So you have decided to become a mini bottle collector.

Father Christmas left you a couple of whisky miniatures in your stocking and Aunt Maisie brought a box of liqueurs back from Tenerife, and Dad had a mini gin hidden under the bed. That’s six bottles already without even trying. Within six months, your collection has risen to 30 various bottles sitting on the mantelpiece, and the lady of the house is starting to complain about the accumulation of dust. So they end up under the stairs or in the glass cabinet.

Your holiday to Scotland adds another 20 assorted bottles and you pick up a leaflet about the Mini Bottle Club, which you decode to join for the hell of it. You are now a collector. Sound a familiar story?

So what’s this article about anyway?

Seeing the stunned expression on the faces of club members as they survey the array of hundreds of bottles at the Annual General Meeting in Blackpool, and hearing the obvious confusion which dwells in some minds, we thought it might be of assistance to the new collector, to go back to basics with information and advice which we hope will help you get more pleasure from the hobby.

Please don’t think we are trying to tell you what to do; that’s up to you. We just hope we might be able to give you a few ideas and pointers, which will not only encourage you, but will enable you to get ‘fun’ from an absorbing hobby.

Here we go.

What should I collect?                                                                                                               (top of page)

In order to answer this question, you should know the options. Here are a few:-


The club magazine regularly contains articles written by specialist collectors on most, if not all of the related subjects, but it worth examining each of them to ascertain what is or might be involved. We are sure that some of the figures quoted will stand correction but it will give you a rough idea.

            Scotch Malt Whisky
There are probably more malt whisky collectors around than any other. The basic reason is simple. There are in total, including all variations plus foreign import label, no less than 11,456 miniatures to collect, which will certainly help if you have a lot of space.

The various distilleries have since the 1920s produced minis and as, since the War, there have been around 120 independent distilleries, today we understand that number is approximately 90 that are fully operational, there is an excellent choice of bottles on offer.

Some collectors specialise in one brand name, such as Macallan or Glenfarclas, even though they may also collect other brands. Others collect bottles from one distillery, or one bottle from each distillery. If you are really strapped for space, the one or two brand name collection is probably ideal, as there would be less than 200 variations of each.
The distilleries have historically regularly changed their label, and many will issue a different label for export purposes. The club magazine is an excellent source of information about the changing scene. Some distilleries will periodically issue minis showing year of distillery or bottling. It is important therefore to read your labels very carefully.
A practice which has crept in over more recent years, is own-label bottlings. This is either done for commercial advertising purposes, such as hotels and restaurants, or privately by individuals who wish their name to be recorded for posterity by having a malt whisky label personalised.

You will also discover bottles, which celebrate an event or anniversary, such as an Open Golf Tournament. Many collectors avoid these bottles preferring to stick to standard bottles, or bottles which are a true facsimile of the 70cl/75cl bottle. However, from time to time one-label brands are found which are facsimile of the big bottle.

            North American Whiskies & Bourbons

North America embraces the USA & Canada, and there is a very large selection of miniatures available, particularly from the USA. There is a continual outflow of new bottles and labels from the distilleries, and many old bottles, some going back to the early 1900s are still available.

We do not have an accurate number available, but somewhere in the region of 8-10,000 would probably be not too far out.

The labels, particularly on the old bottles, can be very attractive, and many celebrate events or reflect different aspects of American culture. There are also some interesting collection available, such as the Jim Beam ‘Brothel Collection’ which advertises clubs, bars, restaurants and the like, usually in the State of Nevada. North American miniatures are a little more difficult to come by for the British collector, but later in this article, we will give you some help on this subject.
            Japanese Whisky

Here we are talking about Japanese produced malts & blends, rather than Scotch with import labels.

There I no doubt, that the shape of bottles produced in Japan are the most attractive, with many of the labels imaginative. Some bottles are more akin to perfume bottles, and they make an excellent display.

There are very few old bottles because the Japanese didn’t start producing their own whisky until after the War. Today there are possibly 800 miniatures available and this number is increasing quite rapidly  causing more interest to be shown by collectors.

            Irish Whisk(e)y

There does not seem to be many Irish whiskies available, possibly 500, including import labels.

Irish whiskey has been bottled since the early part of the last century. However before the War the distilleries didn’t bottle their own, simply supplying local grocers or off-licences, who bottled it themselves. Today there are still only four distilleries and they are all owned by Irish Distillers.

            Other Whiskies                                                                                                                           
Other than the countries mentioned so far, many produce or bottle their own whisky, and although we don’t have numbers available you might be interested in some of the areas you could seek out.

Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, Italy, Kenya, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, to name but a few, many of these whiskies are Scotch based.

We’ve spent a long time looking at whiskies, so let us examine some of the other spirits and liqueurs which are collected. We won’t go into so much detail, as many of the comments made earlier apply across the board.

            Gin

Most countries produce gin, and although Dutch gin is very popular, the largest producer is the UK. Both Gilbey’s and Gordon’s were producing miniatures at the turn of the last century, but Dutch stone bottles were known in the early 1800s. Talking to some collectors of gins, they estimate as many as 5,000 miniatures exist worldwide, including variations.

            Brandy

There are many collectors of French Cognac, but other forms of brandy are produced worldwide. Over 3,000 bottles are thought to be available.

            Rum
Most of the rums are from the Caribbean although a few are being produced in Europe. Some bottles can be traced back to the early 1900s, and the older bottles have great names and labels. There are around 3,000 to watch out for.

            Vodka

Smirnoff is probably the most famous of all vodkas and they produce the spirit from distilleries based in many countries. There are not many miniatures known from before the War although some were produced in the 1920s, the habit of drinking the spirit didn’t really take off until the 1950s.

Today however, in addition to the Smirnoff varieties, there are many exotic bottles coming out of Russia, Poland and Finland, and including the now more popular flavoured vodkas on the market. There is in excess of 4,000 bottles out there somewhere.

            Port

Port is not only produced in Portugal. On e collector in  Portugal is said to have 3,000 different  miniatures and there are a few big collectors in the UK.

            Sherry

This fortified wine is produced largely in Spain, although other countries do produce their own bottles. Numbers are difficult to come by, but one collection is estimated at 5,000 bottles.

            Liqueurs
Probably most collectors start off with a few liqueur miniatures, and very soon realise that the selection is absolutely enormous. Almost every country in the world has its own selection and an estimate of 50,000 different labels and bottles would not be an exaggeration. There are few specialists in the UK but it is a particularly popular hobby on the continent.

Although some miniatures go back to the 1920s, it is very difficult to tell the age of bottles, but there is no doubt that the shapes available, and the colour of the contents, make a most beautiful display.

            Wines & Beers
There are not many known collectors in the UK, although Guinness bottles are popular. France, as one would expect, produces most of the wine miniatures.

            Ceramics

This general term for the purposes of this article covers Brownstones, Porcelain, Stoneware and Figurines. There are many collectors worldwide, and just looking at jugs and flagons, there are some 3,000 different ones known to exist, and new issues are coming out all the time.

            Water Jugs

Again a very popular choice for collectors. With jugs going back to the 1880s, there are some 3,000 thought to exist bearing Scotch Whisky advertisements alone. Taking into account other spirits etc., the number would exceed 10,000. Takes a lot of space!
Books have been written on the subject, and there are special clubs to join.

If you think that’s it, how about :

Whisky Glasses, whisky mats. Tourist items such as golf balls and the Blackpool Tower full of whisky or something else. Spirit pourers, advertising paraphernalia, such as playing cards or lighters, mirrors or old advertising signs.

As you can see, the spectrum of collecting is very wide. Well how is it going so far? In the previous articles we looked at what the collectors’ opinions might be, and this time we will be giving you some ideas on where to get your bottles.

How Do I Collect?

When you first start collecting, it seems that you have your hand in your pocket or wallet all the time, because you have no swaps. Every bottle you see is new and you want to buy it.

There are many specialist bottle shops in the UK and a number abroad, particularly in the USA. Most shops have their own price lists, which they may send to you, or better still, you could visit them.

The prices of course are retail although as a member of the Mini Bottle Club you can obtain discounts from some shops, if you show your membership card.

Your local off-licence or supermarket will often stock a few miniatures and if you are a whisky collector and visit Scotland, it’s worth looking in the clothes or even butcher shops, many of whom sell miniatures as a sideline.
You could also visit the distilleries on the Whisky Trail and not only pick up bottles, but taste that lovely malt as well. A cheaper way of buying is to attend ‘House & Club meeting’ which are held periodically at certain venues or go to the Annual General Meeting in Blackpool, which has thousands of bottles, both new and old, many at bargain prices.

Also, don’t forget to look in the Duty or Tax Free shops if you are going abroad, as many new and sometimes exotic bottles can be found. If you think they are unusual why not buy two or three and you now have some swaps.

Most issues of the club magazines have small and mixed collections for sale. Make sure you write off for details, not forgetting to enclose a stamped addressed envelope.

Being in a position to swap with other collectors is not only the best and cheapest way f building a collection, but it much more fun, and this may be one of the only ways you will be able to get older and rarer bottles.

You will not only get miniatures for yourself, but also there may be varieties that you don’t collect but others do, giving you some swaps. Sometimes it’s worth advertising locally. It’s amazing what some people have in their lofts, or visit house clearance sales and car boot sales, where many gems have been found in the past.
If you want foreign bottles, why not join one of sister clubs which exists worldwide, or start a correspondence with overseas collectors. There are many overseas members of our club. There are also bottle fairs held annually in Italy, Germany and in the USA. If you have the time and money, these can be worth visiting.

The last suggestion is auctions. There is our own club auction and another in Germany, by paying an annual fee; you will periodically receive a magazine listing hundreds and sometimes thousands of individual bottles for sale.
You obviously take pot luck on your bidding, like any auctions, but you can pick up rare bottles and variations this way. Well, there are a few ideas, but possibly the more important thing to remember is if you are a member of the club, keep in touch with other members who will be only too pleased to help your collection grow.


What Will It Cost Me?

The sixty four thousand dollar question!

The answer is very simple. It will cost you what you want to spend and can afford to spend.  It’s like everything else, some people can afford more than others, and will have larger and more valuable collections, but they will not get any more  fun out of the hobby than you do.

Let us take a look at some pricing.

            Whisky

Standard blends at retail, run from about £2 up to say £5 for the more unusual. Occasionally special edition or limited editions will cost much more. Don’t forget if you buy through a mailing list you will also have to pay the postage and packing. Malts tend to be a little expensive, with the minimum price at £2.25 for the most recent bottles. Rarity value, either because very few bottles were issued, or they are old labels, makes their own price, as with any form of collecting. Some very old miniatures have been known to change hands for over £1,000.

            Other Spirit
As there are fewer specialist collectors of other spirits, the prices tend to be much lower, ranging from £1 at the bottom end, to no more than £5. You will always have to pay more, or course, for the older bottles.

            Liqueurs

Probably the cheapest of all. You will have seen big bags of bottles for sale at holiday resorts, at home and abroad, for as little as 30 pence a bottle. Even bought individually, you may only pay 50 pence up to a couple of pounds each.

            Ports & Sherries

Again, these tend to be quite cheap, starting at around £1, but to build up a larger collection, you will have to visit Spain and Portugal, where the majority of bottles are available, so add on the price of travelling.

            Ceramics

These start at around £4 each with some very old ones rising to hundreds of pounds for those who have the money.

            Water Jugs

Available from £4, although you might find cheaper ones in flea markets and jumble sales. Really good old jugs will fetch over £100, and the world record runs into many thousands. As we said at the beginning, you really can build a good collection without breaking the bank. One collector in Holland has built an excellent malt whisky collection over the  years, having never spent more than £8 a bottle.

How Can I Display My Collection?
The single most difficult problem of collecting. It is not like collecting stamps; it’s amazing how much space miniatures take up. The most important thing about display is that you want to be able to see the labels.

Having seen many forms of cabinets over the years, it would appear that the most effective use of space is to step the shelves in blocks of three or four. Using this method one square metre of wall space will take between 250 and 300 bottles, depending on the size of the bottles and how squeezed up they are. On this basis, an eight feet high wall with a three feet wide cabinet will take around 500 bottles. Remember if you are short, you may not be able to see the top shelves, and if you are tall you will get backache looking at the bottom ones.

If your finances are up to it, put glass doors on the cabinets. This will protect your bottles and keep the dusting chore to a minimum. Sliding doors are better, as the frame of ordinary doors tends to obscure the bottles at the end of the rows.

Make certain the bottles are not in full sunlight or near a radiator, as heat may cause evaporation and the sun causes label fading or even colour change. The order you keep the bottles is personal choice, but most collectors seem to file them in alphabetical order, for ease of search.

Other Subjects- Evaporation

This can be a problem, particularly with old bottles, and more especially with cork tops. If the bottles are very old evaporation will not necessarily reduce the value.

            Label Quality

Many old labels will be dirty or torn, and sunlight may have affected the colours. This would certainly affect the value of the bottle. Similarly, with jugs and ceramics, cracked or chipped pottery would reduce the value.
            Forgeries
Sadly, in recent years, fakes and forgeries have appeared and whether or not these activities are criminal is for the law to determine. From the collector’s perspective, we would all like to see this practice eliminated and the culprits brought to book.

            Literature

A number of books have been written about out hobby, including some showing photographs. These will give you considerable information, and give you more idea of what bottles are or have been on the market over the years. More particularly, let’s not forget our own magazine, which receives worldwide acclaim as the most informative and interesting of all.

And Finally…
Well that’s it folks, then end of the lesson. We hope it has been of some help to those of you just getting into collecting bottles etc., and maybe given a few of the more experienced of you, and idea or two. Whether you have 50 bottles or 5,000, there will be others with more or less than you. The one thing we can personally say is that we have enjoyed meeting and talking with collectors, regardless of the size of their collection.