VOL 23  NO 1                                                                                           Written By  Allan C. Holden                                                                                           January 2025                                                      
                                                     KALAMAZOO ANTIQUE BOTTLE CLUB NEWS




Happy New Year Ye-Ole Bottle Club!                                       

           Well folks, here we are . . once again, venturing out onto uncharted waters with yet  another brand-new year! Let’s pray for smooth sailing!

    Vincent was good enough to help me by putting out last month’s, December club newsletter . . . thanks, Vincent. And several of you were kind enough to say you missed my babbling-on-and-on. . . you were so kind.
    Several things are happening within the club, things that I am hoping are for the good of the Kalamazoo Antique Bottle Club. . . .but sometimes I wonder?
 (I am a worry-wart first class!)
    Anyone who really knows me, would describe me as a ‘conservative’ in every way.  The dictionary defines conservative as: “Adverse to change or innovation and holding to tradition and traditional values.
    That describes me pretty well . . . but I am not sure those values are always ideal . . .
 
but, that is who I am.
 
    The downside to those values, is the possibility that someone like me  could stand in the way of positive change for the overall good of the club. I truly don’t want to hold the club back.

    First; I would like to clarify a couple of misconceptions that I have heard recently. I hate it when people make judgment calls without having the facts of history behind them. Sometimes I do that to my shame.  

    When it comes to the Kalamazoo Antique Bottle Show, several do not understand the history and origin of the show.
 
   The first ‘unofficial’ club show was held in the Kalamazoo Southland Mall, even before the club was officially established in 1977.
     The club was organized and registered as a “official club.” in 1979. I have show fliers for the 1981 and 1982 show. The 1981 show was listed as the “4th annual” show and 1982 as the “5th annual” show.  
        These early shows were simply intended to present the club, and the hobby of bottle digging, and collecting, to the public. Primarily the idea was to form fellowship with like minded people . . . and who knows,  maybe sell something!
     The first shows were simply a form of advertising the club and our hobby . . you could say they served as exposure.
    The early shows were a manner of both displaying antique bottles, and meeting the public. Yes, there were a few dealer tables, but very few fancy displays . . . not like we know about today.
    Eventually, some of the more advanced collectors, primarily Bill Pastor and John Pastor, started attending the larger  shows and meeting other more advanced collectors. They took it upon themselves to learn about the workings of a real organized event, and forge new friendships.
     The Pastors both worked hard over the years to organize the Kalamazoo shows like those we enjoy today.
    The Kalamazoo Antique Bottle Show, gets its name because of the location . . . not so much because of the club.
We were the "Host," but, as we know it today . .  we are not the founders.
     However, how great is it that John and Bill, along with other show founders, actually did belong to the Kalamazoo club!
    The ‘SHOW,’ was always in my mind, organized by Bill and John Pastor.
The club was the natural benefactor of the shows, and was brought along to play  several important roles. The club, for its role, shared in a portion of the  ticket sale profits.
     But, this was not without the club  meeting certain obligations, like advertising and spreading the word and selling raffle tickets.

    I remember at one point, not so long ago, we had some senior members drop out from working the show for different health reasons. During those days, we were lucky if we had six  people at a  monthly meeting! If you go back and read the newsletters, it was clear, that I was panicked! Not to mention annoyed!

       We had two fellows, who were able-bodied, and, they were always belly-up at our pizza parties . . . but they couldn’t work the show because they were
Seventh Day Adventist!
    Oh, sure, they could come to the show and shop until they dropped, but they couldn’t sit in the display room keeping an eye on things for one hour!  
 
     We had other members who were suffering with physical age related ailments . . . leaving the club with a total of 4 workers! I remember Chuck, Kevin and Ed doing the work of about 6 people!
 
       I can  remember asking John Pastor, “Do you think, under the circumstances, should the show be canceled?”
    He calmly said, “We may need to hire some security, but we will get by just fine.” 
    I say all this because I have heard, from time-to-time, (as Vincent likes to call him), “Mr. Pastor," isn’t doing his part, or something to that effect.

     John Pastor was always the show! Without John there would have been no show! I remember sitting behind my table watching John work, and for real, praying that he wouldn’t have a heart attack!  

    It was the show each year,  with the club’s share of the gate sales, that enabled us to keep those club dues at $10.00! It was the show which afforded an average of 4 pizza parties per year! I picked up the tab for a couple of the pizza parties (for which the club repaid me) and they averaged around $150.00 each.  Hey, we don’t have the pizza parties any more????? Where is that money going? (Nowhere is the answer)

    I thought Vincent had misunderstood me about “help with the newsletter.”  I want to retire from my business, I am already on social security. I was looking for some help with the cost each month.
           I wasn’t looking for someone to prove it could be done for less. . . it really can’t, not and be the same.
 
    For 23 years I wrote, printed and mailed the club newsletter out of my own pocket. Also, I purchased, yearly, an Internet domain address, paid for a secure server,  and created a digital newsletter. Each month out of my own pocket not to mention a ton of time.

    My hope was that I could retire, go on a fixed income, and have the club help pick up some of the  cost.
    I am not sure if I was misunderstood, or if Vincent wanted to prove something? With his trial balloon he claimed the job could be done for $10.00. . . so be it.

    The way I have been doing it; with  73- cent stamps, paper, envelopes and the cost of printing, I was out almost a $100.00 per month. However, everyone received a hold-in-your-hand hard-copy.

    Contrary to popular belief, I didn’t just learn about doing PDF file newsletters  yesterday. I had considered that option years ago. I chose not go that route because, by Internet standards, they are ‘huge files!’ Many of our members get ‘on-line’ with a cell phone, and many phone providers will not download, or even open, a 3 to 4 megabyte file!
    And, if you don’t have WiFi, . . .  and even if you are lucky enough to have 5G service, it could take an hour to download!

    Bless his heart, Vincent was trying to help me by proving me wrong I guess?
 
   Another issue I think should be discussed is the way we conduct club business.
     I tried to find a copy of the original Club By-Laws, but they seem to have vanished. I was pressuring Chuck to get with me to take care of small details, like, voting on a Vice President, and a Treasurer  shortly after Chuck’s wife Connie had passed away. 
    We both had a mind to do that, but Chuck’s knee surgery got in the way.

    After getting the first knee surgery done, they rushed in way-too-fast to do the second! My wife, a 45 year RN, didn’t like any of it . . . not one bit! Chuck’s daughter Lori was working as a nurse as well. We truly  expected that he would have been told to take off some weight first!  Nope. . . they rushed it through anyway. . . huge mistake!
    His passing was directly linked to his knee issue and some other related complications.  I was shocked when Lori called me to say, “Al, Dad is with Mom.”
 I was totally blind sided!

    There was left tons of unfinished business, now combined with three tons of deep sorrow, frankly, I was overwhelmed!
     I received boxes of club paperwork, mostly bottle show records, going back decades. And I found some mail from the State of Michigan regarding where Chuck had registered the club with the State.
    That all came about when Chuck and I had wanted to offer the sale of raffle tickets online.  John Pastor thought it would be unsafe to do it that way without being registered with the state.
    Chuck had registered the club for a year or two, but even before he died, a couple years had past and it went unpaid, and the account lay dormant.
    I contacted the State about bringing the listing up to date. but was advised they would need a death certificate. Also, we needed to pay for two years back dues, and some sort of penalty.  The total, as I recall, was between $300.00 and $400.00. They advised me it would be best to just start over from scratch.

    The other, much bigger club that I am involved with, never had a tax exempt status and after 35 years there has been no problems at all.
    The whole idea about being tax exempt, had something to do with avoiding trouble with the State of Michigan for selling raffle tickets before and during the show. Of course we did it for years and years with no trouble. . . so, I was of the mind,  “let sleeping dogs lie.”

    Well, Vincent insisted we, as a club, could get $165.00 fairgrounds discount if we had that non-profit tax exempt status!
So I got busy and rounded it up!
    Big mistake . . . that is now my thinking! Big mistake! A full one half of your dues are paid by “the show profit!” As well as things like pizza, picnic supplies all from profit. We have never been non-profit.
 
     So, the State supplies every supply house, legal firm, printing, advertising, Internet company in the country with our club address as soon as our new account was filed!  Of course with my address listed, I am being bombarded by companies selling OSHA posters, janitorial supplies, Safety supplies, printing supplies, office supplies, material handling equipment, as well as accounting services. . . .  TONS OF JUNK MAIL!!!

    Now, at the end of the year, we will have State and Federal tax forms to file! My mother has only two rental buildings, it cost her $800.00 per year!

    Folks, we needed to discuss and vote on these issues as a democracy! Too many decisions are being made without clear insight, discussion or vote.
    I must add; (a vote and a survey) are not the same thing.

    I spoke with Scott since the last meeting, and his wife was having some serious health issues. Which was what took his mind off the last meeting date, causing him to miss the meeting. I really don’t know what his future plans are.

    I’m not here to tell anyone how things should be done. My two best friends were the original founders of the Bottle Club. They tried to get me interested for two years before I finally came around!
     I have come  to love this club!
    But, sadly, now I have to step aside for several reasons.

      For several years people have come in my store and marveled over the wooden ship models and toys I have built, including Noah’s Ark. They are amazed that I built them from scratch. Every time, without saying anything out loud, I think to myself, “I love doing this . . .  what happened? How on earth did I ever have time to build these?”                Well, just the other day it occurred to me . . . I gave all that time to the bottle club.

    And, there is another issue that has come into play, I am having yet another health problem. As someone who has dealt with 3 types of cancer, I can’t help but wonder what’s next?  I go in for a CT scan on the 15th. In the mean time I have to do some unthinkable things just to survive each day. It is too unpleasant to even think or talk about. Some things I would say in the past, “I could never do that!”  Then, comes the day where. . . .  you have to . . . or die.

    One more thing about the newsletter. Often times on the web site, and in the newsletter, I don’t always mention many non-bottle items often brought to the meetings, and many times I didn’t picture them. My thinking has been, we were getting more and more “off topic.” And often I simply didn’t have the space. But I think as a “Antique Bottle ClubBottle should be the precedent and Bottle should be the operative word.



DAIRY BOTTLES;

    I couldn’t help but mention the great job my friend, Lynn Kozik, did to treat us to a wonderful presentation!
    When you are exposed to yet another venue, in a hobby with so many facets, I want to follow another rabbit trail! My first love was inks! Next, I fell in love with cathedral pepper sauce bottles! But yes, we learned dairy bottles are so cool! Lord help me!
    With both Lynn and Steve DeBoode at the same meeting, we were blessed by the best of the best! If you missed the meeting, you missed a really good one! 
 

 

It is at this point I must  pass the baton.  Don’t let one person decide the next move . talk about it and then take a vote.    


     
  Vincent's Jottings
 

Greetings Everyone!
The Kalamazoo Antique Bottle Club's next meeting is January 14, 2025. The Kalamazoo bottle club meetings are held at the Otsego Area Historical Museum, 218 N. Farmer Street, Otsego, MI 49078. The regular club meetings: September to May, are held on the Second Tuesday of each month.
Time: 7PM-9PM.
The Kalamazoo Antique Bottle Club Officers: (2024-2026)
President:
Scott Hendrichsen
Vice-President:
Vincent Grossi
Treasurer:
Len Sheaffer
Secretary:
Katie Wages
WEATHER & MEETING CANCELLATION POLICIES.
The main factor for the cancellation of our meetings will be bad weather. If the public schools around us canceled school due to bad weather on the day of the club's meeting. NO MEETING.
The Bottle Club President has the final decision on all cancellations of any meeting. If you have any questions about
weather and the meetings.
Please, Contact Club President Scott Hendrichsen 269-377-6089
Bring your new bottle finds to share with the group. Bring bottles for the $5 Table.
SAVE THE DATES!
February 22, 2025
West Michigan Antique Bottle Club's 34th Antique Bottle Show & Sale, Grand Rapids, MI.
Times: 9:30AM- 1:30PM. Contact: Steve DeBoode 616-667-0214
March 28 & 29, 2025
The Kalamazoo Stamp Club’ Show, KC Fairgrounds/ Expo Center Friday 10AM-5PM, Saturday 10AM-4 PM
Free Admission Contact: Jim Smith 269-375-6188
April 5, 2025
KABC's 44th Annual Kalamazoo Bottle & Glass Show, Kazoo Co Fairgrounds/ Expo Center,
Kalamazoo, MI. Times: 10AM-2:30PM.
Contact: Vincent Grossi
kzooantiquebottleclub@gmail.com
Also at the KC Fairgrounds/ Expo Center: Coin Show:
Ron Hale 269-491-0962
Model Railroad Show: David Hayes-Moat 269-344-0906
Card Show: Anthony Nichols 269-348-6643.

1Check out the(FOHBC) Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors' www.fohbc.org .
Find our show information under  Show Listings. See our 1/4 page ad in the March/April2025 issue of the bottle magazine !

The bottle club would like to welcome back the following 2025 Dealer(s):
Lynn Kozik (Three Rivers, MI). Lynn is a new club member as well.
Otsego Museum and Portage Library Display Cases !
Anyone wishing to loan their bottles out for either display case, please contact: Vincent Grossi
kzooantiquebottleclub@gmail.com
        We have included the minutes from the last bottle club meeting on Tuesday December 10, 2024.
These minutes are combined notes of Club Secretary Katie Wages and Vice-President Vincent Grossi.
●Vice President Vincent Grossi called the meeting to order at 7:05 PM. Meeting finished
at 9:10 PM. Club President Scott Hendrichsen was not able to attend the meeting.
●Club members present: Vincent Grossi, Gary Dean, Mary Gale, Katie Wages, Brian
Wages, Kevin Siegfried, Al Holden, Ashley Carlson, Kelly Bobbit, Len Sheaffer, Juli
Sheaffer, Dave Wilkins, Steve DeBoode, Gordy Hubenet, Eric Berrington, Roger
Denslow and Lynn Kozik.
●Our Guest Speaker, Lynn Kozik gave a great presentation on Collecting Applied Color
Labeling(ALC) Milk Bottles. Also, Steve DeBoode shared a lot of his knowledge on collecting milk bottles too. Great discussion all around.
●Santa’ Table had a large assortment of gifts for all the good and bad bottle collectors.
Special thanks to all Santa’ helpers for bringing in gifts, light refreshments and sweets
to the meeting.
●We had a large club $5 Table Sale to close the meeting out.
Special Thanks to everyone and see you at the next meeting
   
See You Tuesday
January, 14th Meeting Start’s
at 7:00 pm

 
Don't forget to bring a bottle for the $5.00 Bottle Table  (optional)
Our theme this month is
"Personal Favorites
"

The Kalamazoo Antique Bottle Club
Meets At the
 Otsego Historic Society
Museum 
 
Meeting date is
  January 14th 
 at 7:00 pm
The Museum is located at
 218 N. Farmer St. Otsego, MI 49078
Meeting starts at 7:00
Information
E-Mail

Phone 269-685-1776
    Web Address
www.kalamazoobottleclub.org

HOME PAGE