Hobbies And Interests
History
Bromo-Seltzer was a medicinal remedy for headaches, upset stomachs, hangovers and many other ailments. It was distributed widely beginning in 1890, by the Emerson Drug Company of Baltimore. The bottles were manufactured by the Maryland Glass Corporation and were made by the millions into the 1950s. In the 1960s the product was switched to plastic bottles.
Rarity
Bromo-Seltzer bottles are very common as antique bottles go. There are a variety of sizes of Bromo-Seltzer bottles, and depending on the era in which they were made, they may be mouth-blown or machine made. The mouth-blown type is rarer, and predates 1915. Later machine-made bottles have screw threads on the mouth for metal tops rather than the older cork-topped bottles.
Color
Bromo-Seltzer bottles are a rich, deep cobalt blue, one of the most highly prized colors among bottle and glass enthusiasts. For that reason, Bromo-Seltzer bottles can fetch a slightly higher price than clear or other colors of common drugstore bottles, simply because of their desirability for display.
Condition
The condition of a bottle determines much of its value. Chips, cracks or stains all detract from the value of a bottle, since they make it less attractive. A Bromo-Seltzer bottle in good condition should be free from all the mentioned defects. One with faults is likely to be unsellable, since there are so many Bromo-Seltzer bottles around.
Price
In online auctions in the United States, Bromo-Seltzer bottles sell for just a few dollars, from $2 to $5 at the most. Others can be bought in large lots for less than $2 per bottle. Bottle collectors largely consider the bottles worthless for collection purposes. International buyers may pay more for the bottles, as they are not quite as common in other countries.