# Finds of the day and precarious question.



## TxBottleDigger (Mar 14, 2021)

So today I was going down a back road with a family member in a very rural area and stumbled across a old abandon homestead. Since it wasn’t fenced off and it was a quite rural area I poked around for about 10 minutes. Quite honestly this is the best day of my barely one year career in the bottle world. I think that if even a long time bottle collector would be stoked to find this place. I went to the small square shed of the grown over homestead and peaked through one of the many large cracks in it. What I saw was amazing. 100+ bottles lying on the floor. Absolutely everywhere! I found a large space to craw in and started picking for around 5 minutes. I would describe the quantities of things from what I could see like this (mind I was only in one space of the small shed and bottles where under things); 1900s/1910s (4/10) 1920s/1930s (7/10) 1940s/1950s (6/10) 1960s/1970s (7/10). Sadly I didn’t have my phone on me so I didn’t get any photosHere are some of the things that I found.
*Cleaned*​*








*


*1933, Plant 7, Mold #3, Owen Illinois large apothecary bottle. *Just looking at it, it seems like it holds a gallon and a half. Would you agree ? That’s a $50-$80 bottle too!!! I can’t exactly find this particular bottle in the 1933 Owens Illinois catalog. I have found similar sets but it just doesn’t seem like this one made it in the 33 catalog. Too late. Unless the drawings are slightly off.



* 


Ball Ideal 1910-1923 logo jar. *Yeah yeah I can already hear it. That’s super duper common. Well it’s pretty. Okay ?  And anyways how could I leave this being a big jar fan? This particular example has never been underground and is sparkling clean. Very elegant strong embossing too. The closure wire is missing but that would be fun to replace in the future. This beaut is a number 3. No number 13’s today :/ 






*1940s Anchor Hocking food product jar. *
I know what your thinking. Why in the hell would someone pick that up and take it home. Well I think it deserves a home and I think it’s a nice jar. This isn’t something I would pick up in a antique store though. It doesn’t even talk a Mason jar lid.

*Uncleaned*
I strictly use bottled water and filtered water for bottles which I have personally ran out of. Our house doesn’t have a water softener so it is hard. There are 2 problems that rise when using mineral water to clean glass items. Increased agitation with minerals on glass and mineral build up.​




*(Left to right)

Amethyst 1910s food product bottle *​It’s machine made. What would have been in it? Horse radish, mayonnaise, mustard, mini pickles, olives, etc... ? Was this type of bottle used for multiple food products?

*Ball Ideal Mason 1910-1923*​Another ideal Mason. The closure wire is still present but the glass lid is gone. I have replacements so I can put one on after I dissolve the rust with salt and vinegar.

*Vinegar or syrup bottle  

Later French’s mustard jar 

1960s Lady Betty prune juice. 

My question *​Almost all bottle diggers have trespassed before. Where this is at is on a property but the county road passes though the property. Where the old homestead is, is totally unfenced. If a road passes through where are the boundaries? I personally don’t see anything wrong with poking around on a abandon house that is unfenced. I intend to return but is there a legal defense for me since no boundaries are set on a property where which a public road goes though?


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## Bottle 2 Rocks (Mar 15, 2021)

The large brown bottle usually held something like camphorated oil from some pharmacy supply co.
Probably a good idea to get permission-its always someones owned land and you never know they might show up with a gun or call it in as trespassing. These old houses may be a holding place or hoarding storage for some land owners-I have seen it before, they may still want the stuff there and then maybe not,  just too busy to deal with it.

"If you see land for sale buy it because they ain't making it no more"  Samuel Clemens


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## J.R. Collector (Mar 15, 2021)

I personally always bring and old bottle with me to help explain why I am exploring an old abandoned home. It always works, but I dont break open doors of these old homesteads, they have to be open or semi collapsed. If its obvious no one could or does live there then I feel my picking up of old trash doesn't hurt anyone really. If anything I am trying to rescue parts of history that who otherwise be destroyed. I also make sure my holes dug are cleaned up and refilled before I leave.


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## Bottle 2 Rocks (Mar 15, 2021)

Sarasota941 said:


> I personally always bring and old bottle with me to help explain why I am exploring an old abandoned home. It always works, but I dont break open doors of these old homesteads, they have to be open or semi collapsed. If its obvious no one could or does live there then I feel my picking up of old trash doesn't hurt anyone really. If anything I am trying to rescue parts of history that who otherwise be destroyed. I also make sure my holes dug are cleaned up and refilled before I leave.


I have some old friends that were arrested for going into broken down dilapidated buildings on what they thought was abandoned property to collect bottles and whatever else, so you just never know, better safe then sorry- get that permission first and you don't need to look over your shoulder every 30 seconds or so.


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## Jamdam (Mar 15, 2021)

Sorry, that’s B&E. Take them back, find the owner, and beg forgiveness.


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## brent little (Mar 15, 2021)

Well hope you have a great time collecting .Not so sure I would of gone into this property Bottle 2 Rocks has a pretty good point. We ALWAYS got permission first. Its pretty easy once you have been in it for a while. I have people come to my office and my collection is on the walls. They STILL look at me like im "some kinda nut" .lol


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## J.R. Collector (Mar 15, 2021)

Bottle 2 Rocks said:


> I have some old friends that were arrested for going into broken down dilapidated buildings on what they thought was abandoned property to collect bottles and whatever else, so you just never know, better safe then sorry- get that permission first and you don't need to look over your shoulder every 30 seconds or so.




Agreed. I have always been lucky so far.


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## nhpharm (Mar 15, 2021)

Wandering the land is pretty defensible but entering a dwelling, no matter the condition, could get tricky.  I do need to know where you are getting $50-$80 for those big machine made supply bottles.  I lugged a tooled top one with a ground stopper to bottles shows for years with a $5 price tag and finally sold it this year!  The machine made ones I put in my dollar box...and they do sell, but not quickly.


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## TxBottleDigger (Mar 15, 2021)

nhpharm said:


> Wandering the land is pretty defensible but entering a dwelling, no matter the condition, could get tricky.  I do need to know where you are getting $50-$80 for those big machine made supply bottles.  I lugged a tooled top one with a ground stopper to bottles shows for years with a $5 price tag and finally sold it this year!  The machine made ones I put in my dollar box...and they do sell, but not quickly.


Actually I don’t sell my bottles but maybe $30? Isn’t it not very common to find ones in this size?


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## TxBottleDigger (Mar 15, 2021)

Jamdam said:


> Sorry, that’s B&E. Take them back, find the owner, and beg forgiveness.


Haha yeah right. The property had a county road running through it, wasn’t fenced off, and there was a hole in the side of the shed that I was able to fit through. I don’t think that fits the definition of breaking and entering.


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## TxBottleDigger (Mar 15, 2021)

Bottle 2 Rocks said:


> The large brown bottle usually held something like camphorated oil from some pharmacy supply co.
> Probably a good idea to get permission-its always someones owned land and you never know they might show up with a gun or call it in as trespassing. These old houses may be a holding place or hoarding storage for some land owners-I have seen it before, they may still want the stuff there and then maybe not,  just too busy to deal with it.
> 
> "If you see land for sale buy it because they ain't making it no more"  Samuel Clemens


I’m absolutely willing to ask for permission but I’m having a hard time finding his information. I only came out with one number (which I texted) and I’m betting that it’s a old number because it says it belongs to someone else. From what I can find I don’t think he lives on the property but there is a house there. There where no vehicles I could see yesterday.  Maybe sometime I will go see if anyone does live there but I doubt anyone does.


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## J.R. Collector (Mar 15, 2021)

TxBottleDigger said:


> Actually I don’t sell my bottles but maybe $30? Isn’t it not very common to find ones in this size?



I find these all the time. They are very common but they are cool.


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## Bottle 2 Rocks (Mar 15, 2021)

Sarasota941 said:


> Agreed. I have always been lucky so far.


One of the last bottle dumps I dug before I left MD  15 yrs ago was a thin strip wooded ravine between farm fields, nothing around in sight but a cement plant in the vicinity so i said ok lets go. An hour of digging I,m surprised by a gruff voice saying what are you doing. The landowner as it turns out was walking his 2 huge dogs and thought I was a hunter because he spotted my truck nearby, he followed the clinking noise and found me with a sheepish grin on my face. I explained what I was doing as fast as I could before he might turn loose his dogs on me lol. We got along well after that (luckily a nice guy)and he allowed me to continue and told me I could park even closer to the site the next time. He lived a mile away and as it turns out I later installed a HVAC system in his farmhouse addition.
Not all encounters are going to be lucky ones though.


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## CanadianBottles (Mar 15, 2021)

TxBottleDigger said:


> Actually I don’t sell my bottles but maybe $30? Isn’t it not very common to find ones in this size?


It's definitely not uncommon to find unembossed bottles in that size.  In my experience the larger something is the harder it is to sell.  I'd price one like that for a dollar and wouldn't have high hopes for it selling quickly.


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## ROBBYBOBBY64 (Mar 15, 2021)

Just to set the record straight, I have never trespassed before.  Wouldn't it be funny if the owner of the house and land was a member of this site? You never know. Maybe your lucky you didn't have your camera. Lol! Seriously, Most likely no one lives there, but I would think a bank or the town owns it. From what I've see and heard from everyone commenting, it isn't worth it. Your call though.
ROBBYBOBBY64.


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## east texas terry (Mar 15, 2021)

TxBottleDigger said:


> Haha yeah right. The property had a county road running through it, wasn’t fenced off, and there was a hole in the side of the shed that I was able to fit through. I don’t think that fits the definition of breaking and entering.


TEXAS HAS A STAND YOUR GROUND LAW  WATCH OUT   THE JUDGE WILL WORK  410 OR 45


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## east texas terry (Mar 15, 2021)

GO TO T. A. M. D. C. ORG    CHECK OUT OUR CODE OF ETHICS  THIS SHOULD APPLY TO BOTTLE 
DIGGER TO    [#1 RESPECT THE RIGHTS AND PROPERTY OF OTHER
                          #2 DO NOT DETECT WITHOUT THE LAND OWNER,S PERMISSION


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## TxBottleDigger (Mar 15, 2021)

ROBBYBOBBY64 said:


> Just to set the record straight, I have never trespassed before.  Wouldn't it be funny if the owner of the house and land was a member of this site? You never know. Maybe your lucky you didn't have your camera. Lol! Seriously, Most likely no one lives there, but I would think a bank or the town owns it. From what I've see and heard from everyone commenting, it isn't worth it. Your call though.
> ROBBYBOBBY64.


You haven’t ever creel walked ? I’m pretty sure that’s trespassing. From my research this guy is in his mid 60s and actually doesn’t live at the location and actually lives over 2 hours away. He has or does own many properties. One good way to find out if anyone lives in the house across the road from the old shed is to go there at night and see if the lights are on I guess. I tried texting the phone number they have him down for but haven’t received a response back. I’m quite sure that he would gladly say yes. Eventually I will probably return permission or no permission. Since there is early 1900s stuff then I think it’s definitely worth investing time in. Soda bottle potential. If it was only 30s-modern stuff then I probably wouldn’t be so ecstatic about returning.


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## embe (Mar 15, 2021)

TxBottleDigger said:


> Haha yeah right. The property had a county road running through it, wasn’t fenced off, and there was a hole in the side of the shed that I was able to fit through. I don’t think that fits the definition of breaking and entering.



yeah, I see what you're getting at but there are some properties that get caught up in escrow, and whatever else...Without owner's (bank, whatever) permission I don't see how it wouldn't be some sort of trespass?  Unless it's somehow considered public property since a county road runs through it(?).  I certainly wouldn't be taking the chance.  my 2 cents.


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## ROBBYBOBBY64 (Mar 16, 2021)

TxBottleDigger said:


> You haven’t ever creel walked ? I’m pretty sure that’s trespassing. From my research this guy is in his mid 60s and actually doesn’t live at the location and actually lives over 2 hours away. He has or does own many properties. One good way to find out if anyone lives in the house across the road from the old shed is to go there at night and see if the lights are on I guess. I tried texting the phone number they have him down for but haven’t received a response back. I’m quite sure that he would gladly say yes. Eventually I will probably return permission or no permission. Since there is early 1900s stuff then I think it’s definitely worth investing time in. Soda bottle potential. If it was only 30s-modern stuff then I probably wouldn’t be so ecstatic about returning.


What is creel walking? Is that walking in the stream, creek or river bed? That is public access land and okay as long as you are in the stream. Digging into the bank that goes down to the sream is usually not allowed.
ROBBYBOBBY64.


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## TxBottleDigger (Mar 16, 2021)

ROBBYBOBBY64 said:


> What is creel walking? Is that walking in the stream, creek or river bed? That is public access land and okay as long as you are in the stream. Digging into the bank that goes down to the sream is usually not allowed.
> ROBBYBOBBY64.


Yes I meant “creek” not “creel”. That’s nice to know because I thought the creeks in my area weren’t public. I did some more research and found to be navigable it has to be at least 30 feet wide. I found out the creeks In my small town are both 30+ feet! Thanks !!!


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## ROBBYBOBBY64 (Mar 16, 2021)

TxBottleDigger said:


> Yes I meant “creek” not “creel”. That’s nice to know because I thought the creeks in my area weren’t public. I did some more research and found to be navigable it has to be at least 30 feet wide. I found out the creeks In my small town are both 30+ feet! Thanks !!!


I hate spell check. Nothing can make you seem more illiterate. 
ROBBYBOBBY64.


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## east texas terry (Mar 16, 2021)

ROBBYBOBBY64 said:


> I hate spell check. Nothing can make you seem more illiterate.
> ROBBYBOBBY64.


US TEXANANS CALL THING DIFFERENT


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## TxBottleDigger (Mar 17, 2021)

ROBBYBOBBY64 said:


> I hate spell check. Nothing can make you seem more illiterate.
> ROBBYBOBBY64.


Ok...


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## ROBBYBOBBY64 (Mar 17, 2021)

TxBottleDigger said:


> Ok...


I meant nothing makes "ME" look more illiterate. Not you, sorry about that.
ROBBYBOBBY64.


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## Huntindog (Mar 17, 2021)

ONLY WITH PERMISSION!!!
Like us collectors, sometimes people get more than they can store at home ... 
Sometimes they put things in an old un-used house or shed to keep.
Maybe even on another property...

Think of it as .. what if someone "entered" one of your sheds and helped themselves.
Yeah might not be of much value to what's in there, but it your stuff!!

Go to the recorders office and get a plat map and find the owner.

Oh and then there is the liability part....

Just my 2 cents... Don't like looking over my shoulder...


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## UncleBruce (Mar 17, 2021)




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## TxBottleDigger (Mar 17, 2021)

Huntindog said:


> ONLY WITH PERMISSION!!!
> Like us collectors, sometimes people get more than they can store at home ...
> Sometimes they put things in an old un-used house or shed to keep.
> Maybe even on another property...
> ...


They weren't neatly piled or anything. Some where broke. And some and a lot of stuff was worthless that NO ONE would store and keep. There was a piece of tin if I can remember on top of a lot of stuff too.


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## TxBottleDigger (Mar 17, 2021)

ROBBYBOBBY64 said:


> I meant nothing makes "ME" look more illiterate. Not you, sorry about that.
> ROBBYBOBBY64.


OH. Haha. Its okay! I was like: "man that guy is a snob". I'm happy we don't have a grudge between each other. Thanks for the clarity.

"We ate grandma"
                      YOU DID WHAT??!!
                                                   "We ate*,* grandma"
                                                                                          OH...


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## matthew lucier (Mar 18, 2021)

TxBottleDigger said:


> So today I was going down a back road with a family member in a very rural area and stumbled across a old abandon homestead. Since it wasn’t fenced off and it was a quite rural area I poked around for about 10 minutes. Quite honestly this is the best day of my barely one year career in the bottle world. I think that if even a long time bottle collector would be stoked to find this place. I went to the small square shed of the grown over homestead and peaked through one of the many large cracks in it. What I saw was amazing. 100+ bottles lying on the floor. Absolutely everywhere! I found a large space to craw in and started picking for around 5 minutes. I would describe the quantities of things from what I could see like this (mind I was only in one space of the small shed and bottles where under things); 1900s/1910s (4/10) 1920s/1930s (7/10) 1940s/1950s (6/10) 1960s/1970s (7/10). Sadly I didn’t have my phone on me so I didn’t get any photosHere are some of the things that I found.
> *Cleaned*​*View attachment 221279
> View attachment 221280
> View attachment 221281*
> ...


You seem to have all the excuses you need to take from someone else. I'm blunt, not since I was a child did I enter a property and take something. Didn't understand the implications. As an adult I'd never steal from anyone because I know karma exists and strikes every single time.
Enjoy your new "found wealth" you'll pay for it in a loss soon enough. Returning the bottles is the only thing that will stop the losses. You know it's wrong then why do it? Excuses do not make you less of a thief. Excuses make you a dumb thief for bragging about it. I'm just saying... 

Sent from my E6910 using Tapatalk


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## Mailman1960 (Mar 19, 2021)

Maybe a salad dressing, why so many seams


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## ROBBYBOBBY64 (Mar 20, 2021)

Mailman1960 said:


> Maybe a salad dressing, why so many seams


Looks like a berry bottle. 
ROBBYBOBBY64.


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## Mailman1960 (Mar 20, 2021)

Mailman1960 said:


> Maybe a salad dressing, why so many seams





ROBBYBOBBY64 said:


> Looks like a berry bottle.
> ROBBYBOBBY64.


I tried marking the seams one starts at the bottom and goes3 quarters of the way up then starts a new one on the top I never saw seems like that and there's a t and the one on the bottom


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## Tom smith (Mar 20, 2021)

Mailman1960 said:


> I tried marking the seams one starts at the bottom and goes3 quarters of the way up then starts a new one on the top I never saw seems like that and there's a t and the one on the bottom


I have 2 like that with great bubbles in them I have no idea what kind of bottles they are.


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## Mailman1960 (Mar 20, 2021)

Tom smith said:


> I have 2 like that with great bubbles in them I have no idea what kind of bottles they are.


 yeah just unusual s e a m s I just use it for a flower vase


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## TxBottleDigger (Mar 20, 2021)

ROBBYBOBBY64 said:


> Looks like a berry bottle.
> ROBBYBOBBY64.


*MAYBE* a *Ch*erry bottle ?


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## ROBBYBOBBY64 (Mar 21, 2021)

TxBottleDigger said:


> *MAYBE* a *Ch*erry bottle ?


No doubt. It looks a little wide at the shoulder and a wider mouth. Nice fine. Hard to pinpoint without embossing or a label. No manufacturers mark and we can only guess. 
ROBBYBOBBY64.


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