Collecting Old Milk Bottles
When I was a child, I spent a lot of time visiting my grandparents who lived in what we lovingly thought of as "dairy country". Riding along the old country roads and mooing at the cows, I never even thought about why they were there. Now, years later, I recall those simpler times and I still maintain a connection to the past with my collection of vintage milk bottles and other assorted dairy collectibles.
I can't speak for the world population, but I do know from my interactions with fellow collectors that there are many people across the United States who share my interest in collecting old dairy memorabilia. Some might think it is a bit odd to search out old bottles and the like to put on display, but they are actually a wonderful way to complete a country kitchen theme, even if you are not a serious collector.
If you are old enough to remember the 1970s or earlier, you may be able to recall the days when the milk man actually would deliver milk to a small metal box on the front porch. The empty milk bottles would be put out the night before and then replaced with full bottles on the designated delivery day. I never paid that much attention to it myself. I just knew where to find the milk when I needed it.
If you happen to have any of the old glass bottles that were used back in those days, you may actually be in possession of a semi-valuable item. Not every one is going to fetch money on sites like eBay, but many do very well. There are some bottles that sell for hundreds of dollars.
The market for these bottles can be a bit fickle. If you are selling them, you will probably find that collectors are often interested in smaller, local dairies that were located near the place where they grew up. If you can get a couple of people bidding over a rare example of one of these bottles, you could do quite well for yourself. Other factors like age, color and general condition of the bottles can also play a very important role in a bottle's final value.
Many collectors are quite picky about the bottles they will purchase. With large selling sites like eBay on the scene however, some collectors have expanded their horizons beyond local collectibles and have begun buying whatever bottle happens to strike their fancy. If you have old bottles that you are willing to put up for sale, you may just get lucky and catch their attention.