winter projects.........................

[Greg from Mi.]

I have a 1870 house two doors down and their dump is on my land. I have pulled 100's of bottles out just sitting on top of the ground but don

 

[cachenut]

Well I thought barns would be good for winter searching. If you can heat them up they would even be comfortable to search in. It is a good place to find old relics and coins provided it is an old barn. And also dirt floors under houses.

You could put up a big tent on your bottle dump and heat it to thaw the ground or at least make it comfortable while digging. Michigan. That gets pretty cold. Here in VA it does not freeze solid so often and just having a heated workspace would do it.

Bottles. There are websites to educate you on what to keep. I am just learning myself. Black glass is oldest. If it looks black ( really dark dark green) keep it cause it is valuable. Most colonial bottles I've seen are colored glass and irregular in shape like a teenager made them. Pre 1870 bottles usually have a pontil. A mark on the bottom where the glass rod holding the bottle was broken off. Round spot in center of bottom that looks like it goes all the way through. Then come bottles with mold marks. The older versions do not go all the way up. They stop at the neck and have applied tops. These bottle were blown in the mold and the top applied after. Then from say 1920 up the seams go all the way up and they are not worth as much. Screw cap bottles for instance. Old ones are corkers or took stoppers and various sorts of other lids.

Everything I say is just my memory and not necessarily fact.

Here is a good link.

http://www.bottlebooks.com/basics.htm


Old bottles are worth more. What people collect and what is in limited supply is what makes them worth bucks. Bottles with embossing are worth more. Colored glass is worth more. Milk bottles, beer, and liquor bottles are great. Old ones. If they say Federal law prohibits, then they are not so old. Everything sells on ebay. Joe.

 

[Greg from Mi.]

Lots of good info there. Dont think the tent / heat idea will work here. Our ground is one big block of ice for a few months
Greg