# New guy with new guy questions



## Dink1957 (Apr 2, 2021)

The picture here is a very small sample of what I have but I thought it would be a good way to start asking about these bottles I have... from the research I've done, I learned that if the seam stops then the top was put on later, and usually means the bottle is old but I have no idea how old...most of the bottles I have come from old ghost towns in the Nevada dessert...some have turned purple which I came to understand was a reaction to impurities and sunlight... anyways, I was curious if any of these bottles peek anyone's interest and to know what century they are from...I've read alot of threads from this community and I like how it seems that everyone is on everyone's side, and everyone seems to be genuinely trying to help someone in need of knowledge...by the way, I do know the top pieces are insulators, which I have a million of as well


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## ROBBYBOBBY64 (Apr 2, 2021)

Dink1957 said:


> The picture here is a very small sample of what I have but I thought it would be a good way to start asking about these bottles I have... from the research I've done, I learned that if the seam stops then the top was put on later, and usually means the bottle is old but I have no idea how old...most of the bottles I have come from old ghost towns in the Nevada dessert...some have turned purple which I came to understand was a reaction to impurities and sunlight... anyways, I was curious if any of these bottles peek anyone's interest and to know what century they are from...I've read alot of threads from this community and I like how it seems that everyone is on everyone's side, and everyone seems to be genuinely trying to help someone in need of knowledge...by the way, I do know the top pieces are insulators, which I have a million of as wellView attachment 222629


First of all...welcome to antique-bottles! Can you post closer pictures of the bottles? It would help me see better the seams and lips. Are any pontiled? That is on the bottom. I think I like the insulators better. We were all at once the new guy with new guy questions, been there buddy!
ROBBYBOBBY64.


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## Dink1957 (Apr 2, 2021)

Here are a few that aren't in the first picture I'm curious about...


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## ROBBYBOBBY64 (Apr 2, 2021)

Dink1957 said:


> Here are a few that aren't in the first picture I'm curious about...View attachment 222630View attachment 222631View attachment 222632View attachment 222633View attachment 222634View attachment 222635


Olive bottle earlier than 1910. It looks like it is turning amethyst, that acl Nevada milk might have a date code somewhere on the bottom. Same for the embossed milk. Both could be worth some money. Nevada milk bottles might be rare or scarce. Thats a cool Scott's emulsion. I found an amber one but that was a screwtop. Great shape for a ghost town find. Very cool and thanks for the pictures.
ROBBYBOBBY64.


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## Csa (Apr 2, 2021)

Nice finds. Take some pics of the milk bottle base. What numbers, letters are around the heel and on base. Looks like it says Erington? Dairy. Google is your friend to research. Might be as early as 20’s or 30’s.


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## Dink1957 (Apr 3, 2021)

Yerington Nevada...what I have posted is such a small number of what I have and I don't know how or where to start to figure this out...I have separated the bottles that the seam stops from the ones that the seam goes all the way to the top for example and I don't even know what that means or if those have any value...my father passed away about 4 months ago and before he passed he wanted to sell all the bottles and insulators and I kept him from doing it because I love them so much...there is a story with everyone of them...now tho, I am going to sell a large portion of them to help finance a trip back to Yerington and go out into the desert to spread his ashes...he always told me I need to take a solo adventure on my motorcycle before I get to old, and I think he would approve...there are a few I will never let go, even if it were to make me rich, or if it's worthless...this community I disxov the other day gave me some hope as I explored the site and read thru the different posts...I am so overwhelmed with the amount of knowledge that everyone has that I feel like a child amongst giants... what is a pontil? Different styles of lips, and bases and body's, embossed or not embossed, color, and a well known member named robbybobby said one of my bottles looks like it's amethyst...ahhh!!!! I am so lost...but I love it...btw, what is this...and thank you for reading this book I just wrote if you made it all the way thru


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## sandchip (Apr 3, 2021)

Mold lines or "seams" can end before reaching the top on machine made examples of milk bottles dating after 1903.  The tops were fire polished to elimate those lines that could possibly give bacteria a place to hide.  Milk bottles are one of the rare exceptions to the mold line method of determining if a bottle was hand blown or not.  The presence or absence of a circular valve mark on the bottom would be a better way of determining how it was made, of course not to be confused with blowpipe or "open" pontil scars which is a lesson for another day.


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## Dink1957 (Apr 3, 2021)

Hey thank you for that knowledge...thank you for taking your TIME and explaining that...so this picture of this tiny brown bottle has two seams on opposite sides and both end right before the top, so this bottle is at least from 1902? I guess what I should have asked is when they start machine making bottles?


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## Dink1957 (Apr 3, 2021)

Something weird is going on with my phone and it won't let me post the picture I wanted to in the last post.


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## Tom smith (Apr 3, 2021)

Dink1957 said:


> Yerington Nevada...what I have posted is such a small number of what I have and I don't know how or where to start to figure this out...I have separated the bottles that the seam stops from the ones that the seam goes all the way to the top for example and I don't even know what that means or if those have any value...my father passed away about 4 months ago and before he passed he wanted to sell all the bottles and insulators and I kept him from doing it because I love them so much...there is a story with everyone of them...now tho, I am going to sell a large portion of them to help finance a trip back to Yerington and go out into the desert to spread his ashes...he always told me I need to take a solo adventure on my motorcycle before I get to old, and I think he would approve...there are a few I will never let go, even if it were to make me rich, or if it's worthless...this community I disxov the other day gave me some hope as I explored the site and read thru the different posts...I am so overwhelmed with the amount of knowledge that everyone has that I feel like a child amongst giants... what is a pontil? Different styles of lips, and bases and body's, embossed or not embossed, color, and a well known member named robbybobby said one of my bottles looks like it's amethyst...ahhh!!!! I am so lost...but I love it...btw, what is this...and thank you for reading this book I just wrote if you made it all the way thruView attachment 222664


I have a bottle very similar to this one but it is made of porcelain. Does it say coty on the bottom?


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## Dink1957 (Apr 4, 2021)

I have been trying to figure out what the two words on the bottom of that bottle said and after reading your reply it finally made.... To answer your question, there is the word COTTY and and then the word FRANCE


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## Dewfus (Apr 4, 2021)

Dink1957 said:


> Yerington Nevada...what I have posted is such a small number of what I have and I don't know how or where to start to figure this out...I have separated the bottles that the seam stops from the ones that the seam goes all the way to the top for example and I don't even know what that means or if those have any value...my father passed away about 4 months ago and before he passed he wanted to sell all the bottles and insulators and I kept him from doing it because I love them so much...there is a story with everyone of them...now tho, I am going to sell a large portion of them to help finance a trip back to Yerington and go out into the desert to spread his ashes...he always told me I need to take a solo adventure on my motorcycle before I get to old, and I think he would approve...there are a few I will never let go, even if it were to make me rich, or if it's worthless...this community I disxov the other day gave me some hope as I explored the site and read thru the different posts...I am so overwhelmed with the amount of knowledge that everyone has that I feel like a child amongst giants... what is a pontil? Different styles of lips, and bases and body's, embossed or not embossed, color, and a well known member named robbybobby said one of my bottles looks like it's amethyst...ahhh!!!! I am so lost...but I love it...btw, what is this...and thank you for reading this book I just wrote if you made it all the way thruView attachment 222664


Perfume


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## hemihampton (Apr 4, 2021)

Sorry to hear about your Dad. Machine made Bottle with seam lines all the way to top arrived with the owens machine around 1903 I think it was. at least with Beer Bottle, Sodas Bottles & Similar type Bottles. Not sure if that would include all Bottles. BUT, Some were slow to convert or change over to the easier method of making Bottles possibly because of the Cost of the new Machines/method to make them. So the tooled top Bottle or even Blob top with disappearing seams are not always older but usually are. Welcome to the Site. LEON.


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## Dink1957 (Apr 4, 2021)

Thanks for the welcome, and the info. I thought I knew alot about bottles and insulators and I have come to the conclusion that i don't know anything... Everyone I've talked to in this community is like a PHD in all things glass and I haven't even started preschool... I am trying to find a way to learn about the bottles I have without being the member that annoys everyone. I can't think of another way but to just post pictures and ask. I researched a bunch online but I end up with so much conflicting information I prefer to talk to someone in this community. It seems that people within this online community are super nice and don't judge me. Other places, people call me stupid for the constant questioning and lack of knowledge I have, and I haven't even got a hint of any of that here. With that being said , if you know anything about any of bottles I've posted so far please let me know.


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## hemihampton (Apr 4, 2021)

Most of us are pretty Friendly in Here but I do Remember when I joined way back in 2006 I got a pretty nasty reception from some Assclowns in Here. Luckily they are all gone by now. Sometimes I can be blunt & direct to the Point & sometimes people take that as being nasty but just a misconception of me in my opinion. LEON.


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## Dink1957 (Apr 4, 2021)

Well I don't catch on to hints very well so being blunt and to the point works...i appreciate someone trying to be nice and all, but for example, if I have a bottle I hold dear and love and think it's the most special unique thing that has ever been created, and you told me " hey, I have 20 of those bottles and you would be lucky to get a buck for it", my feelings would remain intact and I would get over it... I'm really hoping some of my bottles are worth some money, but I'm sure that's what everyone hope... Would you mind if I sent you some pictures of a few bottles and pick your brain about them?


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## Dink1957 (Apr 4, 2021)

ROBBYBOBBY64 said:


> First of all...welcome to antique-bottles! Can you post closer pictures of the bottles? It would help me see better the seams and lips. Are any pontiled? That is on the bottom. I think I like the insulators better. We were all at once the new guy with new guy questions, been there buddy!
> ROBBYBOBBY64.


Hey I wanted to ask if it would be ok to send you some more pictures of some other bottles and pick your brain about them...you told me that one of my bottles was an olive bottle...so that bottle held olives? And how old do you think it is? And what is turning amethyst mean? Thanks for taking your time and helping me out 
       Steven


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## sandchip (Apr 5, 2021)

Dink1957 said:


> Hey I wanted to ask if it would be ok to send you some more pictures of some other bottles and pick your brain about them...you told me that one of my bottles was an olive bottle...so that bottle held olives? And how old do you think it is? And what is turning amethyst mean? Thanks for taking your time and helping me out
> Steven



Looks 1900ish to me.  Manganese oxide was used to decolorize the glass, eliminating the greenish tint of soda glass, leaving it clear or colorless.  UV exposure over time gives it the amethyst tint, sometimes called SCA (sun colored amethyst).  Use of MnO ended when we entered WWI when it was needed for the war effort, afterward replaced by Selenium.


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## ROBBYBOBBY64 (Apr 5, 2021)

Dink1957 said:


> Hey I wanted to ask if it would be ok to send you some more pictures of some other bottles and pick your brain about them...you told me that one of my bottles was an olive bottle...so that bottle held olives? And how old do you think it is? And what is turning amethyst mean? Thanks for taking your time and helping me out
> Steven


Sand chip is absolutely right.  They used a clarifier, amethyst oxidizing manganese up till around 1910ish. They changed to selenium after, it oxidizes brown. To oxidize, the bottle has to be exposed to large amounts of uv light. This can be achieved either artificially or by spending many years in the sun.
Olive is a common early 1900's.
ROBBYBOBBY64.


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## Warf rat (Apr 6, 2021)

That is some really nice stuff!!!  I’m in western KS and got my first site dug out and I’ll be dad gummed if I can find me a place to dig. I suck at probing and the ground is well, my probe alway bends.


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## willong (Apr 7, 2021)

sandchip said:


> Mold lines or "seams" can end before reaching the top on machine made examples of milk bottles dating after 1903. The tops were fire polished to elimate those lines that could possibly give bacteria a place to hide. Milk bottles are one of the rare exceptions to the mold line method of determining if a bottle was hand blown or not.



Thanks for that tidbit sandchip. While I am familiar with fire polishing, I never knew that it was applied to machine-made milk bottles in that manner.


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## willong (Apr 7, 2021)

Dink1957 said:


> Yerington Nevada...what I have posted is such a small number of what I have and I don't know how or where to start to figure this out...I have separated the bottles that the seam stops from the ones that the seam goes all the way to the top for example and I don't even know what that means or if those have any value...my father passed away about 4 months ago and before he passed he wanted to sell all the bottles and insulators and I kept him from doing it because I love them so much...there is a story with everyone of them...now tho, I am going to sell a large portion of them to help finance a trip back to Yerington and go out into the desert to spread his ashes...he always told me I need to take a solo adventure on my motorcycle before I get to old, and I think he would approve...there are a few I will never let go, even if it were to make me rich, or if it's worthless...


 
Welcome to the forum Dink1957; and condolences on the passing of your father.

Speaking for myself, I would welcome seeing additional examples of your bottles and insulators. Like RobbyBobby, I am more taken by the insulators I see, rather than the bottles that are apparent in your first photos posted. From what I observe so far, I would caution you not to get your hopes set too high on funding a trip from bottle sale proceeds. That said, I highly endorse your father's advice to make the journey.

I note your "Seattle area" location with interest. I am presently living in my late parent's home in Port Angeles. I have long desired to get back into bottle hunting and digging, a pastime that I enthusiastically pursued in 1970-71 before economic mandates took over my life. I want to add metal detecting to my dump-hunting methods, a resource I could not afford in my youth.

Judging from the "...1957" portion of your member moniker, I suspect you are nearly as old as I am. If you enjoy exploring the woods, mountains and deserts, and are still physically able to do so, and if you'd like to hunt for some possible digging sites therein, let me know.

Alternately, if probing backyards in older sections of NW communities in search of privy pits appeals to you, I'd be up for that if you have the personality and demeanor to knock on doors and ask permission. I've never been that guy myself; but I am fond of the research that discovers prospects; and I already have a trove of pertinent maps.*

I also have to make several trips through NV over the next year or two, could possibly work some bottle hunting into the itineraries if combining resources for such an adventure would appeal to you. I am tentatively planning a trip to the Cerro Gordo ghost town near Death Valley for September (I'm offering to trade some water delivery for access to the site).   See: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEjBDKfrqQI4TgzT9YLNT8g
If able to make that trip, my route home to the Northwest is flexible.

* In 1971, I did do some urban digging in an old Seattle dump that was located on the shoreline of Union Bay near edge of the Washington Park Arboretum. Back then, the city actually allowed the activity as long as people were responsible and considerate enough to back-fill their holes. Now, they have more tolerance for rioters than bottle diggers.


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## American (Apr 7, 2021)

The most interesting thing I see is that large aqua insulator on the top shelf, if that is an insulator.  Need a close up of that.


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## Huntindog (Apr 7, 2021)

Pretty sure that last bottle you posted is a Talcum Powder.
You might try contacting these Guys...  Ghost Town Echo | Washington Bottle Collector Association (wabottleclub.org) 
Pete Hendricks was VP back in 2017 and I'm not sure if they are still active.


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## Dink1957 (Apr 7, 2021)

willong said:


> Welcome to the forum Dink1957; and condolences on the passing of your father.
> 
> Speaking for myself, I would welcome seeing additional examples of your bottles and insulators. Like RobbyBobby, I am more taken by the insulators I see, rather than the bottles that are apparent in your first photos posted. From what I observe so far, I would caution you not to get your hopes set too high on funding a trip from bottle sale proceeds. That said, I highly endorse your father's advice to make the journey.
> 
> ...


That last line you wrote is so true!!! And very sad.... the name dink1957 is for my dad...when he was a little kid his dad called him dink and he was born in 1957...I was born 1987, which makes me 34...I do know better then to put to much hope in selling these bottles and insulators...I am curious as to why, in a bottle and insulator community that people are always more interested in the insulators they see...I always thought they were basically worthless and made for a good decoration in your house....I have so many insalators in my house and I literally have a pile of them outside...i am always up for any kind of adventure and metal detecting is something I have always wanted to do, but I haven't had the funds for a decent detector...when you were at the dump in 1971, I was still 16 years from being born!!!! Just giving you a hard time, but in all seriousness, I would love to do any of the things you mentioned...I am so tired of the way the world is now and getting out and doing something like that is such a good way to get away from it all...here are some pictures of the insalators


American said:


> The most interesting thing I see is that large aqua insulator on the top shelf, if that is an insulator.  Need a close up of that.





.   I have so many insalators it's not even funny...I'm not sure which one you were talking about so I took a closer pic of them all...I asked some one else this question; why are the insalators more interesting then the bottles? Just curious


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## hemihampton (Apr 7, 2021)

To me the Bottles are more Interesting then the Insulators. I do like the Mickey Mouse Ear Insulators though. LEON.


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## Dink1957 (Apr 7, 2021)

American said:


> The most interesting thing I see is that large aqua insulator on the top shelf, if that is an insulator.  Need a close up of that.


Hey I thought I sent you a reply with a picture of those insalators but somehow the reply I sent to someone else and the reply I was trying to send you was sent to "willong"...anyways, here it is againView attachment 222915View attachment 222915


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## hemihampton (Apr 7, 2021)

I think Poster American was wanting a better Pic of those?





oops, I thought you were quoting me, my mistake.


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## willong (Apr 7, 2021)

Dink1957 said:


> .I am curious as to why, in a bottle and insulator community that people are always more interested in the insulators they see



Generally, I am more interested in bottles. Don't get me wrong, you might own some great and valuable bottles, but I have not seen them in your photos yet. To my eye, the photo you attached to your posting contained more insulators that looked like they might have value than it did bottles of similar quality.

I do believe some of your insulators are genuinely solarized, especially those gathered in the NV desert. That adds some interest and value, but it is scarcity of model and demand that drives value the most, as others here have already mentioned.

Good luck with all.


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## Dink1957 (Apr 8, 2021)

willong said:


> Generally, I am more interested in bottles. Don't get me wrong, you might own some great and valuable bottles, but I have not seen them in your photos yet. To my eye, the photo you attached to your posting contained more insulators that looked like they might have value than it did bottles of similar quality.
> 
> I do believe some of your insulators are genuinely solarized, especially those gathered in the NV desert. That adds some interest and value, but it is scarcity of model and demand that drives value the most, as others here have already mentioned.
> 
> Good luck with all.


I wish I had the knowledge you and the others have... even just common sense knowledge such as the last reply you sent...if I got a dollar for each insulator and bottle I have, then I would be close to financing my trip ...I really appreciate you taking your time with me, because you could have been doing something else more important...just for kicks, here is another small group of bottles


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## Dink1957 (Apr 8, 2021)

American said:


> The most interesting thing I see is that large aqua insulator on the top shelf, if that is an insulator.  Need a close up of that.


This picture has an average sized insulator in between two large ones because I thought that would give you a better idea of how big they are... I have tons of insulators and a whole bunch of big ones like that as well


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## Dink1957 (Apr 8, 2021)

I got a few of these as well


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## willong (Apr 8, 2021)

Dink1957 said:


> ...if I got a dollar for each insulator and bottle I have, then I would be close to financing my trip ...



On average, though I don't actually attempt to track the insulator market, I believe your insulators will average more than a dollar each.

Because the majority seem to be slicks (bottles not adorned with embossed brand advertisement and/or images) with a high percentage of machine-made examples, I'm afraid most of the bottles will likely languish unsold unless there is a strong flea market interest for such "home decor" items in your area. That's just my somewhat (or significantly) out-of-date opinion. Hopefully, a few other members will chime in to provide you a better, more contemporaneous evaluation.


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## Dink1957 (Apr 8, 2021)

Well I do have a bunch of embossed bottles...I'll seperate them and take some pictures...I just came across one with an owl on it and on the other side it say "the owl drug co" and those letters are embossed...I really appreciate that info because most people are afraid to hurt feelings and say my bottles arent worth crap...I know I got 20 or so bottles worth a decent amount but they need to be cleaned and sold to just the right person...it really helps when someone such as yourself tells me things the way they are...but I do understand that in today's world, people get their little feelings hurt very easily


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## American (Apr 8, 2021)

Dink1957 said:


> Well I do have a bunch of embossed bottles...I'll seperate them and take some pictures...I just came across one with an owl on it and on the other side it say "the owl drug co" and those letters are embossed...I really appreciate that info because most people are afraid to hurt feelings and say my bottles arent worth crap...I know I got 20 or so bottles worth a decent amount but they need to be cleaned and sold to just the right person...it really helps when someone such as yourself tells me things the way they are...but I do understand that in today's world, people get their little feelings hurt very easily


The Owl Drug bottle is a keeper.  There is an individual market for Owl Drug with people that only collect Owl Drug.


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## American (Apr 8, 2021)

Dink1957 said:


> Hey I thought I sent you a reply with a picture of those insalators but somehow the reply I sent to someone else and the reply I was trying to send you was sent to "willong"...anyways, here it is againView attachment 222915View attachment 222915


Let me say first that I am not an expert on insulators, but if you collect bottles long enough you get an idea of what insulators are valuable.  I am still thinking that large aqua one is good one.  What is the embossing on it?  The other insulators look to be of the common variety.


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## KSESTATE (Apr 12, 2021)

Well heres my 2c worth, Amethyst glass is clear with impurities in them Maganease to be exact. And with that clearr glass turns purple under sunlight. Since most of the maganease was from Germany WW1 stopped that. Many Desert bottle turn a great deep purple with the sun So the insulator is made pre WW1 and was jut hanging around in the sun for years for the color The key to collecting bottles and glass is :Collect what you like, If its sodas, milk, whiskeys, perfumes. or just the local home town offerings. and especially the ones that have a meaning full story , you and your father. If you want there is a web sight for the National bottle federation, (fohbc)  FEDERATION OF HISTORICAL BOTTLE COLLECTORS more people with many interests and full of knowledge. There may also be a local bottle club where you can find like minded people to discuss the hobby Well another chapter for ho to read Welcome to the club


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