Antique Way

Baltimore Antique Bottle Club, Inc.

The Baltimore Antique Bottle Club, Inc. is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to educate the public about antique bottle collecting and to promote the hobby. Over the years, the club has become one of the strongest and most enduring bottle clubs in the country. The hard work of so many members since its inception has led to the club's success. The club provides a great opportunity to learn about an interesting, historical and potentially lucrative hobby and to make new friends and have a good time. . For more on how the club evolved, click the History link.

Interest in bottle collecting in the Baltimore area has been generated by the fact that Baltimore had such a long, rich history in the manufacture of bottles and other glass products. Glass production ranked as Baltimore's 3rd top industry at its peak during the 19th century. The Baltimore Glassworks, for example, was an excellent producer of a broad variety of bottles during that era. Many of these bottles were dug by individuals in sites all over the city and surrounding counties. This led to the fascinating hobby of antique bottle collecting with a predominant focus on bottles manufactured in Baltimore..

The beginning of the 1980s saw the most significant turning point in the club's history. In 1980, following a successful bottle exhibit by club members in a local shopping center, Towson Plaza, then club President Nick Benedict stated in the club's newsletter: "We must discuss the interest of a bottle show and sale for next year." Those 14 words drastically changed the dynamics of the club and history was about to be made. On March 8, 1981, the first ever show and sale took place at the Ramada Inn (just outside Baltimore, Maryland). A total of 55 tables were rented, and there were 633 paid admissions. [For more on the show's statistics through the years go to Shows at a Glance.] The club is proud in that through all the shows, an emphasis was placed on educational displays and exhibits to help educate the public about the hobby.

In 1982 the club's name was officially changed to the Baltimore Antique Bottle Club. The purpose of the club was refined as follows:

The Baltimore Antique Bottle Club is composed of individuals and families with a common interest in the field of bottles and bottle collecting. It shall be the purpose of this Club to be charitable and educational and not for financial gain, and no receipts or efforts of this Club will be used for such. We will promote, foster and encourage all activities toward the betterment of bottle collections, to better facilitate the exhibiting-displaying, trading, promoting and researching of bottles and bottle collections, including the researching of glass and related items.

These principles remain in effect today.

Throughout the 1980s the club and show expanded. The size of each required the moving to larger venues. The newsletter took on a more professional look. There was a great deal of emphasis on social camaraderie during the decade as trips to bottle shows and evenings at dinner theaters and parties were common.

The club celebrated its 20th anniversary in 1990. And it marked the 10th anniversary of the annual show and sale, which had gained steam through the eighties. When Mary Collins assumed the position of editor of the club's newsletter, the Baltimore Bottle Digger in October 1990 (still serving the club in that capacity), she revised the format and is, with the exception of some minor changes and additions, similar today. The Baltimore Bottle Digger is widely regarded as an informative communication tool that provides interesting bottle-related articles, announcements and comprehensive club news coverage.

The club meets usually on the 2nd Friday of the month at 7:30 p.m. from September through June in the cafeteria at Loch Raven High School. Every meeting includes a program, which may involve a speaker presentation or participation from the members. Prior to the meetings, members bring in bottles from their collections or those recently acquired to display or sell. In addition, other opportunities exist at the meetings to show and discuss bottles, socialize, answer questions from new collectors, and participate in drawings for bottle prizes. A popular feature is the Theme Bottle segment where members bring in bottles that are connected in some way-even marginally-to an event in the month the meeting takes place. The club provides refreshments. For meeting schedules, click Meetings.

Among the club's activities are special events, such as the annual summer picnic and the Holiday Party (during the December meeting) where music, prizes, games and good food add to the festive atmosphere. In addition, we present the club's annual Distinguished Service Award at the Holiday Party-a tradition which began in 1999-to a long time member of the club who provided excellent service to the club over the years and continue to be active. We publish an excellent newsletter, the Baltimore Bottle Digger, which contains interesting articles, information and club news. The newsletter is published 10 months a year (none in July or August).

The club also joined the Internet age when Reggie Lynch, a North Carolina collector and dealer offered to maintain web pages for bottle clubs as part of his comprehensive web site, Antique Bottle Collectors Haven, www.antiquebottles.com . That is where the Baltimore Antique Bottle Club's first web page was located.

The new millennium brought in some more changes to the club. In September 2000 the club celebrated its 30th anniversary with an enjoyable 70s theme party (to coincide with the club's being formed in 1970) including period attire, music, games, special refreshments and prizes. New features were added to the newsletter, the use of the Internet has become an integral part of the show's promotion strategy. More and more bottles are brought to the meetings, a showcase of an individual's collection is featured monthly, and interesting programs continue to take place drawing large crowds.

Through the years, club members unselfishly shared their homes to host club picnics. The club generously provides financial support to non-profit organizations that are related to the hobby of bottle collecting or support it. In addition, the club offers scholarships to students at Loch Raven High School in Towson, Maryland where the meetings take place. The Baltimore Antique Bottle Club has also been long-time supporters of the Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors and the National Bottle Museum.