Page 4 - glass-section-23

Roger Thomas: Milk Bottle Collector
FARMLIFE - Remember when the milkman, not the grocery store, was For Thomas, who grew up on a dairy farm in Baldwinsville, NY, it
the source of fresh milk for most people? That connection to our past was the memory of watching his grandfather bottle his own milk that
is the impetus for many a collector of glass milk bottles, including inspired him to have a collection in the first place. One was in his
Roger Thomas, who has assembled a collection of more than 20,000 grandfather’s garage for many years, and 20 more were found in a barn
over the past 32 years. when the farm’s estate sale was held.
He can’t display all his bottles at once, but every year at the New Thomas stores his collection in two rooms in the basement of his
York State Fair in late summer and the New York Farm Show in win- house. He also has bottles in a few storage units and a trailer, and he
ter, he brings what he calls “the cream of the crop” to the Witter even rents space in a neighbor’s barn to store bottles.
Agricultural Museum. Hundreds of glass bottles line shelves in the To learn more about his collection and see examples, visit here:
museum’s dairy wing. www.farmprogress.com/farm-life/0306w-3713-slideshow
Thomas’ collection, mostly finds from flea markets, antique shows, And be sure to attend the National Association of Milk Bottle
and garage sales has unearthed some real gems along the way. “The fun Collectors’ Annual Convention taking place on May 19 and 20 at the
is in the chase and the hunt,” he says. “That’s where most of the fun is, Sturbridge Host Hotel in Sturbridge, MA. For more information,
and you meet some great people along the way." visit milkbottlecollectors.com

2 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles