some experience. Read through the forums and look at the photos. Visit sites like this one. Few, if any, look like the glass object you put up here.

 Rather than waste your time and money, take the time to learn about antique glass. Visit the library, join a bottle club, hang out here. It takes a bit of time to get up to speed, but is a fascinating avocation, should you choose to pursue it... Good luck.


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## Brandons Bottles

Thanks guys. the main thing is I live in a relatively new area-1960's[]. I do have a list of the upcoming bottle shows and I have looked up bottle clubs around where I live but there were  none, so pretty much I have the internet- which isn't even that clear either. I've gone to that website several times and i never find any answers. i usually just read through the dear diggers but They stop doing that, I think. My books are ok but they never seem to have any of my bottles in it.[]Thanks for the good advice and I'd like to go to a bottle show but the one's around me are about 2 hours away so I don't know. I guess i'm just an unlucky bottle collector[]


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## suzanne

You are not unlucky.  You are just inexperienced.  Once when I was starting out I paid 40 dollars for a Wheaton reproduction.  How dumb is that?  It's a really good repro though and I like it but am still mad that I paid too much.I would bet everyone on this site once made one or more mistakes when they started out.  For every really old bottle you see for sale there are probably 10 repro's or ABM's out there; this is a good thing to keep in mind when you go bottle shopping.


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## BillinMo

> ORIGINAL: surfaceone
> Maybe you could actually attend an Antique Bottle Show, and see and handle the glass to get some experience.


 
 Absolutely, positively agree 100%.  Reading and learning through books and the net are great, but there's really no substitute for seeing and handling old glass, and there's no substitute for meeting and talking to other collectors in person. 

 A two hour drive to a show isn't bad at all.  I think when the time comes, you'll find it's worth it.


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