Hobbies And Interests
Things You'll Need
Instructions
Invest in a bottle collector's guide and spend your free time studying the different categories, colors and classes of vintage bottles so you can more easily identify them when out hunting.
Look for flaws and bubbles in the glass. Most antique and vintage bottles were handcrafted, so they usually contain noticeable flaws.
Check the rim. If the rim supports a cork or a snap-on seal top, chances are it's a vintage bottle. Screw-top lids were developed much later, when bottles were made in factories.
Look for a date. Many vintage bottles will have a raised date mark in the glass, which can help you determine when it was made and its value.
Know your bottle types. Medicine, milk, perfume and soda bottles are just a few types of vintage bottles collectors treasure. You can often identify these by their trademark embossing, which may also be dated.
Analyze the color of the glass. The glass in many vintage bottles will be darker than more modern glass bottles as they helped preserve the contents inside. Glass came in a variety of colors, and some colored bottles will be more valuable to collectors than others. Beware fakes. Some companies have recently taken to repainting bottles to try and make them appear more valuable than they actually are.