Many people enjoy collecting vintage bottles for both fun and profit. These enchanting old bottles can be put to use or just displayed for enjoyment as they are both colorful and interesting. There are many types of bottles to collect, they range from vintage perfume bottles, which are very popular as collectors items, to wine bottles, poison bottles, ink bottles, milk bottles, fruit jars, soda bottles, beer bottles, medicine bottles, and the list goes on and on.

You can find these old bottles in many places, estate sales, antique stores and malls, thrift stores, yard sales and flea markets to name a few. Don't forget to look around your own house for vintage bottles, you may be surprised at what you find and where you find them. Look in the attic, the garage, the kitchen, and the laundry room. I found two venerable old bottles in my dining room among the old china. You never know where they will be found. If you have an old shed or barn, don't forget to look in there also.

Also, if you are lucky enough to have older relatives who you don't mind asking for old bottles, see if they have any lying around their house. Older relatives can be a rich source of older bottles.

Some bottle hunters go to places like old riverbeds and banks where vintage bottles may have been discarded and washed down the river, and hunt there. There are people who dig for bottles at old dump sites. This obviously requires a lot of hard work. You can usually tell the approximate age of the bottles that you find in a dig by the items that you find around the bottles. For instance, if you find plastic, the bottles are probably not as old as you had hoped.

The most important thing to remember before exploring a property for vintage bottles is to get the permission of the owner first to hunt for old bottles.

Vintage bottles come in all shapes, sizes and colors. Most of the vintage bottles were handmade, so there are very few that are identical, and they can contain flaws and bubbles that make them unique. These are some of the characteristics that can make a bottle rare and sought after. There are many other factors to consider when appraising value however, as follows:

- Age of the bottle. Bottles made before 1870 had lips that were handmade. These lips can be crude and uneven. Age can also be calculated by looking at the bottom of the bottle, bottle makers would add a piece of hot glass to the already molded bottle to make the lip by hand, this left a mark on the bottom of the bottle where the rod was broken off after the lip was formed. This occurs in bottles that were made prior to the mid 1800's.

- Bottle color. The highest valued colors are yellow and olive greens, cobalt and teal blues, yellow, purple and green. Black glass is most likely a form of early American glass as the dark color helped protect the bottle contents from spoiling. The word "black" also refers to dark amber and olive-amber colors.

- Design or embossing. The bottle is more valuable if the embossing identifies the date produced, or where the bottle was made.

- Bottle condition. Chips and cracks will devalue the worth of the bottle.

- Bottle category. There are many categories of bottles, as mentioned above, such as flasks, alcohol bottles, and druggist bottles. There is a huge variety of categories to choose from when collecting.

Vintage perfume bottles are almost in a category by themselves. Many, many people collect vintage perfume bottles. And why not, these bottles are beautiful to behold, and come in many themes and have many famous makers.

Some bottles can be worth several hundreds up to several thousands of dollars. For this reason there are some unscrupulous dealers out there who will try to pass off fakes. When shopping for bottles you should know what you are looking for and have done your research on it to avoid falling for one of these charlatans and to get what you are looking for in the end.

The best way to research the bottles you are looking for is to look them up on the Internet and see what you can find there about what you are looking for. Also, purchase a bottle guide, it will help you immensely in knowing what you have and in figuring out what others are selling.

Vintage bottles can be displayed in their own right, or you can use one for an interesting bud vase, some people even decorate their bottles, but that is not my thing. I prefer to keep my vintage bottles pristine as they are quite glorious to behold.

Whatever you decide to do with your vintage bottles, if you decide to sell them to other collectors or keep them, the most important thing is to identify what you have. You may have some very rare vintage bottles indeed, that may be worth a considerable sum of money. Become educated about your vintage bottles, and by all means, don't throw them in the recycle bin!

Have you got some vintage perfume bottles and want to know more about them? Or are you already a collector and looking to add to your collection? Collecting vintage perfume bottles is both fun and lucrative. And you end up with a stunning collection of lovely old bottles from yesteryear. You will find that many people are captivated by these beautiful old bottles of all sizes and colors.

If you are looking to expand your collection, make sure to keep your eyes open for opportunities to add to your collection. Places such as estate sales, antique stores and malls, and even garage and yard sales can be excellent places to find your next piece. You can also visit flea markets and thrift stores while on the hunt, you never know what you will find there.

Make sure that you research what you are looking for first however. Make sure you are educated about the type of vintage perfume bottles that you are searching for. If you are collecting a certain brand, research the company and manufacturer of the vintage perfume bottles. That way, you will know what you are buying should you come across a vintage perfume bottle of that brand.

Some of these bottles can sell for several hundreds, even several thousands, of dollars. Unfortunately there are unscrupulous dealers out there that may try to pass off fake vintage perfume bottles. If you know the characteristics of the type of vintage perfume bottles that you are looking for you will be much less susceptible to these charlatans.

You can also shop online and at the auction sites such as eBay for vintage perfume bottles. Make sure you examine the pictures carefully, and check out the seller's reputation. Resist making impulse buys as these can get you into trouble.

It is best if you can put a theme on your collection, such as collecting only Christmas vintage perfume bottles, holiday vintage perfume bottles, or spring vintage perfume bottles. Again, you will most likely have to do some research before you make up your mind as to what you want to collect.

Don't overlook mini vintage perfume bottles, these tend to be more rare, as they were usually the sample bottles produced by the perfume companies. These make a sweet collection and are quite lucrative.

Once you start collecting, you will probably want to invest in a bottles guide to help you in pricing bottles that you find for sale and in pricing the bottles that you are lucky enough to find in your house. This type of guide will go a long way in educating you on the different types of bottles and their value.

Here are some things to look for when identifying vintage perfume bottles:

- Is the bottle made out of lead crystal?

- The glass dauber stub is used for perfume application and holds the top in place.

- The cork stub holds the weighty top in place and the perfume in.

- The atomizer cushion pushes air and the perfume out.

- The bottom of the bottle has an acid etched insignia or foil sticker.

- The shape of the bottle is small and can't stand on it's own like a tube or a vile.

- The bottle is unsymmetrical or misshapen.

If your bottle has any of these qualities there is a chance that it may be a vintage Czechoslovakian, Victorian or French bottle of perfume. How exciting is that!

Remember, there is a rich and interesting history behind each vintage perfume bottle. Just invest a little time and effort to learn about the vintage perfume bottle that you are interested in and you will be on your way to a fun and lucrative hobby.