Dear Ferdinand,

Hope all is well state side. The Aussie Bottle National has come and gone this past weekend. Just over 3,500 folks came for a look which is a new record for the Sunshine Coast Club and unprecedented in this country at any previous National Bottle Show. Another first is for members of Federal Parliament, State Council and a Charity wishing to speak formally opening a Bottle and Collectables Show. I consider myself pretty well travelled to most world related events, but have never seen a line to get in like Saturdays…

The Sunshine Coast Club has a humble presence on Facebook where this show and previous have been recorded digitally to share. Visit and Like Page

Best Regards,
Greg Dean

04 & 05 May 2013 (Saturday & -Sunday) Caloundra, Queensland – Australia, Sunshine Coast Antique and Collectables Club hosts the Australian National Bottle Show, Caloundra Indoor Sports Stadium, North Street, Caloundra, Queensland Australia. Public: Saturday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, Sunday 9:00 am – 3:00 pm. Dealer set-up, Friday 2:00 pm – 8:00 pm. Contact Club Secretary Lyn Foster, Tele: + 61 7 5494 1106, email: coastalsigns@pacifictelco.com.au or Club President Peter Watts, Tele: + 61 7 5441 3692, email: joyce_watts@bigpond.com

Australian National Bottle Show

Roy Topka with the Bottle Museum in Ballston Spa here. Local collector and artisan Jim Healy (he was tickled pink by the mention of his good work in the current Bottles and Extras) created the attached Fantasy Jug for the Museum and donated it to be raffled.

The theme being the 150th anniversary of the Racetrack in Saratoga. By early April the Museum website should be featuring the jug and information on the raffle, along with other media exposure that will be undertaken to promote the raffle. What I am asking, is it possible when the website is ready could the jug be pictured on your website with the link to the NBM? I understand if this is not possible, as all the clubs and the Federation are needing to raise money for their own purposes. I figure it never hurts to ask! Thank you for your consideration, if you have any questions, or if there is ever anything I can do please let me know.

Roy Topka
2013 Saratoga Show Chair

Fantasy Jug Raffle and Saratoga Bottles to be Featured at the 2013 Saratoga Show

A highlight of the 2013 Saratoga Annual Show (see info below) will be the raffle of a fantasy jug marking the 150th anniversary of the Saratoga race track. The 1860′s era 3 gallon jug was donated by Schenectady, NY collector John Rudzinski and hand decorated by artisan Jim Healy of Tribes Hill, NY. The jug has a minor lip repair. Tickets are $10 each or three for $20 and can be purchased by contacting the National Bottle Museum at 76 Milton Ave, Ballston Spa, NY 12020, (518) 885-7589. Tickets will be available at the bottle show where the winning ticket will be drawn. All proceeds will benefit the Bottle Museum. We encourage everyone to participate and take a chance to become the owners of this wonderful piece of art.

Also featured at at the show and at the Museum will be special displays of Saratoga bottles and go withs from Northeast bottle collections.

When attending the show please take the time to check out the great displays!

Show Info

01 June 2013 (Saturday) Ballston Spa, New York – Annual Saratoga Bottle Show, Ballston Spa High School, 220 Ballston Avenue, Ballston Spa, New York 12020, Saturday, 9:30 am to 3:00 pm, No Early Admission, Set-up: Friday, 31 May, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm and Saturday, 01 June, 7:00 am to 9:00 am, Admission: $3.00 Adult, $1.00 Children under 12, National Bottle Museum, nationalbottlemuseum.org, Roy Topka, chairman, 4 Firestone Lane, Clifton Park, New York 12065, 518.779.1243, rmt556@yahoo.com

Education and Sharing are the Keys to Great Collecting!

by Mark Vuono

Mark Vuono was born and raised in Stamford, Connecticut where he still resides with his lovely and gracious wife Annie. They have two sons, Andrew and David. Mark was subjected to bottle collecting at the early age of nine as his father was the legendary pioneer flask collector Charles Vuono. Mark recalls the first two flasks his dad purchased were a quart Stoddard double eagle and a quart Willington flask which are still contained in the collection. During his dad’s tenure as a premier collector, Mark was fascinated by the flasks and studied all the mold variations and their different colors, recording all of the examples in the family’s collection. Mark and Andrew continue collecting together making the collection a third generation collection. David is quite interested in the collection as well and has captured each flask in a professional photograph.

Mark has earned the reputation of being a specialist on early American historical flasks and has the stories to back it all up. A current life member of the FOHBC, the Connecticut Museum of Glass and other organizations, Mark writes a column on historical flasks for the Antique Bottle & Glass Collector magazine with factual information for collectors at any level.

The Vuono collection is without a doubt the finest collection of historical flasks ever put together taking over fifty years of dedication in its assemblage.

Mark’s lecture for the banquet dinner will be focused on educational collecting and sharing knowledge with other collectors with some reflections on pioneer collectors of their day. This is not to be missed!

Visit the 2013 FOHBC National Antique Bottle Show page

Chattanooga announced for 2015 National Antique Bottle Show

31 July -02 August 2015

Chattanooga has been selected for the 2015 FOHBC Southern Region National Antique Bottle Show. The show will be held at the Chattanooga Convention Center, Sunday August 2, with dealer set-up and early buyers on Saturday. The Chattanooga Marriott Downtown will be the host hotel and is connected to the convention center. The banquet/bottle competition, seminars, auction, and membership meetings will be held at the Marriott. Jack Hewitt and John Joiner will be serving as show co-chairpersons.

Chattanooga was incorporated in 1839. It is located in Southeastern Tennessee at the crossroads of Interstate 24, 59, and 75. Chattanooga is known for its many area attractions, including: Chickamauga National Military Park, Incline Railway, Lookout Mountain, Ruby Falls, Rock City, Houston (Glass) Museum, Tennessee Aquarium, and much more.

Be sure to save the date (July 31-August 2) for Chattanooga in 2015!

Tom Phillips
FOHBC Conventions Director

What’s the Attraction for You at National Federation Shows?

By Bill Baab

Why are you here? That’s an easy question, but the answer may not be. You might be here because of a chance to buy quality bottles for your collection. Or you might be here to visit with friends. Or it may be a combination of both answers, with a few personal reasons thrown in. Whatever the reason, the facts remain that you are happy to be here, and you plan to make the most of it.

Before 1976 when the Federation of Historical Bottle Clubs (as it was then known) held its first national show in St. Louis, antique bottle shows were strictly local or regional, attended mostly by collectors and members of the curious public who resided within those locales.

The National Antique Bottle-Jar Exposition held Aug. 14-15, 1976 during our nation’s Bicentennial celebration changed all of that, especially from a collector’s perspective.

“I wasn’t exactly a stranger at bottle shows when the St. Louis show was scheduled, but I’d never traveled so far,” said FOHBC member Tom Hicks, of Eatonton, Ga. “LeRoy Smith (a collector from Union Point, Ga.) and I got so excited because the show was going to be s-o-o-o big. We got to calculating just how many minutes we could spend at each table so we could see everything.” Hicks has attended every national federation show since except Nashville, Tenn. “We had our van all packed and pointed out at the road, ready to go to Nashville, when I came down with a case of kidney stones. I later told my wife, Mabel, that missing that show was worse than the stones and ranked right up there with the other major disappointment of my life — not seeing Boston Red Sox slugger Ted Williams play an exhibition game in Montgomery, Alabama.” Presumably Hicks and his friend found the time to visit all 280 sales tables in St. Louis. Let’s go back in time and check out all the shows leading up to this one. It’s made possible thanks to pages of past issues of Old Bottle Magazine, Bottle News, Antique Bottle World, Antique Bottle & Glass Collector and Bottles & Extras.

The 1976 National Antique Bottle & Jar Exposition – St. Louis, Missouri

There is no doubt this show set the standards for those to follow. There were 140 outstanding displays of bottles and fruit jars, many of which had never been in the public view; 280 sales tables, and 4,000 collectors. Hal Wagner was chairman and Jerry Jones co-chairman of the event. The program featured articles by some of the legends of the hobby, including Helen McKearin, Alice Creswick, George Herron, William E. Covill Jr., Dr. Cecil Munsey, Dick Roller, John Wolf and Paul Ballentine. Ken and Shirley Asher, Old Bottle Magazine publishers, devoted 17 pages to photos of the displays, unfortunately, all in black and white, because color was expensive to print back in those days. There was a surprise awaiting visitors – a commemorative Expo bottle in the shape of a scroll flask with the federation’s distinctive eagle on one side and crossed flags on the other. How many of these bottles sold during the Expo still exist?

The 1980 National Antique Bottle-Jar Exposition – Rosemont, Illinois

The St. Louis extravaganza was a tough act to follow, but show chairman Ken Sosnowski and co-chairman Jim Hall did their darndest and, in the opinions of those who were there, succeeded. There were 330 sales tables and 70 displays, the latter including a Hutchinson bottling display by Bob Harms and Sean Mullikin. Demonstrations on how Hutchinson bottles were actually filled were held every two hours. The 96-page program included articles by Betty Zumwalt, Bob Ferraro and Clevenger Glass Works’ Jim Travis, among others. Souvenirs included a commemorative paperweight to display owners, a miniature stoneware jug to those attending the banquet and suitably inscribed log cabin bottles in cobalt and amethyst made at the Clevenger factory and sold for $20 apiece.

1984 Antique Bottle, Jar & Insulator Exposition – Montgomery, Alabama

After the two previous shows were held in the Midwest, the Sunny South finally got a chance to shine and highlighted insulators on the cover of its 78-page program. Chairman James Robbins called the show “my dream come true.” Feature articles were written by Bernie Puckhaber (Saratogas), Dick Bowman (Insulators) and Dennis Smith (Pioneer Glass Works), among others. The latter also found time to put together an outstanding exhibit on Celery Cola (on which he is still THE authority). There were 32 exhibitors and 204 dealers listed in the program. There also was a heat wave as one might expect in the Deep South during the August show dates so visitors and hosts alike built up lots of sweat equity. One specially made quilt was raffled (and brought $3,400) and the other was auctioned (for $1,600). Profits from the two plus auction of a one-of-a-kind Federation bottle ($325) were donated to the Verbeck House/National Bottle Museum in Ballston Spa, N.Y.

1988 Antique Bottle & Jar Exposition – Las Vegas, Nevada

Show chairman Lou Pellegrini and his crew of volunteers “hit the jackpot,” according to comments from many of those who attended the Federation’s fourth Expo. There were 285 dealers set up on 365 tables and there were 53 displays. Show-goers likened the atmosphere as comparable to that of the St. Louis Expo and, while there were a few glitches, bulk of the comments was positive. Bob Harms had his traveling Hutchinson bottling machine there, while other displays ranged from Alex Kerr’s target balls and go-withs to a display of historical flasks. There was something to please just about everyone. There was no mention of Expo souvenirs.

1991 Bottle & Advertising Show – Memphis, Tennessee

Display of a pair of $40,000 bottles owned by Frank Brockman was one of the highlights of the show at the Memphis Cook Convention Center. One was the Northbend-Tippecanoe Cabin and the other the sapphire blue Columbia-Eagle Flask. “He brought them in from California at my request and we used them in our pre-show publicity,” said show chairman Gene Bradberry. “I borrowed the artwork for the full-color, slick paper flyer from Norm Heckler and used it with his permission. We had 200 sales tables and (Atlanta collector) Bob Simmons handled some great displays. Heckler, Jim Hagenbuch and Dick and Elma Watson were among well-known collectors in attendance.” Bradberry’s idea at the time was to create a national show every year. “There were still those who wanted an Expo every four years so we compromised and had the national shows every year between the Expos.”

1992 Antique Bottle & Jar Exposition – Toledo, Ohio

Show chairman Adam Koch and his Ohio Bottle Club volunteers had to get used to hearing exclamations of “Holy Toledo!” from excited visitors at the show at the Seagate Centre. Bulk of the comments from show-goers was highly positive. The program was the thickest ever, 110 pages counting the covers, with features by Ralph Finch, Bill Agee and Stanley and Isabel Sherwood. There were a bunch of specialty group meetings taking place, too – the Jelly Jammers and those who liked fruit jars, Saratoga Waters, painted label sodas, poisons, whimsies, glass knives, milk bottles and infant feeders. There was a chance for early buyers to get into the show in advance of the rest of the crowd and this did not sit well with many. But as one dealer among those manning a record 550 sales tables put it: “those people were there to buy and they did.” There were 60 displays, all outstanding.

1993 National Advertising & Bottle Show – Richmond, Virginia

Somewhere in the Federation board of directors records, there is mention of someone who probably was suffering from bottle show withdrawal pains suggesting that instead of waiting another four years for an Expo to roll around, why not hold annual national shows. This Virginia show was the first of many and it was a good one. “The show was great and went off without a hitch,” said Federation Chairman Gene Bradberry. There were 17 displays, including a genuine wagon showing off hundreds of medicine bottles and go-withs. Post-show stories never gave a dealer count, but comments given to reporter Ralph Finch were mostly on the positive side.

The 25th Anniversary National Bottle & Advertising Show & National Convention – Cherry Hill, New Jersey – June 22-26, 1994

The Federation was “born” in 1968 so the Silver Anniversary show was a special one, thanks to Dick and Elma Watson of New Jersey and Jerry McCann of Chicago. The Watsons had come up with the idea of a bus trip to Wheaton Village in Millville, N.J., and McCann got the ball (and the bus) rolling, according to a post-show article. The Federation rented the bus for $500 and each one who made the trip paid $10 that included the trip, admission to the museum and a box lunch. The next day, the Watsons arranged for a Wheaton glassblowing display to set up in the hotel parking lot. Collectors from Canada, England, Scotland, Germany, Grenada and the United States came to the show. Some of the visitors made it to the Watsons’ “bottle house.” Jon Panek of Deerfield, Ill., said his visit there “was like dying and going to heaven!”

1995 National Bottle Show – Chicago, Illinois

Dealers set up on 210 tables and there were 11 outstanding displays. Many visitors were able to take a Friday night cruise on the Chicago River and out into Lake Michigan. Jon Panek of Deerfield, Jerry McCann of Chicago and Barb and Bob Harms of Riverdale, Ill., came up with lots of neat extras not normally found at such shows. At previous shows, visitors lamented that two days were just too short. The complaints at this one were that the show was too long. Perhaps the 90-degree heat had something to do with that. One of the most unusual items sold during Jim Hagenbuch’s Glassworks Auction was a salt-glazed jug imprinted with Lancaster Tonic Bitters / C.A. Wood & Co. / 37 Haverhill St. / Boston. It sold for $400. Hagenbuch’s 3-day-old van was stolen, and that was bad enough, but happily there were no bottles inside.

1996 National Antique Bottle Exposition – Nashville, Tennessee

“Music City, USA,” attracted 665 sales tables staffed by 461 dealers and many of those in attendance came in a vacation mode. There were 45 displays. Bitters maven Carlyn Ring was named to the Federation Hall of Fame. Many visitors, among them non-smokers, enjoyed a trip to the Museum of Tobacco Art & History. Show chairman Claude Bellar and his staff of volunteers were lauded for their efforts. Norm Heckler conducted the auction and among noteworthy items were an 1820-30 Concentric Ring Flask that netted $20,000 and a cobalt Columbia Eagle Portrait Flask that garnered $21,000. There were no awards given for the displays, but each entrant received a commemorative bottle of Jack Daniel’s best stuff. Ken Anderson’s trailer, which held all of his Indian cures, go-withs and the great medicine wagon he displayed them in, escaped being damaged when the trailer broke loose from the hitch and wound up in a ditch. “It must have been Indian magic,” commented one observer.

1997 National Antique Bottle Show – Jacksonville, Florida

The show was smaller than usual, with 120 dealers manning 160 tables, but enthusiasm was high for the first show held in the South since the 1993 affair in Richmond, Va. Dick Watson and Doc Ford were inducted into the FOHBC Hall of Fame. Carl Sturm celebrated his birthday and a slice of key lime pie with one candle was delivered to him. There were several outstanding displays, ranging from Wayne Boynton’s Celery=Cola display to Ron Rasnake’s pictorial case gins to Joe Brock’s Jacksonville’s Past in Glass, among others. Another highlight was a dinner cruise up the St. Johns River.

1998 National Antique Bottle Show – Cincinnati, Ohio

Burton Spiller gave a nostalgic talk about the early days of bottle collecting as he remembered them and that was one of the highlights at the Cincinnati Convention Center. Another event was more personal for Spiller, who was inducted into the FOHBC Hall of Fame. Fifteen terrific displays attracted lots of attention. There were 160 dealers’ tables and at one of them, a dealer was going to put out some Beanie Babies. But show chairman Adam Koch was adamant that Beanie Babies had no place at an antique bottle show and sale. Good for him!

1999 National Antique Bottle Show – Cincinnati, Ohio

No one made a bid to play host to this year’s show, so Adam Koch & Co., agreed to do a 2-peat. Howard Dean, longtime collector of Saratoga Springs bottles and author of many stories relating to the bottle hobby, was elected to the FOHBC Hall of Fame during this meeting. Kevin Sives, an FOHBC member and early user of the Internet, gave a user-friendly talk about using that medium to one’s advantage. There were two programs on inks and labeled inks by Keith Leeders and John Hinkle, respectively.

2000 National Antique Bottle Exposition – Denver, Colorado

Dave Cheadle succeeded Dave Hinson as editor of Bottles & Extras and found time to give an educational talk on trade cards and bottles, one of the Rocky Mountain highs during the show. Sheryl Anderson was show chairman and did a remarkable job. There were new books galore from Pike’s Peak Gold by John Eatwell and David Clint III, Antique Glass Bottles by Willy Van den Bossche of Holland, and Bitters Bottles by Bill Ham and Carlyn Ring. Seven countries and 33 states were represented at the event and the federation picked up 60 new members, according to post-show reports. It was noted that the first FOHBC convention was held in Denver back in 1969, presided over by John Eatwell.

2001 National Antique Bottle Show & Sale – Muncie, Indiana

Thirteen exhibits featuring fruit jars, water bottles, poisons and show globes, among others, and 140 sales tables highlighted the show in “Fruit Jar Country, USA.” Future federation president Ralph Van Brocklin gave a slide presentation on Western Whiskey Flasks. The show was chaired by Norman Barnett, with lots of help from his wife, Junne. The federation made a nice profit via an auction conducted by Norm Heckler with lots ranging from inks to barber bottles. Collectors came from California, Colorado and Georgia. The Minnestrista Cultural Center housed a collection of patent models of fruit jars plus other exhibits relating to Muncie history and the Ball Brothers Fruit Jar Co. Visitors literally had a ball!

2002 National Antique Bottle Show & Sale – Syracuse, New York

The 72-page program features 16 pages of “Pride of New York” bottles in full color and is definitely a coveted collector’s item. Ralph Van Brocklin, who was elected FOHBC president, gave a seminar on Western Flasks, and George Waddy, a featured columnist in Antique Bottle & Glass Collector, gave one on Saratoga Bottles. There was more on Saratogas inside the program written by authority Howard Dean, while Kevin A. Sives wrote about New York glass houses of the 17th through 19th centuries. Elma Watson, John Eatwell and Mayor Bob Ferraro were inducted into the FOHBC Hall of Fame. Phyllis and Adam Koch wrote a touching tribute to Elma Watson in the September Bottles & Extras. Mrs. Watson died of cancer on Aug. 26, 2002. There were 252 sales tables and 29 exhibits and the show’s auction conducted by Norm Heckler grossed $25,000.

2003 National Antique Bottle Show & Sale – Louisville, Kentucky

More than 200 tables awaited early buyers at this show co-hosted by Wayne and June Lowry of Raymore, Mo., after two years of planning. Longtime collectors Norm and Junne Barnett were inducted into the Federation Hall of Fame. They set up their famous collection of unusual fruit jar closures as one of 16 educational exhibits. Orville Seals of North Jackson, Ohio displayed more than 100 Louisville mini jugs (mostly from the Bauer Pottery). Norm Heckler called the auction which grossed more than $30,000.

2004 National Antique Bottle Exposition – Memphis, Tennessee

Ralph Van Brocklin closed out his last term as FOHBC president with the triumph that was this Expo. Chaired by his friend and longtime federation member Gene Bradberry in the latter’s home town, the show featured 371 sales tables and 23 displays. Seminars included such topics as baby bottles, locating sites and digging them, black glass dating, fruit jars and bitters. Twelve authors got a chance to sign and sell their books. Jimmie Wood of Denver, N.C., was awarded the FOHBC People’s Choice ribbon for his stunning display of applied color label sodas from North and South Carolina. There also was a forum describing the trials and tribulations of becoming a book author, with Jack Sullivan, Dewey Heetderks, Jerry McCann, John Eatwell and Bill Ham chiming in.

2005 National Antique Bottle Show – Grand Rapids, Michigan

Thirty-one outstanding displays awaited visitors’ attention at the show where chairman John Pastor and his crew of volunteers did a marvelous job. Seminars were plentiful and first class, with Red Book author Doug Leybourne discoursing on fruit jar closures, Carl Sturm speaking about identification and dating of black glass bottles, Dann Louis talking about cures, Dan Simons on Michigan bottles, Wayne (Jar Doctor) Lowry about cleaning old bottles, Dr. Darell Erickson on infant feeders, Rick Cirali about Connecticut glass and Mark Vuono on historical flasks. Norm Heckler again loaned his auctioneering talents to the Federation. One of the outstanding bottles sold was a green Drake’s Plantation Bitters for $10,500.

2006 National Antique Bottle Show – Reno, Nevada

This was the first national show held in a Western state since the 2000 Expo in Denver, Colorado, and it was a roaring success, thanks to the efforts of FOHBC conventions director Wayne Lowry, show chairman Marty Hall and Reno-Sparks club members. There were 287 in line for early admission and 315 more for general admission, making for standing room only around the 266 sales tables. A significant piece of federation business was the approval to publish Bottles & Extras bi-monthly instead of quarterly. California collector Richard Siri was the keynote speaker and his discourse on Hostetter’s Bitters was complemented by his 190 variants of those well-known bottles. The displays drew this rave from Ralph Van Brocklin: “Hands down, THE BEST group of displays I have ever seen at a show!” Wonderful seminar topics ranging from target balls to historical bottle research were highlights of the meeting. B&E editor Kathy Hopson-Sathe gave the show coverage more than17 pages of the Fall issue and Van Brocklin did a masterful job of describing what went on.

2007 National Bottle Show – Collinsville, Illinois

“Back To Where It All Began” was the theme at Collinsville’s Gateway Center, pointing to the inaugural national show held in 1976 across the Mississippi River in St. Louis, Missouri. Special pins were presented to “Long Timers” who attended both shows. Wayne (Jar Doctor) Lowry was show chairman, with assists from Curt and Ellen Faulkenberry, Jim and Debbie Taylor and Pat Jett. Wayne’s wife, June, business manager for the federation, was stunned to receive the President’s Award from Carl Sturm. Seminars ranged from “Something for Everyone” by Jelly Jammer members Phyllis Pahlman and Margaret Shaw to “Chero-Cola – There’s None So Good” by Dennis Smith to “Using the Internet to Collect Bottles” by John “Digger” Odell to “Ink Symposium” by Keith Leeders, John Hinkel, Ed and Lucy Faulkner, Frank Starczek and Don Carroll. Longtime collectors and federation members Gene Bradberry and Ed Provine did a show and tell session on early glass-blowing methods and tools of that trade. Other highlights included 19 outstanding displays. Greg Hawley, one of a group of treasure hunters who found and excavated the Steamboat Arabia, was the banquet speaker.

2008 National Antique Bottle Exposition – York, Pennsylvania

Collectors from across the country and around the world (Australia, Germany, United Kingdom) made the trek to the ninth Federation Expo where they enjoyed seeing 32 terrific displays ranging from fruit jars to California perfumes. They also attended outstanding seminars on Saratoga waters, black glass, inks, the Lancaster, N.Y. Glass Works and the Kola Wars. Convention Director R. Wayne Lowry reported 415 sales tables had been sold. Perhaps the show’s only negative aspect came at the banquet where featured foods were in short supply and some of the 246 guests had to accept substitutes. The FOHBC Hall of Fame grew by four new inductees in Tom Caniff, Jim Hagenbuch, Carl Sturm and Betty Zumwalt. Steve Ketcham and the late Katie Foglesong were inducted onto the Honor Roll. Norm Heckler once again was the auctioneer for the Expo event, with an early, olive-green Wryghte’s Bitters / London the top lot with a $3,900 bid. Russ Smith of the United Kingdom and Rex and Joanna Barber of Australia penned views of the Expo from their perspectives in the November-December Bottles & Extras. Former FOHBC president John Pastor resigned as Midwest Region director and Jamie Houdeshell was named to take over the post. Mr. Pastor accepted the position of second vice president and remains on the board of directors. June Lowry became editor of B&E after Kathy Hopson-Sathe was forced to step down because of illness.

2009 National Antique Bottle Show – Pomona, California

Highlight of this show, host of which was the Los Angeles Historical Bottle Club, was the awards banquet during which many collectors received their just dues. It was the first Federation National Show to be held on the West Coast. Onlookers included collectors and dealers from Australia and England, as well as from 18 states. Outstanding exhibits included Richard Tucker’s historical flasks (winning the People’s Choice ribbon) and Terry Monteith’s well-displayed collection of demijohns and carboys captured the FOHBC Most Educational ribbon. Alan DeMaison received the President’s Award for his outstanding contributions as Federation treasurer from Richard Siri. The FOHBC Hall of Fame gained another member in Johnnie Fletcher of the Oklahoma Territory Bottle & Relic Club. Johnnie was originally nominated by his friend, Ed Stewart, of Paola, Kansas, for inclusion on the FOHBC Honor Roll. but Johnnie’s dedication and contributions to the hobby led board members to vote him into the main shrine. Midwest Region Editor Joe Coulson’s Glass Chatter of the Midwest Antique Fruit Jar & Bottle Club was a first-class winner in the newsletter category. The Ohio Swirl, edited by Phyllis Koch of The Ohio Bottle Club, was second. Huron Valley Antique Bottle Club’s show flyer was first and the Antique Bottle Club of San Diego placed second. Jack Sullivan, of Alexandria, Va., won for the best researched article for “The Night the Axe Fell on Cleveland.” Dave Maryo, the host club’s president, was second with his article, “Forsha’s Balm is Endorsed by President Lincoln.” Mike Bryant won the the best true story award for “The Snake in the Glass” and best fiction for “Ask Aunt Blabby.”

2010 National Antique Bottle Show – Wilmington, Ohio

Best thing about this show, those who attended would agree, was the Roberts Centre showroom with its well-lighted, wide aisles, offering plenty of room for 297 sales tables, 20 wonderful displays and hordes of people. Show chairman Jamie Houdeshell became ill a few days before the show, but co-chairman Joe Hardin and chief coordinator Patty Elwood stepped up. They were assisted by Jamie’s parents/ Jim and Mira Houdeshell, as well as Richard Elwood and John and Margie Bailey. Jamie’s pet project was the auction and, thanks to his early efforts. the event grossed just shy of $20,000. A highlight of the show was the induction of Scott Grandstaff and Kitty Roach, of Happy Camp, Calif., onto the FOHBC Honor Roll. Joining them was another Californian, Jeff Wichmann. Scott and Kitty founded the original Bottles and Extras magazine, eventually giving it to the Federation when it got too much for them. Sheldon Baugh gave an educational talk about Ohio’s Shaker communities and displayed Shaker bottles from his own collection.

2011 National Show – Memphis, Tennessee

FOHBC President Gene Bradberry played the perfect host as the Federation returned to the Southland for the first time since 2004. That show also was held in Memphis, known for its downtown trolley cars and barbecue. Second Vice President Ferdinand Meyer V outlined his progress on the FOHBC web site (FOHBC.org) and Virtual Museum during the semi-annual board meeting held prior to the show and sale. Seminars were held dealing with inks (John Hinkel), bitters (Meyer, Don Keating and Sheldon Baugh), odd-closured fruit jars (Dick Watson), German colognes (Carl Sturm) and applied color label sodas (Randee Kaiser). Seven outstanding displays sparked interest, with Base-Embossed Cylinder Whiskeys by Steve Schingler winning the Most Educational Award and Patented Labeled Medicines by Henry Tankersley garnering the People’s Choice Award. Ninety-one lots were offered during the FOHBC National Auction, with the highlight of the sale the Morning Call Bitters going for $5,460, which was $1,460 over the high estimate. The unique variant, light amber with a hint of olive in color, sports deeply indented panels and arched column corners. Another highlight was the induction of Bill Baab, of Augusta, Georgia, into the FOHBC Hall of Fame. Former Federation Treasurer Mike Newman, of Martinez, Ga., nominated the 76-year-old Baab, who joined the Federation in 1996 and later became its Southern Region editor.

2012 National Antique Bottle Exposition – Reno, Nevada

Those who were there at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino included longtime collector and published author Mike Polak, of Long Beach, California. Let’s hear all about it from Mike: “Over the years, I’ve attended a large number of club bottle shows, national shows and Expos, and I need to say that the Reno 2012 Expo was absolutely fantastic and probably the best all around show I’ve ever attended!” If that comment didn’t make show co-chairmen Marty Hall and Richard Siri proud, who knows what will? This was a show of “firsts” in the hobby. Complementing the thousands of words written about the show were a series of great color photos from the lenses of the first professional show photographer, Scott Selenak. (“There was so much action, my camera couldn’t stop firing,” he said later). Norman C. Heckler & Co., conducted the first “Drakes, Whiskey & Umbrella Ink Shootout” where more than 200 people showed up. Competing in back-to-back-to-back “duels” were Circle Cutter Whiskey cylinders, Drakes Plantation Bitters and umbrella inks. After all was said and done, Judges Bruce Silva, Dennis Bray and Ralph Hollibaugh awarded Steve Hubbell, of Gig Harbor, Washington, top billing in the Cutter category for his olive green-amber specimen. Drakes Judges Jeff Noordsy, Jeff Burchardt and Rick Simi picked a blue-green example owned by Ferdinand Meyer, of Houston, Texas as No. 1. Umbrella inks Judges Holly Noordsy, Bryan Grapentine and Jamie Houdeshell chose a mint and pontiled puce ink owned by Jim Jacobitz, of San Francisco. “I learned how to have a shootout with killer glass bullets and still remain friends,” said veteran collector Lou Lambert. Two longtime contributors to the hobby, Warren Friedrich, of Grass Valley, Calif., and Jack Sullivan, of Alexandria, Va., were inducted into the FOHBC Hall of Fame. Fourteen scintillating displays ranging from David Hall’s fantastic assortment of E.G. Booz bottles to Dennis Bray’s outstanding EC&M insulators to eye candy Swirls, Whirls, Twists & Twirls from Dwayne Anthony, featuring bottles, fruit jars and insulators.

Our Los Angeles Historical Bottle Club April meeting had a special guest that was invited to our meeting to talk about bitters. Dave Kyle (red cap) hosted a bitters forum and shared some of his collection with our members. Our members were in awe by those rare and beautiful figural bitters. Dave talked about collecting bitters and some of the notable collectors that share his love of figural bitters. He also shared with us the history of how he acquired some of his favorite bottles. During the presentation our members were encouraged to ask questions and comment on bitters bottles.

Discussions started quickly and continued for about an hour. When the bitters conversations died down a bit, Dave offered our members the opportunity to come up and get a close look at his bottles. You could see the awe and respect in the faces of many of our members when they examined the bottles. It was a fantastic event that our club members will not soon forget thanks to Dave Kyle’s generous offer to share his bitters with us that evening.

Dave Maryo
LAHBC President

Great crowds at the Baltimore Show – photo by Jerry Forbes

2013 Baltimore Bottle Show Report

By Dave Maryo

I had been looking forward to my trip to Baltimore for several months. It’s always a great bottle show and I also attend the Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors meeting during the same weekend. My flight out was the day after the February Los Angeles club meeting. I was exhausted from working through the day and attending the LA club meeting the night before, but I was still excited to be on my way to Baltimore for the weekend of events.

The FOHBC meeting took most of the morning on Saturday, but we had a good meeting and got a lot accomplished. I spent the afternoon resting and calling some friends to see if they would be attending the show. Most said they would be at the show, but one lucky digger told me he was sixteen feet down in an early hotel privy pulling out some fantastic 1840 to 1860 bottles and would not attend this year. The next morning I arrived at the show
and found the parking lots already full at 6 AM. It was a long walk to the building in 28 degrees with gusts of wind blowing so hard it stung any exposed skin. I met Baltimore Bottle Club member Andy Agnew at the entrance table and I was finally in the world’s largest antique bottle show!

After having a good night’s sleep on Saturday I was ready to visit with some old friends and meet some new ones. The amount of information that I gain by attending these shows is more than I could gain by reading an entire room full of books on antique bottles. Talking to other collectors, especially advanced collectors, can help you learn more about bottles in your own collection and expose you to other bottles that you might like even more in the process. Each time I go to a large bottle show I learn something new about glass produced in the early years of our country. I also learn about other types of rare bottles and early glass products. No matter what type of bottles you collect going to a large show like Baltimore or Auburn can be a great learning experience.

My first stop on the sales floor was at John Pastor’s table. John has some rare pattern molded bottles in his next auction that I wanted to examine in person. His partner Liz smiled and set 4 globular swirl bottles on the counter. I love this type of glass and seeing the quality and the colors in this group caused me to pause for a moment before picking up the first one to examine it.

Next I stopped at Dale Murschell’s table to talk to him about the Wistarburgh Glass Works. Dale has a wealth of knowledge about Wistarburgh. I purchased his book on Wistarburgh last year and had some questions to ask him about the products produced at the glass works. I was lucky enough to catch up with Dale and discuss some of the characteristics of Wistarburgh glass products. I thanked Dale for taking time to talk to me and moved on to talk to other collectors. I spotted a very rare small free blown globular bottle on Jeff and Holly Noordsy’s table and moved closer to take a look. Their table is always sure to make me stop and look at their bottles and glass. I don’t know what I enjoy more, the items they bring for sale or the artistic displays they create with all their great bottles and glass. Talking to them you can learn a lot about both early New England and Midwestern glass products. Next I stopped by to talk to Norm Heckler. Norm has always been one of my mentors for collecting early bottles and glass. Norm has had some great sales lately with fantastic bottles. Most of the bottles and glass in his latest sales have had closing prices that would drain my bank account, but there have been a few bottles lately that I have seriously considered even at that price range. As time moved on I realized that I was caught up in the crowd and I could no longer move freely around the show. I now was just moving with the crowd and stopping at some tables along the way.

I spent some of my time helping out at the FOHBC table to talk to collectors about the FOHBC and membership. It was also a chance to get off my feet for a while and talk to other FOHBC board members. I decided to get back in the crowd and stopped to talk to Bill Ham who was at the Glass Works Auction table. Then in one of the isles I spotted a fantastic pot lid that I knew Cindy would like. I knew the pot lid would be out of my price range, but I talked to the man behind the table anyway since he had two other pot lids that might be in my price range. When I looked at his name tag I recognized his name immediately. I asked him if he was the same Ben Swanson that sold his collection of 1,300 pot lids at the Hammer Rooke sale in 1990. A large smile appeared on his face as he confirmed that it was his collection. He went on to tell me about his first attempts to sell the collection to museums in England and how he came to sell the collection through Hammer Rooke. We had a great conversation about pot lids and I asked if I could take a picture of the pot lids he had for sale. I explained that my wife collects pot lids and she would love to see the large multicolored example of the pot lid showing Washington crossing the Delaware River. He was happy to oblige and took the pot lids out of his display case and arranged them on the table for me to photograph. Ben told me he plans to consign the three pot lids to Glassworks Auctions for a future sale. Maybe I will have another chance to by one of Ben’s pot lids for Cindy’s collection.

After having looked over all of the seller’s tables I spent some time over at the displays. The milk glass display stood out from the others. It had some wonderful early glass and I had a chance to talk to Gary Katzen about some of the pieces in his display. The more we talked it was evident that we shared the same passion for early glass. It was getting toward the time I needed to leave for my flight back to Los Angeles and I still had not found any items to purchase. While looking at some of the seller’s tables I ran into Jerry Forbes and he told me about a dealer that had a rare Los Angeles whiskey for sale. Jerry took me over to the dealer’s table to take a look. I already had an example of the whiskey, but the price was right and it was my first and last purchase of the day.

It was time to go and I said my final good byes to my bottle collecting friends. As I packed up and headed to the airport for the long flight home I was already
thinking about attending the show next year.

Download Show Contract & Flyer (Not available yet)

PRESS RELEASES | UPDATES

18 April 2013

Conceptual artwork considerations submitted to Lexington Show Chairs for consideration.

August 1-3 for Lexington in 2014!

18 September 2012

PRESS RELEASE:

The 2014 FOHBC National Show will be held Sunday, August 3rd at the Lexington Convention Center in Lexington, Kentucky. The Hyatt Regency Lexington will be the host hotel and is connected to the Convention Center. Sheldon Baugh and Randee Kaiser will be serving as co-show chairpersons. Lexington is a historic city (founded 1775) located at the cross-section of Interstate 64 and 75. Louisville, KY and Cincinnati,OH are just an hour away. Lexington has many area attractions including: Ashland (Henry Clay’s Home), Mary Todd Lincoln’s House, Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill, and thoroughbred horse farms.

Be sure to save the date of August 1-3 for Lexington in 2014!

Download Show Contract & Flyer

PRESS RELEASES | UPDATES

08 May 2013 – Latest Hotel Information

If you’re looking to call the Radisson to book a room, the local phone number is 603.625.1000. You need to use our group code: FOHBC3. Our negotiated rates are: $119 single/double, $129 triple and $139 quad. It is a pet friendly hotel and the rate to bring your furry friend is $25 per day (confirm).

Because the room block at the Radisson is so tight, only 9 rooms for Friday and 8 for Saturday are remaining. Maureen Crawford (co-chair) negotiated the same rates at the Hilton Garden Inn as we have at the Radisson. The Hilton is a 15 minute walk to the Radisson. If you haven’t booked your room at the Radisson yet, you might want to do so before the remaining rooms are gone. To book the FOHBC rates at the Hilton, call them directly at 603.669.2222 and give them the FOHBC name or mention Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors.

30 April 2013 – Banquet Speaker Announced

Manchester banquet talk announced. If you haven’t reserved your dinner seat yet, please do as soon as possible!

Education and Sharing are the Keys to Great Collecting!

by Mark Vuono

Mark Vuono was born and raised in Stamford, Connecticut where he still resides with his lovely and gracious wife Annie. They have two sons, Andrew and David. Mark was subjected to bottle collecting at the early age of nine as his father was the legendary pioneer flask collector Charles Vuono. Mark recalls the first two flasks his dad purchased were a quart Stoddard double eagle and a quart Willington flask READ MORE

17 April 2013 – Show Raffles!

Great news! A $5 thousand dollar anonymous donation has been given to the FOHBC Manchester Show to conduct a raffle or raffles during the show (both early admission and general admission*). The FOHBC thanks this well known west coast auctioneer for this generous gift. Another GREAT reason to attend the show!

We’ll be using this donation to have a $1,000 raffle on Saturday for the early buyers and eight $500 prizes throughout the day on Sunday. Dealers setting up at the show are also eligible for these raffles. Vouchers will be given to the lucky winners to be spent at the show.

There will also be a separate raffle (above and beyond the raffles noted above) for a $1,000 bottle to benefit the Virtual Museum. The show Chairs (Michael George and Maureen Crawford) will have authority to buy a flask or equivalent piece of glass with the money. We will sell six $1 raffle tickets for $5. The winner will not have to be present. The person making the $1,000 donation does not want public recognition.

*FOHBC officers, show chairpersons, and their spouses/partners are not eligible for the $5,000 promotion.

06 April 2013 - Latest advertisement for show.

05 April 2013 – New England Bottle Battle

Norman C. Heckler & Company art for New England Bottle Battle

01 April 2013 – Show Schedule

Updated Show Schedule

31 March 2013 – Seminars

2013 National Antique Bottle Show Seminars Announced

Michael George, show chair and Rick Ciralli, seminar coordinator for the 2013 FOHBC National Antique Bottle Show in Manchester, New Hampshire just announced officially, an exciting line-up of seminars and presenters that will want to be added to your show agenda. Wow, what a line-up. The best-of-the-best and the who-of-the-who’s will share some time and insight with us in some fascinating areas.

See seminar listings and presenters

04 March 2013 – Table Update

[from Maureen Crawford Show C-Chair]

Received seven more contracts this weekend in Baltimore, only 47 tables left for the FOHBC National show in Manchester NH July 19-21. Get your contracts in before they are all gone. The block I have at the Radisson Hotel for our negotiated rate is filling up.

24 February 2013 – Collect Free or Die!

MANCHESTER 2013 “Collect Free Or Die!” article in Bottles and Extras (Read Article)

14 January 2013 – Great Article

Bottle collectors work to organize NH’s first national show in Manchester.

Super article about Michael George and the FOHBC National Antique Bottle Show in Manchester, NH this coming July. Only 80 or so tables left! (Read Article). Make your reservations now.

10 January 2013 – Table Update

Tables sold: 166

There are only 88 tables left available for the show as of this date.

19 December 2012 – Glass Works Show Auction

2013 National Antique Bottle Show Auction News – CONSIGNMENTS NEEDED! Please support our Auctioneer for the 2013 National Antique Bottle Show in Manchester, New Hampshire. We are proud to say the Jim Hagenbuch and crew at Glass Works Auctions will be heading up the auction! Read Notices

16 November 2012 – General Update

From Maureen Crawford (Show Co-Chair):

FOHBC 2013 Manchester NH National Show update:

As of today 150 tables have been reserved leaving only 104 tables available for those of you who have not sent in your contracts.

If you’re based in the NJ area which was affected by Hurricane Sandy we’re allowing a 30 day timeline to get your contracts into me after you’ve notified me you want a table. After 30 days if I don’t receive your contract the tables will be put back into the block of available tables.

05 November 2012 – New England Bottle Battle

29 October 2012 – Table Update

Maureen Crawford (Show Co-Chair) e-mail: mcrawf@comcast.net

139 Paid Tables to date

31 August 2012 – Updated Info

Updated Show Information and Contract

21 July 2012 – Show Contract

Attached is a PDF of the 2013 FOHBC show contracts. Feel free to pass them on and place them on the appropriate websites. I will also have roughly 100 of them at Reno… can always print more if necessary. Michael George  (Show Chairman)

“I’m figuring it’ll start at the 1st tables closest to the door then fan out from there so people who get their contracts in the quickest will be up front of each aisle.” – Maureen Crawford (Show Co-Chair)

05 July 2012 – Glass Works Auctions Selected

The FOHBC Board of Directors has selected Glass Works Auctions to be the official bottle auction company for the 2013 FOHBC National Show in Manchester, New Hampshire. A competitive bid process was used to make the selection. The auction will be held Saturday, July 20 at 7:00 PM at the Radisson Expo Center of New Hampshire. Auction lot viewing will be available on site prior to the auction, online, and at Glass Works Auctions Gallery in East Greenville, PA. Fore more information, please contact Glass Works Auctions at (215)-679-5849 or email at glswrk@enter.net

Tom Phillips, FOHBC Conventions Director

16 March 2012 – Manchester Show Announcement

2013 National Show Selection: The 2013 FOHBC National Show location has been selected! Using a competitive bid process with the FOHBC member clubs in the Northeast region, the Merrimack Valley Bottle Club was chosen to host the National Show in Manchester, New Hampshire. They will be assisted by the Little Rhody Bottle Club, New England Bottle Club, and Yankee Bottle Club. FOHBC meetings and the banquet will be held Friday, July 19, 2013. Seminars, show set-up, and auction (if applicable) will be Saturday, July 20, 2013. The show will be open to the public on Sunday, July 21, 2013. Mike George and Maureen Crawford will be the show co-chairpersons. Contracts will be available on the FOHBC website July 20, 2012.

Tom Phillips, FOHBC Conventions Director