Schmidtmann Bottle
Q: I have an old blue green bottle with an applied blob top. It has seams on both sides and a smooth bottom. It’s about seven inches long and is inscribed “H. Schmidtmann, 413 E. 24th St., New York” and “H.S. 1874.” Can you give me any information on this bottle?
A: H. Schmidtmann was in business from 1864 to 1875, so “1874” may have been the date of manufacture. No other information on this company is available. Blob top soda and mineral water bottles were first made in the 1840s. Later, some blob top bottles were made for beer. Most blob top bottles are pony shape, like yours, with sloping shoulders and were blown in a mold. Your bottle probably originally had a cork closure held in place by a wire bail looped around the blob top. Bottles like yours occasionally show up online and sell for less than $20.
2 responses to “Schmidtmann Bottle”
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It should be “bale” not bail.
I think “On line” should be stressed here as far as value goes. I sell local blob top sodas, as well as blob tops from other areas for 45 dollars each and cannot keep them on the shelves. Sometimes more, At Miles Antique Mall in Pensacola. Unless the online site is an auction site I personally do not believe that $20 or less is a fair value to quote. I will add I do not target collectors, instead I sell them as Antique Art Bottles (The Shard Yard and Garden-Pensacola). However I have not researched this bottle and I know Kovels is a respected source and one I use myself. I am not an expert, but my experience selling antique bottles is that folks want the patina (not the dirt) and all signs of age. If this was my only bottle I would keep it. If I were looking to sell I would go no lower than 35 dollars as is. Kindly yours.