Bryant's Cone
Blue Homestead Bitters
Tis’ the season, tis’ the time, the changing of the guard, the beginning of the stampede. That is to say, bottles, these fragile creatures, looming, lurking, hiding and appearing, like ships passing in the night. Now as dawn breaks we see the glimmer of a pontil, the sparkle of General George Washington’s face. We see the beginning of a new day, one that brings hope and change, a new dimension to the bottle world.
In case you’ve missed it, I’m talking about the unusual number of deals, auction purchases and sales of some bottles with price tags more at home at a Tiffany’s Jewelry store or your local Rolls Royce dealership. Sales of bottles that are not just setting new records but breaking old ones. Like a steaming locomotive whistling through a midwestern plain of tumbleweed and dust. New prices breaking new prices, eyes wide shut in a momentary lapse while dollars are passed and bank accounts rise and fall. Bitters and historical flasks mostly, higher and higher they go.
Many are familiar with the Old Homestead that sold for $200,000, that’s old news, along with it a blue Fish Bitters a blue Sazerac Bitters, and a Bryant’s Bitters cone, rare and beautiful indeed and well into the five figures. But the sale of the Bryant’s and the “blue bottles” is just a part of what’s happening in the bottle world. Let’s take a look at some other examples. A purple Masonic GIV-1, $75,000, a Druids Bitters in green, $50,000 a GII-69 yellow and olive Eagle/Cornucopia, $44,850. How about a National Bitters C.C. Jerome & Co. Detroit, A.C.-S.W. 1865 in a rich amethyst? It sold for around $13,000 in 1990 out of the Cris Batdorff collection; 20 years later? How about $150,000. It is the only known example. Want more? A GI-73 General Taylor/Washinton Monument flask in pink, $28,750. There’s more. A Russ’ Stomach Bitters $29,900. Let’s not forget a GI-18 Washington Monument portrait flask in bright green with yellow selling for $27,600. Hey, this hobby is getting noticed.
A recent article in Maine Antique Digest entitled, New Collector Blood in the Antique Bottle Market Set Auction Records, written by the Norman C. Heckler & Company located in Woodstock Valley, CT puts it very succinctly. It goes on to say, “Recent trends… indicate resurgent interest in bottles and flasks among savvy Americana collectors with an eye for beauty, and the result has been a veritable pricing explosion, with records shattering at a dizzying rate.” Dizzying rate to be sure. How about a Stoddard Flag flask, GX-27 in yellow olive for $24,150. In their last sale in October 2009, many of the bottles showed just what the savvy Americana collectors are up to. With a new Heckler auction slated for March 31, 2010, there will again be a bevy of rare and beautiful pieces coming up and there’s little doubt that history will repeat itself.
National Bitters-A one of a kind Detroit Bitters
Why the resurgence in prices for these rare flasks and bitters? They are the clear-cut leaders of the movement but by no means the only area of growth. A Pitkin-type inkwell in light yellow olive saw $6,325 in the sale along with a price tag of $4,887 for a colorless historical drinking glass with an etched American Flag and Log Cabin with the words Hard Cider decorating the piece. A reference to William Henry Harrison, our 9th President in 1841 who ran on the “log cabin and hard cider campaign,” a reference to his layman’s background. In addition, a Dennis’s Georgia Sarsaparilla bottle in aqua with amber striations brought $4,600, a new record by anyone’s estimate. As the Heckler article proclaimed, “In the end, it is not simply the record prices but the overall strength of the bottle and flask market that is most impressive. While other categories have floundered in the so-called downturn, bottle and flask prices have never wavered, and with an ever-increasing crop of buyers, the future for the category is rosy.”
Masonic/Eagle GIV-1
So looking beyond the present day standards of buying a rare and possibly one-of-a-kind bottle at never before seen prices, what is driving it and where will it go? As Heckler points out; new blood. And of course the ever present veteran collectors. I’ve talked to some of the big time players and asked them what they thought about the continued resurgence in these rare handmade masterpieces. One anonymous collector pointed out that after surveying the landscape of collectibles, rare bottles appealed to him most. And why is that I wanted to know? He said that after looking at different categories, when you consider the rarity of some of the highest selling items, bottles are still comparably cheap.
1969-S Double Die Penny
Take coins for instance. A 1969-S Lincoln Cent With a Doubled Die Obverse can sell for $35,000, a penny much like all the other thousands of pennies we see every year. Just much rarer. Want to collect rare stamps? How about an 1867 U.S. Franklin Z-Grill? You’ll have to fork over $930,000 for one of those as a collector did in 1988. Baseball cards? To get the truly rare Honus Wagner T-206 in a grade 8, plan on paying around 2.8 million. A bargain for sure. But you can buy a much lesser grade example for around a million. It makes a blue Fisch’s Bitters seem like a bargain. A blue Homestead Bitters a mere bag of shells. When you have a bottle that is only one or two of that variant in the entire world, $50,000 seems like a bargain. Also, with coins, stamps and other high end collectibles, it’s hard to match the charm and elegance of a hand blown bottle knowing it’s maybe the only one out there. It is there on your shelf, a dazzling beacon of colored artistry, amazing all that grace its presence. Not to mention, as collector Jack Pelliter points out, a bottle has a lot better chance of not surviving over time. With a coin or stamp or baseball card, it’s probably in a drawer or even worse, a safety deposit box. No, it’s hard to beat the inherent beauty of a bottle, even a common example, made by a skilled craftsman, colorful and historical, a testament to the ingenuity and insightful spirit of the glasshouse that produced them.
Since the value of the rarest of the rare has remained fairly consistent, especially in the aforementioned categories, it’s possible to believe there is no end in sight. Surely when compared with an Ansel Adams print of Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico, 1941 at $75,000, one of a number in existence, it would seem a rare flask can still be had for a bargain. Don’t get me wrong, the Adams print is arguably his most recognized work and for sheer black and white beauty it doesn’t get much better. But there are a number of them out there. For the privileged collector, those people who are lucky enough to obtain the best of the best, we say bully. These are exciting and wondrous times. What will the next blue Columbia flask sell for? Who will draw it from it’s darkened lair to shine again on the next shelf of the buyer of the best, the noble collector. Yes, we are all just borrowing these hand blown diamonds of the ages, while they wait patiently to move on to the next lucky buyer. Where will they fit into the collecting world twenty, fifty, one hundred years from now? No one truly knows but what one does know is that the antique bottle stands as strong and brilliant as any collectible there is today. You can almost see it in the embossed faces on the flasks, staring out in their eternal wisdom. One revels in the glory of a one-of-a-kind bitters bottle, perfect and unmoving, a color-filled monument to the past. As Heckler’s final words proclaim, “In following the lead of both pioneer Americana collectors and modern-day trendsetters then, perhaps there really is no better time for those of us with a love of antiques and hope for the future to grab for that bottle!” For the noble collector, grab that bottle indeed. �
Jeff,Your articles continue to inspire me.They’re enjoyable to read as well as being informative. Unfortunately,not everyone can afford the really high priced bottles, but there are still many affordable ones for the budget minded collector.
I’ve been collecting almost 40 years now,and am still having fun in doing it.
I think money invested in bottles certainly beats interest earned in CD’s and money market accounts !!
Keep promoting the good word !
I have $1000.00 bottles sitting on my shelf along with $5.00 bottles. The tendancy to keep going upward is always there, but I realize that I can enjoy the color and crudity of the $5.00 bottle just as much as the $1000.00 bottle. The increase in value is just a little perk of collecting. I actually value the ones that I’ve found more than the expensive ones I’ve purchased. They have some pretty good stories to tell.
I agree Bill. That article was purely a discussion of the high-priced market at the present. We’ll delve into the great things one can own at very reasonable prices. I own many myself.
Jeff
Hello Jeff. A very good article, I enjoyed it very much. I also have a few $1000.00 bottle on shelves next $5.00 ones, I do not really collect just one or two categories, I just collect what i like that is within my price range. I dont do any digging any more but I still like the thrill of finding a good one ata sale or shop or auction. keep up the good work, as you are a credit to our hobby……Andy
Thanks Andy-
I feel the same way as you do, there are some beatiful bottles to be had for $5 or $10 bucks. I am going to write my next article on that very subject. I’m afraid some people will feel it’s not affordable to become a bottle collector and nothing could be more from the truth.
Thanks
Jeff
Jeff, it’s not only flasks and bitters that have seen an increase in price. The beautiful cone inks have jumped to $200 to $300 from a mere $40 to $50 just 6 months ago. They do make a beautiful collection of color and you can literally have 100’s in a china cabinet. I have recorded over 56 different colors not to mention those with striations in the glass. Can you imagine these cones going over $500 each in less than a decade. it appears now is the time to build a collection of these little beauties!
Joe
That’s a good point. I remember when you couldn’t get $20 bucks for a blue cone and now collectors are really going after them. It’s supply and demand and I believe people realized they are getting harder to find. They were once the poor man’s umbrella ink but not anymore.
Jeff
Hi Jeff,
Prices of everything up, up, up. Retiring baby-boomers
with too much discretionary income having fun.
My question is what will happen when all of us collectors
from the 60’s &70’s are gone. Is there enough new
blood out there to buy our collections when the widow
consigns them, and will the prices drop due to lack of
interest? I don’t see that many young people at the shows.
Good point John. I do believe we are seeing the new blood entering the hobby. From the number of new bottle websites, to the new auction houses springing up, I have to believe the beauty in glass is what will win out at the end of the day. I do see young people at shows and they are becoming more with every show I go to. This may be a result of the sons and daughters of the present day collector. Whether or not some huge collections come onto the market at the same time is something we can’t predict, but I do believe the capacity for the hobby to maintain it’s base is relatively safe. Thanks for the input.
Jeff
It’s very odd these rare bottles in the same shade of blue surfacing all close to the same time. Are we sure these are original?? I sure hope so…
I don’t think the fact that a few of them are blue, really only the Homestead, Fisch and Sazerac Bitters, is an anomoly. They were all in the same collection and happen to sell at the same time. From what I’ve seen and know about the transactions, they are all legitimate. It’s not just these blue bottles but the myriad of others that were the basis of the story. But there’s no doubt, blue is popular for good reason. Especially when it’s one of only a few known or even just one known as in the Old Homestead.
Jeff
Hi Jeff, Back in 1983 I visited Elvin Moody to see his fabulous bitters and flasks collection. During our long cold Ohio winter, I was looking at slides of his collection. He had some super rare bitters bottles, including a cobalt fish. I know I will never be able to afford such a rare bottle, but I get enjoyment having and looking at the slides and the memories they stir up. I started collecting old auction catologs because of all the nice photos of some truly fine bottles that have been sold over the years. If I can’t afford the bottles at least I can afford the photos! Keep up all your great work for the hobby. Marty
A lot of people think an auction is for bargains. That is not necessarily true. What an auction does is set a fair price dictated naturally by the demand.
i have a purple bottle flask george wahington gen taylor never surrender what is it worth how do i know its real
We can tell you if you simply send us a picture. The reproductions are pretty obvious. Usually no pontil or a fake one, the tops are odd looking and the colors are off.
Jeff
I found that to be more helpful well let me know how it turns out! I love what you guys are always up too. Such clever work and reporting! Keep up the great works guys I’ve added you guys to my blogroll. This is a great article thanks for sharing this informative information.. I will visit your blog regularly for some latest post.
Needs less black.
For some reason only half of the post is being displayed, is it my browser or the site?