New to this site and the bottle world need help.

Donica

Hello, I just signed up, I purchased two boxes of bottles today at an estate sale...I don't know anything about bottles, except what I've been trying to find out on the internet since this morning. From what I can tell I have a lot of medicine bottles...brown, some perfume bottles, some flasks, some kitchen condiments, some house hold items bottles, and bathroom item bottles. They are all so dirty I was soaking half of them in water in the bathtub, so at least I could see the markings and read what the bottoms say, but then I was thinking that maybe there is a right way and a wrong way to clean old bottles? The marking I have figured out so far are: Hazel Atlas, Federal, Jeanette, a lot just have numbers on the bottom and then I have a bunch that have a mark that kind of looks like a space ship...can anyone help? Donica

historic

We can help you if you help us by posting some photos :-) You can add as many photos as you like to a post. Use the "attach a file" link.

You can also utilize a service like Imageshack to upload a group of photos - see the recent post by "HaloOffspring" who uploaded several dozen pictures.

A bottle brush can be really helpful to clean bottles - try your hardware or grocery store. Dishwashing detergent works great for general grime.

Donica

OK thank you so much, I am on vaction right now so when I get home I will start cleaning them. I wasn't sure if I was decreasing their value by getting off the dirt and left over ink, medicine and whatever. I plan on selling them, but from what I have seen so far they will only be a few dollars a bottle. I haven't looked them all up yet. I will take pictures and ask for advise.

Donica

Ok, cleaning bottles is a long process!!! This is only 1/3 of the first box. Are they clean enough to sell? And how much should I put them at? And should I group like bottles together? Thanks, Donica

Donica

Here are pictures I sent 8 can you see them?

historic

I see your photos

Sorry to say that there is not much value in what I see. There might be some interest in the shoe dressing bottle, but in general mid-20th century bottles like these are still really common and do not have much value. There are exceptions to every rule: milk bottles and fancy soda bottles from this time period can be very collectible.

Donica

Ok I have some more cleaned, done with the first box maybe you will see something. If you see any thing in the ones I have so far I will take a better picture.

Donica

I saw some bottles at an estate sale that starts today, didn't plan on going but now am getting curious about bottles...any idea from the horrible picture that is online?

Donica

I saw some bottles at an estate sale that starts today, didn't plan on going but now am getting curious about bottles...any idea from the horrible picture that is online?

Donica

I am almost done cleaning, all that is soaking now are the littlist ones here are more pictures, I'm assuming if you see anything you will let me know and if not you will just not reply...that is fine. Thank you for looking. Donica

historic

Regarding the estate sale bottles, they are all reproductions. I would encourage you to browse the collectibles > bottles > 1900-now category on ebay. You can further drill down to just flasks using the navigation in the left column.

This will give you an idea of what people are selling things for, if they are getting bids, etc. The best data comes from completed auctions (also a choice in the left navigation) but requires that you login.

HTH

Donica

Thank you that is what I have been doing so far for the ones I have put on eBay already. Again thank you for your help.