Jars-uary -- What A Month

January has been quite the month, for me, for bottle and jar collectors, and especially for Ball jar collectors. We should change the month's calendar name to JARS-uary!

Here are just a few of the month's highlights and some misc. info tidbits:

• The Martha Stewart Show » Christmas Cookies and Ball Jars
• Martha had a segment on -- wait for it ... collecting Ball Jars. All the info wasn't correct, but hey -- Martha was promoting the jar collecting hobby! As she says, "It's a GOOD thing!"

• The winter Munce Show -- I had a fabulous time. 4 days of visiting, really getting to know so many fellow collectors, and seeing some amazing collections. Wow! I would write more, but there's no need, thanks to this article:
• As the Fruit Jar Turns ... Winter Muncie 2009 by Bruce W. Schank
• It's THE ULTIMATE SHOW REPORT -- chock full of pix -- a MUST READ for any fruit jar collector. It's all I wish I would have written, and so much more. His pix are fabulous! After seeing them, I simply deleted my fuzzy snapshots. Check this out for the pix of the room hopping, of the show, and, most importantly, to see some amazing collections and displays. Bruce deserves a big round of applause for this article -- he put a lot of time and effort into it, as well as heart and soul.
• Here's a pic of Bruce holding up his beloved solid-pour-Ball treasure at the Muncie Show-n-Tell:

We had so much fun at the Muncie show, that Jeff & I joined the Midwest Antique Fruit Jar & Bottle Club. Check out their website for more Muncie Show pix, and info on the upcoming summer show. Some special events and activities are planned to coincide with the city's celebration of the Ball Company's birthday.

June Lowery also convinced us to join the Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors. Jeff & I hope to make to their national show this summer.

• The FOHBC 2009 National Bottle Show July 31-Aug. 2, Pomona, California

OK, tidbit time:

• The Columbus bottle show is coming up soon, in February, on the same day as the Scott Show, so plan to make a full day of antiquing!
• 2009 Columbus Antique Bottle Show held at the Rhodes Center, Ohio State Fairgrounds, 17th Avenue at I-71, on Saturday, February 21, 2009.

• Slim Wilberger wrote to the club, and I told him I'd pass along his request for help on his project:
• "I am looking for other collectors of Buffalo Lithia Water Water, Buffalo Lithia Springs Water and Buffalo Mineral Water bottles from Mecklenburg Co., Va. I am working on completing an article for a bottle magizine as well as looking for the following colors, emeral/bright green, dark amber and cobalt blue. I have one of the two different teal designs so I also need one of these if anyone in your club members wishes to talk about "The Buffalo Girls of Mecklenburg County." please email. Thanks, Slim Wilberger" / Richmond, Va. / slimwilberger@verizon.net

• George Judy had this awesome huge amber glass bell "bottle" (open at bottom) at Muncie. He wants to sell it! -- georgeoj@comcast.net

That's my story for now...