Saturday, December 31, 2016

Happy New Year

Sit back and open a bottle of Claret and toast the New Year!
 
(Claret style bottle)

Friday, December 30, 2016

Some information from the San Francisco Daily Alta California Newspaper dated September 24 1884 about the Oakland Glass Works.

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

From the Western Whiskey Gazette

Awww John - Not Again!?

Recently there's been quite a bit of discussion on the WBN site surrounding the serif "R". You know, the "R" embossed on many western bottles with the funny crooked right leg.

Someone  posed the question about just how late the "R" had remained in common usage. In other words; what is the newest bottle we could think of that has the distinctive R. I got to looking at the shelves here, and came up with a side by side comparison of old molds vs. new: Choice Old Cabinet Ky Bourbon. Yep, there were two distinctively different molds used by Crane Hastings & Co. to bottle their flagship brand. One is the older mold with the distinctive older Playdough style embossing and the glop top.



The other is a very crisp and distinctive new mold that is  obviously later and only comes with a tooled top.

To enjoy more on the continuing western "R" saga check out the entire post over at The Western Whiskey Gazette http://www.westernwhiskeytooltopgazette.com/2016/12/recently-theres-beenquite-bit-of.html

Saturday, December 24, 2016

MERRY CHRISTMAS
 

from the WESTERN BOTTLE NEWS
 
&
 
Western Sierra Firearms
 


Friday, December 23, 2016

From Charles Festersen

Hi - Rick:
At the 49er show you told me you were collecting western"R" bottles now so I thought I would send you a photo of one, I have, that I think is unusual. It is a gravitating stopper "Amador County / Soda Works". According to Tod von Mechow it is from Jackson, Calif. circa 1875 -1880. I am not aware of any other gravitating stopper bottles with western "R"s. Are you? Just for fun I will mention that the best deal on western "R"s is the C.A. Reiners & Co soda as you get 8 curved "R"s on one bottle! - Charles
 


 

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Helping Hand, F & Co, Western Med

Dug in Salinas a few years ago. Any info would help. Thanks Brent






Thursday, December 8, 2016

Now hear this. Coming this Spring - Expo 2017!



In conjunction with the Regional Rogue Valley Antique Show~ 


12,000 square feet of Anything and Everything Antique 

All under one roof.

Mark your calendar!


Monday, December 5, 2016

49er Roseville Show Report

 I thought I would post a brief report of the 49er "Best of the West" show held this past weekend in Roseville. This show has become quite an event, and while I miss Auburn, Max, Mike and the team have put together a show that is exciting to attend.

 This year's show seemed very well attended and the hall was packed with people searching for the next treasure to add to their collection. There was a wide variety of items on tables from bottles and insulators to advertising and western memorabilia. The "shotgun start", was interesting as dealers and buyers were allowed to enter the hall at the same 9:00 am start time. This seemed to work well, although it was difficult for me to be everywhere at once during the subsequent chaos. People were dashing from table to table looking for a great deal...and deals there were.

 Since there are two major western collections being offered via auction in the next two months, it seemed like some fantastic western pieces sat on tables for awhile, and many did not sell. People must be saving their money, as I saw great glass at bargain prices on many tables. There was a strong example of an amber Gold Dust, and a super aqua N. Van Bergen. On another table I noticed a light yellow "A No.1" Cutter, Teakettle, and Fleckenstein & Mayer fifth. Numerous "Circle Cutter's", Mid-Crowns, N. Grange, Columbian, McKenna's, Hotaling Shoulder Crown, a GREEN "Non-Crown", and many others. I did not see any of them sell, even though they were strong examples and VERY reasonably priced. There was even a mint cobalt S.F. Gaslight, and the finest cobalt Taylor Eureka pontiled soda I have ever seen. I did notice that western flasks were nonexistant, with one Fleckenstein & Mayer knife edge...

 Jeff Wichmann's table was really popular as usual and while I was fortunate enough to be in the front row, I was unable to snatch anything for my collection. There were some samplings of upcoming auction bottles, and a video slide show of the real " heavies" to be auctioned in February.

I can tell you that early western medicines are HOT! The most active buying I witnessed, was with the early medicines. I saw virtually every one purchased as soon as it was put on the table. There was a nice selection of applied top western meds, and most went to happy collectors.

All in all, it was a fun show, and provided an amazing raffle selection, pizza brought in, and fellowship...I still miss Auburn, but no matter where this show is held, I will be there!

Dale M.

Thursday, December 1, 2016

This Weekend






Bring your want list, cash savings and GPS or street map to find the Fairgrounds.
See you there - rs -

From Michael Burgess

AARON EVANS OPENED AN APOTHECARY STORE IN 1872 AT 229 HAYES CORNER OF
LAGUNA IN SAN FRANCISCO AND REMAINED THERE UNTIL 1888 IN 1884 HE CAME
OUT WITH A POISON OAK REMEDY MY QUESTION IS IS THERE AN EMBOSSED BOTTLE
OR ONE WITH A LABEL KNOWN FOR THIS REMEDY

Anyone have any info for Michael on this product? - rs -

More on J.R. Williams / National Horse




Looks like he had other irons in the fire. Bruce Silva
Anyone ever seen the Williams "Little Gem" Ague cure embossed or paper labeled?
How about Stockton collector Charles H. from Herald have you heard of it? 
- rs -

 
 
Search for Egyptian Corn Cure was fruitless.
 
I did find references to numerous products, in addition to HHH Horse medicine, registered during the partnership of Williams and Moore~ They ranged from Gopher and Squirrel Poison to Salmon's Infallible Hair Restorative.
 
And once the partnership was split up Moore continued to crank out a myriad of products both on his own, and in partnership with his son.
Bruce