Strange and Unusual Stuff at Maple Grove Collectibles This strange looking bottle once contained nasal medicine. The lumps on the cap are nostril holes and the inside of the cap is connected to a metal tube that extends inside the bottle. The design woul
News-Antique.com - Nov 30,-0001 - This strange looking bottle once contained nasal medicine. The lumps on the cap are nostril holes and the inside of the cap is connected to a metal tube that extends inside the bottle. The design would allow a person to inhale medicine vapors through the tube and nostril holes, so this bottle would appear to be the predecessor to our modern day nasal spray. This bottle is marked Medovapo – unfortunately, the paper label is missing and we can find no information on the manufacturer. Take a look at this strange item under Bottles at Maple Grove Collectibles, http://www.tias.com/stores/maplegrove.
Bottles make a great collectible because they come in all shapes and sizes. Due to the huge variety of bottles available, it is best when starting a collection to narrow your searches to a particular type or brand of bottle, for example medicine bottles or Beam decanters. Make sure to pay attention to the condition of any bottle you purchase. Run your finger along edges or seams to check for small chips or cracks in the glass. Hold the bottle up to the light to find cracks or etchings. Make sure you can read any lettering embossed or applied to the glass. Is there supposed to be a paper label? Is it there? Can you read it? What kind of shape is it in? These are all items to check when collecting bottles, as you want to purchase bottles in the best condition that you can afford.
How old is your bottle? There are many different clues you can use to determine the age of a bottle, but here are a couple of the easy ones. First, examine the top of the bottle. Regardless of the shape of the top, look at the side seams on the bottle left from the glass mold. If the seam stops at the top or changes to a slightly different width or depth, the top was probably applied and your bottle was probably made prior to 1903. If the seam continues over the lip, your bottle was made by a machine after 1903. (You guessed it – the automated bottle machine was invented in 1903.) Another clue to your bottle’s age is the wording on the bottle. For example, the phrase “Federal Law Prohibits Sale or Re-Use of this Bottle” was used from 1933 to 1964. The word “cure” on products containing alcohol was prohibited in 1911, so a bottle marked “cure” would have been made prior to 1911.
A great reference book for bottle collecting is Kovels’ Bottles Price List by Ralph and Terry Kovel, available through Random House Publishers.
