2009 Show

W.V.A.B.P.C. ANTIQUE BOTTLE SHOW AND SALE, SHADOW AUCTION BARN, TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA

by

Michael M. Elling

The free admission, 12th Annual Wabash Valley Antique Bottle and Pottery Club opened the event with an auction on Friday night, November 20th at 7:00 PM. The 2-hour, fast moving auction highlighted over 300 items, most of them antique bottles of every class. Some notable prizes that changed hands were a circa 1890 Burnett’s Cocaine bottle that went for $7.50; a series of large store advertising beer bottles that brought from $7.50 to $10.00 each (empty); a patriotic wartime milk bottle showing an echelon of fighter planes in attack formation (in two colors) brought $155.00 and a Terre Haute Soda Water bottle in near mint condition brought $12.50.

Character glass and soda bottle dealer Michael Elling, of Sharon, Tennessee,
opens for business at Terre Haute Show.

The Saturday event opened at 7:00 AM and ran until 2:00 PM. There were 36 dealers from 7 states who provided 45 tables of material. The free admission on a sunny and warm day brought out 150 patrons who viewed some of the rarest glass bottles and pottery available from the Illinois and Indiana area.

Delbert Roley, of Stewartville, found a scarce white/red ACL twist neck soda bottle from the Cardinal Beverage Co., made in 1950. Near Mint, it was tagged at $17.00. Also Delbert got a scarce version of the Elk Beverage Company, a Vernor’s Ginger Ale brand, in 8 oz white/blue colors and tagged at $17.00. The picture is a standard Elks logo over a disk. I was finally able to nail the elusive Terre Haute NEHI Upper 10 Hansom Cab bottle in near mint for $2.00. It is green glass, has the Good Housekeeping Seal, and made by Owen-Illinois Glass Company in 1940. The classy Hansom Cab and Top hat with gloves are a standard design for this famous citrus drink.

A surprise table item was a rare 1922 Buddy L Keystone US Mail truck. Made from actual sheet metal of the Packard Motor Car Company, in Detroit, this stunning scale replica was built strong enough for a tot to sit upon and steer! Dealer Gary Zimmcr, of Rosedalc. Indiana, has it tagged at $1200.

General view of Shadow Auction Barn location on 1517 Maple Street shows part of table layout and customers.

Tim Pillow, of Evansville, Indiana, shows off proud early aluminum store token for F.W. Cook Brewery of that city. Dated 1891. the coin is one of first store token applications in that metal.

Stall holders at our 2009 show

A happy stall holder at our 2009 show

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This page created December 3, 2009; last modified February 23, 2010