American Bottles & Flasks and Their Ancestry - by Helen McKearin and Kenneth M. Wilson.  Crown Publishers, Inc., New York, copyright 1978 (implicit first edition, though I think there was only one edition anyway).  This is hands down (in my opinion) the best, most well researched book ever done on the subject of American made bottles - particularly those made from the late 18th through late 19th centuries.  I consider it one of the top five bottle books every published as it is of use by students of American glass making, archaeologists, collectors and those just interested in the subject of American bottle making.  I list it as part of the essential bottle book "canon" on my other, purely educational Historic Glass Bottle Identification & Information Website.  This is a very thick (779 pages), larger format (about 9" x 11") book with a hardbound cloth cover and a dust jacket (unclipped - original price noted as "$26.95 until 12/31/78 $29.95" indicating this is one of the first runs of the printing).  Condition of this copy is very good+ to fine for the book itself: it is tight and sound with no spine weakness or splits (these large - 5+ pound - books are prone to such), no writing inside, with a bit of foxing to the top page edges, a slight musty smell (which is passing in our dry climate), and otherwise very minor wear.  The dust jacket has some very minor edge chipping and some short, closed edge tears though overall a pretty nice condition jacket for this book.  (Note:  The image is not of the offered book cover; the offered book is actually in better visual condition so I'm just re-using the image of a previous offering of this book to show what the dust jacket looks like in general.)  Overall this is a better than average copy.  I advise people who ask that this is probably the first book to buy if interested in the history of bottles and bottle making in America...maybe just the first one period.  $60 postpaid*

Bottle Makers and Their Marks - by Julian H. Toulouse.  Copyright 1971, the first edition, first printing (there were only two printings of the first edition).  This popular and relatively hard to get book is the best reference on the subject of bottle manufacturers and their markings and desired by archaeologists and collectors alike.  Dr. Toulouse was the chief engineer of the Owens-Illinois Glass Company and an acknowledged expert on the subject of glassmaking and glassmakers; he died a few years after publishing this book which was essentially his last work.  Condition of this first printing is about fine condition with few "issues" besides a bit of yellowing and some edge wear/chipping to the mylar protected dust jacket; original price is unclipped.  The book itself is also fine as it is pretty tight, and sound with no writing inside or major, just a bit of a very faint and fading musty-ness, lower corners slightly bumped, and a bit of light foxing to the page edges.  Overall this is a very nice example!  I consider this book as part of the essential bottle book "canon" on my other, purely educational Historic Glass Bottle Identification & Information Website.  (Note: Photo is not of the currently offered book although the currently offered example has a dj that is in at least as good of condition.)     $60.00 postpaid*

The Illustrated Guide to Collecting Bottles - by Cecil Munsey.  Although long out of print this book is, in my opinion, the best general book on bottle collecting ever written and a must have for any collector.  Hawthorne Books, Copyright 1970 (later printing), larger format 11 1/4" x 8 1/2", hardbound with dust jacket, 308 pages.  Lavishly illustrated with hundreds of photographs, this book has it all in regards to the manufacturing and collecting of bottles.  Book itself is very good+,+ quite tight with very light page edge soiling, some bumping to the corers, and an inscription from 1971 on the attached front endpaper. Condition of the (price clipped) dust jacket is also good to very good with some small closed edge tears and some typical wear to the corners and edges of the spine.  Overall a very good, solid copy that will provide more information in one place than any other bottle book.  (The image is a stock image - not of this particular copy which is a least as good looking.)  $20.00 postpaid*

American Breweries II - by Dale Van Wieren.  Copyright 1995 (apparent first edition/first printing as there is a marked "second printing"), softbound (as all are), 5" x 8.5" in size, 550+ pages. This book is a must have for anyone - collector or archaeologist - who is trying to date the age of American beer bottles made by companies in business from 1876 to 1976.  This book is the update of the classic one by Bull, Friedrich & Gottschalk in 1984 which was an update from the original one by Friedrich & Bull in 1976 ("The Register of United States Breweries - 1876-1976").  In any event, there is no more useful book around on the subject and I've found it to be an incredible tool in my work on the Historic Bottle Website .  I have all three books and the 1995 update is by far the best of them, not surprisingly since it is the most recent (and final) edition.  Condition of this book is very good - tight and sound - with a bit of minor soiling and edge wear and an inscription on the title page.  (The image is a stock image and not of this particular copy, though it looks about the same.)  I don't believe these are still in print and are somewhat difficult to obtain.  $25.00 postpaid*

FRUIT JARS - A Collector's Manual - by Julian H. Toulouse.  Copyright 1969 and published by the Thomas Nelson & Sons.  This book is an essential one if you are into fruit jars and the dating and history of them, though it also covers lots of related patent and glass making information.  This is the second (and last ) printing from September 1970 and is in fine to very fine condition - book itself is very fine+ with just some very minimal soiling on the page edges and is otherwise very tight & sound (little used) with two pages where the previous owner underlined a few sentences with a fine red pen....otherwise no writing inside the book.  The dust jacket (not price clipped) is very fine with just some light scuffing and a little bit of chipping at the top of the spine area and a small closed tear on the back with a crease.  (Note:  The photo is a stock photo of mine and not of the actual book, though the cover condition is at least as good with this offered example.)  This book is an important work also from the perspective of glassmaker history and really a companion work to Toulouse's classic Bottle Makers & Their Marks which was published 2 years later. (Note: Fruit Jars was recently reprinted by Blackburn Press, denoting it's importance.  However, this new version is softbound and priced at $62.95 + postage.  Get the version here for less!)  I list this book also as part of the essential bottle book "canon" on my other, purely educational Historic Glass Bottle Identification & Information Website.   $40.00 postpaid*

The Parks Canada Glass Glossary - by Olive Jones & Catherine Sullivan.  Revised Edition, 1989, National Historic Parks and Sites, Canadian Parks Service, Environment Canada.  Spiral bound soft cover, larger format, 184 pages.  Jones & Sullivan's classic professional work on bottle & glass identification and dating is probably the most often quoted reference on the subject in the professional archaeologist/cultural resources world.  Impeccably researched and illustrated this book is a must for the archaeologist who records historic artifact information as well as the collector interested in dating and classifying their bottles.   This is also one of the books that I list as part of the essential bottle book "canon" on my other, purely educational Historic Glass Bottle Identification & Information Website.   A hard to find book; this example is in new condition.  SOLD!

Bottles on the Western Frontier - by Rex Wilson.  Copyright 1981, 12" by 9" larger format book with the much rarer hardbound green cloth covers (most examples are softbound), unclipped dust jacket ($40 original price), 144 pages, hundreds of pictures and illustrations, first (and only) edition (like most bottle books).  One of the classic books on bottles that was based on the authors excavations at several Western Army forts which were active between 1849 and 1891.  This book has appeal to both archaeologists and collectors due to it excellent research and information...and just because it is a great book with good pictures, histories, and information.  Condition of this book is fine to very fine - the book has a very tight binding, virtually no soiling, and very little wear to the book or the dust jacket (which is in a mylar protective cover).  In short, this is probably the best condition example of this book - hard or soft bound - that I've ever had.  (Note:  The scan to the right is of a soft bound example I had some years back, not this copy.  The weird lines on the scan are from the scanner, not on this book cover which is virtually perfect.)  A must book for every collector and archaeologist's library.  SOLD!  (A softbound copy is available below.)

...and another copy of "Bottles on the Western Frontier" - I've another copy of this book that is ex-library - and the usual softbound cover - but in very good+ condition.  It has a small library sticker on the upper left hand corner of the front cover, lower end of the spine, a few small stampings here and there, the usual check-out card pocket on the loose front endpaper and a playing card size sticker on the reverse of that endpaper for the school that divested the book...which according to the check-out slip was never checked out.  Book is tight and sound with no real issues besides some edge wear and minor chipping to the covers which have very minor scuffing, some curled page edges and really little else...a very useable copy.  $25.00 postpaid*

Whiskey Bottles and Liquor Containers From the The State of Oregon - by John Thomas.  Published in 1998, this softbound book is the best historical and collector work on liquor (or any) bottles from this great state.  The late Mr. Thomas was a pioneer in the research of Western liquor bottles, this being - with the Washington book - his last works.  Great books with very nice illustrations, pictures, and history.  This one is in new condition, having never been read or opened.  Get one before they become unavailable like all good bottle books do eventually.  $20.00 postpaid*

Whiskey Bottles and Liquor Containers From The State of Washington - by John Thomas.  Published in 1998, this softbound book is the best historical and collector work on liquor (or any) bottles from this great state.  The late Mr. Thomas was a pioneer in the research of Western liquor bottles, this being - with the Oregon equivalent book - his last works.  Great books with very nice illustrations, pictures, and history.  This one is in new condition, having never been read or opened.  Get one before they become unavailable like all good bottle books do eventually.  List price $24.95, get it here for $20.00 postpaid*

The Heddon's Story Handbook of Proprietary Medicines by James Seeley White.  Copyright 1974, softbound (all were to my knowledge), 95 pages, with a nice glossy photographic cover.  This is a fascinating book based on the contents of an old drugstore in Portland, OR.  The research of the bottles (all photographed) included is excellent making this book of broader appeal than one would think.  Condition is essentially perfect (very fine+) with little to no soiling or other problems; tight and sound.  $20.00 postpaid*

The Bottles, Breweriana, and Advertising Jugs of Minnesota 1850-1920 - Volume 2: Whiskey, Druggist, Medicine.  Editor & co-author Ron Feldhaus.  First edition 1987 (#131 of 1000), softbound, larger format 11" by 8 1/2", 200 pages, signed by the author on the title page.  This is Vol. 2 of a classic two volume work on the bottles of Minnesota.  This is also one of those collector based books that is exceptional in providing excellent regional history as well as hundreds of photographs/illustrations of the bottles and lots of related items.  Condition is very good with just some cover/page edge wear, almost invisible soiling, and a couple notations of value lightly penned in on one page - otherwise the book is tight and sound.  Also includes the 1987 price guide booklet and a flyer advertising the books.  $25.00 postpaid*

Guide To Old Bottles - Contents & Prices Volume I and II - by Richard Fike.  The first volume (white cover) is copyright 1966 (fourth printing 1972); the second volume (tan cover) is copyrighted 1967 (second printing 1969).  Like the "Handbook" above, both books are also larger format books with 48 pages each.  These works continue on from the 1966 "Handbook" and include lots of historical information, old advertisements, illustrations of bottles (nice line drawings like on the cover), and are pretty good sources of bottle historical information from one of the leaders in the field.  Condition of both books is also fine+ with no real issues - just a couple very light soiling spots and a price sticker spot on the title page of the first volume.  There is no writing that I can find inside (a very faint name on the back cover of Vol. 1) and both are very securely stapled together - loose staples are a problem with these type books.  Click on both images to see larger versions (these images are of past examples I've had...these two being offered now are at least as good or better looking).  Necessary additions for the complete bottle book library.  $30.00 postpaid*

Whitall, Tatum & Co. 1880 - This is a Pyne Press (Princeton University) reprint from  their "American Historical Catalog Collection" series from 1971.  Softbound like all versions of this book.  Contains the entire 1880 Whitall, Tatum & Co. Druggists', Chemists', and Perfumers' Glassware catalog that is an invaluable guide to bottle types and shapes from 1880.  Whitall Tatum was very big in the world of plate mold druggist bottles (lots of plate examples illustrated within) as well as all types of druggist glassware and products.  This book is desired and used extensively by archaeologists and researchers in their work, but also is quite useful and informative to collectors as well.  Condition is very fine+ and is very tight and sound with virtually no wear and appears to have never been opened.   (The image is a stock image - not of this particular copy.) Hard to find and often selling for much more.  $25.00 postpaid*

Illinois Glass Company 1903-1904 catalog reprint - Larger format (about 8.5" by 11") reprint of the Illinois Glass Company "Bottles of Every Description" catalog.  60 pages which has 4 original catalog pages per page - many of the original catalogs were about the size of a modern paperback novel (though there was a larger version also).  Undated but was apparently done in the 1970's by Collector Books of Paducah, Kentucky and long out of print.  Old bottle maker catalogs are invaluable assets when trying to determine the age or function (i.e. use) of different shaped bottles.  The reprinted catalog dates from just before the automatic bottle machine began its climb to dominance so everything in the book is of hand-made or "mouth-blown" bottles, with the exception of a few semi-automatic wide mouth jars and bottles.  The condition of the offered copy (the image is a stock image - not of this particular copy) is fine or so - nearly new looking with very few flaws (small water spot on the front cover) and very and tight and sound.  Great resource for the collector or archaeologist.  SOLD!

Bottle Identification (reprint of the 1911 Illinois Glass Co. catalog) - by H. E. Putnam.  Softbound larger format (8 1/2" by 11") book copyrighted in 1965.  Though not stated, this book is a reprint of the 1911 Illinois Glass Company "Bottles of Every Description" catalog (I have an original and compared) produced during an important time of transition from mouth-blown to machine-made bottles, though most of the bottles listed in this catalog were still mouth-blown.  Profusely illustrated with hundreds of bottles, sizes, prices, etc.., this book compliments the IGCo. 1903-1904 catalog reprint (sold).   These books tended to weather poorly, though this example (the image is a stock image - not of this particular copy) is in very good+ with very slight cover soiling and wear on the spine and cover edges and a <3" tear to the cover which was taped on the inside.  A tight and sound book in great condition inside and which, like the other reprint (and sometimes original) catalogs listed here, are valuable tools for the identification of bottles by shape.   $17.50 postpaid*

Sarsaparilla Bottle Encyclopedia - by Phyllis Shimko.  If you are interested in the history behind sarsaparilla bottles, this is the book to have (DeGrafft's more commonly seen book has no history behind the bottles).  Long out of print and very hard to find.  Privately published in 1969 with around 200 pages, softbound cover (they were all softbound), first and only edition. Shimko (from Aurora, OR. and a founder of the Oregon Bottle Collectors Association) did an excellent job of researching sarsaparilla bottles and the amount of information in this book is exceptional.  Loads of illustrations (line drawings) of the bottles with advertising and lots of company related historical information.  Condition is good to very good being very functionally sound and tight for this particular book; these books are notorious for "weathering" poorly.  There is no writing inside with the primary condition "issues" with this book is some light to moderate soiling to the spine and the covers near the spine (click on thumbnail to see the front cover), some roughness to the paper at the spine (one <1" spot appear to have been re-glued),  and some minor soiling to the page edges.  Overall a quite decent copy and better than my "keeper" which I bought from Phyllis in 1969 (and consulted a lot since).   $50.00 postpaid*

The Bertrand Bottles - A Study of 19th-Century Glass and Ceramic Containers - by Ronald R. Switzer.  This book, published by the National Park Service (Department of Interior) in 1974 is one of the classic works in the field of historic archaeology as it pertains to bottles.  The Bertrand was a steamboat that sunk in the Missouri River on April Fools Day 1865.  It was relocated in 1968 on U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service refuge lands in Iowa (I think) and subsequently salvaged as it was now in a farm field the river having meandered away.  The Bertrand went down with several thousand items of bottled goods destined for the gold fields of Montana and created a "snap shot" in time of bottle types that were in use in 1865.  This is an overview and catalog of the items found and the information in this 100 page softbound book is exceptional; also long out of print.  The condition of the offered copy (the image is not of the offered copy) is in very good to fine condition with some scuffing to the cover (typical), no writing inside, or other significant problems...and the book binding is very tight and sound.  $20.00 postpaid*

The Mouth-Blown Bottle - by Grace Kendrick.  Edwards Bros., Ann Arbor, MI., copyright 1968, hardbound yellow cloth cover with dust jacket, 200 pages, first edition.  This example is signed by the author on the front loose endpaper along with the usual first edition stamp & hand written number (FIRST EDITION BOOK NO. 251).  Another classic long-out-of-print book that is one of the best, easy to read, discussions of glass blowing using hand and mouth techniques.  Scores of pictures showing all aspects of the blowing process, molds, pontil rods, etc.  The condition of this copy - book and dust jacket - is the one of the better I've had.  It is in essentially near-new condition and appears to have little been used.  These books typically do not "wear" very well, but this is the exception.  It is essentially perfect with no writing inside (besides signature and the authors stamp/numbering), little or no scuffing to the dust jacket (which was put in a mylar covering long ago), it is not price clipped, quite tight binding and overall very sound.  (Note: The image is not of the actual book dust jacket which is in better condition.)  If you want the best copy available this is it (it is better than my "keeper" one).  Great addition to any bottle collectors or archaeologists library.   $35.00 postpaid*

Glassblowing - The Technique of Free-Blown Glass - by Frank Kulasiewicz.  Watson-Guptill Publications/New York, Pitman Publishing/London.  First printing (only printing I think), copyright 1974, hardbound red cloth cover with dust jacket, 215 pages, larger format book (8.5" x 11").  In my years of doing the Historic Bottle Website this book on glassblowing has been by far the most useful in understanding materials, processes, tools, etc. of the process of glass bottle blowing.  If you want to understand the actual nuts 'n bolts process of how bottles were manufactured by mouth-blown or handmade methods, this is the book.  Text is comprehensive but easy to understand and follow and it is all illustrated profusely with hundreds of large b&w images (some color).  Condition is very good or better with few issues - a bit of bumping to the hardbound cover corners, name written in ink on the front & back attached endpapers, a slightly toned dust jacket with only a bit of edge/corner bumping and wear but with little in the way of the typically common short edge rips.   The book is tight and sound, with supple pages, no staining, a strong binding and no other writing in side....and a great dust jacket for this book.   $35.00 postpaid*

Handbook of Glass Manufacture - Volume I - The following from the title page of the first volume:  Handbook of Glass Manufacture - A book of reference for the plant executive, technologist and engineer.  Complied and Edited by Fay V. Tooley, Professor of Glass Technology, Department of Ceramic Engineering, University of Illinois.  Ogden Publishing Company, Publishers of The Glass Industry and The Glass Packer, 55 West 42nd Street, New York 36, N. Y.  This example of Vol. 1 is copyrighted 1953, Third Printing 1961.  (There was also a smaller Volume 2 which was copyrighted in 1960, but it is Volume 1 that is  BY FAR the most valuable of the two to those interested in the ins and outs of glass and bottle making.)  These books are sort of "soft hardbound" books (the only way they were published I believe) with no dust jackets (as issued).  Vol. 1 has upwards of 600 pages (much larger than Vol. 2 which has 350 or so).  This offered Volume 1 is in very good shape and similar to the book pictured to the left (which is not the offered book but a stock photo; the only difference is that the offered one here has "Volume 1" printed below "Glass Manufacture).  This example has a scratched out label (name?) on the inside of the front cover, but is very tight and sound with no particular problems besides very limited evidence of some use.  If a person wants to really understand glass making processes and terminology, this is the book to have.  I used - and continue to use - my copy of this book extensively in my work on the Historic Bottle Website.  Fantastically detailed with great illustrations of machines and glassmaking processes, in depth information on the chemistry of glass, and SO much more.  Check the internet used book places and you'll see these are priced several times what I'm asking here.  This is one of the most important books for any serious student of glass and bottle making to have...really.  $95.00 postpaid*