It’s a funny thing when you start collecting, you either find yourself buying things really fast so you’ll have an instant collection OR you take it slowly because the thrill of the hunt is way too fun to rush it.
I tend to do a little bit of both, depending on the collection. Collecting Thermos bottles was one of those times when I couldn’t rest until I had a shelf full of them.
I began this collection while visiting my parent’s home in South Carolina. Whenever we made a family trip to the south, I’d try to hit every thrift shop in the area during the first few days of our visit, then I’d hit them all over again a day or so before leaving town.
During one such trip I noticed an abundance of Thermos bottles of various sizes, colors and designs in the kitchenware section of the 
thrift shop. Seeing them grouped together on a shelf from a distance made me come in for a closer look. When I flipped each Thermos upside down to read the price written in black wax pencil, I knew that at fifty cents each I had the beginnings of a fast and furious collection.
I decided early that I needed to be somewhat picky since I didn’t need to own every Thermos bottle on the planet. I chose to buy only the metal bottles that were in good shape and contained all their original parts (stopper and cup). I bought about eight of them at my first stop and let me tell you, as I made the thrift shop circuit that day – I was on a roll!
After my day of hunting was over I had over a dozen Thermos bottles to show off to my husband and my parents who all looked at me as if I grew a third eyeball in the middle of my forehead.
My young children we
re very curious about my purchases since they had never seen a Thermos bottle before. They were enamored with them as well, but purely for the utilitarian purpose that they could now take cold lemonade and hot chocolate everywhere they went.
By the time we left for home I had enough Thermos bottles to prove to the world I was a serious collector! My collection is still growing but it has slowed down considerably since I really don’t need repeats and I only have so much space in my house for showing them off.
I probably have around sixty or so, not including a few old coolers that I also find very fascinating. Now that I have more than my share, I tend to look but don’t buy – unless of course I find one that I don’t have yet AND if the price is right.
If you want to start your own collection you can still find them under five bucks at yard sales, thrift shops and some flea markets. The price gets a little steeper when you go to antique shops or online auctions. Like most vintage collectibles you can expect to pay more (in the ballpark of $10 – $45) if you find one in its original box, if it’s in excellent condition (no rust with glass insert inside) and if the design of the bottle is rare and/or unusual.
When my husband renovated our laundry room, he built shelves above the washer and dryer to display my Thermos collection. After a few months we realized that the humidity in the laundry room could cause my treasure trove to rust. I am happy to report that they have since been relocated and are now perched in our newly renovated butler’s pantry for all to enjoy (thanks honey!).
Two important things to remember when displaying your vintage Thermos bottles: keep them in a room with little or no humidity and also keep them from direct sunlight to prevent the beautiful colors from fading. Remember to keep one or two within reach so you’ll have ’em handy for lemonade and hot chocolate as needed!
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I used to think I had a fairly decent collection until I came across this blog post written by Michael Williams about a retired Air Traffic Controller in Cleveland, Ohio by the name of Kyle Bitters. Mr. Bitters, who has been collecting Thermos bottles since 1990, takes Thermos bottle collecting to a whole new level (and I am unworthy to call myself a collector after seeing these photos taken by Eric Kvatec). Enjoy – and happy hunting! http://www.acontinuouslean.com/2013/03/20/the-great-american-thermos-hoard/
