What You Need to Know Before Buying Collectible Poison Bottles Pre-1900
The irony of old poison bottles is that while they once contained mortally harmful compounds, they are truly exquisite works of historical and cultural art. If you enjoy collecting items, here is a guide to collecting the oldest and rarest of antique poison bottles dating back before 1900.
Features of antique poison bottlesThere are many distinctive characteristics of vintage poison bottles, including the following:
- Color - Old poison bottles come in clear glass as well as glass colored cobalt blue, dark green, amber, and black.
- Shape - One of the most unique and distinctive characteristics of antique poison bottles is the many shapes in which they were made.
- Raised or inlayed elements - Antique poison bottles often have lettering, images, grooves, and geometric shapes raised or inlayed in the glass.
- Size - Old poison bottles come in an array of sizes. You can get small ones that will fit in the palm of your hand to large tabletop sizes.
When examining collectible poison bottles on eBay for purchase, consider whether you're looking for aesthetic reasons or collector's value. If you're seeking for collector's value, then you want the oldest and rarest poison bottles. In addition, making sure the bottle comes with its original label will increase its value.
What are some notable collectible poison bottles?Among the most notable poison bottles on eBay is a more expensive skull poison bottle for sale with the raised or inlayed image of a skull and crossbones. Of all the colors available in bottles, old blue poison bottles are among the scarcest and most valuable. Other notable collectible poison bottles from before 1900 include the following:
- Palm-sized brown bottle embossed with skull and crossbones, two stars, the word "Poison" and latticework, cork, and label intact
- Flat, six-sided green bottle embossed with lines and the word "Poison" on the four corner sides
- Topez-colored bug-fly trap bottle with a coin-spot surface, ground lip, and three applied feet
- KC-1 blue bottle with quilted embossing and a devil's head corkscrew stopper
- Blue owl drug coal tar acid bottle with embossed skull and crossbones, and the word "Poison"
- Oversized aqua-green Reynard's insect powder bottle with seed bubbles in the glass, a tapered collar, and embossing in the front shoulder
When buying collectible poison bottles, find the size and color that you want to purchase. Also, consider if you want a bottle to have any special embellishments like embossed or raised lettering. Determining whether you want a bottle for its aesthetics or collectible value will help you determine how much money you want to spend.