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Bottled Ship Builder

Ship in bottle Valuation


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On 3/13/2020 at 9:32 AM, colin edgson said:

I have a ship in a bottle which is at least 60 years old and am looking to sell it.

Please could you give me a valuation

Post it on this thread and we can take a crack at it.  Most ships in bottle fall between $100 - $300. If it's from the 1960s its likely to be closer to the $100 side.  That depends on the quality of the work.  

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  • 6 months later...
On 3/1/2018 at 12:54 PM, DSiemens said:

So I received an email regarding an old ship in bottle that some one had.  They wanted more information and possible value.  Some how that email disappeared before I could respond to it so I thought I'd post something real quick.  If you emailed through the contact us email please email again I'd like to answer your questions.  

 

As far as valuation goes it starts with authenticating the bottle.  Looking at the bottle and finding clues on how it was made which can help determine when it was made.  If a bottle was made using a method from the 1950's it can be determined that the ship in bottle is no older than the 1950's.  If the bottle was made using methods from the late 1800's then it could have been built anytime after that.  So the bottle is a great way to start.

Materials and objects in the bottle can also help.  I have found that most ships in bottles prior to around 1920ish don't have sails on them.  This is not a hard fast rule but as I have delved into older ships in bottles it seems more and more had sails the later they were built.  This is possibly the way that ship in bottle methods were passed on.  I don't know for sure.  All I can say is theres enough evidence to say if the bottle a ship is in was built between 1900 and 1930 and it doesn't have sails there is a strong possibility that the ship was put in before 1920.  It's still a guess but an educated one.

As far as valuation goes ships in bottles are unfortunately not work a whole lot.  As far as antique markets are concerned they are trinkets and folk art.  At most a 100 year old ship in bottle is probably worth $300.  If it has a great story that could be authenticated it might be pushed to $400....maybe.  It's a big maybe.  Most I've seen sell for $100 to $250. 

If any one has old ships in bottles that they'd like more info on please post pictures and share it.  Our membership loves digging into the details and often small seemingly insignificant parts can tell a big story.  For instance the ship in bottle in the header of this website portrays Devin England and has a windmill.  That windmill blew down in 1919.  So I can reasonably say the ship in bottle was likely built before then because the builder knew the windmill was there.  It also points to the builder's knowledge of Devon England.  The lack of sails also points to being built earlier in the 1900's.  These little details can tell a lot about a ship and the builder.  So post your old ships in bottles.  We'd love to tell you about them.              

My ships name is Zacky. Probably made in Florida in 30’s as father was born in 1928. Value priceless any info or thoughts appreciated

image.jpg

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Ok this one took some digging.  From the source I found its a refrigerator jar by Owens Illinois Glass Co. from around 1930-1944.  Your assumption is correct it's from the 1930s to early 40s.  I'll have to look up Zacky.  Appears to be a three masted schooner.  Can I get a close up of the flags?   

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/133278470197561333/

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On 2/18/2021 at 4:51 PM, Zack said:

My dads ship cap on top in bed of wax maybe. Name on stern is Zacky. He was  born 1928 so I assume built in central Florida in 30’s

 

1 hour ago, DSiemens said:

Ok this one took some digging.  From the source I found its a refrigerator jar by Owens Illinois Glass Co. from around 1930-1944.  Your assumption is correct it's from the 1930s to early 40s.  I'll have to look up Zacky.  Appears to be a three masted schooner.  Can I get a close up of the flags?   

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/133278470197561333/

image.jpg

 

7E7EA604-2289-45C6-816B-A001563084B2.jpeg

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Bottom flag is a red x from corners. Middle flag is same x with outside colored blue. Top flag is faded. Zacky is named for my dad whose name was Zack Jr hence nickname Zacky. Dad died in 67 so the stories tell of an African American making it for my dad. Don’t know if that part true. He would have been living in south Florida at time. 
thanks for everything. 
zack 3. 

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Appears to be the signal flags for M and V. Could be a lot of things. Builders initials, place initials, something else. Does it ring a bell?  

Other than that the ship looks to be done by some one with experience in the craft and of sailing ships. The rigging appears accurate and the scale is pretty close. 

I can't tell what ship it was exactly there is a yacht Hussar IV that visited the Florida Keys in the 1920s that has the same sail pattern but the hull color wasn't white. Could have been another ship or a generic representation. 

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I have often wondered just how much my 2 yard-of-ale-glass models may be worth, I know that they are the only ones ever done and an appeal by the Bottleship mag did not produce any contenders also an article in a newspaper failed to find any more as I am nearing 80 I am thinking of selling some of my work and intend to leave some to my local museum.

Endeavour 1 (3).JPG

nelson in y o a glass.jpg

endeavour crew 2.jpg

nelson crew 2.jpg

endeavour stbd quarter 2.jpg

Nelson at sea.jpg

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I have often wondered just how much my 2 yard-of-ale-glass models may be worth, I know that they are the only ones ever done and an appeal by the Bottleship mag did not produce any contenders also an article in a newspaper failed to find any more as I am nearing 80 I am thinking of selling some of my work and intend to leave some to my local museum.

endeavour port bow 2.jpg

Endeavour stbd bow 2.jpg

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Here are a few that my great grandfather, Edward Magnus Johnsen built, from 1940-1970. He was a Norwegian immigrant to New York in 1915, was born in 1889, and spent his youth before becoming an American citizen sailing actual clipper ships. Also including a pic of him taken in 1906 on a clipper with a broken mast at New York harbor. He is the man standing to the left of the break in the mast, with the black hat and rolled up sleeves. The bottled ships I have were made by him. He made them his entire life, up until the day he died, in 1970, he had one on a stand under construction on the dining room table when he died. I have either eight or ten of his works, one of which is in a cork Jack Daniels bottle. Unfortunately, the diamond shaped bottle was broken several years ago. These are not the entire collection

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353974B1-FF3B-4B20-A78C-C01BE61857B8.jpeg

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I just wondered if anyone knew what country these ships in bottles might have come from, & approximate age? The bottles look quite old....ie have bubbles in the glass?

Jeremy in Leamington Spa

Edited by jeremy
Was going to try and post a clearer photo!
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