Bottle show brings history to life for local collectors

Lynzie Lowe, Appeal-Democrat, Marysville, Calif.
Updated ·2 min read

Oct. 5—Hundreds of bottles and other collectables were on display in Williams on Saturday as part of the fourth annual Antique Bottle and Collectibles Show held at the Sacramento Valley Museum.

Cristy Edwards, show organizer and founder, said each of the items on display has a unique story and collectors love to analyze the various characteristics of each bottle to uncover the history behind each container.

"It becomes a mystery and the collectors use the different details on the bottle to put the pieces back together and bring a little piece of life back together," said Edwards.

With fond memories of the discontinued Williams Antique Show, Edwards said her husband Slim was inspired to get a new show of this kind up and running in Williams again, so he put his life-long love of bottle collecting to use and organized the now annual event.

As a member of the board, Edwards said Slim organized the show as a fundraiser for the Sacramento Valley Museum to keep the Williams institution running.

"It's such an important part of the community," said Edwards. "There is so much to see in there."

In addition to bottles, Edwards said there were many other collectibles, including insulators, tins, records, old postcards of Colusa County and the surrounding region, vintage comic books and more.

"There is so much childhood nostalgia," said Edwards.

According to Edwards, this year's two-day show featured 24 tables of bottles and collectables, with vendors traveling from as far away as Washington, Redding, San Jose and Downiville to attend.

Depending on special characteristics — such as bottle design, seems, pontals, lettering and color — Edwards said bottles can run for as high as tens of thousands of dollars in some cases. Some particularly interesting bottles on display at this year's show were a green Henry IXL bitters bottle, which goes for about $3,000, and a Vonthofers schnapps bottle that is dated pre 1862.

This year's show was particularly special for Edwards, she said, because Slim put together a display of bottles found at Uncle Dennis' Gold Mine, a family ranch on the north fork of the Yuba River.