Sunday, January 27, 2013




4 comments:

  1. The sign says "incorporated". Is this a later piece??
    I know of one of these jars that was dug in Ca in Sonoma County about 30 yrs ago. I think it was a half gallon. I remember seeing it and noticing the resemblance to the San Francisco Glass Works wax sealer, since I had just unearthed 2 of those just months earlier ! I was very impressed with the Seller jar, as I was unaware that any other wax sealers from the West even existed !
    Nice write up Dale !
    AP

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  2. Thanks Tom,

    The sign looks like it dates to about 1890-1900. Notice also that it appears the "and retail" had been covered at some point...the company did not last much beyond 1900 and the documented info I have is pretty clear about the company not being a corporation...I believe that it may have became a corporation when Moses moved back to Germany in the 1890s. Sorry for the "double post, but the text I worked so hard on disappeared during the first post, and I could not figure out how to delete it.
    I am looking for a half gallon if anyone has one they would part with.

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  3. I’m often intrigued at how and where some bottles turn-up and the tie in they may have had to the location where found. Certain bottles are often only found in certain areas and here’s a strange one. The 1/2 gallon Seller jar that A.P. refers to was dug in a tiny town 750 miles south of Portland. What’s even more strange is that in addition to the intact highly whittled half gallon jar, I also dug three other broken ones in other parts of this little community.

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  4. That is amazing Lou! I wonder with the huge number of employees M. Seller had on staff, if his sales team did not travel quite a distance to expand their business? Or, possibly an employee,and family relocated to your area and brought some jars with them? Were the broken and whole jars found on the same lot,or at least the same neighborhood? This might indicate an outlet of Seller or at least a corner mercantile which carried their goods. Weird stuff...like the Dr. Furber's from Yreka being found in Central Cal.and the Bay area... or the Portland Unkweed being dug in Virginia City, NV!!!!
    Someday, someone will stumble upon some podunk town with Clubhouses in every hole, or Baker and Cutting pickles! DM

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