#National #Bottle #Convention #TwoYear #Hiatus
RENO, Nevada – Antique bottle and glass enthusiasts: mark your calendars for the Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors 2022 National Antique Bottle Convention at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno July 28-31.
The Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors was formed in 1969. Today it’s an affiliation of around 100 antique bottle clubs and members scattered across the United States and the world.
Courtesy of FOHBC
“I’m pleased to announce that this year’s convention will be held in our Western Region, in the ‘Biggest Little City in the World,’ and be our first national event after a two-year pause due to the pandemic,” said Ferdinand Meyer V, past three-time president of the FOHBC and one of the driving forces for the event. “Along with the traditional bottle show and sale will be educational seminars, a judged bottle shootout competition, silent auction, cocktail party and banquet, membership breakfast meeting, displays, team bowling event, bottle appraisals, youth events, raffles and many other activities.”
The public is welcome to the convention and you don’t have to be an FOHBC member to attend, but membership is encouraged and available at www.fohbc.org and also at the show.
There will be two special exhibits at this year’s convention:
• Top 25 Western Whiskey Cylinders: This display is expected to attract a special grouping of bottles that will easily approach $1 million in total value. Such a display may never happen again and, with the help of the collecting community, will provide an attraction that, alone, is worth attending the convention to see.
• Artifacts from the S. S. Central America: This once-in-a-lifetime exhibit features recovered artifacts from the ship that sank in 1857 and is known for its vast cargo of gold. There will be bottles, Gold Rush jewelry, firearms, luggage tags, photographs, currency, gold pokes, clothing and a treasure box and lid.
California Club House Pure Bourbon, considered one of the premier brands to collectors of California whiskey bottles. It was produced between 1872 and 1874 and there are nine or so known in shades of amber.
Courtesy of FOHBC
Antique bottle collectors are passionate about a category of collecting that’s enjoyed a meteoric rise in popularity in recent years, and this year’s FOHBC show is a must-attend for antique bottle and glass enthusiasts, members of the many antique bottle clubs scattered across the country, and diggers and pickers.
There will be a free appraisal table for people to bring in their finds and possessions. Friday and Saturday, July 29-30, will also feature a silent auction, in which attendees can bid during the convention on 50 to 100 lots displayed at a secure area on the Summit Pavilion showroom floor. Anyone wishing to consign a bottle to the auction (minimum value: $100) may email Richard Siri at [email protected] or Ferdinand Meyer V at [email protected].
Cassin’s Grape Brandy Bitters bottle, circa 1860s. Most unusual in shape and produced in two mold variants, this bottle is the earliest produced with approximately ten examples known.
Courtesy of FOHBC
Other events include various education seminars, a virtual museum, prize drawings, and fun activities for kids interested in the hobby including grab bags and scavenger hunt.
For more information about FOHBC and this year’s convention, visit www.fohbc.org.
