This Retro Grape Soda Bottle Is Worth A Small Fortune

If you're an avid antiquer or thrifter, you're probably always on the lookout for certain items, whether for resale or home use. As for heritage products for the kitchen, a cast iron pan or Dutch oven is always a solid find you shouldn't pass up when thrifting, because it can last for centuries and can even be revived if it's worn or rusty. Similarly, your grandma's rare Pyrex dish may be worth a bundle, so it's something to keep an eye out for. But beyond the simply rare items, there are the holy-grail pieces, and this retro soda bottle is one of those. It's an empty antique California Grapine syrup bottle, which sold at auction for $12,650.

The bottle is beautiful, without a doubt, and would look great on a home bar, among other vintage bottles, or, heck, even in its own dedicated protective glass case. But why is it so expensive? It may be no surprise that a rare antique Coca-Cola collectible is worth a staggering amount: The brand has thousands of avid collectors, so it's extremely sought after. But the asking price for this California Grapine syrup is the flip side of collectibility, featuring an almost unheard-of defunct antique brand about which little is known, making it even scarcer.

The bottle likely contained a flavored syrup that would be mixed with carbonated water at a soda fountain to make a sparkling grape beverage, but there's not a lot to go by from what's printed on the bottle. The Barnebys auction website shows a listing from Miller & Miller Auctions for a California Grapine syrup dispenser that it dates to the 1910s — so the bottle in question is probably from around that same period. But there's really not much more info to be found, and as far as the Internet is concerned, it appears to be the only obvious record of a California Grapine grape syrup bottle being for sale.

While it may be extremely rare, and have a hand-applied lip — meaning the top of the bottle was hand-manipulated with steel tools after the glass was blown — paying over $12,000 for a simple glass bottle may still seem ridiculous. Furthermore, just because an auction house is asking a certain price doesn't mean that's the actual value. If you want to get into the early 20th-century grape soda bottle game, you can find some options online for around $10 to $20. And you can always keep your eyes peeled when out thrifting. But if you need that vintage California Grapine syrup bottle for your collection, you may have to shell out a small fortune, although you could give a lowball offer and see what happens.