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| Caveat Emptor |
The Purple Plague...
February 8 , 2007
2007 is my 46th year of enjoying the wonderful hobby of collecting antique
bottles. Early on I realized that an important aspect of my enjoying the hobby
even more meant I should not only take from the hobby, but also give back.
This mind set has led to many years of contributing countless hours to local and
national organizations as newsletter editor, membership director, show chairman,
and program coordinator, plus the publication of numerous magazine articles and
several bottle books, working on the Hutchinson Bottle Directory initiative, etc.
Directly related to this approach has been taking action on what I believe is a
responsibility for sharing information with others, particularly new collectors, to
help them avoid the mistakes many of us have learned the hard way.
For quite some time I have been planning to author an in-depth e-newsletter
article about irradiated bottles. Long-time glass and bottle collectors are
painfully familiar with the end results of the irradiation process. Many of us do
not support the altering of glass colors and believe the process is permanently
damaging historical artifacts. As I have become increasingly alarmed, I have
been utilizing this web site to express my concerns. This includes providing a
link on the Advanced Bottle Collector Links page to other web sites that provide
detailed information about the somewhat mysterious irradiation process and the
negative impact it is having on glass collecting.
The increased number of irradiated bottles being offered for sale lately
suggests information needs to be shared more broadly. It is past time to draw
attention to those sellers who are permanently altering bottles in pursuit of the
almighty dollar. In my opinion, the quickest way to impact them is to hit their
pocketbooks by refusing to buy their irradiated bottles. If you agree, please
alert others not to buy their bottles. If you're a bottle club member, ask your
newsletter editor to alert fellow club members. If you help coordinate bottle
shows, follow the lead of an increasing number of clubs who exclude irradiated
glass from bottle shows and sales. Help us rid our hobby of this purple plague!
Here are several examples, described from left to right:
This irradiated CONTENTS MFGD BY / SOUTH WOODLAND / BOTTLING
WKS. / M. E. & / SON / CLEVELAND, O. / REGISTERED was originally flint
(clear) glass. It isn't selling, in spite of its rarity (less than 10 known), so
apparently collectors aren't enthused about the permanently altered color.
The same seller is offering a "CORNFLOWER BLUE SAVANNAH
CONSOLIDATED BIMAL HUTCH." Actually, this isn't a Hutchinson, it is a blob
top. And it isn't "cornflower blue;" this bottle has been irradiated, a fact the
seller failed to mention. I'm left wondering if a potential buyer understands the
bottle's color has been permanently altered?
Even though this B. FLAMMER / BETHLEHEM, PA. / REGISTERED is a common
bottle, the seller describes it as a "magnificent irradiated purple" and labels it
as being "mint." In my opinion, "mint" means original flint glass, not permanently
altered purple by being irradiated.
Before this "brilliant irradiated bronze/topaz" G. KRIEGER / BUFFALO / N.Y.
bottle's color was permanently altered, it was a scarce aqua Hutchinson. It
sold for $10.29. I wonder if the buyer knew what "irradiated" meant?
I have contacted the service coordinating the sales of these bottles and asked
them to support collectors of antique glass by banning the sale of all irradiated
glass. Hopefully they will consider the positive public relations aspects of
strongly supporting our hobby and the tens of thousands of glass collectors,
rather than only evaluating possible negative cash flow impact. Stay tuned.
As long as I'm sounding off, here are some personal opinions about several siphon
bottles I've seen offered for sale lately. Check these out:
No, these bottles haven't been irradiated. I do, however, wonder if their acid
etchings are original to the bottles. During the past few years, auction sites
and antiques stores across the continent have been flooded with imported,
colored, foreign (mostly South American) siphon bottles. Most have Spanish
embossing and no etching. They're so common I've seen them offered for as
little as $ .99 and not selling. Over the past few months I have noted the
sudden appearance of rare, national brand, etched Coke, Pepsi, and Dr Pepper
siphons, with many selling for several hundred dollars each. There are some
interesting commonalities between the listings: the bottles are colored; they're
of foreign origin; they have celluloid siphon heads; the sellers provide only vague
descriptions of their sales locations (most are Southern); and buyers' names are
hidden. The three bottles pictured above were offered by three different
sellers (supposedly) and follow the same listing pattern. You be the judge.
The first Coca-Cola siphon is etched Joplin, Missouri. It fits the commonalities
cited above, including Spanish base embossing with what appears to be a 1965
age code. Is it real or was the etching added later? It sold for $77.
Hmmm, another green etched Joplin MO Coca-Cola siphon offered by a different
seller. Same comments as above with a 1952 age code. It sold for $76.
The final photo shows a paneled Dr Pepper siphon. The only variance from the
aforementioned listing pattern is the bidders' IDs aren't masked. This may
indeed be a genuine, vintage Dr Pepper siphon, but I'll admit to becoming gun shy
because of seeing other, questionable offerings. I also find it quite interesting
that the background wood shelving and paneling in the photo appears to be
identical to that behind the Coca-Cola siphon pictured next to it, even though
the sellers are different. That sure seems like an incredible coincidence to me!
Bottom line: be VERY cautious when buying antique bottles, particularly when
they're sight unseen and you're relying on descriptions and photographs provided
by people you don't know. Carefully evaluate sellers and their reputations. Ask
questions! Strive to continually learn everything you possibly can about the items
you collect. Always remember: CAVEAT EMPTOR - LET THE BUYER BEWARE!
© 2008, Seattle History Company
February 8 , 2007
2007 is my 46th year of enjoying the wonderful hobby of collecting antique
bottles. Early on I realized that an important aspect of my enjoying the hobby
even more meant I should not only take from the hobby, but also give back.
This mind set has led to many years of contributing countless hours to local and
national organizations as newsletter editor, membership director, show chairman,
and program coordinator, plus the publication of numerous magazine articles and
several bottle books, working on the Hutchinson Bottle Directory initiative, etc.
Directly related to this approach has been taking action on what I believe is a
responsibility for sharing information with others, particularly new collectors, to
help them avoid the mistakes many of us have learned the hard way.
For quite some time I have been planning to author an in-depth e-newsletter
article about irradiated bottles. Long-time glass and bottle collectors are
painfully familiar with the end results of the irradiation process. Many of us do
not support the altering of glass colors and believe the process is permanently
damaging historical artifacts. As I have become increasingly alarmed, I have
been utilizing this web site to express my concerns. This includes providing a
link on the Advanced Bottle Collector Links page to other web sites that provide
detailed information about the somewhat mysterious irradiation process and the
negative impact it is having on glass collecting.
The increased number of irradiated bottles being offered for sale lately
suggests information needs to be shared more broadly. It is past time to draw
attention to those sellers who are permanently altering bottles in pursuit of the
almighty dollar. In my opinion, the quickest way to impact them is to hit their
pocketbooks by refusing to buy their irradiated bottles. If you agree, please
alert others not to buy their bottles. If you're a bottle club member, ask your
newsletter editor to alert fellow club members. If you help coordinate bottle
shows, follow the lead of an increasing number of clubs who exclude irradiated
glass from bottle shows and sales. Help us rid our hobby of this purple plague!
Here are several examples, described from left to right:
This irradiated CONTENTS MFGD BY / SOUTH WOODLAND / BOTTLING
WKS. / M. E. & / SON / CLEVELAND, O. / REGISTERED was originally flint
(clear) glass. It isn't selling, in spite of its rarity (less than 10 known), so
apparently collectors aren't enthused about the permanently altered color.
The same seller is offering a "CORNFLOWER BLUE SAVANNAH
CONSOLIDATED BIMAL HUTCH." Actually, this isn't a Hutchinson, it is a blob
top. And it isn't "cornflower blue;" this bottle has been irradiated, a fact the
seller failed to mention. I'm left wondering if a potential buyer understands the
bottle's color has been permanently altered?
Even though this B. FLAMMER / BETHLEHEM, PA. / REGISTERED is a common
bottle, the seller describes it as a "magnificent irradiated purple" and labels it
as being "mint." In my opinion, "mint" means original flint glass, not permanently
altered purple by being irradiated.
Before this "brilliant irradiated bronze/topaz" G. KRIEGER / BUFFALO / N.Y.
bottle's color was permanently altered, it was a scarce aqua Hutchinson. It
sold for $10.29. I wonder if the buyer knew what "irradiated" meant?
I have contacted the service coordinating the sales of these bottles and asked
them to support collectors of antique glass by banning the sale of all irradiated
glass. Hopefully they will consider the positive public relations aspects of
strongly supporting our hobby and the tens of thousands of glass collectors,
rather than only evaluating possible negative cash flow impact. Stay tuned.
As long as I'm sounding off, here are some personal opinions about several siphon
bottles I've seen offered for sale lately. Check these out:
No, these bottles haven't been irradiated. I do, however, wonder if their acid
etchings are original to the bottles. During the past few years, auction sites
and antiques stores across the continent have been flooded with imported,
colored, foreign (mostly South American) siphon bottles. Most have Spanish
embossing and no etching. They're so common I've seen them offered for as
little as $ .99 and not selling. Over the past few months I have noted the
sudden appearance of rare, national brand, etched Coke, Pepsi, and Dr Pepper
siphons, with many selling for several hundred dollars each. There are some
interesting commonalities between the listings: the bottles are colored; they're
of foreign origin; they have celluloid siphon heads; the sellers provide only vague
descriptions of their sales locations (most are Southern); and buyers' names are
hidden. The three bottles pictured above were offered by three different
sellers (supposedly) and follow the same listing pattern. You be the judge.
The first Coca-Cola siphon is etched Joplin, Missouri. It fits the commonalities
cited above, including Spanish base embossing with what appears to be a 1965
age code. Is it real or was the etching added later? It sold for $77.
Hmmm, another green etched Joplin MO Coca-Cola siphon offered by a different
seller. Same comments as above with a 1952 age code. It sold for $76.
The final photo shows a paneled Dr Pepper siphon. The only variance from the
aforementioned listing pattern is the bidders' IDs aren't masked. This may
indeed be a genuine, vintage Dr Pepper siphon, but I'll admit to becoming gun shy
because of seeing other, questionable offerings. I also find it quite interesting
that the background wood shelving and paneling in the photo appears to be
identical to that behind the Coca-Cola siphon pictured next to it, even though
the sellers are different. That sure seems like an incredible coincidence to me!
Bottom line: be VERY cautious when buying antique bottles, particularly when
they're sight unseen and you're relying on descriptions and photographs provided
by people you don't know. Carefully evaluate sellers and their reputations. Ask
questions! Strive to continually learn everything you possibly can about the items
you collect. Always remember: CAVEAT EMPTOR - LET THE BUYER BEWARE!
© 2008, Seattle History Company
Purple Haze
February 10, 2007
Yesterday I seized an opportunity to steal away and attend a local bottle show.
I didn't acquire any great bottles, but as usual it was fun to swap bottle stories
with long-time friends and other collectors. The sole display that had been set
up by the time I left was an eye-catching assortment of sun-colored amethyst
bottles, insulators, and other antique glass appropriately entitled "Purple Haze."
A well-written, educational handout accompanied the display briefly explaining
the process by which flint glass turns various shades of amethyst when exposed
to ultraviolet light because early glass manufacturers used manganese to change
the glass from it's natural shade of aqua to clear. The author also mentioned
"A very dark amethyst color can be produced if the glass is processed by a
hospital x-ray machine or a food irradiation machine. Many bottle collectors
feel this deep color is unnatural and hence shun it. This glass is banned from
many bottle shows or must be labeled as artificial. New collectors may be
disappointed to find that their colorful prize is not desired by more advanced
collectors. It is interesting to note that while bottle collectors enjoy the light
amethyst glass, the collectors of early American pressed glass consider it to be
damage, just like a chip. They consider many pieces 'ruined' because they were
left too close to a window." I didn't see any irradiated glass at the show;
spread the word and let's see this happen at shows across the country! I'm still
waiting for responses to the fraud complaints I filed with an on-line auction
service. Keep checking this page for updates; I plan to post their response(s).
Another item that caught my eye was one of the green, South American siphons
with no etching and Spanish base embossing. Even though the asking price was
only $5.00 there were no takers.
February 10, 2007
Yesterday I seized an opportunity to steal away and attend a local bottle show.
I didn't acquire any great bottles, but as usual it was fun to swap bottle stories
with long-time friends and other collectors. The sole display that had been set
up by the time I left was an eye-catching assortment of sun-colored amethyst
bottles, insulators, and other antique glass appropriately entitled "Purple Haze."
A well-written, educational handout accompanied the display briefly explaining
the process by which flint glass turns various shades of amethyst when exposed
to ultraviolet light because early glass manufacturers used manganese to change
the glass from it's natural shade of aqua to clear. The author also mentioned
"A very dark amethyst color can be produced if the glass is processed by a
hospital x-ray machine or a food irradiation machine. Many bottle collectors
feel this deep color is unnatural and hence shun it. This glass is banned from
many bottle shows or must be labeled as artificial. New collectors may be
disappointed to find that their colorful prize is not desired by more advanced
collectors. It is interesting to note that while bottle collectors enjoy the light
amethyst glass, the collectors of early American pressed glass consider it to be
damage, just like a chip. They consider many pieces 'ruined' because they were
left too close to a window." I didn't see any irradiated glass at the show;
spread the word and let's see this happen at shows across the country! I'm still
waiting for responses to the fraud complaints I filed with an on-line auction
service. Keep checking this page for updates; I plan to post their response(s).
Another item that caught my eye was one of the green, South American siphons
with no etching and Spanish base embossing. Even though the asking price was
only $5.00 there were no takers.
See No Evil, Hear no Evil...
March 7, 2007
It is disappointing to report I have heard nothing more from the on-line auction
service about the irradiation fraud complaints filed February 4 & 5, 2007.
The only responses received were system-produced EMail messages confirming
receipt of the filings. These boilerplate messages expressed concern about
fraudulent activity and assured me the reports would be reviewed "as soon as
possible, usually within 24 hours." They further stated they "will not keep you
informed about the status of our investigation." Yeah, right. The fact these
auctions were not pulled clearly indicates the auction service looked the other
way and took no action. That's okay; in time we will get their attention!
My fraud filings detailed the significant problems caused by sellers who are
irradiating glass, and suggested the auction service could score major points
with the glass collecting community by stepping up to ban all irradiated glass
objects from their auctions. Given the negative press the auction service
continues to receive for increasing listing fees (in spite of posting incredible
2006 profits), and the highly controversial masking of IDs when bids exceed
$200, one might think the powers-that-be would opt to support honest
customers, rather than seemingly looking the other way in favor of not putting
a dent in their beloved final value fees. One of these days the golden goose is
going to fly away.
In the meantime, two of the major offenders who continue to irradiate
Hutchinsons are apparently being more careful to mention irradiation when
listing nuked bottles. Spread the word: boycott their sales, keep the pressure
on, and in time we'll run them off the auction services the same way they're
being banned from bottle shows. Our hobby simply does not need these people
who are permanently altering historical Hutchinson artifacts.
Unfortunately, the highly suspicious, acid-etched, major brand-name siphon
bottles continue to slowly dribble out across the land. Almost every offering I
see perfectly matches the listing criteria spelled out in my February 8, 2007
message posted below. A blue aqua Property of / Pepsi:Cola / Bottling Co. /
Fountain Service closed for $380 on March 1, 2007. A light emerald green
Property of / Coca-Cola / BOTTLING CO. / FOUNTAIN / SERVICE sold for
$81 earlier this evening. I find it interesting that I never saw any of these
South American-style bottles during my first 45+ years of collecting and now
they're appearing everywhere and many are etched with major brand-names.
Be very careful before you have anything to do with these bottles.
March 7, 2007
It is disappointing to report I have heard nothing more from the on-line auction
service about the irradiation fraud complaints filed February 4 & 5, 2007.
The only responses received were system-produced EMail messages confirming
receipt of the filings. These boilerplate messages expressed concern about
fraudulent activity and assured me the reports would be reviewed "as soon as
possible, usually within 24 hours." They further stated they "will not keep you
informed about the status of our investigation." Yeah, right. The fact these
auctions were not pulled clearly indicates the auction service looked the other
way and took no action. That's okay; in time we will get their attention!
My fraud filings detailed the significant problems caused by sellers who are
irradiating glass, and suggested the auction service could score major points
with the glass collecting community by stepping up to ban all irradiated glass
objects from their auctions. Given the negative press the auction service
continues to receive for increasing listing fees (in spite of posting incredible
2006 profits), and the highly controversial masking of IDs when bids exceed
$200, one might think the powers-that-be would opt to support honest
customers, rather than seemingly looking the other way in favor of not putting
a dent in their beloved final value fees. One of these days the golden goose is
going to fly away.
In the meantime, two of the major offenders who continue to irradiate
Hutchinsons are apparently being more careful to mention irradiation when
listing nuked bottles. Spread the word: boycott their sales, keep the pressure
on, and in time we'll run them off the auction services the same way they're
being banned from bottle shows. Our hobby simply does not need these people
who are permanently altering historical Hutchinson artifacts.
Unfortunately, the highly suspicious, acid-etched, major brand-name siphon
bottles continue to slowly dribble out across the land. Almost every offering I
see perfectly matches the listing criteria spelled out in my February 8, 2007
message posted below. A blue aqua Property of / Pepsi:Cola / Bottling Co. /
Fountain Service closed for $380 on March 1, 2007. A light emerald green
Property of / Coca-Cola / BOTTLING CO. / FOUNTAIN / SERVICE sold for
$81 earlier this evening. I find it interesting that I never saw any of these
South American-style bottles during my first 45+ years of collecting and now
they're appearing everywhere and many are etched with major brand-names.
Be very careful before you have anything to do with these bottles.
Money Talk$
April 16, 2007
As predicted, the on-line auction service wimped out. Due to privacy concerns,
they don't reveal the results of their investigations. That's fine; we don't
need a written report. What we do need, however, is their support. We need
them to help us police our hobby by waking up and taking appropriate action! We
need them to ban those who are irradiating Hutchinson bottles and other
historic glassware, and dealers who are peddling siphon bottles with fake
etchings. Totally eliminating the sale of these altered items would, of course,
reduce the auction service's total sales and, in my opinion, that is exactly why
they aren't taking action. As the HBCA matures, we'll be able to combine
forces with the likes of the FOHBC and the collectors of Early American
Pressed Glass and gain the auction service's attention. Hmmm...do you suppose
they would listen if we alerted the media to this situation? Stay tuned.
We are reviewing each sales listing posted by the two Florida sellers who
continue to irradiate and sell Hutchinsons and other bottles. They are being
more careful to mention irradiation in their listings, but unfortunately they
haven't stopped treating bottles because people are buying them. A "bottles
wanted" listing in the most recent issue of AB&GC caught my eye, and an easy
reverse telephone directory check confirmed it was one of these Florida dealers
fishing for bottles to buy, treat, and sell. We need to shut these guys down!
Likewise, the unscrupulous sellers faking siphon etchings are continue to slowly
leak them out one-at-a-time at the major on-line auction site. Recent sales
include a "DR PEPPER KING OF BEV FOUNTAIN SERVICE SELTZER BOTTLE"
for $178.45, a "VINTAGE PRPSI:COLA (sic) SELTZER FOUNTAIN SERVICE
BOTTLE" for $181.28, an "ANTIQUE PEPSI COLA SODA GLASS SELTZER
FOUNTAIN BOTTLE" for $380, and a "VINTAGE COCA COLA COKE
FOUNTAIN SERVICE SELTZER BOTTLE" for $112.50. Meanwhile, an
unetched example of these bottles drew two bids, closing for $4.25. It's easy
to see why the etchings are being faked; the situation begs media attention!
One of our Hutchinson specialists recently blew the whistle on an on-line auction
seller caught bidding up his own listings. This candidate for "America's Dumbest
Criminals" has three user IDs and was using two of them to place bids on his
own items. He bids up the price until exceeding the leading bidder's maximum,
and then withdraws the highest bid, claiming he keyed in the wrong amount.
Alas, the auction service tracks and reveals these actions for all to see, and
several fraud reports were quickly filed on the seller. Obviously, this is a
no-brainer, so you're guessing the auction service evaluated the situation and
suspended him, right? Wrong! They suspended one of his user IDs, but the
other two are still active. Like I said, MONEY TALK$!
April 16, 2007
As predicted, the on-line auction service wimped out. Due to privacy concerns,
they don't reveal the results of their investigations. That's fine; we don't
need a written report. What we do need, however, is their support. We need
them to help us police our hobby by waking up and taking appropriate action! We
need them to ban those who are irradiating Hutchinson bottles and other
historic glassware, and dealers who are peddling siphon bottles with fake
etchings. Totally eliminating the sale of these altered items would, of course,
reduce the auction service's total sales and, in my opinion, that is exactly why
they aren't taking action. As the HBCA matures, we'll be able to combine
forces with the likes of the FOHBC and the collectors of Early American
Pressed Glass and gain the auction service's attention. Hmmm...do you suppose
they would listen if we alerted the media to this situation? Stay tuned.
We are reviewing each sales listing posted by the two Florida sellers who
continue to irradiate and sell Hutchinsons and other bottles. They are being
more careful to mention irradiation in their listings, but unfortunately they
haven't stopped treating bottles because people are buying them. A "bottles
wanted" listing in the most recent issue of AB&GC caught my eye, and an easy
reverse telephone directory check confirmed it was one of these Florida dealers
fishing for bottles to buy, treat, and sell. We need to shut these guys down!
Likewise, the unscrupulous sellers faking siphon etchings are continue to slowly
leak them out one-at-a-time at the major on-line auction site. Recent sales
include a "DR PEPPER KING OF BEV FOUNTAIN SERVICE SELTZER BOTTLE"
for $178.45, a "VINTAGE PRPSI:COLA (sic) SELTZER FOUNTAIN SERVICE
BOTTLE" for $181.28, an "ANTIQUE PEPSI COLA SODA GLASS SELTZER
FOUNTAIN BOTTLE" for $380, and a "VINTAGE COCA COLA COKE
FOUNTAIN SERVICE SELTZER BOTTLE" for $112.50. Meanwhile, an
unetched example of these bottles drew two bids, closing for $4.25. It's easy
to see why the etchings are being faked; the situation begs media attention!
One of our Hutchinson specialists recently blew the whistle on an on-line auction
seller caught bidding up his own listings. This candidate for "America's Dumbest
Criminals" has three user IDs and was using two of them to place bids on his
own items. He bids up the price until exceeding the leading bidder's maximum,
and then withdraws the highest bid, claiming he keyed in the wrong amount.
Alas, the auction service tracks and reveals these actions for all to see, and
several fraud reports were quickly filed on the seller. Obviously, this is a
no-brainer, so you're guessing the auction service evaluated the situation and
suspended him, right? Wrong! They suspended one of his user IDs, but the
other two are still active. Like I said, MONEY TALK$!
Color Me Purple!
May 23, 2007
They're still at it. The "they" I'm referring to, of course, are the two Florida
on-line auction sellers who continue to irradiate and peddle nuked Hutchinsons.
People are still buying their bottles, but it looks like spreading the word about
them is hurting their sales; their listings seem to be drawing fewer and lower
bids. One of their recent offerings is 230128474489. The description for this
"VIBRANT...PHENOMINAL (sic) IRRADIATED PURPLE" S. GROSSMANN /
SODA MINERAL WATER / PHILA. Hutchinson states "THE ONLY THING
KEEPING IT FROM 'MINT' IS SOME LIGHT EXTERIOR SURFACE
SCRATCHING AND SPOTTY HAZE." Really? It seems to me that permanently
altering the original clear glass eliminated the possibility of accurately describing
the bottle as "mint!" We have catalogued five other GROSSMAN Hutchinsons.
The embossing on this variant, however, is GROSSMANN (with an extra N) and
it is rare. Four different bidders vied for it and the auction closed for $32.99.
One is left wondering what this rare bottle might have brought if it hadn't been
nuked? Help our hobby by adding this seller to your list of dealers to avoid.
Meanwhile, the sellers peddling siphons with faked Dr Pepper, Coca-Cola, and
Pepsi-Cola etchings are still leaking them out onto the on-line auction site one at
a time so as not to flood the market and keep prices high. Just when it looks
like potential buyers are catching on and avoiding these scams, an emerald green
bottle etched Property of / Pepsi:Cola / Bottling Co. / Fountain Service closed
for an astounding $400.50. Down the line the buyers of these bottles are going
to figure out they were had and turn to the auction service for restitution. The
auction service has been alerted multiple times, taken no action, and won't be
able to plead ignorance. I'll gladly testify when an outraged buyer is ready to
pursue legal action. I am reminded of dangerous intersections that seemingly
don't qualify for traffic signals until a minimum number of pedestrians have been
run down. Caveat emptor!
May 23, 2007
They're still at it. The "they" I'm referring to, of course, are the two Florida
on-line auction sellers who continue to irradiate and peddle nuked Hutchinsons.
People are still buying their bottles, but it looks like spreading the word about
them is hurting their sales; their listings seem to be drawing fewer and lower
bids. One of their recent offerings is 230128474489. The description for this
"VIBRANT...PHENOMINAL (sic) IRRADIATED PURPLE" S. GROSSMANN /
SODA MINERAL WATER / PHILA. Hutchinson states "THE ONLY THING
KEEPING IT FROM 'MINT' IS SOME LIGHT EXTERIOR SURFACE
SCRATCHING AND SPOTTY HAZE." Really? It seems to me that permanently
altering the original clear glass eliminated the possibility of accurately describing
the bottle as "mint!" We have catalogued five other GROSSMAN Hutchinsons.
The embossing on this variant, however, is GROSSMANN (with an extra N) and
it is rare. Four different bidders vied for it and the auction closed for $32.99.
One is left wondering what this rare bottle might have brought if it hadn't been
nuked? Help our hobby by adding this seller to your list of dealers to avoid.
Meanwhile, the sellers peddling siphons with faked Dr Pepper, Coca-Cola, and
Pepsi-Cola etchings are still leaking them out onto the on-line auction site one at
a time so as not to flood the market and keep prices high. Just when it looks
like potential buyers are catching on and avoiding these scams, an emerald green
bottle etched Property of / Pepsi:Cola / Bottling Co. / Fountain Service closed
for an astounding $400.50. Down the line the buyers of these bottles are going
to figure out they were had and turn to the auction service for restitution. The
auction service has been alerted multiple times, taken no action, and won't be
able to plead ignorance. I'll gladly testify when an outraged buyer is ready to
pursue legal action. I am reminded of dangerous intersections that seemingly
don't qualify for traffic signals until a minimum number of pedestrians have been
run down. Caveat emptor!
IRRADIATION "IGNORANCE"
June 1, 2007
Right after posting my previous "Caveat Emptor" comments, this listing appeared
at an on-line auction: "NICE SQUAT PURPLE HINER HUTCH - WELLSVILLE"
(see item #170115741739 for the ugly details). Increasingly fed up with the
indiscriminate irradiating of Hutchinsons, I sent the seller this EMail message:
"It appears you don't have the slightest clue as to this bottle's rarity or where
it is from. If you knew, you wouldn't have nuked it and cut its value by 90%.
Stop irradiating bottles and go ruin some other hobby!"
With under two days to go, two bidders have pushed the price of this rare Ohio
Hutchinson to $22.57. This evening the seller sent me the following EMail reply:
"THANKS FOR YOUR SMUG ELITIST OPINION BUT US EVERYDAY
BLUECOLLAR LOWER-THAN-YOU CLODS ARE HAPPY IN OUR IGNORANCE.
MAYBE YOU SHOULD FIND MORE PURIST SNOBS LIKE YOU AND START
YOUR OWN UPPER-CRUST BOTTLE CLUB - YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO FIND
SOME IN YOUR NECK OF THE WOODS!"
He didn't attach our EMail messages to the item listing, so I'm posting them
here for others to better understand the "ignorance" we're dealing with, and
the importance of helping our hobby by avoiding his auctions. Caveat emptor!
June 1, 2007
Right after posting my previous "Caveat Emptor" comments, this listing appeared
at an on-line auction: "NICE SQUAT PURPLE HINER HUTCH - WELLSVILLE"
(see item #170115741739 for the ugly details). Increasingly fed up with the
indiscriminate irradiating of Hutchinsons, I sent the seller this EMail message:
"It appears you don't have the slightest clue as to this bottle's rarity or where
it is from. If you knew, you wouldn't have nuked it and cut its value by 90%.
Stop irradiating bottles and go ruin some other hobby!"
With under two days to go, two bidders have pushed the price of this rare Ohio
Hutchinson to $22.57. This evening the seller sent me the following EMail reply:
"THANKS FOR YOUR SMUG ELITIST OPINION BUT US EVERYDAY
BLUECOLLAR LOWER-THAN-YOU CLODS ARE HAPPY IN OUR IGNORANCE.
MAYBE YOU SHOULD FIND MORE PURIST SNOBS LIKE YOU AND START
YOUR OWN UPPER-CRUST BOTTLE CLUB - YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO FIND
SOME IN YOUR NECK OF THE WOODS!"
He didn't attach our EMail messages to the item listing, so I'm posting them
here for others to better understand the "ignorance" we're dealing with, and
the importance of helping our hobby by avoiding his auctions. Caveat emptor!
Sleight of hand(s)...
August 15, 2007
If "ignorance is bliss," the Miami, FL seller of this rare, irradiated E. K.
HOERNER / EKH (monogram) / LEBANON, PA. variant must be drooling all over
himself. It drew but three bids and sold for $22.00 (see 170136793557).
One can only wonder how much it might have brought if the original clear glass
had not been permanently altered a "neat color" of purple. Pffft!
This isn't "CSI" or "History Detectives," but it certainly appears to this
observer that the hands and background grass in the photos of these two siphon
bottles are one and the same. That's no big deal, except they were listed by
two different sellers, one "in the Ozarks," and another coincidentally (?) in the
"SW Missouri Ozarks." Yeah, right. The Dr Pepper (see 140140455613) drew
nine bids and sold for $41.55. The Mt Shasta Coca-Cola (see 270149445594)
also drew nine bids and went for $129.49. Ouch!
STOLEN BOTTLE ALERT
The Celery Cola label-under-glass fountain syrup bottle pictured on the home
page was stolen from Dennis Smith's table at last weekend's Atlanta bottle
show. It is approximately 12" tall with a blue label that reads: DRINK /
CELERY COLA / REG. U.S. PAT. OFF / YOU'LL LIKE IT.
If anyone tries to sell the bottle to you please notify Dennis immediately. If
you know of another bottle like this one please let him know so he doesn't cause
problems for someone who legitimately owns another example. Dennis has owned
this bottle for 25 years and it is the only one in existence as far as he knows.
Contact Dennis toll free at 1-866-840-9355, via snail mail to Dennis Smith,
PO Box 1913, Buffalo, NY 14225, or via EMail to celerycola@yahoo.com.
August 15, 2007
If "ignorance is bliss," the Miami, FL seller of this rare, irradiated E. K.
HOERNER / EKH (monogram) / LEBANON, PA. variant must be drooling all over
himself. It drew but three bids and sold for $22.00 (see 170136793557).
One can only wonder how much it might have brought if the original clear glass
had not been permanently altered a "neat color" of purple. Pffft!
This isn't "CSI" or "History Detectives," but it certainly appears to this
observer that the hands and background grass in the photos of these two siphon
bottles are one and the same. That's no big deal, except they were listed by
two different sellers, one "in the Ozarks," and another coincidentally (?) in the
"SW Missouri Ozarks." Yeah, right. The Dr Pepper (see 140140455613) drew
nine bids and sold for $41.55. The Mt Shasta Coca-Cola (see 270149445594)
also drew nine bids and went for $129.49. Ouch!
STOLEN BOTTLE ALERT
The Celery Cola label-under-glass fountain syrup bottle pictured on the home
page was stolen from Dennis Smith's table at last weekend's Atlanta bottle
show. It is approximately 12" tall with a blue label that reads: DRINK /
CELERY COLA / REG. U.S. PAT. OFF / YOU'LL LIKE IT.
If anyone tries to sell the bottle to you please notify Dennis immediately. If
you know of another bottle like this one please let him know so he doesn't cause
problems for someone who legitimately owns another example. Dennis has owned
this bottle for 25 years and it is the only one in existence as far as he knows.
Contact Dennis toll free at 1-866-840-9355, via snail mail to Dennis Smith,
PO Box 1913, Buffalo, NY 14225, or via EMail to celerycola@yahoo.com.
| STOLEN BOTTLE RECOVERED! September 8, 2007 Great news: Dennis Smith's stolen Celery Cola label-under-glass fountain syrup bottle has been recovered at an Atlanta flea market! According to Dennis, "the guy who had the bottle at his booth 'had no idea how it ended up in his box.' I appreciate all of the concern from friends and fellow collectors. The response I've received...reconfirms what I've always believed: the greatest thing about the bottle collecting hobby is the friends I've collected over the years." |
The Same Old Runaround...
September 30, 2007
In case you aren't regularly checking this page for updates, don't miss the item
below about the recovery of Dennis Smith's stolen Celery Cola syrup bottle!
Still more fraud reports have been filed concerning irradiated Hutchinson bottles
with misleading listings. In spite of repeated pleas that the auction service
step up and support collectors of antique bottles and Early American Plate Glass,
they continue to take no action. How can they knowingly allow their customers
to be defrauded? The sellers of siphons with faked etchings are intentionally
hiding bidders' user IDs to make it more difficult to contact and warn them.
The ignorant (their term, not mine) sellers of irradiated Hutchinsons, however,
haven't (yet) seen a need to hide bidders' IDs. Rather than pleading with the
auction service to take action, if you recognize the user ID of someone bidding
on an irradiated Hutchinson that isn't accurately described, contact and warn
them! Pictured below is 230174808550, an extremely common McCARTHY
BROS. & MARTIN / RIVERSIDE / N.Y. / REGISTERED Hutchinson (the photos
have been taken down on eBay). The seller specified the bottle was irradiated,
but had the nerve to describe it as mint. How can it be "mint" after being
nuked to change the glass color from clear to purple? Three bidders had at it
and, in my opinion, one of them wasted $38.50 on this one. Caveat emptor!
September 30, 2007
In case you aren't regularly checking this page for updates, don't miss the item
below about the recovery of Dennis Smith's stolen Celery Cola syrup bottle!
Still more fraud reports have been filed concerning irradiated Hutchinson bottles
with misleading listings. In spite of repeated pleas that the auction service
step up and support collectors of antique bottles and Early American Plate Glass,
they continue to take no action. How can they knowingly allow their customers
to be defrauded? The sellers of siphons with faked etchings are intentionally
hiding bidders' user IDs to make it more difficult to contact and warn them.
The ignorant (their term, not mine) sellers of irradiated Hutchinsons, however,
haven't (yet) seen a need to hide bidders' IDs. Rather than pleading with the
auction service to take action, if you recognize the user ID of someone bidding
on an irradiated Hutchinson that isn't accurately described, contact and warn
them! Pictured below is 230174808550, an extremely common McCARTHY
BROS. & MARTIN / RIVERSIDE / N.Y. / REGISTERED Hutchinson (the photos
have been taken down on eBay). The seller specified the bottle was irradiated,
but had the nerve to describe it as mint. How can it be "mint" after being
nuked to change the glass color from clear to purple? Three bidders had at it
and, in my opinion, one of them wasted $38.50 on this one. Caveat emptor!
You can lead 'em to water,
but you can't make 'em drink!
November 22, 2007
The previous comments were no sooner posted than I spotted an eBay listing for
another of the green, foreign siphon bottles with faked Pepsi-Cola etching. The
bidders' ID list wasn't masked, the bottle's description was more detailed than
usual, and the seller had a solid eBay sales history from dealing in other types
of collectibles, so I surmised he wasn't one of the usual con artists and sent him
a tactfully worded EMail message suggesting he probably wasn't aware the
bottle's etching was fake. Sure enough, he knew nothing about the bottle,
having picked up several of them for re-sale. He thanked me for the heads up,
but did NOT pull the item and proceeded to sell it for $200+. So much for
honesty; that loud sound you just heard was the money talking. I recognized a
local collector's ID as one of his bidders and EMailed him to warn him the
etching had been faked. His reaction was to throw yet another bid at it!
Obviously, you can lead 'em to water, but you can't make 'em drink!
Fake siphon etchings are generating revenue, so now the con artists are
branching out. Here's a 13.25" x 5.5" supposed "PROPERTY OF / NEHI /
BOTTLING CO. / FOUNTAIN / SYRUP bottle that recently drew 11 bids and
sold for $51.41 on eBay. The same seller seems to specialize in reproduction
and fantasy items, and also peddles siphons with faked etchings. What's next,
fake etchings on 1940s Clorox bottles? Caveat emptor!
but you can't make 'em drink!
November 22, 2007
The previous comments were no sooner posted than I spotted an eBay listing for
another of the green, foreign siphon bottles with faked Pepsi-Cola etching. The
bidders' ID list wasn't masked, the bottle's description was more detailed than
usual, and the seller had a solid eBay sales history from dealing in other types
of collectibles, so I surmised he wasn't one of the usual con artists and sent him
a tactfully worded EMail message suggesting he probably wasn't aware the
bottle's etching was fake. Sure enough, he knew nothing about the bottle,
having picked up several of them for re-sale. He thanked me for the heads up,
but did NOT pull the item and proceeded to sell it for $200+. So much for
honesty; that loud sound you just heard was the money talking. I recognized a
local collector's ID as one of his bidders and EMailed him to warn him the
etching had been faked. His reaction was to throw yet another bid at it!
Obviously, you can lead 'em to water, but you can't make 'em drink!
Fake siphon etchings are generating revenue, so now the con artists are
branching out. Here's a 13.25" x 5.5" supposed "PROPERTY OF / NEHI /
BOTTLING CO. / FOUNTAIN / SYRUP bottle that recently drew 11 bids and
sold for $51.41 on eBay. The same seller seems to specialize in reproduction
and fantasy items, and also peddles siphons with faked etchings. What's next,
fake etchings on 1940s Clorox bottles? Caveat emptor!
As Sgt. Joe Friday said, "Just the facts, ma'am."
December 2, 2007
A new listing by an eBay seller who routinely sells irradiated Hutchinsons just
caught my eye. Check out eBay 330194981559, a bottle the seller describes
as a "SUPER NICE, CIRCA 1830-40 PATENT MEDICINE THAT IS 'MINT.'
EVEN THE LABEL IS IN GREAT CONDITION...WHITE PINE BALSAM
NEWTON DRUG CO. SEATTLE, WASHINGTON."
Unfortunately, someone will likely waste money on this phony item that all but
screams "CAVEAT EMPTOR!" The only people out here in the 1830s-1840s
were the Native Americans; the first white settlers didn't arrive in Seattle
until 1852. Newton Drug Company was in business from 1915 until 1942 when
the Japanese owners were forced to close their business and interned for the
remainder of WWII. I'm no longer bothering to report such misrepresented
listings to eBay; they've proven they're not interested in taking action to
protect honest collectors. Come on Google or Microsoft, set your sights on eBay!
Speaking of big and powerful, have you seen the commemorative "Circa 1899
Limited Edition" bottles Coca-Cola has issued? They've designed a 9.3 ounce
bottle to look somewhat like a slender Hutchinson with a short neck and crown
closure. The front is embossed PROPERTY OF / Cola-Cola / BOTTLING CO. I
could ignore these as yet another holiday marketing ploy, but the carton states
"The first bottle to be embossed with our trademark, it had a spring-like
stopper that made a fun popping sound when it opened. That's where the name
'soda pop' came from." WRONG! They're also perpetuating this same tired old
myth on their web site. I have written their archivist, but he refuses to admit
they're wrong (is the Coca-Cola Company ever wrong?). Use of the term "soda
pop" pre-dates invention of Hutchinson's Patent Spring Stopper by 65+ years and
the introduction of Coca Cola by 70+ years. I'm already seeing these bottles
for sale on eBay. By the way, the Classic Coke tastes terrible. Caveat emptor!
December 2, 2007
A new listing by an eBay seller who routinely sells irradiated Hutchinsons just
caught my eye. Check out eBay 330194981559, a bottle the seller describes
as a "SUPER NICE, CIRCA 1830-40 PATENT MEDICINE THAT IS 'MINT.'
EVEN THE LABEL IS IN GREAT CONDITION...WHITE PINE BALSAM
NEWTON DRUG CO. SEATTLE, WASHINGTON."
Unfortunately, someone will likely waste money on this phony item that all but
screams "CAVEAT EMPTOR!" The only people out here in the 1830s-1840s
were the Native Americans; the first white settlers didn't arrive in Seattle
until 1852. Newton Drug Company was in business from 1915 until 1942 when
the Japanese owners were forced to close their business and interned for the
remainder of WWII. I'm no longer bothering to report such misrepresented
listings to eBay; they've proven they're not interested in taking action to
protect honest collectors. Come on Google or Microsoft, set your sights on eBay!
Speaking of big and powerful, have you seen the commemorative "Circa 1899
Limited Edition" bottles Coca-Cola has issued? They've designed a 9.3 ounce
bottle to look somewhat like a slender Hutchinson with a short neck and crown
closure. The front is embossed PROPERTY OF / Cola-Cola / BOTTLING CO. I
could ignore these as yet another holiday marketing ploy, but the carton states
"The first bottle to be embossed with our trademark, it had a spring-like
stopper that made a fun popping sound when it opened. That's where the name
'soda pop' came from." WRONG! They're also perpetuating this same tired old
myth on their web site. I have written their archivist, but he refuses to admit
they're wrong (is the Coca-Cola Company ever wrong?). Use of the term "soda
pop" pre-dates invention of Hutchinson's Patent Spring Stopper by 65+ years and
the introduction of Coca Cola by 70+ years. I'm already seeing these bottles
for sale on eBay. By the way, the Classic Coke tastes terrible. Caveat emptor!
Wake up eBay; the "Spin" is making us dizzy!
December 12, 2007
The faked "circa 1830-40" White Pine Balsam (see 12-02-07 comments below)
drew four bids and sold for $28. Hopefully the buyer will figure out he has
been defrauded and take appropriate action (not that he can expect eBay to be
of any assistance, of course)...
A new Associated Press report released this afternoon discusses eBay's plans for
2008. Technology writer Rachael Konrad reports that eBay "will focus on
improving the 'user experience' in 2008 in hopes of making the world's largest
online auction more satisfying for its millions of users...they'll focus on rooting
out sellers with unethical or questionable business strategies — particularly
vendors who charge exorbitant fees...Many sellers lure shoppers with extremely
low fixed prices or auctions that start at a penny — then charge disproportionate
fees to mail the item to the buyer." Pffft! For an instant I had a vision of
eBay taking time away from counting their millions to focus on protecting honest
buyers and sellers. Instead, their 2008 plan sounds like nothing but still more
public relations spin. They're planning to go after sellers who peddle items at
low prices (to which eBay's final value fees apply) and make up for it by charging
high shipping fees (to which eBay's final value fees do not apply). That sounds
to me like eBay focusing on putting still more $$$$ into their own bulging
coffers. Wake up eBay and focus on protecting your honest customers; without
us you're nothing, and we'll abandon you in a heartbeat when Microsoft or Google
(or anyone!) introduces a customer-focused on-line auction service!
Speaking of dissatisfied eBay customers, here's a web site to check out:
http://www.oreillynet.com/digitalmedia/blog/2005/05/why_ebay_sucks.html.
Warning: this site isn't for the faint of heart!
December 12, 2007
The faked "circa 1830-40" White Pine Balsam (see 12-02-07 comments below)
drew four bids and sold for $28. Hopefully the buyer will figure out he has
been defrauded and take appropriate action (not that he can expect eBay to be
of any assistance, of course)...
A new Associated Press report released this afternoon discusses eBay's plans for
2008. Technology writer Rachael Konrad reports that eBay "will focus on
improving the 'user experience' in 2008 in hopes of making the world's largest
online auction more satisfying for its millions of users...they'll focus on rooting
out sellers with unethical or questionable business strategies — particularly
vendors who charge exorbitant fees...Many sellers lure shoppers with extremely
low fixed prices or auctions that start at a penny — then charge disproportionate
fees to mail the item to the buyer." Pffft! For an instant I had a vision of
eBay taking time away from counting their millions to focus on protecting honest
buyers and sellers. Instead, their 2008 plan sounds like nothing but still more
public relations spin. They're planning to go after sellers who peddle items at
low prices (to which eBay's final value fees apply) and make up for it by charging
high shipping fees (to which eBay's final value fees do not apply). That sounds
to me like eBay focusing on putting still more $$$$ into their own bulging
coffers. Wake up eBay and focus on protecting your honest customers; without
us you're nothing, and we'll abandon you in a heartbeat when Microsoft or Google
(or anyone!) introduces a customer-focused on-line auction service!
Speaking of dissatisfied eBay customers, here's a web site to check out:
http://www.oreillynet.com/digitalmedia/blog/2005/05/why_ebay_sucks.html.
Warning: this site isn't for the faint of heart!
Come on eBay, root out
this fake root beer siphon!
December 21, 2007
Here's yet another perfect opportunity for eBay to do something more than just
routing press releases with grandiose promises, and actually demonstrate their
publicly stated intention of focusing on rooting out unethical sellers! Check out
eBay 25019966379, a listing for a "XXX ROOT BEER ISSAQUAH WA. GLASS
SELTZER SODA BOTTLE!" The XXX is a very well-known, long-time hamburger
stand southeast of Seattle where many collector car shows are held. This
fake, foreign siphon bottle has absolutely nothing to do with the XXX. Once
again this seller has posted a siphon bottle with a faked etching, a carefully
worded and vague description, hidden bidder IDs, etc. The very well-written
"Fake seltzer bottles-Coca-Cola,Pepsi,Dr.Pepper,railroad" guide authored by
2stripes and posted on (of all places!) eBay clearly points out why this siphon
etching is fake. While waiting for eBay to take action (hint: I'm not holding my
breath!), I'm asking any/all concerned collectors with media connections to please
send me media contact information. If eBay won't help us (and it certainly
appears they aren't going to), it is (past) time to initiate stronger action to rid
our hobby of these bottles with faked etchings.
this fake root beer siphon!
December 21, 2007
Here's yet another perfect opportunity for eBay to do something more than just
routing press releases with grandiose promises, and actually demonstrate their
publicly stated intention of focusing on rooting out unethical sellers! Check out
eBay 25019966379, a listing for a "XXX ROOT BEER ISSAQUAH WA. GLASS
SELTZER SODA BOTTLE!" The XXX is a very well-known, long-time hamburger
stand southeast of Seattle where many collector car shows are held. This
fake, foreign siphon bottle has absolutely nothing to do with the XXX. Once
again this seller has posted a siphon bottle with a faked etching, a carefully
worded and vague description, hidden bidder IDs, etc. The very well-written
"Fake seltzer bottles-Coca-Cola,Pepsi,Dr.Pepper,railroad" guide authored by
2stripes and posted on (of all places!) eBay clearly points out why this siphon
etching is fake. While waiting for eBay to take action (hint: I'm not holding my
breath!), I'm asking any/all concerned collectors with media connections to please
send me media contact information. If eBay won't help us (and it certainly
appears they aren't going to), it is (past) time to initiate stronger action to rid
our hobby of these bottles with faked etchings.
The sound of distant drums...
December 29, 2007
Listen carefully eBay; that rumble you're hearing is the sound of distant drums,
and they're growing louder by the minute! This week's EMail brought a year-end
edition of Kovel's Komments, the excellent on-line newsletter published by
well-known antiques experts Ralph and Terry Kovel (for subscription information,
visit Kovels.com/register). This issue's thought provoking comments included:
"Will eBay and Tiffany settle their lawsuit about who is responsible for fakes on
the eBay site. Will eBay executives finally notice the buying public is furious
about the way they avoid the problem of fakes? Are eBay's fees - some say
they are up 500% - chasing sellers to Amazon.com and other sites. And we
wonder why it is almost impossible to call a live person to talk about an eBay
problem." Sigh. I sent Ralph and Terry an EMail message encouraging them to
review the comments I've been posting here on behalf of all antique bottle and
Early American Pattern Glass collectors. If enough of us pound on our drums,
maybe eBay will actually wake up and get with the program. Then again, maybe
their competitors will analyze the situation and decide we collectors look like a
large and very attractive group of potential customers.
Speaking of fake items on eBay, the foreign siphon bottle with the faked XXX
ROOT BEER / ISSAQUAH, WA. etching drew 11 bids (from an unknown number
of bidders whose user IDs were, of course, hidden) and closed for $76.00 plus
$14.75 shipping. Those bidders who didn't win owe a major debt of gratitude to
the poor soul who wasted over $90 on this fraudulent piece of junk.
Less than a minute later, a seller listing his/her location as Kalispell, Montana
sold yet another foreign siphon with a faked Property of / Pepsi-Cola /
BOTTLING CO. / FOUNTAIN / SERVICE etching, claiming it came "from an
estate sale in Missouri." This fake item brought 7 bids and closed at $152.50.
As usual, the bidder IDs were hidden and once again there's a Missouri
connection. See eBay 180198995258 for the details.
Ah, but it gets better! The same Montana seller has an incredible whiskey flask
listed. Check out eBay 180199480472 and feast your eyes on a "Coffin Flask
1st Texas Cavalry CSA." Say, what? A circa 1890s coffin flask with a
Confederate States of America, Civil War era etching? Wrong! How about it's
a blank bottle with a faked etching? Sure enough, two bidders are after it.
Hey, maybe the seller will feel guilty and offer to etch the lucky winning
bidder's name on the reverse side, and then irradiate it and turn the glass
"brilliant purple." Hmmmmm...maybe not. Caveat emptor!
December 29, 2007
Listen carefully eBay; that rumble you're hearing is the sound of distant drums,
and they're growing louder by the minute! This week's EMail brought a year-end
edition of Kovel's Komments, the excellent on-line newsletter published by
well-known antiques experts Ralph and Terry Kovel (for subscription information,
visit Kovels.com/register). This issue's thought provoking comments included:
"Will eBay and Tiffany settle their lawsuit about who is responsible for fakes on
the eBay site. Will eBay executives finally notice the buying public is furious
about the way they avoid the problem of fakes? Are eBay's fees - some say
they are up 500% - chasing sellers to Amazon.com and other sites. And we
wonder why it is almost impossible to call a live person to talk about an eBay
problem." Sigh. I sent Ralph and Terry an EMail message encouraging them to
review the comments I've been posting here on behalf of all antique bottle and
Early American Pattern Glass collectors. If enough of us pound on our drums,
maybe eBay will actually wake up and get with the program. Then again, maybe
their competitors will analyze the situation and decide we collectors look like a
large and very attractive group of potential customers.
Speaking of fake items on eBay, the foreign siphon bottle with the faked XXX
ROOT BEER / ISSAQUAH, WA. etching drew 11 bids (from an unknown number
of bidders whose user IDs were, of course, hidden) and closed for $76.00 plus
$14.75 shipping. Those bidders who didn't win owe a major debt of gratitude to
the poor soul who wasted over $90 on this fraudulent piece of junk.
Less than a minute later, a seller listing his/her location as Kalispell, Montana
sold yet another foreign siphon with a faked Property of / Pepsi-Cola /
BOTTLING CO. / FOUNTAIN / SERVICE etching, claiming it came "from an
estate sale in Missouri." This fake item brought 7 bids and closed at $152.50.
As usual, the bidder IDs were hidden and once again there's a Missouri
connection. See eBay 180198995258 for the details.
Ah, but it gets better! The same Montana seller has an incredible whiskey flask
listed. Check out eBay 180199480472 and feast your eyes on a "Coffin Flask
1st Texas Cavalry CSA." Say, what? A circa 1890s coffin flask with a
Confederate States of America, Civil War era etching? Wrong! How about it's
a blank bottle with a faked etching? Sure enough, two bidders are after it.
Hey, maybe the seller will feel guilty and offer to etch the lucky winning
bidder's name on the reverse side, and then irradiate it and turn the glass
"brilliant purple." Hmmmmm...maybe not. Caveat emptor!
$top The In$anity!
January 8, 2008
Web hosting statistics indicate lots of folks are reading these increasingly
frequent "buyer beware" comments. The quantity of EMail we're receiving
concerning faked etchings, irradiated glass, undisclosed "marriages" of newer
paper labels with older bottles, etc., has picked up markedly. These are
positive trends, but in addition to increased communication we need more
collectors, clubs, and other organizations taking action! The con artists aren't
going to stop their fraudulent activities unless we turn up the heat and drive
them out of our hobby. Please spread the word via the collecting organization(s)
to which you belong. If they have newsletters, have the editors broadcast
warnings to all members. At a minimum, point others to this page!
The irradiation of antique glass has plagued our hobby for many years. On-line
auctions have given unscrupulous sellers like the two oft-mentioned Miami-area
bottle dealers a new avenue for peddling their altered wares to unsuspecting
customers. A good starting point is to follow the lead of several Florida clubs
and ban the sale of irradiated glass at bottle shows. If your club doesn't ban
irradiated glass, raise the issue and suggest a new policy be established. These
ignorant (their term, not mine) sellers will stop irradiating glass if it doesn't sell.
The problem of faked etchings is spreading like wildfire, and if we don't step up
and counterattack now, the market for etched items is going to be severely
impacted. In addition to siphon bottles with faked etchings, we're now seeing
faked syrup bottles and whiskey flasks. And if you think you've seen
everything, you haven't. Here are three more current examples:
The first item is eBay 250202998001, yet another foreign siphon bottle etched
to read COCA COLA BOTTLING / COMPANY / MONROE LOUISIANA. The
seller is the same one who foisted the XXX ROOT BEER / ISSAQUAH, WA
siphon off on an unsuspecting buyer. As usual, the bidder IDs are masked, etc.
The good news, at least as of this writing, is this bottle has NO bids! No doubt
it will see bidding activity before the auction closes but for now, at least, we
can dream that people are actually catching on and recognizing obvious fakes.
The one gallon Coca-Cola / BOTTLING CO / SANTA MARIA / FOUNTAIN /
SYRUP jug has red etching (see eBay 180200256395) and someone just paid
$135.83 (plus P&H) for it. Besides the fact I've never seen an etched
Coca-Cola jug, the vague description, hidden bidder IDs, and sellers' Missouri
location caused me to wonder about the validity of this item. Digging into the
seller's feedback doesn't usually reveal much because of the hidden user IDs
and masked item numbers, but the eBay system threw this seller a curve ball...
Check out the one gallon GREEN / RIVER / THE / WHISKEY / WITHOUT / A /
HEADACHE jug. Pretty cool etching, eh? I found this item while reviewing the
feedback for the seller of the aforementioned Coca-Cola jug. Apparently the
buyer of the Green River jug (see eBay 180163421903) recognized the etching
was faked when the jug was received and posted negative feedback. It then
appears the buyer withdrew the negative feedback (I assume the $208.50
selling price was refunded) and when that happened, the eBay system removed
the hidden user ID and changed the item listing from "Private," allowing users to
learn the item in question was this Green River jug. Meanwhile, eBay allows the
seller to maintain a "100% rating?" Bah! As the seller's Green River listing
states, "there are more jugs that I will be putting up for sale in the near
future." No kidding; hence the Coca-Cola jug. I can hardly wait to see more
listings from this seller (as soon as the new etchings are finished, of course).
Caveat emptor!
January 8, 2008
Web hosting statistics indicate lots of folks are reading these increasingly
frequent "buyer beware" comments. The quantity of EMail we're receiving
concerning faked etchings, irradiated glass, undisclosed "marriages" of newer
paper labels with older bottles, etc., has picked up markedly. These are
positive trends, but in addition to increased communication we need more
collectors, clubs, and other organizations taking action! The con artists aren't
going to stop their fraudulent activities unless we turn up the heat and drive
them out of our hobby. Please spread the word via the collecting organization(s)
to which you belong. If they have newsletters, have the editors broadcast
warnings to all members. At a minimum, point others to this page!
The irradiation of antique glass has plagued our hobby for many years. On-line
auctions have given unscrupulous sellers like the two oft-mentioned Miami-area
bottle dealers a new avenue for peddling their altered wares to unsuspecting
customers. A good starting point is to follow the lead of several Florida clubs
and ban the sale of irradiated glass at bottle shows. If your club doesn't ban
irradiated glass, raise the issue and suggest a new policy be established. These
ignorant (their term, not mine) sellers will stop irradiating glass if it doesn't sell.
The problem of faked etchings is spreading like wildfire, and if we don't step up
and counterattack now, the market for etched items is going to be severely
impacted. In addition to siphon bottles with faked etchings, we're now seeing
faked syrup bottles and whiskey flasks. And if you think you've seen
everything, you haven't. Here are three more current examples:
The first item is eBay 250202998001, yet another foreign siphon bottle etched
to read COCA COLA BOTTLING / COMPANY / MONROE LOUISIANA. The
seller is the same one who foisted the XXX ROOT BEER / ISSAQUAH, WA
siphon off on an unsuspecting buyer. As usual, the bidder IDs are masked, etc.
The good news, at least as of this writing, is this bottle has NO bids! No doubt
it will see bidding activity before the auction closes but for now, at least, we
can dream that people are actually catching on and recognizing obvious fakes.
The one gallon Coca-Cola / BOTTLING CO / SANTA MARIA / FOUNTAIN /
SYRUP jug has red etching (see eBay 180200256395) and someone just paid
$135.83 (plus P&H) for it. Besides the fact I've never seen an etched
Coca-Cola jug, the vague description, hidden bidder IDs, and sellers' Missouri
location caused me to wonder about the validity of this item. Digging into the
seller's feedback doesn't usually reveal much because of the hidden user IDs
and masked item numbers, but the eBay system threw this seller a curve ball...
Check out the one gallon GREEN / RIVER / THE / WHISKEY / WITHOUT / A /
HEADACHE jug. Pretty cool etching, eh? I found this item while reviewing the
feedback for the seller of the aforementioned Coca-Cola jug. Apparently the
buyer of the Green River jug (see eBay 180163421903) recognized the etching
was faked when the jug was received and posted negative feedback. It then
appears the buyer withdrew the negative feedback (I assume the $208.50
selling price was refunded) and when that happened, the eBay system removed
the hidden user ID and changed the item listing from "Private," allowing users to
learn the item in question was this Green River jug. Meanwhile, eBay allows the
seller to maintain a "100% rating?" Bah! As the seller's Green River listing
states, "there are more jugs that I will be putting up for sale in the near
future." No kidding; hence the Coca-Cola jug. I can hardly wait to see more
listings from this seller (as soon as the new etchings are finished, of course).
Caveat emptor!
A letter to eBay...
February 6, 2008 PERSONAL
Mr. John Donohoe, President and CEO-Elect
eBay Inc.
2145 Hamilton Avenue
San Jose, California 95125
Dear Mr. Donohoe:
Congratulations on your appointment as CEO of eBay. You are obviously facing
many major challenges. The fee structure, seller incentives and standards, and
feedback program changes you announced at the January 29, 2008 eBay
eCommerce Forum suggest you embrace change, and that is why I am writing
directly to you so early in your tenure as CEO. While the announced policy
changes may well be the end result of considerable investigation and analysis on
the part of you and your staff, it appears these revisions primarily focus on
improving eBay’s bottom line results, not on “improving the overall experience for
eBay customers.” Rather than changing fees, seller standards, and the
feedback program, it is quite disappointing that your first public announcement
as CEO failed to address eBay’s most serious shortcomings – notoriously poor
communication, and on-going failure to adequately protect customers from
fraudulent activities.
COMMUNICATION
I can’t immediately think of any organization receiving more negative criticism
for poor communication than eBay. It is virtually impossible to contact anyone
at eBay via telephone. EMail messages generate auto-responder replies and
apparently end up in electronic Never-Neverland. I marked this letter
“Personal” but have little confidence it will actually be delivered, so I am also
posting a copy on my web site. If you are kind enough to respond, I will likely
post your reply.
FRAUDULENT ACTIVITIES
I am the founder of the Hutchinson Bottle Collectors’ Association (HBCA). Our
members are spread across the continent and share a common interest in the
collecting of antique Hutchinson soda bottles that were used in North America
between 1879 and World War I. Antique bottle collecting is an enormously
popular hobby enjoyed by tens of thousands of eBay customers.
For many years, the antique bottle and Early American Pattern Glass collecting
hobbies have been plagued with con artists artificially treating glass via the
process of irradiation. Doing so often changes the original glass color from clear
to purple, or from aqua to various shades of brown/blue. Once the glass has
been irradiated, the color of a historic artifact has been permanently altered.
Many HBCA members have filed fraud reports on eBay sellers listing irradiated
glass. We have repeatedly asked that all irradiated glass be totally banned
from eBay in an effort to help stop the permanent alteration of historic
artifacts. The collective response from eBay has been total silence.
Another challenging problem is the rash of glass bottles and jars, and stoneware
showing up on eBay with faked, acid-etched labels. Most of these items are
being offered by eBay power sellers purportedly located in the
“Ozarks/Missouri” and specializing in all sorts of reproduction items. It doesn’t
take a rocket scientist to figure out why these sellers are masking bidder IDs,
and posting very carefully worded, vague descriptions. Although there’s a well-
written “eBay Guide” explaining, illustrating, and warning eBay customers about
siphon bottles with fake etchings, apparently your staff members responsible for
monitoring fraud reports don’t think eBay has any legal responsibility to help
protect customers from known fraudulent items; I disagree! Once again filed
eBay fraud reports have generated absolutely no response. The lack of
communication leaves us believing eBay is totally focused on not losing a
percentage of such sales, rather than considering the potentially enormous public
relations benefits of taking a stance on behalf of protecting customers. To
review numerous specific eBay fraud examples, please visit the “Caveat Emptor”
page at www.SeattleHistoryCompany.com.
To review a current example of an irradiated Hutchinson soda bottle, check out
eBay 330209543863. The listed bottle is only found in aqua (light green) glass,
yet the seller has described it as “cobalt blue,” and denied an inquiry asking if
the bottle has been irradiated. A simple review of the seller’s many other
listed items indicates that most everything he sells has been irradiated. Many
advanced Hutchinson collectors have reviewed this particular listing and we are
unanimously in agreement that this bottle has been irradiated, the color is not
original, and therefore the listing is fraudulent. As of this writing, two people
have placed bids of $300 or more on a bottle worth at the most $25.
BOTTOM LINE
Mr. Donohoe, please take a hard look at eBay’s communication policies and
seeming indifference to fraudulent activities. Although eBay monopolizes the on-
line marketplace today, that could change in a heartbeat. Other potential
vendors likely view millions of collectors as a very desirable group of target
customers. Please remember that eBay needs us; we do not need eBay!
Thousands of eBay customers are looking forward to your taking action to
correct these shortcomings.
Sincerely,
Ron Fowler
February 6, 2008 PERSONAL
Mr. John Donohoe, President and CEO-Elect
eBay Inc.
2145 Hamilton Avenue
San Jose, California 95125
Dear Mr. Donohoe:
Congratulations on your appointment as CEO of eBay. You are obviously facing
many major challenges. The fee structure, seller incentives and standards, and
feedback program changes you announced at the January 29, 2008 eBay
eCommerce Forum suggest you embrace change, and that is why I am writing
directly to you so early in your tenure as CEO. While the announced policy
changes may well be the end result of considerable investigation and analysis on
the part of you and your staff, it appears these revisions primarily focus on
improving eBay’s bottom line results, not on “improving the overall experience for
eBay customers.” Rather than changing fees, seller standards, and the
feedback program, it is quite disappointing that your first public announcement
as CEO failed to address eBay’s most serious shortcomings – notoriously poor
communication, and on-going failure to adequately protect customers from
fraudulent activities.
COMMUNICATION
I can’t immediately think of any organization receiving more negative criticism
for poor communication than eBay. It is virtually impossible to contact anyone
at eBay via telephone. EMail messages generate auto-responder replies and
apparently end up in electronic Never-Neverland. I marked this letter
“Personal” but have little confidence it will actually be delivered, so I am also
posting a copy on my web site. If you are kind enough to respond, I will likely
post your reply.
FRAUDULENT ACTIVITIES
I am the founder of the Hutchinson Bottle Collectors’ Association (HBCA). Our
members are spread across the continent and share a common interest in the
collecting of antique Hutchinson soda bottles that were used in North America
between 1879 and World War I. Antique bottle collecting is an enormously
popular hobby enjoyed by tens of thousands of eBay customers.
For many years, the antique bottle and Early American Pattern Glass collecting
hobbies have been plagued with con artists artificially treating glass via the
process of irradiation. Doing so often changes the original glass color from clear
to purple, or from aqua to various shades of brown/blue. Once the glass has
been irradiated, the color of a historic artifact has been permanently altered.
Many HBCA members have filed fraud reports on eBay sellers listing irradiated
glass. We have repeatedly asked that all irradiated glass be totally banned
from eBay in an effort to help stop the permanent alteration of historic
artifacts. The collective response from eBay has been total silence.
Another challenging problem is the rash of glass bottles and jars, and stoneware
showing up on eBay with faked, acid-etched labels. Most of these items are
being offered by eBay power sellers purportedly located in the
“Ozarks/Missouri” and specializing in all sorts of reproduction items. It doesn’t
take a rocket scientist to figure out why these sellers are masking bidder IDs,
and posting very carefully worded, vague descriptions. Although there’s a well-
written “eBay Guide” explaining, illustrating, and warning eBay customers about
siphon bottles with fake etchings, apparently your staff members responsible for
monitoring fraud reports don’t think eBay has any legal responsibility to help
protect customers from known fraudulent items; I disagree! Once again filed
eBay fraud reports have generated absolutely no response. The lack of
communication leaves us believing eBay is totally focused on not losing a
percentage of such sales, rather than considering the potentially enormous public
relations benefits of taking a stance on behalf of protecting customers. To
review numerous specific eBay fraud examples, please visit the “Caveat Emptor”
page at www.SeattleHistoryCompany.com.
To review a current example of an irradiated Hutchinson soda bottle, check out
eBay 330209543863. The listed bottle is only found in aqua (light green) glass,
yet the seller has described it as “cobalt blue,” and denied an inquiry asking if
the bottle has been irradiated. A simple review of the seller’s many other
listed items indicates that most everything he sells has been irradiated. Many
advanced Hutchinson collectors have reviewed this particular listing and we are
unanimously in agreement that this bottle has been irradiated, the color is not
original, and therefore the listing is fraudulent. As of this writing, two people
have placed bids of $300 or more on a bottle worth at the most $25.
BOTTOM LINE
Mr. Donohoe, please take a hard look at eBay’s communication policies and
seeming indifference to fraudulent activities. Although eBay monopolizes the on-
line marketplace today, that could change in a heartbeat. Other potential
vendors likely view millions of collectors as a very desirable group of target
customers. Please remember that eBay needs us; we do not need eBay!
Thousands of eBay customers are looking forward to your taking action to
correct these shortcomings.
Sincerely,
Ron Fowler
| REWARD OFFERED FOR RECOVERY OF STOLEN HUTCHINSON BOTTLES! February 28, 2008 I attended an antique bottle show in Henderson, Nevada on Feb. 15-16, 2008. After the show several bottles were packaged in individual containers and double boxed for shipment to me in Tampa. When the box was delivered it was empty with the exception of internal packing material. The Hutchinson bottles included: 1. ESCAMBIA / PEPSI COLA / BOTTLING CO. / PENSACOLA / FLA. (clear); 2. C. W. ARNOLD / SOUTH BEND, IND. (cobalt blue); 3. C. F. RILEY (Eureka, CA.) (cobalt blue); 4. DISTILLED / SODA WATER CO. / OF / ALASKA (aqua); and a 5. Codd bottle from South Africa. I will pay a reward for any information leading to the arrest of the thief and return of these bottles. Please contact me via telephone at 813-286-9686 or 813-888-7007 or EMail to rbrown4134@aol.com. Thank you, R. J. Brown |
Hey, eBay: the silence is deafening!
February 28, 2008
Last week's strike by eBay sellers was quite entertaining to watch. The blogs
were absolutely alive with accusations detailing eBay's apparent attempts to
downplay and mask the full impact of the strike. Independent, outside sources
estimated eBay's newly listed item count was down about 13%. By now the
eBay powers-that-be have likely heaved a collective sigh of relief and are busy
calculating how many extra millions they'll bank due to the higher final value
fees. Meanwhile, thousands of totally fed up collectors are forsaking eBay and
moving to Amazon.com and other on-line auction services that recognize and
value their important collector customers.
As expected, I have received no response whatsoever to my February 6, 2008
letter to eBay's new CEO. There's a bit of sad irony in the fact that I wrote
to him about eBay's notoriously terrible communication and the deafening silence
of no response only serves to further underscore my point. It is sad to watch
the eBay greed-mongers drive the company into the ground. I'll waste no more
time trying to communicate directly with them and am turning my effort to eBay
stock analysts and the media instead (thanks to readers for lining these up).
If you didn't track the close of the eBay auction for the supposed "cobalt blue"
(irradiated) LOS ANGELES / TRADE (star) MARK / SODA WORKS Hutchinson,
two bidders ran it up to an incredible $710 closing price. It has been 18 days
since the auction closed and the (un)lucky winning bidder and seller haven't
posted feedback for each other yet, so maybe there's hope the buyer won't be
defrauded after all. I said "maybe." If eBay had a backbone they'd suspend
the seller, instead of banking their exorbitant final value fees. Caveat emptor!
February 28, 2008
Last week's strike by eBay sellers was quite entertaining to watch. The blogs
were absolutely alive with accusations detailing eBay's apparent attempts to
downplay and mask the full impact of the strike. Independent, outside sources
estimated eBay's newly listed item count was down about 13%. By now the
eBay powers-that-be have likely heaved a collective sigh of relief and are busy
calculating how many extra millions they'll bank due to the higher final value
fees. Meanwhile, thousands of totally fed up collectors are forsaking eBay and
moving to Amazon.com and other on-line auction services that recognize and
value their important collector customers.
As expected, I have received no response whatsoever to my February 6, 2008
letter to eBay's new CEO. There's a bit of sad irony in the fact that I wrote
to him about eBay's notoriously terrible communication and the deafening silence
of no response only serves to further underscore my point. It is sad to watch
the eBay greed-mongers drive the company into the ground. I'll waste no more
time trying to communicate directly with them and am turning my effort to eBay
stock analysts and the media instead (thanks to readers for lining these up).
If you didn't track the close of the eBay auction for the supposed "cobalt blue"
(irradiated) LOS ANGELES / TRADE (star) MARK / SODA WORKS Hutchinson,
two bidders ran it up to an incredible $710 closing price. It has been 18 days
since the auction closed and the (un)lucky winning bidder and seller haven't
posted feedback for each other yet, so maybe there's hope the buyer won't be
defrauded after all. I said "maybe." If eBay had a backbone they'd suspend
the seller, instead of banking their exorbitant final value fees. Caveat emptor!
Has GreedyBay Killed The Golden Goose?
March 31, 2008
I'm no longer holding my breath waiting for the new GreedyBay CEO to respond
to my February 6, 2008 letter. It's obvious the golden goose roasters are
preoccupied with the mountain of negative press generated by their latest
exorbitant fee hikes, the ridiculous masking of all bidder IDs, and the
unfathonable elimination of the ability for sellers to post negative feedback for
deadbeat bidders. Other auction sites are growing exponentially as sellers
abandon GreedyBay by the tens of thousands. A month long GreedyBay sellers'
strike is planned during May.
The "cobalt blue" (nuked) LOS ANGELES / TRADE (star) MARK / SODA WORKS
Hutchinson attracted six bidders and $168.50 the second time around, far less
than the $710 the first time this fraud was perpetrated. The seller and buyer
posted positive feedback for each other, but not before the seller filed a
non-pay notice. That fits right in with the buyer's 58 negatives!
No news on the Hutchinson bottle theft reported last month. Please review the
list of stolen bottles (still posted below) and watch for them.
Caveat emptor!
March 31, 2008
I'm no longer holding my breath waiting for the new GreedyBay CEO to respond
to my February 6, 2008 letter. It's obvious the golden goose roasters are
preoccupied with the mountain of negative press generated by their latest
exorbitant fee hikes, the ridiculous masking of all bidder IDs, and the
unfathonable elimination of the ability for sellers to post negative feedback for
deadbeat bidders. Other auction sites are growing exponentially as sellers
abandon GreedyBay by the tens of thousands. A month long GreedyBay sellers'
strike is planned during May.
The "cobalt blue" (nuked) LOS ANGELES / TRADE (star) MARK / SODA WORKS
Hutchinson attracted six bidders and $168.50 the second time around, far less
than the $710 the first time this fraud was perpetrated. The seller and buyer
posted positive feedback for each other, but not before the seller filed a
non-pay notice. That fits right in with the buyer's 58 negatives!
No news on the Hutchinson bottle theft reported last month. Please review the
list of stolen bottles (still posted below) and watch for them.
Caveat emptor!