Painted Sodes - Are These Worth Keeping?

sodetraveler

Sr. Member
Mar 3, 2010
267
5
Historic Saratoga CA
When I started collecting bottles about 35 years ago, painted soda bottles were still very new and I didn't see any reason to collect them.

However, it now seems that these bottles are becoming more desirable and some are even fetching good prices!

Yesterday I found a new trash pit in my backyard and started to dig it out. The bottles all had manufacturing dates between 1947 and 1962 with the vast majority being from the late 50's.

At least a dozen sodes came out and a few were painted. I didn't think they were worth bringing home, but then I really don't have a clue! I'm assuming that these are as common as dirt and worth practically nothing, but I snapped off some photos so I could ask the experts :read2:

The picture are fairly self-explanatory and I'm sure anyone specializing in soda bottles would be familiar with them all. So, are any of these worth bringing home and cleaning up? :dontknow:
 

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jeff of pa

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Cool ! I Love seeing old painted bottles.

I Would say it depends on whether
they are Small Distributers, or international Brands.

& How well they clean up.

something like Squirt, probably too many mint ones out there.

alot of people like local.
& of course content of the Painted picture.

People, especially something that would
be labled Sexist by women, or Derogatory to
certain races, or groups.
(Politically incorrect) would catch my Eye
as Collectable.

& Of course there has to be someone
out there who likes Cute, or animals :tongue3:
 

SODABOTTLEBOB

Silver Member
Sep 20, 2009
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Southern California
I haven't had the opportunity to do any serious dump digging in a long time. But when I do, I keep every (mint condition) soda bottle that isn't broken, even if I have three duplicates at home. I guess it's sort of like trout fishing, I just hate to throw anything back. I will figure out twenty years from now what to do with them. I know of collectors who do the same thing and have in excess of 5,000 bottles. Crazy but true.

As for the values of "common" acls like the Squirt, (in mint condition) they are worth about $2.00 to $4.00 ... Avg @ $3.00 x 5,000 = $15,000.00! But it's really not about the money ... it's about being obsessed! Lol :tongue3:

Keep 'em all!

SBB

Who knows? You just might find one of these, screw cap, 1960s Mountain Dew "Party Jug" bottles (called that because of the "dancing hillbillies") which consistantly sells on e-bay for about $2,500! (When they turn up - which is rare).
 

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sodetraveler

sodetraveler

Sr. Member
Mar 3, 2010
267
5
Historic Saratoga CA
SODABOTTLEBOB said:
I haven't had the opportunity to do any serious dump digging in a long time. But when I do, I keep every (mint condition) soda bottle that isn't broken, even if I have three duplicates at home. I guess it's sort of like trout fishing, I just hate to throw anything back. I will figure out twenty years from now what to do with them. I know of collectors who do the same thing and have in excess of 5,000 bottles. Crazy but true.

As for the values of "common" acls like the Squirt, (in mint condition) they are worth about $2.00 to $4.00 ... Avg @ $3.00 x 5,000 = $15,000.00! But it's really not about the money ... it's about being obsessed! Lol :tongue3:

Keep 'em all!

SBB

Who knows? You just might find of of these, screw cap, 1960s Mountain Dew "Party Jug" bottles (called that because of the "dancing hillbillies") which consistantly sells on e-bay for about $2,500! (When they turn up - which is rare).

Unfortunately these particular painted sodes all went back in the hole when I filled it. I only kept a 1950 Coke from San Mateo, CA and a 1956 Coke from Salinas, CA.

It's hard for me to break from my old way of thinking - although I've modified my criterion for "keepers" several times over the years....

As for having 5000 bottles, I'm pretty sure I passed that mark a long time ago! :headbang:
 

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