Price Differences between Chemist Bottles

Been wondering this for a while and it baffles me that this has come about and I cannot find any text or literature on the subject.

In examples such as the ones I will attach why do certain chemist bottles with there chemical contents labels on differentiate so much in price. I assume it’s becuase some are rarer than others, but how do I know which ones to look out for. The one that sold for £17 was the only one with a blemished label xD

Can anybody help me to find out how to learn about what chemist labels are rare on bottles?

 

Welcome Nathan,
What a wonderful introduction. Don’t know if this link will help you, there’s some books referenced about medical bottles. Maybe you could find a used book for less. It seems you really don’t need much help in finding the good ones! HT
http://www.bottlebooks.com/most valuable bottles/most_valuable_apothecary_bottles.htm

 

Haha! Thanks, I love my bottles for sure. Sorry I didn’t reply @Huntingtreasure i never saw the response. There’s are a lot of books on bottles, I actually don’t own any but as far as I’m aware I don’t know of anybody who has talked about the labels on identical bottles differentiating price.

I have a French chemist bottle for poudre de Colombo and I don’t know whether I should ask for more or not because of that xD xD

 

Who knows why people spend more for nearly identical items. Sometimes it is just the luck of the draw and who is seeing it at a given time. I am sure some are worth more due to rarity but know of no literature about this subject. Personally, I would not have let a couple of those go for opening bid. I would start them higher based on an average and wait for the right buyers to come along. If they get bid up in the process, all the better.

I would. Seems like the kind of thing that might get more attention if it means what I think it means. Have you found any others?

 

Sorry I didn’t reply @Huntingtreasure i neversaw the response.
That’s OK, I don’t remember writing it!

 

I don't think there is a lot of readily available out there about these. I've been trying to learn more about pharmaceutical antiques too but haven't found much info out there.

 

Maybe a long term goal. Write a book on pharmaceutical antiques keep an eye out for it WHSmith in 2050

 

Chemist bottles go on age, color, and if the label is under glass, age being the most important. I suspect the above aren't very old if old at all. Early ones don't have a mould line at all, later ones have a mould line that finishes on the neck and the lip is hand made, after about 1910-20 the whole bottle will have a mould line including the lip. I have 2 apothecary cabinets both dating from 1800-1820's not that these are "Chemist" bottles but they would have been made in the same way.