Check out these privy finds!

[halfdime]

It's amazing how time can change your priorities. Fifteen years ago, my father and I discovered a stone foundation in the woods near our house. The stone was cut sandstone, and I spent 6.5 years pulling the stone out of the woods to build a retaining wall. It was a project of monumental proportions, and one in which I still take pride. Physically, I couldn't do it now, however! After I got a metal detector, I remembered the site; even deep in the woods, once upon a time it was a farmhouse with people living in it. Hopefully, those people dropped a few coins. So far, I've found two Indian heads and a beautiful 1840 large cent, but there is probably an hour of work clearing for every ten or fifteen minutes of detecting. I've had Kiros32 and DrDetector to the site, and they can vouch for the effort we've all put in for little return. We're still convinced that more (and better) coins await us, but so does a lot of work.
Eleven months ago, while detecting another site, Kiros32 and I came across an obvious privy. We decided to dig it, and it was an incredible experience! In the time since, I've dug another dozen or so, and in the back of my mind I knew I had to find a privy at the foundation we know as the Dunn site. With the knowledge gained by digging other privies, I suspected that we'd do very well if we could just find this one. Finding coins there has been like finding needles in a haystack, and the privy was almost the same thing. Until this afternoon. A couple weeks ago, Kiros32 and I started to dig what had all the obvious signs of a privy. The dirt was soft, easily dug and we were finding a few human artifacts (glass, pottery). Then, we hit a clay/sand/gravel layer that stopped us in our tracks. It may also have stopped the Dunns from continuing their attempt to put a privy there.
This afternoon, after leaf detail at Mom's, I went over to the site determined to find a privy. I decided to check what we believe to be the back of the house, down a slope and a reasonable distance away from the house. I found a depression, pushed in my probe and liked what I was feeling; easy digging and little resistance. I started to dig and was getting powdery soil: an indication that it wasn't native undisturbed. Pretty soon, I started to get little pieces of glass, then stumbled upon a two inch, fragile little bottle. It's slightly aqua, leans to one side and has, I believe, a pontil on its base. I called Kiros32 with the happy news and assured him that some of the privy would still be there on Friday. We'll also have lots of easy sifting to do. Pretty soon, I was finding bottles pretty easily. First, a broken Dr. Jakob's OEL (Oil?), in aqua . Then a few unmarked bottles. Then the embossed bottles started to roll out, and it appears that someone in the Dunn family was losing their hair and they were determined to get it back! First, Mrs. S.A. Allen's Worlds Hair Restorer, in two shades! Then, Dr. Tebbetts Physiological Hair Regenerator. Last, I found a beautiful Mrs. Winslow Queen of Hair Restorer, in aqua, which I carelessly broke later . I really hate that. Fortunately, I consoled myself with Prof Low's Magnetic Liniment, also in aqua. To round things up, there is R. Matchetts Pure Genuine Four Fold Liniment and, appropriately, Henry's Sewing Machine Oil. This privy appears to be four feet deep, and the farm dates back to the mid 1800's, so this is probably just the first of several!

[halfdime]

I posted this also in Today's Finds and someone pointed out that one of the World's Hair Restorers was purple. After cleaning, it, he was right. The Physiological Hair Regenerator is a lighter purple. Very cool!

[gleaner1]

halfdime, nice stuff you got there. Very nice. Please show more pics. You know, BANNER pics. Make sure the bottles are good and clean and take the pics thru a well lit window. I am voting banner just for the purple hair, which is a notoriously good one, maybe in the 800 to 1000 range attic quality. The amber ones are just icing on the cake. I vote banner finds. That pit would have put me in pre-cardiac arrest mode.

[halfdime]

halfdime, nice stuff you got there. Very nice. Please show more pics. You know, BANNER pics. Make sure the bottles are good and clean and take the pics thru a well lit window. I am voting banner just for the purple hair, which is a notoriously good one, maybe in the 800 to 1000 range attic quality. The amber ones are just icing on the cake. I vote banner finds. That pit would have put me in pre-cardiac arrest mode.

It's supposed to be sunny here tomorrow; I'll clean and picture them some more!

[gleaner1]

halfdime, are you saying the World's is purple or the Physiological? or both? I am gobsmacked.

[halfdime]

halfdime, are you saying the World's is purple or the Physiological? or both? I am gobsmacked.

Both! The World's is darker. Kind of softens the sting of breaking the Mrs. Winslow bottle.

[gleaner1]

I will rescind my banner nomination for the measly Physiological. I will re-solicit the powers-that-be for Banner for your dual, purple, different-type-hair-tonic bottle pit dig that is simply extraordinary. That's powerful privy diggin's man. You kill me.

[creeper71]

I posted this also in Today's Finds and someone pointed out that one of the World's Hair Restorers was purple. After cleaning, it, he was right. The Physiological Hair Regenerator is a lighter purple. Very cool!

wouldn't that color be puce?

[halfdime]

I posted this also in Today's Finds and someone pointed out that one of the World's Hair Restorers was purple. After cleaning, it, he was right. The Physiological Hair Regenerator is a lighter purple. Very cool!

wouldn't that color be puce?

You might have to help me here: what's puce? A different shade of purple?

[halfdime]

Pictures of cleaned bottles in morning sun.

[creeper71]

I posted this also in Today's Finds and someone pointed out that one of the World's Hair Restorers was purple. After cleaning, it, he was right. The Physiological Hair Regenerator is a lighter purple. Very cool!

wouldn't that color be puce?

You might have to help me here: what's puce? A different shade of purple?

I'm not good at explaining things, but John Glassman found a puce ink here is the link http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.p...,326013.0.html

[jgas]

Those are some stellar finds. I love the trifecta colors! I would dig that antire area up bigtime jgas

[creeper71]

Case your wondering a price I found this http://www.skinnerinc.com/asp/fullCa...refno=++789799

[gleaner1]

creeper, you are correct, the Physio is like plum puce. I see my estimate of value is far from a bit off. I still stand that the grouping is well banner worthy. What about the World's? Is that a sleeper?

[halfdime]

Case your wondering a price I found this http://www.skinnerinc.com/asp/fullCa...refno=++789799

Wow! My bottle is much darker; I suspect the lighter one is more valuable(?).

[gleaner1]

I know the market is down but after some quick searching I see one of my minerals worth 200 or so in the 1990s or early 2000s is now down in the 50 buck range. creeper set me straight on this one for sure. Sorry halfdime for the bum steer on the outrageous price. If this isn't a banner group of diggin's, then I will be certain that I'm totally off my rocker.

[creeper71]

Case your wondering a price I found this http://www.skinnerinc.com/asp/fullCa...refno=++789799

Wow! My bottle is much darker; I suspect the lighter one is more valuable(?).

Not sure about darker but yours need to be properly cleaned I do know that much....

[creeper71]

halfdime, nice stuff you got there. Very nice. Please show more pics. You know, BANNER pics. Make sure the bottles are good and clean and take the pics thru a well lit window. I am voting banner just for the purple hair, which is a notoriously good one, maybe in the 800 to 1000 range attic quality. The amber ones are just icing on the cake. I vote banner finds. That pit would have put me in pre-cardiac arrest mode.

Too me i could be wrong but the one honey amber looks to have either purple or puce in the middle of it

[creeper71]

creeper, you are correct, the Physio is like plum puce. I see my estimate of value is far from a bit off. I still stand that the grouping is well banner worthy. What about the World's? Is that a sleeper?

This is all I can find online for the World's 7 1/4", Rectangular, BIM, flared lip top, deep amethyst. Condition: Near Mint - Lightly cleaned $300. Embossing: side 1: "MRS S.A. ALLEN'S", front: "WORLDS HAIR - RESTORER", side 2: "NEW YORK ..If yours is Puce it probly would atleast double in price from 300 to 600.00 in my opinion...but I am not a expert...

[halfdime]

Obviously these bottles have garnered a lot of attention, and I'm suddenly interested in learning all I can about them. I don't know how to properly clean my bottles, beyond soap and water. I've done pretty well with a good sand shake inside, and I improvise the best I can, but I don't know how to attack stains and whatnot. If I can show my beloved tangible evidence that these bottles are potentially valuable, she'll be more open to the time and effort involved in retrieving them!