Vintage Milk Bottles

Antique and Vintage Milk Bottles

I've mentioned in other posts that the value of vintage milk bottles can vary quite a bit.  Looking for vintage milk bottles for sale can be a little bit tricky. 

In general, if you can find one of these old treasures with the applied color labeling in excellent shape, someone is most likely going to be interested in purchasing it.  If you are keeping it for your own collection, it will look great and you should be happy to have found it.  Show it off with pride!  Some look so good that they actually look almost new.

Since I have gotten more interested in the actual collecting of old bottles, I have really started to keep my eyes open for them any time I go out.  What I've found is that collectibles shops (at least in my area) seem to charge quite a bit for almost any antique bottle that is in good shape.  I completely understand that they are in business to make money, but I have found that I can often find better deals by checking out what is available on eBay.  It seems that the people selling on eBay are more interested in getting what they have sold on the first time through an auction.  Collectibles shops have the luxury of letting their inventory sit until just the right person comes along looking for one particular thing or another.

One thing I really like about checking eBay for antique bottles is that you always have a chance of grabbing an outstanding deal.  It is true that bidding wars sometimes break out and send prices soaring, but more often than not, I've been able to get most of the items I'm really interested in purchasing for a price that I can live with.  I can't say that is always true for the times I've dealt with privately owned shops.  I've also found that there are times when no one else happens to be interested in a bottle that I happen to like.  When that happens, it is possible to walk away with some very nice deals.

Below you can find a few examples of vintage milk bottles for sale on eBay right now.  You can click on the photos for more details.

Vintage 1 Gallon Milk Bottle Pine Grove Dairy Skaneateles NY
Vintage 1 Gallon Milk Bottle Pine Grove Dairy Skaneateles NY
Paypal   US $10.01
vintage BLUE CASTLE 5¢ HAMBURGERS COFFEE JARMILK BOTTLECUP MUGw BUILDING
vintage BLUE CASTLE 5¢ HAMBURGERS COFFEE JARMILK BOTTLECUP MUGw BUILDING
Paypal   US $10.49
80 VINTAGE MILK BOTTLE CAPS SEIDELS DAIRY PA
80 VINTAGE MILK BOTTLE CAPS SEIDELS DAIRY PA
Paypal   US $10.50
Antique Vintage Old Herolds Milk Cream Half Pint Liquid Bottle Butler PA
Antique Vintage Old Herolds Milk Cream Half Pint Liquid Bottle Butler PA
Paypal   US $10.51
View Page:   1  2  3  4  5  6
Vintage Milk Bottles

Vintage Dairy Advertising

If you enjoy collecting odd items, you might want to look into the types of vintage dairy advertising signs that are available.

Antique and vintage signs are popular among collectors because they are so unique in their style. The types of lettering and images used as well as the way the signs were created, are no longer in practice. They become original pieces of art and are great as conversation pieces. Old signs and posters are also worth a lot of money if you happen to come across certain types of limited edition items.

Old dairy items are also very collectible by people interested in past history type items. Vintage milk bottles can also be a rare item to find. The various types of glass and glass manufacturers are no longer in production so bottles made from past periods become very desirable among collectors. There are also people that enjoy collecting certain period items as those from the 40’s 50’s and 60’s. Old vintage glass bottles would fall into this category, as there are people that look for vintage soda bottles, beer bottles, and milk bottles. If you happen to run across any of these items, they can be worth money to a vintage bottle collector.

In addition to the standard types of milk or dairy collectibles, you can also find milk caps that are considered collectible items. Often the name of the dairy or the year and logo is what makes the item collectible. If you want to know if you have a collectible dairy item, you can check online or find a book about antique and vintage items. The asking price on vintage items varies according to the condition of the item. A piece that has little or no damage or wear on it will be worth more than those that do have wear.

Vintage 1 Gallon Milk Bottle Pine Grove Dairy Skaneateles NY
Vintage 1 Gallon Milk Bottle Pine Grove Dairy Skaneateles NY
Paypal   US $10.01
80 VINTAGE MILK BOTTLE CAPS SEIDELS DAIRY PA
80 VINTAGE MILK BOTTLE CAPS SEIDELS DAIRY PA
Paypal   US $10.50
EGGS ADVERTISING DAIRY AGRICULTURAL SIGN VINTAGE ANTIQUE 1929 FULL O PEP FARM
EGGS ADVERTISING DAIRY AGRICULTURAL SIGN VINTAGE ANTIQUE 1929 FULL O PEP FARM
Paypal   US $10.50
VINTAGE BOB LEMON DAIRY QUEEN STATUE BASEBALL FIGURE
VINTAGE BOB LEMON DAIRY QUEEN STATUE BASEBALL FIGURE
Paypal   US $35.00
View Page:   1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10
Vintage Milk Bottles

If you are interested in obtaining any vintage dairy advertising signs, you might just want to keep them as original and unique items to display in your home. They add a certain kind of charm as a piece of art in a folk or country styled kitchen.

Colored Vintage Bottles

Colored Vintage Bottles

Colored vintage bottles are an iconic way for collectors to hold on to sacred pieces of a world past. They represent hard-to-capture eras gone by when certain nostalgic trends were en vogue and the world embraced a different kind of priority list or value system. Technology and innovation advances us, and we can only hang on to the relics that helped us become our present selves by collecting items like antique bottles.

Vintage milk bottles, for example, are a throwback to a time at the turn of the 20th century, when the nation was still mostly agricultural. Everyone could look forward the faithful delivery of glass bottles filled with raw milk and bearing the names of local dairy farms.

Besides nostalgia, one other reason that antique soda bottles and other colored vintage bottles have made such a strong comeback has to do with the abundance of online auctions increasing their popularity.

On the eBay auction site, for example, 70-year-old antique seltzer bottles - clear ones that are acid etched with the names of the bottling companies that produced them - offer the collector some important history and a way to have an eclectic decor display. The names etched on the bottles come from two different Brooklyn companies: East Side Bottling Works and West Side Bottling Co. Two silver heads are an attractive spout, though the seller recommends the bottles not be used for consuming beverages.

Another eBay auction offers a 26-ounce vintage cobalt blue antique seltzer bottle. The metal head on this bottle appears to be in working order, if the buyer is willing to purchase a CO2 cartridge. The acid etching on the outside of this bottle reads, "Irvs Sparkling Beverages," and appears to have come from a company in Union City, N.J.

Antique Pharmaceutical Bottle Cobalt Blue Dodge Alcott Co Oil Coriander 5
Antique Pharmaceutical Bottle Cobalt Blue Dodge Alcott Co Oil Coriander 5
Paypal   US $15.00
Antique Cobalt Blue Poison Bottle Not to be Taken Hexangonal Miniature No Res
Antique Cobalt Blue Poison Bottle Not to be Taken Hexangonal Miniature No Res
Paypal   US $16.50
Three pieces of Antique blue glass an eye wash bottle a blue bird and a cup
Three pieces of Antique blue glass an eye wash bottle a blue bird and a cup
Paypal   US $19.99
Replica Antique 8 Colonial Demijohn Onion Wine Bell Bottle Cobalt Blue Glas
Replica Antique 8 Colonial Demijohn Onion Wine Bell Bottle Cobalt Blue Glas
Paypal   US $19.99
View Page:   1  2  3  4
Vintage Milk Bottles

Many collectors have used colored vintage bottles as decorative vases to hold flowers, as modern chic sculptures, or as displayed items in a shelved collection. The rarity of colors tends to drive the price of these bottles higher, and every collector may have a different motivation for making a purchase.

Whatever their reason for buying, there is an entire movement of collectors who are inspired by the beauty and craftsmanship of colored glass. It is an art whose very life rests with the people who are still willing to collect colored vintage bottles.

If you are a collector of antique or vintage milk bottles, then the big question for you might be, where to find vintage milk bottles for sale.  There are not a whole lot of places that sell them, but for starters, you can look in antique shops and see what you find. 

While many antique shops do not sell them, some do, although you might be limited as far as what kinds are available.  Most antique shops do not carry large collections of antique milk bottles, although one good shop to check out that has a very large collection of vintage milk bottles for sale is the Dog House, in Pennsylvania.  They also have different other items such as vintage milk crates and vintage milk bottle tops as well.

Another good place to get in touch with if you are collecting vintage milk bottles, looking for milk bottles for sale or just want to get more information about where to find vintage milk bottles, is the National Association of Milk Bottle Collectors, Inc.  They not only publish a newsletter every month but also hold a yearly convention in Hershey, Pennsylvania where you can show off your vintage milk bottles, see other vintage milk bottle collections, and buy and sell milk bottles as well.

VINTAGE BLUE OPALINE MILK GLASS BLOWN STOPPERED PERFUME BOTTLE APOTHECARY JAR
VINTAGE BLUE OPALINE MILK GLASS BLOWN STOPPERED PERFUME BOTTLE APOTHECARY JAR
Paypal   US $21.38
RARE Vintage Land O Lakes One Quart Glass Bottle Milk Cream Sweet Cream Butter
RARE Vintage Land O Lakes One Quart Glass Bottle Milk Cream Sweet Cream Butter
Paypal   US $26.00
Adamson Dairy Vintage Embossed Glass Milk Bottle Half Pint
Adamson Dairy Vintage Embossed Glass Milk Bottle Half Pint
Paypal   US $29.50
Vintage 1 2 Pint Milk Bottle Godsey Creamery Bristol TN VA Holston Brand Butter
Vintage 1 2 Pint Milk Bottle Godsey Creamery Bristol TN VA Holston Brand Butter
Paypal   US $30.00
View Page:   1  2  3
Vintage Milk Bottles

Of course, there is always the option of going out and hunting for the bottles yourself.  For some people, that is where the real fun lies.  If you live near old dairy country, you might want to do a little digging (literally) to see what you can find.  If you are venturing on to private property, always be sure to ask for the owner's OK before starting your hunt.  If there are any old farms in your area, consider asking the owners if they have any old bottles stored away.  Many times, they are not actually collecting the bottles themselves, but they know of some old ones that have been stashed away on their property.  These hidden stashes are also a reason why you should make sure to check out any estate sales being held on farm property.  I like to visit estate sales anyway, and I have found that sales held on farm property often hold some of the best old treasures.  While others are inside the actual house buying up country kitchen collectibles, you will want to head out to the much  less crowded barn area.  That is usually where the really neat old stuff (like bottles) gets pushed aside.
Besides the above mentioned locations, your best bet for finding vintage milk bottles is E-bay.  E-bay has a good sized section where you can find not only vintage milk bottles for sale but also vintage milk bottle crates and cardboard milk bottle tops of all kinds.  There are quiet a few vintage milk bottles up for sale there, from the Daffy Duck American Style milk bottle to even milk bottles from other countries such as Poland.  There are milk bottles for Kellogg’s corn flakes advertising, Maxwell House advertising, and bottles advertising Colgate's Junior toothpaste.  There is really a very fascinating selection at E-bay that you would not want to miss; you should actually bookmark it and check it regularly if you are serious about collecting vintage milk bottles, as, if something really good comes up, it is likely to go pretty fast.

If you were a collector of vintage milk bottles, then you would likely be interested in buying vintage milk crates as well.  There are not a whole lot of shops, even antique shops that sell either vintage milk crates, vintage milk bottles or bottle tops.

Whether you are looking for a metal milk crate or two, or a wooden milk crate, a good place to start in your search for vintage milk crates and other related paraphernalia is eBay.  You simply have to search for what particular type of vintage milk crate you are looking for and voila!  There should be a few options on display to choose from, be they wooden or metal crates.  It is also cheaper to buy vintage milk crates, as well as vintage milk bottles, using eBay than it is to go to a shop that sells them.  Even if you do not find what you are looking for on eBay right away, you should bookmark the site and check every so often as new items do go up for sale all the time and if it is something really good it is likely to get snapped up quickly.

Another good source of information regarding vintage milk crates and vintage milk bottles is the National Association of Milk Bottle Collectors Inc.  You can become a member for just $20 a year (if you live in the US - it is $22 dollars a year for those living in Canada).  The National Association of Milk Bottle Collectors also puts out a monthly magazine, called the Milk Route. They also host a yearly conference in Hershey, Pennsylvania, where you can go to see other vintage bottles and milk crate collections on display, display your own vintage milk crate and bottle collection, buy and sell vintage milk crates and bottles, and the like.

VINTAGE STEPHENS BROS DAIRY CARBONDALE PA WOODEN METAL MILK CRATE BOX NO RES
VINTAGE STEPHENS BROS DAIRY CARBONDALE PA WOODEN METAL MILK CRATE BOX NO RES
Paypal   US $4.99
Milk Crate Dairy Crate Heavy duty plastic
Milk Crate Dairy Crate Heavy duty plastic
Paypal   US $5.00
Vintage 1950s Era Metal Milk Crate Coleman Dairy Chattanooga TN NR
Vintage 1950s Era Metal Milk Crate Coleman Dairy Chattanooga TN NR
Paypal   US $6.50
Turner Dairy Plastic Milk CrateNR
Turner Dairy Plastic Milk CrateNR
Paypal   US $7.00
View Page:   1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  21  22  23  24
Vintage Milk Bottles

However, if you are looking for a place that has a regular stock of vintage milk crates, eBay is probably the cheapest and easiest accessible source of both metal milk crates and wooden milk crates.

vintagemilkbottles.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com | At times I may provide links to products and services on other sites. If you follow those links and then make a purchase, I may receive a commission. This does not affect the price you pay at all. You can use these links to find the best prices available on any site featured.