How do I know if my old bottle is worth money?

Most old bottles are common and sell for small amounts. The bottles that interest collectors usually combine age, an unusual color, an embossed name or picture and a scarce local maker. Bitters, early medicine bottles, figural bottles, early soda and beer bottles from small-town bottlers, and bottles in unusual colors like cobalt blue, deep green or amber shades can bring more.

Look at how it was made. Older hand-finished bottles often have a mold seam that stops below the lip, an applied or uneven top, bubbles in the glass and a pontil mark on the bottom. Machine-made bottles from the 1900s on usually have seams that run all the way up through the lip. Chips, cracks, stains and cloudiness lower value.

Bottle collector guides and collecting clubs can help you identify the maker and age. Search sold prices for the same embossing and color. For a collection of older bottles, an auction company that handles bottles can tell you what is worth selling individually.