"Trend"

One word, short and to the point. It's described as; "A fad".

And I'm seeing a new trend with western whiskies; a fun trend that doesn't cost a ton of money.

I mailed out the winter list around the first of the year. Two months later, things have finally simmered down. What the heck caused the flurry of activity? An improved economy? I don't think so... A fatalistic acceptance of the next four white house years? Perhaps. Ebay? Ya think... Reasonable prices? That always helps. Pent up demand? To a degree.

So, what's up? The popularity of western whiskies for one. But I'm seeing a new trend. Not everyone has the big bucks or the desire to spend them on a bottle. And yet, there's a lot of collectors out there who strive to build their collections even in an economy that best resembles the voyage of the Titanic.

Sure, some of us "old timers" have a reputation for collecting the "big dogs"; and rightfully so. But many of us also have an appreciation for common bottles with that "something extra" going for them. And that is the direction that a lot of collectors have veered toward. One of the trends that became glaringly evident with this list, is that a lot of collectors, both new and old, just love killer glass. Never mind that the bottles with "killer glass" are common as fleas on a dog. Color and crudity, and not the "big dogs", ruled the roost this time around.

And here's a couple of bottles off of my shelves that fit the bill.

 

Howsabut an Argonaut? All you need to add is a stick and you've got a lollipop!

 

Crown Distilleries. A "lowly" #202 with the Riley IT closure. Not oxblood red; it's more of your basic meat 'n potatoes western amber with hints of orange. Try as I might, I can't find any drip under the ring on this critter; so we'll call it a wannabe glop. But what it lacks in spillover, it makes up in crudity! Talk about hammered with whittle. This thing's got more facets than a 2 caret diamond!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then there's good ol' Fred Raschen. Freddie here has it all; a light bright color and more crudity than most early Cutter glop tops!

 

 

 

 

 

Not to mention the back bar sign that sits next to it...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last on this weeks menu of common, but killer, is a Slater's. Light orange at the shoulder, deep red amber toward the base, crooked neck, tears / streaks / swirls / tobacco juice in the neck. The full meal deal; and on the dollar menu! Just like the proverbial pony in the closet, there's just got to be a glop top out there. Until then, this is as good as it gets!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sure, the big dogs are fun to collect, and expensive. And so it seems, that the trend these days for a lot of collectors has turned toward  color and character, instead of the bank breakers. This kind of trend keeps the juices flowing and collections growning. It's a good trend if you ask me...