Bottles (are they reproductions or originals!!?? )

AliFay · Oct 20, 2014

These are 3 Wheaton glass bottles. I am trying my hardest to figure out if they are original or not and what they may be worth. the pictures I have found of similar ones on sale all look like the glass is very faded or just a lighter color than mine. Especially the cobalt bottle. I CANNOT find a picture of this exact bottle in this color- I have found this bottle in lighter blues - but none in this deep cobalt. I would love some advice or opinions. The "Tree of Life" is killing me! The picture of it with the light behind is it true to life- it is really that dark even with a backlight.

Red James Cash · Oct 20, 2014

Look at the sides of them,do they have a mold mark running from the bottom to the top?

AliFay · Oct 20, 2014

the Blue has a thin seam running down 2 sides where it circles off at the base. The other two also have these thin only slightly visible seams.

villagenut · Oct 25, 2014

If the bases are marked Wheaton or Wheaton Village they are 1970s reproductions. These fool lots of unsuspecting collectors but they were never meant for fooling people. They are not "fakes" but are reproductions for decorative purposes and not worth much. Judging by the fresh looking corks, that's what they are. What Red James Cash was saying is to look at the neck of the bottle and not the base. If the seam goes over the top of the lip then production was after early in 1900s. Seams that fade out as they climb towards the lip from the body of the bottle indicate older bottles where the lip and part of the neck were hand finished.Generally the lower the seam, the older the bottle. So look close at seam lines on the necks.

arrington · Nov 4, 2014

They look to be repros, but are still cool. They have developed a following but one can find them at reasonable prices. The newer corks and sharp mold marks/seams usually mean a repro. My 10 year old son started his bottle collection with similar ones and we are still adding to his collection. They also make nice what-not or window bottles. Nice find.