# American oil bottle



## dollarbill (Sep 12, 2007)

Hey was wanting to know if i sude leave the oil in the bottle as it was still corked an has about 1/4 of the oil still in it. Thank yall .bill


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## cobaltbot (Sep 12, 2007)

I think it's a matter of personal preference.  While it will never look as pretty as a clean bottle on the shelf having some of the original contents is a cool bit of history that will dissapear once its cleaned.


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## GuntherHess (Sep 12, 2007)

I like labels but contents lower the value in my opinion.


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## Bottle tumbler (Sep 12, 2007)

I agree with guntherhess, but if the contents are dry and it has a lable i would keep intact, your item should be dumped and cleaned.


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## epgorge (Sep 12, 2007)

I might agree if it is partial contents, but what about full content, label and box such as this cough syrup?


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## dollarbill (Sep 12, 2007)

Thanks so much for all your thoughts and opinions.So i belive i will pour the oil into a container to keep it as to preserve the history and clean the bottle. oh I know there are some that do not like this ? but Iwould really like to know a value as this bottle my be sold.Agian thank you all for you time and opinions and great knowledge.Good luck diggen and finding.bill


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## capsoda (Sep 12, 2007)

That is whale oil Bill. It doesn't clean all that easy. It will leave a residue on anything it gets on that won't wash off easly. Warm the bottle in water and then dump it out doors somewhere out of the way and soak the bottle in some cleaner for several days.


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## cobaltbot (Sep 12, 2007)

Hey that's a cool idea Bill, you could even put some oil in one of those little teeny vials that we dig, cork and lable it.  If  I was going to sell it, I'd probably clean it.  But if I was going to keep it, and wanted it to look nicer, I'd clean it and then put the little vial back inside and put in on the shelf..


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## GuntherHess (Sep 12, 2007)

Mint bottles with full contents are another story. I have a couple like that and wouldnt empty them. You have to be careful with them though. You need to make sure the cork doesnt dry out and come loose or leak. I turn mine upsidedown every so often to wet the corks. 

 Even on a bottle like that my experience is the box and label are what adds to the value. The contents are neat but it would probably sell for the same amount if it was empty.  Buyers are often a bit leary about old bottles with contents being shipped through the mail. Good way to ruin a nice label if its not done very carefully.


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## capsoda (Sep 12, 2007)

I like to dig old embossed meds like Foley's that are half full of that black watery stuff  [&:] and try to get my friends to take a shot for 20 bucks. So far no takers. [sm=lol.gif][sm=lol.gif][sm=lol.gif]


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## dollarbill (Sep 12, 2007)

Hey thats funny Warren .Dont think ya would want to take a shot of this stuff. Its crude oil that was struck while drilling for salt water at a salt lick on the cumberland river in 1819.Its a great story. Seem it was such a gusher that it covered from bank to bank for 200 mile.Then it seems someone lite it and it burn for 8 or 9 weeks.Thus came storys from indians about a river of fire.Seems no one knew what to do with it till the late 1820s when they started to bottle it as a leather cure a for ticks and fleas on dogs then as a med for all kinds of crazy stuff. I think it was used as a rub on.Any one know what kind of price it could bring . Only one i could find was an 1997 price list that had it listed for 886.00 Thanks agian all for looking and any help yall could give.


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## passthebottle (Sep 12, 2007)

Kovels 12th edition 2002 lists your bottle at $868.


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## GuntherHess (Sep 14, 2007)

Assuming it has no damage and is clean, it should bring at least $700 in a good auction. You would want to sell at a big bottle auction such as Glass Works.


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## RICKJJ59W (Sep 14, 2007)

I wouldnt go with Kovels there prices are so far off its  silly


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## RICKJJ59W (Sep 14, 2007)

That  GRIP SYRUP might go down hard but I think I would try it [:-]


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