Dating vintage milk bottles

How can you tell how old an antique milk bottle is?

Shape is one of the first indicators to look for when dating an antique bottle. According to antiquemilkbottles.com, the shape indicates when your bottle was manufactured.

Do You Remember the days when milk was sold in glass?

Many of us will still remember the days when we used to be able to purchase milk in glass bottles. In fact, that sound of the milk cart powering up the street and the clinking of bottles is synonymous with bygone decades. However, times have changed and plastic is now the preferred way to store milk.

Why are glass milk bottles so popular again?

Despite this, glass milk bottles are experiencing something of a surge in popularity again. There are many reasons for this, from environmental concerns to nostalgia. Which is better? And which is less damaging to the environment? Lets take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of glass milk bottles.

Who made milk bottles in the 1950s?

Lamb Glass Co. [ca. 1944-1950s] The Lamb Glass Company: Manufacturers of High Grade Milk Bottles. Lamb Glass Co., Mt. Vernon, Ohio.

How can you tell how old a bottle of milk is?

Look for these old bottles with the characteristic crown top. The embossed maker’s mark or letters on the side of a bottle or on the base of a bottle will help to reveal a bottle’s age. Marks or letters on collectible milk bottles and Coca Cola bottles are commonly indicators of age and origin.

How do you determine the age of an old bottle?

Brand names, trademarks, and other identifying marks provide useful data in determining an old bottle’s age. When the mark’s owner is established and clearer dates can be matched to the bottle’s use, the mark can help to positively date the piece. A well-defined maker’s mark can help you establish an old bottle’s age.

Are old milk bottles worth anything?

Vintage milk bottles, old but not quite a century old, come in all shapes and sizes, with embossed or painted dairy names, and varied mouths, glass colors and lids. Some vintage bottles can be worth more than real antiques. Value is determined by condition; chips, scratches, cracks and staining instantly devalue a bottle.

What do the letters on a milk bottle mean?

Marks or letters on collectible milk bottles and Coca Cola bottles are commonly indicators of age and origin. The letter form for “S” was so hard to form on a bottle that it is often mis-shapen, deformed, reversed or eliminated.

What is the history of milk bottles?

In the 1950s and 1960s, amber milk bottles were prevalent and they were used to keep out damaging sun rays and light. Dairies often embossed their name, logo, or initials onto the base of their milk bottles. This made it easy to identify their bottles at stores and bottle exchanges.

What kind of milk bottle caps were used in the 1950s?

Assorted vintage 1950s milk caps. Milk chute, open, with one bottle of milk. 1920s -1950s. There is some metal contraption with a bar that holds the bottle in place. Nice quality home interior woodwork molding all around the milk chute. These chutes were usually built into the back of the house, near the back door.

What replaced the glass milk bottles?

Unfortunately, the convenience and cost factor also meant that glass milk bottles were soon replaced by plastic containers and wax paper cartons. By the 1950s, almost all milk in the United States was packaged in square cartons.

What did the milkman do with the bottles?

The milkman would put the bottles of fresh milk inside the box, remove the empty bottles, and collect his payment. Before cars were invented, the milk was transported on a cart. Sometimes it was pulled by a horse, and other times by the milkman himself.