How to Collect Bottle Stoppers
Bottle stoppers were once used as a way of sealing glass bottles, in the days before the invention of bottle caps. Most of these stoppers were made of glass or porcelain, with a cork bottom. The cork kept the stopper firmly on the top of the bottle and prevented the liquid from escaping. As these items weren't meant to be kept, their rarity is high and that's one thing to consider when you collect bottle stoppers.
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Instructions
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Look for bottle stoppers that have a name stamped on the top. Bottle stoppers occasionally have the name on the sides, but these examples aren't worth as much because the information can rub off over time. You'll also find bottle stoppers that are more generic and without any identifying information, which aren't worth as much.
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Decide what you want to collect in terms of bottle stoppers. Some collectors look for bottle stoppers from a particular location. They typically collect bottle stoppers from a local bottling plant or from the area where they live.
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Choose between collecting bottle stoppers, or bottles with bottle stoppers on top. Bottles that are in good condition, with the bottle stopper still on are typically worth more than single bottle stoppers. However the price varies depending on the rarity of the stopper and the bottle.
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Pick a specific bottler or style to focus your collection on. You may focus on finding bottle stoppers from alcoholic beverages, or limit your collection to soda bottle tops. Another idea is to use a specific bottler such as Anheuser-Busch or a certain brewery.
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Buy bottler stoppers that collectors refer to as strong. This means that the printing on the bottle stopper is clear and free of any blemishes or damage. You should also be able to see all the images on the bottle stopper and the colors should still look bright, which increases the value of the bottle stopper.
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Tips & Warnings
Porcelain bottle stoppers with a rubber seal are typically not worth as much as other bottle stoppers because these weren't printed with a logo. They were more generic and slipped inside the bottle. The rubber stopper and a metal wire that fit over the stopper kept it in place. These were typically used on soda bottles with the logo of the company embossed on the front.
Watch buying bottle stoppers that look in perfect condition, especially those with a well known company printed on the front. These are often reproduction stoppers that aren't worth much money.
