It’s no secret that everyone who is eco-conscious is trying to swap the plastic bottles for those made of glass, as it’s easier to recycle, and there’s less to worry about when it comes to the risk of developing the terminal disease. However, rather than plastic bottles, humanity has used glass bottles for centuries, which gives some particular vintage and antique options more value on the market, as well as among collectors.
Back in the day, everything from water to juice as well as alcohol was stored in glass bottles, but eventually many of those companies changed their politics and started using plastic instead, or they stopped existing. Clorox bottles are no exception. The rough tooth of time led to the company swapping the glass bottles for plastic ones.
However, the old brown glass Clorox bottles are still quite popular among collectors, more of them are being found and represent a true vintage treat for collectors who lurk around different auctions both online and offline to find a truly valuable Clorox bottle.
If you discovered some glass Clorox bottles of your own, but don’t know how much they’re worth, the good news is that you can make a fortune with them by selling them at auctions or to other collectors. The bad news is that it can often be quite complex to determine the value and identify the origin of your glass bottle, especially if there are cracks and the lettering faded.
Of course, they may not be worth like masterpiece paintings or sculptures owned by various medieval and baroque monarchies, but they still have a decent value if you want to sell them. If you want to learn how to properly identify and evaluate old brown glass Clorox bottles and make fortune with them, continue reading this article.
You don’t have to perform in-depth digging on the Clorox bottles to identify your own. This article collects all the necessary information you need and presents it as a valuable and detailed guide. Read on!
10 Most Valuable Old Brown Glass Clorox Bottles
If you want to evaluate your old brown Clorox bottles made of glass, you can do so by checking a list of the most valuable bottles. Additionally, if you want to buy some, this list will also help you choose a new addition to your collection. Read on!
Vintage Amber Clorox Bottle
- Year: 1950s
- Value: $149
Vintage Clorox bottles have been made around the 1950s and perhaps, the early 1960s. That’s recognizable because, in the 60s, these bottles have been replaced with plastic bottles which are used today. This bottle that was produced during the 1950s has a vintage look and well-recognized amber brown color that makes it distinguished from other valuable bottles.
The bottle is 12-inches tall, has all the recognizable details that make one Clorox bottle, and is in very good condition. There are no scratches and other visible signs of tear. However, if you take a look at the bottom, you will notice that some of the visible signs have disappeared. Nevertheless, it’s an authentic bottle made during the 1950s and is quite valuable for those who are looking for more recent options.
Editor’s notes: There’s no sign of damage such as cracks or hairlines. However, the only thing worth mentioning that may disappoint you is that this particular model doesn’t ship with a lid.
1932 Clorox Bottle
- Year: 1930-1932
- Value: $16
Unfortunately, the bottles that have been made in the early 1930s don’t have an extraordinary value on the market of vintage bottles. This particular bottle has a 16 Oz capacity, which was quite prominent in the 1930s, giving this bottle not so high value. They were heavily circulated, but the look of the bottle can easily be attributed to traditional Clorox bottles.
This bottle has a stopper, a handle, and a lid, which is important to some collectors.
Editor’s notes: There are some smaller signs of wear and tear, as well as tiny hairlines that may be a bit harder to spot otherwise, which may be more attractive to the collectors.
Brown Glass Clorox Bottle
- Year: NA
- Value: $30
The 9645A Clorox Bottle is made out of glass with an amber-brown texture. You can see the ribbed texture that made the bottle appear a little more attractive, especially to collectors that don’t have the bottle in this shape. It’s a one-gallon bottle, which may also make it a good option to have in the collection.
Editor’s notes: Another thing worth mentioning is that this bottle ships with a lid, which may be quite important to people who intend to have a use for this antique bottle in the future. It’s difficult to determine the year of this kind of bottle, and we can see that the seller also left the year out.
Clorox Bottle from 1945 (A set)
- Year: 1940-1945
- Value: $13
If you’re looking for a set of two Clorox bottles dating from 1940 to 1945, or until the company decided to change the outside look and design of the bottles once again, you’ve come to the right listing. There’s a bigger and a smaller Clorox bottle on offer. Both support the Clorox logo on the bottom of the bottle, along with some additional information.
The grained texture on the heel of the bottle is a clear indicator that both bottles are from 1945.
Editor’s notes: There’s also an additional CLOROX lettering on the heel of the bottle, surrounded by the embossed texture. The recognizable brown is there too. But, unfortunately, there are no lids on either of the bottles.
Clorox Bottle from 1951
- Year: 1951-1953
- Value: $4
You can see that after WWII the bottles have started changing their appearance, and may no longer appear so wide and big-shaped. Instead, this bottle reminds us of ordinary bottles that we may find today. It also has an embossed texture all over the body of the bottle. There is no lid, which may make it appear cheaper compared to other bottles that ship with the lid.
On the heel of the bottle, you can find a more embossed texture, as well as the CLOROX lettering which is centered on the bottle. More lettering is also visible on the neck of the bottle from both sides.
Editor’s notes: The bottle has been used beforehand, but that’s nothing strange when it comes to vintage bottles.
1937 Clorox Bottle
- Year: 1933-1937
- Value: $21.56
It’s still unclear whether it’s from 1936 or 1937, but it has been made using the same design and technique as bottles in 1937, so there are not many mistakes. These bottles feature the standard amber brown glass color, with an embossed texture.
This particular Clorox bottle can fit around 16 Oz and is equipped with the signature rubber stopper, which has been originally used at the time of manufacturing. There are two additional letterings of the Clorox brand, which are embossed and can be found on the shoulder of the bottle, as well as the heel.
Editor’s notes: The bottle is solid, without visible signs of tear, which means that there are no cracks or hairline signs on the bottle. The lettering CLOROX has even been stamped across the rubber. This is a well-maintained piece that any collector would love to have.
Early 1900s Clorox Bottle
- Year: Early 1900s
- Value: $5
This is one of the earliest and oldest Clorox bottles made in the easily-noticeable Amber Brown glass with an embossed design. This bottle has a 16 Oz capacity, and according to the eBay seller, this is considered Poison Bottle with a PB-0081 number.
According to the seller, this is a part of the estate collection, which has been held away and stored securely since 1966. Overall, the bottle is in a good condition. There are some visible signs of damage, as on one side the color is missing. Also, there are a few scratches and hairline marks, but nothing too drastic.
Editor’s notes: The bottle is in a good condition nevertheless. Although very old, these bottles aren’t too expensive on auction sites, and they won’t make you too much money if you’re selling them unless you’re selling a lot of them.
Half a Gallon Clorox Bottle
- Year: 1940-1942
- Value: $12.95
For some people, half a gallon bottles are more valuable at auctions and vintage markets. This particular bottle has a beautiful amber brown texture, which just goes on to show that they were perfectly maintained and taken care of.
This Clorox Bottle was designed in the early 1940s, between 1940 and 1942 to be precise. That’s also when Clorox introduced screw-on bottles, which would help preserve the quality. What makes it different compared to the earlier bottles is that it used embossed and raised lettering, as well as solid.
This bottle is incredibly old, but it was maintained in perfect condition, which can make it quite an attractive find among collectors. What’s also important is that there are no stains.
Editor’s notes: It’s completely clean, and if you take a deep look at the bottle, you may notice a few hairline scratches, which won’t further decrease the overall value and quality of this bottle.
Clorox Bottle With Original Metal Cap
- Year: NA
- Value: $12.99
It is not clear from what year range this Clorox bottle is. However, what may make it quite attractive to collectors is that it has its original metal cap with Clorox lettering and other relevant information. It is in quite a good condition, considering it’s quite old and vintage.
Editor’s notes: There are no deep cracks, damage, or deeper hairline cracks. It can be seen that the quality has overall decayed, but it’s still in good condition, which is the most important. The lettering of the bottle is raised and surrounded with an embossed ribbed texture.
Everything About Evaluating Old Brown Glass Clorox Bottles
Before we dig into the important information, let’s say a few words about the origin of Glass Clorox bottles. At the beginning of the 20th century, Clorox bleach has been used in Oakland California, which was placed inside 5-gallon crockery containers.
The Electro-Alkaline Company hired a young artist to develop a new diamond shape, along with the “Clorox” word logo centered on the containers. As the company has been threatened to close down, a new design was introduced using the fifteen-ounce amber glass containers encapsulated with rubber stoppers.
Smaller bottles were sold more, and allowed households to also have a sustainable and portable version of Clorox bleach. The same amber glass was also supplied to other companies that stored their things in bottles, which made Clorox bottles difficult to recognize. Still, if you find Clorox written at the center of the bottle, you will know that it’s the authentic bottle of this bleach.
The company name was soon changed to Clorox Chemical Company, changing the Clorox trademark and moving it to the bottom of the bottle during the 1930s. This decade also introduced the fill line, as well as the solid lettering on the shoulder of the bottle.
As World War II raged, the company changed its design again. The old brown Clorox bottle now featured a rubber stopper, but only until 1945 when the new texture appeared on the shoulder, as well as the heel of the bottle. The company also added a one-gallon option, which had a finger ring handle.
13 years later, both smaller and bigger bottles had notable design changes. The grain texture disappeared from the bottle’s side and remained only on the bottom as well as the shoulder. Several shapes of the bottle were also brought like bulbs as well as other shapes, but the 1960 marked the transition into white polyethylene plastic, which also marked the end of brown glass bottles.
Still, that’s exactly what makes them so attractive and sought after. They’re vintage masterpieces that many collectors want to have, from different years, as well as different designs. Remember this historical info, as the changes in designing labels and manufacturing also mean you’ll have an easier time identifying your Clorox bottle at home.
Rarity
How do you know that the Clorox bottle you have is rare? Rare designs are always more attractive to collectors. The last Clorox bottle was made in 1962, according to this report. That also means that the bulb-shaped bottle lingered around for the last time.
You can see that Clorox Chemical Company often changed design labels, so those that were lingering the shortest around on the market are considered the rarest. It’s always good to hire an appraiser that will help you evaluate your Clorox bottle and tell you whether it’s among the rare ones in the group or not.
Age
Although those bottles that were considered the rarest were recent in circulation, it’s worth noting that older bottles will be more valuable to collectors because the company wasn’t so successful and produced fewer bottles back in the 1920s and 1930s. Some special designs also had fewer circulating samples, so if your bottle is from the 1920s and 1930s, it may be going to be among the rarest options.
Condition
Of course, the condition of the bottle also matters. While collectors won’t expect a bottle that is nearly 100 years old to look in a pristine state, there are still very untouched states they consider to be mint. If you have an old brown glass Clorox bottle with parts that aren’t scratched or cracked, it’ll have more value than those that have some wear that appeared over the last few years.
Size
Smaller Clorox bottles were circulating more compared to half-a-gallon ones, which also lessens their overall value. If you find a larger old brown Clorox bottle, you’re in luck because you’ll be able to make more money out of it.
Still, small bottles, although lower in value, still have a good value. You should save them away in a secure place until you find the same listing online or hire an appraiser to help you find the best value for them.
Lid
The oldest Clorox bottles are those that don’t have any kind of lid on them. Those were produced in the early 1900s. Moreover, as the 1940s approached the lid changed, some bottles had a rubber screw put into the bottles while others had a different type of closing mechanism that was preserving quality.
Of course, the bottles without lids that you successfully date to be in the early 1900s are the most valuable options as they showcase the brand as it was developing.
Frequently Asked Questions
When trying to sell or purchase collectible Clorox Bottles, there may be a lot of questions regarding the design of the Clorox bottles and other information that you may need to know. Below we compiled a list of the most frequently asked questions that will help you identify your bottle, as well as evaluate it.
How Do I Evaluate Clorox Bottle That I Want to Sell?
There are two key ways to evaluate how much a Clorox glass bottle is worth. One way is to take it to an antique shop worker or an appraiser who will help you find the right value for the bottle you want to buy. Alternatively, they can also help you determine whether some listing is worth its price.
Alternatively, another way to do it is to visit different sites and forums that excel at appraising antique and vintage collectibles. One of them is Reddit or Quora where you can post a picture from different angles and ask for a second opinion. That’s a free way to get an evaluation of a collectible, but it won’t always be 100% accurate, and you will want to consider multiple opinions.
How Much is an Old Brown Clorox Bottle Worth?
The precise value depends on a few things like the year from which it is from, as well as how many bottles circulated at that time. Another way to do it is by checking the condition of the bottle, like whether there are scratches or cracks, as well as whether there’s a lid on it or not. All that info will help you find whether some bottle is worth the price it is listed under or not.
Where Can You Buy or Sell Old Brown Clorox Bottle?
If you don’t want to use the internet to buy or sell brown Clorox bottles, the best way to sell them is at antique fairs, auctions, flea markets, antique stores, or even glass companies that want to recycle.
If you want to sell online, there are a few options to do so:
- Etsy – Etsy has a big number of brown glass Clorox bottles waiting to be sold, some are pretty cheap and can be bought for $3 while some more valuable options are pricier.
- eBay – Most of our listings above are from eBay and they’re quite valuable. Some sellers put sets of Clorox bottles on auction, the prices are varied, so we’re sure everyone can find something that they can use.
How to Date Old Brown Glass Clorox Bottle?
Dating a bottle can also be a difficult task because none of them have the explicit year written down. Instead, there’s a range of years it was made in. Below are some tips that will help you date the Clorox bottle you just discovered:
- Solid & Embossed Markings – Clorox used solid lettering for its brand in the 1940s, and after World War 2 ended, it moved on to an outlined design. Different lettering patterns can be noticed mostly on bottles made in the 1950s.
- Shapes – Finger rings and their inclusion of more fingers or even a hand can tell a lot from which time is the bottle. As years passed by, more space was being created on the bottle, so that you can use your whole hand to grip them.
- As years passed, the neck style and patterns on the bottle changed, so more recent bottles have distinguished.
- Different sizes – At first all bottles were large, later on, there were also bottles with 16 and 32 Oz capacities.
What Are Clorox Bottles Used for Today?
So, you bought your Clorox bottle in the 1930s or 1940s, and what now? They can be used for decoration and storage. You can place flowers, candles, or anything you want for decoration, even keep them empty. Alternatively, you can use them for storage of some smaller items you need.
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