I attend a fair share of Western shows throughout the year and am already saddened to see how few collectors there are under the age of about 40-50 yrs. old. However, blog sites like this, bottle auctions, and digging videos on YouTube will help to offset the otherwise dismal decay of new digger & collector interest in old bottles. With the looming near certainty that bottle shows and most digging (especially new dumps or ghost town discoveries) will dry up or disappear altogether, I am still bullish on where the hobby stands today. Here's why: 1.) There are more ways to find bottles & find out about bottles than ever before; 2.) Time is on our side. Bottles "age" well as passes by. 3.) It's not too late to do the small things to bring in new blood & interest to the hobby -- give a kid a bottle, share your knowledge, speak at a local library or in a History class at a school, collect & dig with the future in mind; 4.) Despite more focus and time spent on the Internet, watching TV, playing video games, or at a shopping mall, I believe Americans in particular will always have a unique fascination and admiration with the Old West, frontierism, and the entrepreneurial spirit that many of our old bottles and advertising capture and represent so well! The next time you come across a 12 year old kid that shows an interest in the hobby, keep in mind they soon will become the next generation of diggers & collectors if we share our passion, take an interest in them, and give them reason enough to get hooked like we all seem to be....old bottles are very underrated and deserve more recognition as a unique type of collectible, more significance assigned to their historical value, more respect as to intrinsic beauty (like art), and more attention by future generations. It's up to us to set the tone.
Bob Kaiser and I mess around with repro Booz bottles and Doc Ritz likes early repro historical flakes . Some say what do you want with that stuff . When I started collecting I thought a inside screw whiskey was about the neatest thing since sliced bread . These were only 60 years old at the time . Early repro Booz bottles are 80 years old now . So whats the difference - PRICE . Start the young ones out with bottles they can afford , if interested they will move back in time to older bottles .
Is it true the "Rick Song" was debuted over the PA system on Friday ?
ReplyDeleteis that the song featuring Puffy-P ?
ReplyDeletewhoa guys, I don't see anyone under the age of 50 at the show. are all shows like that ?
ReplyDeleteHaha, I have a feeling I know what song that is.
ReplyDeleteAny chance of getting the Rick "Puffy" P. bottle song uploaded to the blog page so others can know what the heck you're talking about ??
ReplyDeleteI attend a fair share of Western shows throughout the year and am already saddened to see how few collectors there are under the age of about 40-50 yrs. old. However, blog sites like this, bottle auctions, and digging videos on YouTube will help to offset the otherwise dismal decay of new digger & collector interest in old bottles. With the looming near certainty that bottle shows and most digging (especially new dumps or ghost town discoveries) will dry up or disappear altogether, I am still bullish on where the hobby stands today. Here's why: 1.) There are more ways to find bottles & find out about bottles than ever before; 2.) Time is on our side. Bottles "age" well as passes by. 3.) It's not too late to do the small things to bring in new blood & interest to the hobby -- give a kid a bottle, share your knowledge, speak at a local library or in a History class at a school, collect & dig with the future in mind; 4.) Despite more focus and time spent on the Internet, watching TV, playing video games, or at a shopping mall, I believe Americans in particular will always have a unique fascination and admiration with the Old West, frontierism, and the entrepreneurial spirit that many of our old bottles and advertising capture and represent so well! The next time you come across a 12 year old kid that shows an interest in the hobby, keep in mind they soon will become the next generation of diggers & collectors if we share our passion, take an interest in them, and give them reason enough to get hooked like we all seem to be....old bottles are very underrated and deserve more recognition as a unique type of collectible, more significance assigned to their historical value, more respect as to intrinsic beauty (like art), and more attention by future generations. It's up to us to set the tone.
ReplyDeleteThose Dos Amigos guys look like somebodies I seen on a wall at the Post Office somewhere. You can tell by them beady eyes, they are Trouble.
ReplyDeleteBob Kaiser and I mess around with repro Booz bottles and Doc Ritz likes early repro historical flakes . Some say what do you want with that stuff . When I started collecting I thought a inside screw whiskey was about the neatest thing since sliced bread . These were only 60 years old at the time . Early repro Booz bottles are 80 years old now . So whats the difference - PRICE . Start the young ones out with bottles they can afford , if interested they will move back in time to older bottles .
ReplyDelete