Bottles ... 60 second version

[KS_Mike]

Okay, I have several MDing places that I can hunt that are in the country. I know that a couple of these sites have a trash area and getting to the trash isn't going to be difficult.

I've never hunted for bottles but given the ease of getting into the trash ... and since the smell is gone ... I figured to take a look.

What hints would you give someone who is ignorant in the bottle venue?

What type of bottles should I be looking for?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
Mike

 

[DukeOBass]

First of all look at the mouth of the bottle.

.... You're looking for anything that doesn't have a screw top type mouth. (Except if the top edge of the mouth looks and feels like it was groud down on a grinding stone - these are good)

Look for colored glass.

.... Most old glass was Aqua or light blue colored. This was the cheapest kind of glass to manufacturer because of the natural impurities in sand. Other colors can be more valuable because minerals were added to the glass batch making the bottle more expensive to manufacture plus they are more pleasing to the eye and draw the attention of collectors.

Below the mouth look at the neck.

.... The mold seam should stop somewhere below the very top of the mouth. That upper part was formed using hand tools after after the bottle was blown.

Look at the base of the bottle.

.... Machine made bottles will have a thin impression of a ring around the outer edge. These are mostly junk. If you find a bottle with a mold seam that crosses the bottom (snap case mold) or if there is a rough glass scar (pntil mark) near the center of the bottom of the bottle. These are very old and in demand.

I hope this helps you.