Q: I read your newsletter article about barber bottles. I’ve never heard of this collectible before. How can I identify these bottles? Are there markings or other things that help a novice recognize a bottle as a “barber bottle?”

A: Fancy barber bottles were popular in the second half of the 19th century. Barbers made their own hair tonic and other hair products or bought them in large containers and poured them into their own barber bottles. Most barber bottles weren’t labeled, but the barber knew what was inside each bottle because of its shape and color. Some were made for specific customers and were labeled with the customer’s name. Most have a bulbous bottom and thin neck. The bottles were made in cranberry, cut, hobnail, milk, opalescent, spatter, vaseline and other types of art glass in many colors. Most were blown. Look for a pontil mark on the bottom of the bottle. The stopper is also a good clue to the bottle’s use. If it has a sprinkler top, it’s not a liquor bottle. The Pure Food and Drugs Act of 1906 made it illegal to use refillable bottles without labels in a barbershop, and the bottles were no longer used.