Rick Holt - My Bottle Room
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It all started when my brother brought back a purple bottle from across Redwood Road in Salt Lake. We wondered what made it that way and started to do some research and ask some questions. I was 15 years old.
My mother did some typing for a friend of my grandmother who wrote articles for Relic Magazines. Who knew he was a collector. He rewarded her efforts with a Duffy Malt Whiskey.
My friends got involved and pretty soon we had found a few locations we could dig by ourselves and we made many expeditions to mining locations in search of old glass. We were late to the hobby in the 1970's. But we still managed to put together a pretty good collection.
Because it was an off beat activity for guys of our age, it did create some local interest and we got in the newspaper. "Yes we go digging in old garbage dumps". Buried Treasure. The thrill remains. |
We became buyers and traders and continued to dig and also expand our collections through bottle shows here in Salt Lake and Las Vegas.
I never could specialize or sell any of it off. I kept some of everything. But since I was a starving student, I couldn't afford the expensive bottles. My interest went to the patent medicines. What a wonderful history and the wonders of Old West marketing. They would cure everything, healinman and beast. They were inexpensive and wildly interesting. By then I had a family and a large shed full of bottles. I couldn't keep my collection in boxes. It had to be displayed. I was finally able to build my bottle room in my first house. I've have had to move it 3 times.
Most of the back wall below are patent medicines.
I never could specialize or sell any of it off. I kept some of everything. But since I was a starving student, I couldn't afford the expensive bottles. My interest went to the patent medicines. What a wonderful history and the wonders of Old West marketing. They would cure everything, healinman and beast. They were inexpensive and wildly interesting. By then I had a family and a large shed full of bottles. I couldn't keep my collection in boxes. It had to be displayed. I was finally able to build my bottle room in my first house. I've have had to move it 3 times.
Most of the back wall below are patent medicines.