American Bottle Auctions
We buy, consign and sell antique bottles in our online auction - including old whiskey, bitters, sodas, water, beers, inks, flasks, spirit, medicine, historical, fruit and pickle jars, utility, barber, gin, Dutch onion, nippers and more!
Your Online Connection to the World of Antique Bottles About American Bottle Auction American Bottle Auctions was founded in 1993 by Jeff Wichmann. It began as a part time project and grew over the years. A native Californian, Jeff himself has been collecting antique bottles for nearly 40 years. What first was called Pacific Glass Auctions in 1990, changed to American Bottle Auctions in 2001.
American Bottle Auctions specializes in appraisal, brokering, consigning and auctioning of antique bottles and glass. Over the past 20 years, Jeff has personally researched the history, evaluated the condition, and estimated the value of tens of thousands of items. Aside from his auction-related duties, he is often called upon to appraise the value of antique bottles and glass for private individuals and businesses. Jeff ‘s interests include baseball, golf and bonsai, marbles, sports cars, along with a host of other pursuits, but his long-time interest in antique bottles is what concerns us here.
Jeff’s accomplishments include auctioning a “Bryant’s Stomach Bitters” for $67,500, the most ever paid for an antique bottle at auction which has now been surpassed but stood for years. This was big news and was carried by many networks, including CNN. His sale of the Bryan Grapentine collection sold in 2008 grossed 2.5 million dollars and is believed to be the most valuable single collection of antique bottles ever sold.
He has also appeared on a number of television programs including a Travel Channel special called Cash and Treasures and has been the guest speaker at many occasions. Jeff’s bottle photography is considered by most to be the best in the business. His photographs have been published in numerous national publications, including Kovel’s Antique Bottle Price Guide, Warman’s Antique and Collectible Price Guide and Bottles by Michael Polak, among others. His inventive photographic techniques continue to produce the most beautiful and detailed images seen anywhere.