Case of old Coke bottles

[Chris]

I picked up a whole case of 6 1/2 oz trademark bottles full with an old yellow wooden crate. I paid $50 for the whole case. Did I get a good deal?

[Creighton]

Crate is $20 here on a good day. The bottles depend on which city is embossed on the bottom. Then condition.
If you happen to have a Spokane, WA or Salina, KS I'd be interested.
Thanks!
Creighton
 

[Chris]

I'm in the south so most are from around here. I think the farthest I have is Little Rock.

[Eric]

Depends on condition of bottle but I think you did well.. this will be a great display
piece next to your machine... I have tons of bottles.. I use to make it a point to try and find
one mint Coke bottle when my wife and I would road trip... I stuck to just older hobble skirt
bottles from the 50s or older... sometimes I would find none other trips we'd find 4 or five...
I have 5 cases full of empties of Coke, a few of 7up and a few of Pepsi and a couple of
off brands.... Any 1923 Christmas in there?... whats the oldest?... and condition?...

[MoonDawg]

       That's a nice crate Scott, and all embossed glass too.

       I picked these up last weekend, but they have been sitting in the rain so some of the crates have rotten bottoms. I'll keep an eye out for a Spokane or Salina for you Creighton.

[dr galaga]

You did okay as long as you didn't get a case of the repro Chistmas bottles that Coke did in the 90's. Do the caps say Coke, or Coke Classic?

[Chris]

They all are the old silver coke tops some say "Coca-Cola" and some say "Coke" but as I was reading up on the bottles, they said that the repro's have the line around the bottom with the smaller writing. Most of mine are like that but I'm only going to put them in the three case coke rack I got.

[MoonDawg]

       It's easy to spot the reproductions. They are 8 oz with thinner glass than the old 6 1/2 oz.

[Chris]

These are all 6 1/2oz and they are all embossed.

[dr galaga]

The ones that Coke did in the early 90's are 6.5 ounces, green, and thick. You really can't tell that they are new.
With the silver cap you should be good.

[Pat Pixley]

Ok while we are on the bottle talk , What do you guys do with your old Glass coke bottles ??
just let them site  or do some of you use them ??
I have two cases of old coke bottle and not sure why I'm keeping them  .

[halehouse]

Same thing here. I have some bottles that just sit and collect dust. Some have the 1923 date on them, various cities, but I wouldn't know a good one from a better one.

[MoonDawg]

       People with single vend machines like the 39, 33, 44 are at the mercy of Coke who sell the small reproduction bottles at $22.00 for a case of 24.
       But, Coke also sells the 2 liter plastic bottle of the same product for 99 cents. One 2 liter container will fill 10  6.5 oz bottles, which amounts to a dime each.
       A capper from a brewery supply store runs $20 to $30 and blank unused caps are about $6.00 per 100. So re-filling the Coke bottles costs 16 cents at home vs $1.00 from the store ........plus the old glass fits much better in the stack machines like the 44 and 80 and the product stays cold longer.
      I sell machines out of a store and used to let customers vend the repro cokes for a dime but that was killing me at a buck apiece. So when I started re-filling them I also started getting requests from people who wanted a couple of cases of empties for their machines.
      This also works well if you have kids 
       

[dr galaga]

Ok while we are on the bottle talk , What do you guys do with your old Glass coke bottles ??
just let them site  or do some of you use them ??
I have two cases of old coke bottle and not sure why I'm keeping them  .

I take mine to the Winona, MN Coke plant to get refilled. 
The 6.5 ounces cases are around $7.50 a case and the 10 ounce cases are around $8.50 a case, but you have to bring the same amount of empties.

[Eric]

Bottle collecting is a whole nother world.. You may have a rare hobble skirt worth hundreds and not know it...
Some like to collect just 1923 Cokes.. some 1915 Cokes... there are some 1915 that have a mis print date of 1918
there are 7up bottles with 8 bubbles instead of 7... Some want every bottler that bottled Coke, some want just their state, some collect themes  (bottles with the word “cola” or pictures of woman on them)
There was a blob top Coke on ebay that just sold for $3000.00+ there is a 2 liter Mountain Dew bottle with the
hillbillies dancing all around the bottle.. rare that can be as high as $3000.00 depending on the condition...
3 grand for a bottle!... I'm always watching..
I use them to display carriers, crates and racks... I have several different style carriers and they look better
with mint bottles... I have 1923s, 1915s, different shades of the green/blue hobble skirts, straight sided,
trying to get a complete case of Nichol Kola... Dang they're hard to find in good condition...
I think Chedki bought them all!!!

Then there's the world of Bottle Caps   It never ends....

[rayg]

Eric you got that right,  I collect the dust that settles on the old coke  bottles 

[Creighton]

Thanks Glen for watching for Spokane and Salina!! Eric I've only seen one NK and it was toast. Will keep checking.
Creighton

[Ken R]

If I happen to find any old Coke bottles or the like, I'll be sure to let you guys know.  You obviously know more than I do on those things!!

[Ken R]

What do you guys think of this crate of bottles?  anything special that you can see? Not sure what to look for to determine if a good deal or not.

http://austin.craigslist.org/clt/2573396587.html

[MoonDawg]

      Those are painted labels with a red crate from the 70's (has the wave).
Scott found the embossed labels with the yellow 1930 to 1940's crate.

      Like Creighton said, the crate alone is worth $20 and with the bottles $25.

[Ken R]

I'll keep looking then.  Thanks!

[halehouse]

Since this thread is covering bottles and crates, how old do you think this crate is?

[Creighton]

Well since it is taller than most bottles would say that is a gallon syrup crate from late 30's early 40's. WAG :-)

Creighton

[halehouse]

Well since it is taller than most bottles would say that is a gallon syrup crate from late 30's early 40's. WAG :-)

Creighton

A syrup jug crate is probably right. I was thinking maybe 30's or so.  What does WAG mean?

[Eric]

Or it was to “protect” the bottles from sunlight... I have a couple crates like that that took old smaller bottles..

If you can find when that slogan - “Drink Coca-Cola In Bottles” Came out that would give you a good idea of age
I know they may have used it for a while but that is a early crate...early 40s maybe.... nice find.

The red crate with wave and painted labels.. I'd pass.. you can find better condition crates and bottle for
a lower price.

[Eric]

Also check the bottom of the crate... there may be dust rings to show how many bottles where held.

would look good next to a Westinghouse cooler.

[Kilroy]

My V39 had "Drink Coca Cola in Bottles" on the side, so it was used into the late 1950's

Maybe it was for the "King SizE" bottles Coke came out with. Can't think the'd  be shipping syrpup jugs  promoting  bottles...
 

[collecture]

Well since it is taller than most bottles would say that is a gallon syrup crate from late 30's early 40's. :-)

But it is the exact heighth of 6.5b oz. bottles or is that an illusion?
Any trace of bottle dividers inside the crate?

I have a crate similar, but never paid much attention to it. I'll did it out

[halehouse]

Or it was to “protect” the bottles from sunlight... I have a couple crates like that that took old smaller bottles..

If you can find when that slogan - “Drink Coca-Cola In Bottles” Came out that would give you a good idea of age
I know they may have used it for a while but that is a early crate...early 40s maybe.... nice find.

The red crate with wave and painted labels.. I'd pass.. you can find better condition crates and bottle for
a lower price.

Hmmm...I guess that could be too. I rescued it from my in-laws' house. I like how it has the Anchor Hocking marking. I thought maybe it would be in the $25 range or so. I have some yellow crates with nice dividers (like the ones people use for shadow boxes) and had them on CL a year or two ago. I think I had them up for $10 or so with no bites. I figured I might as well hang on to them.

[halehouse]

But it is the exact heighth of 6.5b oz. bottles or is that an illusion?
Any trace of bottle dividers inside the crate?

I have a crate similar, but never paid much attention to it. I'll did it out

I don't see any place where dividers would have been. The 6.5 oz bottles meet the top edge. The number "50" is marked on the end of the crate on the outside.

[Ken R]

"WAG"...wild a$$ guess?

[Ken R]

Brent,
   I mentioned being able to take bottles directly to the Coke plant and having them refill glass bottles.  Is there such a plant anywhere near the Austin, TX area?  Just curious as I would probably save mine up and make a trip to get them filled that way if I could.  Thanks.

Ken

[collecture]

No Coke plant near you Ken, but you do have Dublin Dr. Pepper.

[Ken R]

Thanks.  I meant to say "you mentioned" not "I mentioned".  Anyway, if I liked Dr. Pepper, that would be cool, but alas I do not.  Oh well.

[dr galaga]

Sorry, Winona, MM is the last Coke plant in the US to refill bottles.

[Ken R]

So what do you guys think about these bottles?

[bremett]

I have quite a few Dr Pepper bottles. The Dr Pepper ones you have are 50s. Just after the Good for Life bottles embossed Good for Life are 30s debossed 40s, then yours.

[Kilroy]

And the holder will clean up nice...

[Eric]

Looks like you have a Coke carrier from Oklahoma?, those Coke bottles look to be different eras 40s-60s
the DP bottles are from 50s the rootbeer 50s-60s? the embossed and debossed should clean up nice but
the Masons have seen better days.

[Ken R]

I thought it unusual that the Mason's were both worn the same way until I looked at how they sat in the case.  The bottle rubs right there in the case, I suppose because it is the highest point on the label, so it rubs it off.  Just my assessment.  So, there really aren't any bottles considered the "holy grail" or anything like that then?  This guy has a ton of bottles of various makes and years.  I found an embossed Coke with Las Vegas, NV on the bottom that I thought was pretty cool.

So question for you guys...if you could find a particular Coke sign or Coke tray, etc...which would it be that would make your day?  Can you post a pic of one?

[bremett]

I'd really like a candy stripe Dr Pepper bottle. They aren't too easy to get, but one is on Ebay right now. I think the last one on there went for about $600 or so. http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-CANDY-STRIPE-DR-PEPPER-BOTTLE-/230669136413?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35b4f3b21d

[Eric]

This could be a whole different and fun thread “The Holy Grail Want List”
On this thread we sticking to bottles? Does it have to be Coke?...
I have some “Holy Grail” wants on a list... I'll post when I get home tonight...

[halehouse]

When I was a kid my brother and I would go back into the woods and dig bottles out of the side of the creek. We used a wood burning kit and made a sign that read "D and D's Dig". We posted it there in the early 80's. I wonder if it's still there. I guess the people back when would just dump their trash over the hill. After rains, particularly in the spring, we would find bottles sticking out of the side. I still have some of them and I know they have the Dec. 25th marking on them. At one point I was collecting any pop bottle from Youngstown, Ohio (I was born there). I still have those, but they aren't displayed and I have no idea what to do with them other than storing them in the crawl space.

[collecture]

I'd really like a candy stripe Dr Pepper bottle. They aren't too easy to get, but one is on Ebay right now. I think the last one on there went for about $600 or so.

This one has a starting bid of $850....little bit out of my price range, but would like to have one. I've seen them go for as much as $1200+/- in the early 2000's.
I modeled my DP WB-60 marquee after the candy stripe design.

[Ken R]

I'll start a new "holy grail" thread then.  The reason I am curious is because the possible auction I posted a couple weeks ago....we got it!!!  The auction will go in October.  I'll post a separate thread about it later with a few pics.

[bremett]

This one has a starting bid of $850....little bit out of my price range, but would like to have one. I've seen them go for as much as $1200+/- in the early 2000's.
I modeled my DP WB-60 marquee after the candy stripe design.

I like it!!!

[halehouse]

I just looked at some bottles. I saw the Dec. 25 date, and on others Pat.D105529.   I assume the Pat.D bottles are newer, but how new? Was there a wide range of years when the Dec. 25th bottles and the Pat.D bottles were made?