iPuntyRod - October 2000

Club News

September Meeting: The program on "Outhouses" was informative, entertaining, and quite funny! Virginia Williams has changed the program a little but she still talks about all of the different types and sizes of outhouses and the different names they were known by. Some single level outhouses accommodated 4 or even 5 people at a time and others went up several stories in height. Virginia also covered the topic of Thomas Crapper, the man who invented the indoor toilet.; Unfortunately, attendance was a little low that evening, largely due to the fact that primary elections were being held in our regular meeting room and the program had to be moved into the main part of the library. There were probably a lot of you who showed up and couldn't find a place to park and went home. Our apologies for the inconvenience but we didn't know about the use of the room until the last minute.

LRBC Show 2001: The contracts are out for the 2001 LRBC Show and Sale. They will be sent out to all dealers who request them and will be handed out at the Keene show October 8th. About a dozen tables are reserved for club members but if you want one you should get your contract in as soon as you receive it. One will be included in this month's printed Punty Rod which goes to all members in good standing. We are expected to sell out all 54 tables by the first of November so if you snooze, you'll lose. Also, the contact persons for the show are Eric Correia and Art Pawlowski. Steve Bergquist isn't able to do the show this year but hopefully will return next year. (See the show flyer webpage for more information).; Also, Pam spoke with a Mr. Armand Reil who is responsible for the kitchen at the K of C Hall where the show is held. As many of you know we have had a real problem over the past four or five years getting the hall to supply refreshments. Mr. Reil assured Pam that the kitchen WOULD be open for this year's show. He said he knew nothing about our show last year or would have opened up then for us. Hopefully it will happen this year.; Art has placed an ad in Antique Bottle & Glass Collector magazine regarding the show. Even though we won't have any displays, there will be a ribbon handed out to the Best Table Display. There will also be a bottle raffle with the bottle to be announced at the show.

Show Report - Merrimack Valley BC, Chelmsford, MA - by Dave Andrews: The Merrimack Valley Bottle Club held it's annual show and sale on September 24th. I will say right off the bat that I have a fondness for this show since it was the first show that Dave Stamp and I ever set up at some years ago. Jim Rogers was show chairman at that time and he made us feel welcome and right at home. And he still does.; Jim and co-chairman Gary Koltookian did another excellent job this year and it showed with a packed house in dealers and buyers. LRBC club president Arthur Pawlowski and secretary / newsletter editor Pam Sroka were set up as were Dave Fontaine from Woonsocket, Matt King from Massachusetts, and Jan Boyer from Wyoming (RI). Dave and I found Eric Correia in deep conversation with Norman Heckler so we just had to interrupt to tell Eric he needed a shave.; One thing that was lacking at this year's show was a display. The displays in past years have been fantastic, filling up the whole area on a good size stage. Evidently no one volunteered this year and that's a shame. Past displays have been very educational and very impressive, running the gambit from Bitters to Local Bottles. Hopefully there will be one next year.; One thing that WASN'T lacking at this year's show was breakage. From the time I walked into the hall until the time I left I heard bottles breaking. Yeah, we all know that awful sound and cringe when we hear it. Pam told me it didn't stop after I left, either. The guy across the way from her had several bottles broken accidentally when a friend of his walked by the table with his coat under his arm. The coat hit a pickle which fell into another pickle which then fell onto a couple of flasks which were already laying down. The pickles lost. The friend pulled out a wad of cash and paid for the broken bottles. An unfortunate accident.; Similar things were happening all day. A ticked off bottle collecting ghost perhaps? Pam told me that a few years ago there was quite a bit of unexplained breakage at this same show and found out later that a small earthquake measuring 2.7 had occurred. The vibrations caused bottles to walk off of tables but at the time the dealers were wondering what the heck was going on. Ah, Mother Nature isn't a bottle collector I take it.....; I introduced myself to quite a few people who I have corresponded with over the Internet but who I hadn't met in person that I met at the show, one being fellow Cranstonian Steve Bessette. Nice guy. Steve had sent me an email last month regarding a couple of bottles not listed in ABofRI which I then reported in the September iPunty Rod. See? There are still unreported bottles out there and people interested enough to report them and I appreciate it.; While there was something for everyone in just about every price range, there was a lot of high quality merchandise on most of the tables and high quality prices to go along with them. Many of the RI bottles I saw kind of gave me sticker shock as I had no idea how valuable some bottles have become including ones from our own state. Here's a short list of the RI items I remember seeing:

iron pontilled Weaver's Canker & Salt Rheum, aqua - $185
another Weaver's, iron pontilled, embossing variation, aqua - $195
smooth base D. G. Hall soda, teal green - $85
iron pontilled Penno's Mineral Water - $295
and another for $245
iron pontilled S. & J. Marlor, Prov. R.I. (no reverse embossing) - $285

But for me the highlight of the day was a bottle which I managed to purchase right out from under the noses of everyone else that was there. When Dave and I first walked in Art and Pam called me over and told me there were a couple in the far corner that had a few RI flasks and a Rumford bottle in a different color. Well, on the way to the table I was detained several times and finally got there after about 30 minutes. As soon as I saw the table the Rumford bottle popped into sight. I've been collecting Rumford items for quite a few years and have several of the acid phosphate bottles in different colors but I'd never seen one in this color. It is an absolutely gorgeous dark blue/blackish blue/midnight blue...... I don't really know what to call it. My daughter has found me a number of Rumford items and when she saw this bottle even she was impressed. The bottle was dug and has a small lip flake off of the top but I paid the $25 asking price without much hesitation. I was showing it to Dave right after I bought it and a dealer who deals in pretty expensive stuff came over and asked to see the bottle. His expression said it all. He'd never seen that color in that bottle and said, "Good find." Well, the reaction was the same from several others who I showed it to but the icing on the cake came when I got home and placed the bottle on a lighted shelf next to my other acid phosphate bottles. The color was even more intense than I thought. (see New Finds 7)

DANG good bottle. Guess I'll keep it.

Well, I can't wait for next year. Even with an earthquake or bottle ghost this show will always be one of my favorites. Hats off to Jim and Gary and the rest of the Merrimack club for another fine show.

Upcoming Events

October 7 - Woodstock Valley, CT: Norman C. Heckler & Co. Columbus Day Weekend Event; Live auction, dealer tailgate sales, preview of the October 25th absentee auction, & more!; 79 Bradford Corner Rd.; Info: Norman Heckler; 860-974-1634 - or - www.hecklerauction.com

October 8 - Keene, NH: Yankee Bottle Club 33rd Annual Show & Sale; 9 AM to 3 PM; Keene State College, Spaulding Gymnasium; north on Main St. from Rte.12 & 101 (NEW LOCATION); Info: Creighton Hall; 603-352-2959

October 15 - Scriba, NY: Empire State BCA Fall Bottle & Antique Show & Sale; 9 AM to 3 PM; Scriba Fire Hall, U.S. Rt. 104 (2 miles east of Oswege, NY); Info: Barry Haynes; 315-963-3749

October 22 - Albany, NY: Capital Region AB&IC Annual Bottle, Insulator, & Tabletop Collectibles Show & Sale; 9 AM to 3 PM; 1848 Shaker Meeting House, Albany Shaker Rd. (part of the Shaker Historical Society); Info: Kevin Lawless; 518-355-5688

October 25 - Woodstock Valley, CT: Norman C. Heckler & Co. Auction; Absentee auction of rare bottles, flasks, fruit jars, and early American glass; Info: Norman Heckler; 860-974-1634 - or - www.hecklerauction.com

Classified Ads

Wanted:

RI Bottles of all types. I am looking for ALL bottles from RI, common and rare, clear and aqua, colored, medicines, sodas, anything I need for my collection. Contact Dave at 401-942-6634 or on the web at: oaklawn@earthlink.net
Do you have RI bottles which are not listed in Antique Bottles Of Rhode Island? Or maybe you have a bottle in a color or size that is not listed in the book? If so, please send the information to me for inclusion in the bottle book. Proper credit will be given and all information is greatly appreciated. Send by email to: oaklawn@earthlink.net or write to: David Andrews, 192 Wilbur Ave., Cranston, RI 02921
Toy marbles. Will pay cash. Call Jerry Biern: 401-826-3933
Bitters, Peppersauce, and Demi-Johns. Call Jan Boyer: 401-539-2051
1/2 gallon spring water bottles with arched slugplate. Preferably with bail and closure. Call Art: 508-399-6427 or email: blobtops@aol.com
Seltzer water bottles. Wanted in various colors such as red, cobalt, pink, and yellow. Please call Angelo: 401-421-3782
Woonsocket milk bottle - Carl Hendrickson Dairy. Wanted by his granddaughter Donna. Please email her at: dhendrickson@wallace.com.

For Sale:

Scarce RI fire related bottle!! I have several of these scarce bottles for sale. Click here to see a representative photo. All are in excellent condition with some very light cloudiness inside. Bottles are 5-3/4" tall, clear, cylindrical with an eight panelled mug base and are embossed COMBINATION / LADDER CO. They do not say RI on them but the company was in business beginning in the late 1800's in Providence. Company tradecard shows proof. Price is $15.00 (add $3.20 for shipping and $.85 for insurance if desired). Contact Dave at 401-942-6634 or email at: oaklawn@earthlink.net.

Please direct comments or corrections to:
dandrews@littlerhodybottleclub.com

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