For Every Season… Once in a while I like to share some new pieces we picked up. I guess the “we” is more me but we’ll say “we” so it doesn’t sound like I’m bragging which is exactly what I’m doing. Of course we’re all guilty of wanting to show everyone “our latest finds,” and […]
Collecting Marbles Part 1 Handmades
Discovering the Beauty of Marbles I’ve been collecting marbles of all things for the last few years and have become somewhat infatuated with them at times. Why marbles? I ask that myself a lot. I guess after seeing so many bottles for so many years, I came across a marble dealer at of all places, […]
2012 Auburn Antique Bottle Show Another Big Success

Wet Weather Turns to Collectors Fun! December 2012 started wet and wild for collectors headed for the Auburn Antique Bottle Show this year at the Auburn Fairgrounds. Apparently the five inches of rain and up to 50 mph winds on Saturday did nothing to damper collectors spirits as they headed up Highway 80 to check […]
An Interview with Ferdinand Meyer-The New Face of the Hobby
As the hobby changes over the course of months, years and decades, it’s inevitable that new faces arrive on the scene. One such new face is that of Ferdinand Meyer V, and as most people will agree, has come onto the scene like a a hurricane. Not only maintaining a world class collection of bottles, […]
RYRIE’S CELEBRATED MOUNTAIN HERB BITTERS

A Super Rare Bitters That You Will Probably Never Own Here’s a bitters that kind of came out of nowhere. We had a call from a guy in Southern California and he was talking about a bottle he had, a bitters, really rare. I asked him what it was and he said it was a Ryrie’s Bitters. […]
Braunschweiger Sample Salesman Bags Turn up in Idaho
Wholesale Liquor Dealer Leaves Bags of Memories A pair of leather salesman sample bags with proof that whoever was using it was selling spirits advertised by and for the Braunschweiger Company was found recently in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Whether Braunschweiger himself used one of the bags or his salesmen used them is still up in […]
Clubhouse Gins Hit Auburn Show
The Auburn Bottle Show run by the 49er bottle club was a roaring success this past weekend (December 2nd and 3rd). Beyond the usual cadence of friends, food and a vast and wonderful offering of bottles, some invited guests, namely Jockey Club and Wister, showed up and the fireworks took off. For those of you […]