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How to Collect Antique Seltzer Bottles

Up until the 1950s, glass was almost the only type of packaging for seltzers and most other liquids. Antique glass bottles are plentiful, but it often takes some work to find them, like digging old dump sites or diving into rivers and lakes. Collecting antique glass bottles can be an interesting and exciting hobby.

Instructions

- 1
  Research antique glass bottle collecting online (see Resources below). You can find a variety of resources and information for bottle collectors at Antique Bottles. The Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors provides specialized information on antique glass bottles.
- 2
  Find a local group that shares your interest. Bottle enthusiasts often arrange digs in old dumps and outhouses or dives in rivers and lakes to find old bottles. Group membership can give you opportunities to participate in these activities as well as share information about bottle collecting.
- 3
  Look for antique seltzer bottles on eBay. Ask about damage or cracks before bidding, and be sure to check the shipping and handling charges.
- 4
  Get familiar with the identifying features of antique bottle: the pontil, mold and seam marks. These can be used to date bottles. The pontil is a circle of glass on the bottle's base. Most early bottles have a pontil. Machine-made bottles, which went into production in 1903, have seams all the way up the sides. Bottles made before this were hand-formed, either blown into a mold or free-blown. Those blown into a mold have overblown shoulders.
- 5
  Locate old dump sites where you can dig for bottles. Get old maps from your local courthouse. Be sure to check with the proper authorities first to get permission to dig.

Antiques