The APS (American Pontiled Sodas) Database
what's this ?
SUBMIT A RARE SODA, BEER OR MINERAL
You can now submit a rare pontiled soda or mineral
listing by two methods. The ideal method is to email a good photo of the
example, front and rear, or if you have a list of rare sodas send the
whole document [email here]. Good
images of rare sodas may appear in the
featured soda section (which has so far been a monthly update, but
may be more frequent if good pics start coming in).
Sometimes, the only info. available is a written
description from a show, auction or other source. If you do not have a
digital image of the example, you can actually fill out the description
of the piece using the simple form below:
What it's all about . . .
I have
uploaded a basic database of over 1600 American Pontiled Sodas to this
site's server and now update this database online. It includes
items I've cataloged from 30 plus years of shows, hundreds of
auction catalogs & reference manuals, and from the web. I still
have written notes and references to add to the database, which
has several hundred more entries to go before it becomes the "add
unlisted sodas as they surface" database I hope to finally be
working with.
After
many years of prognostication, I recently scripted the free BETA
database HERE.
In the future, I will create a secure, advanced Premium version
of the database that has many more features, and will probably
charge a small fee like $7.95 for a username and password to the
interface (to help defray the thousands of hours and dollars spent
compiling and updating this info.) Once you have paid, you will
have a LIFETIME ACCESS account, which means that you will never
need to buy a "second edition" or "updated list". I expect that
20-30 unlisted examples will be added per year, or more.
Features and Limitations of the BETA
version:
- The "search" function will query all records for things like a
city or bottler name, just like having an index of dozen's of
reference manuals all in one search. You'll be able to query
certain fields like "provenance" to create a refined search by city
for example, or even a really specific search like blue, open pontil
sodas.
- Images will not be present in the first version, but some better
images of rarer sodas will be linked to in the Premium version.
- The only entries that are smooth based are those definitely
of pontil age (mostly ten pins and torpedo's).
- Duplicate or incorrect entries may exist - this is an incomplete
and imperfect list, as is any, but it is constantly corrected and
updated. I will purge duplicates in the Premium version.
- Certain fields use different terms to describe the same thing. For
example, an open pontil soda could be listed as "OPEN PONTIL" or "O.P."
Or, I might list a TOP as a "SARATOGA" top for one bottle, but a
"TAPERED COLLAR W/ RING" for another. The problem is, you can't
generate a list of all sodas that have this type of top without
knowing and entering both terms. This occurred over the years as
descriptive terms changed, or the resources had different
descriptions, and it really needs to be standardized (terms will be
standardized in the Premium version).
- In many cases there will be a variant that is ever so slightly
different in the embossing, punctuation, plate mold or lettering
shape/size. When this happens, as it often does, rather than create a
whole new listing, I comment this in the listing. Same goes for
colors.
- Rarity and value ratings are subject to change, especially values.
Some of these listings go back almost 15 years and the value then is
much different than today. Annually updating every value of a database
of thousands of entries would be tedious to say the least, but I still
prefer to show estimated values, rather than delete this field. The
premium version will have updated values.
- I do not plan to ever make an unrestricted (user modifiable)
database in any format available for sale, because it could be
modified to contain incorrect or unauthorized entries and then
distributed or made available - which would then impact the integrity
of this authorized version. At the present time, I cannot allow access
to the raw database due to similar reasons, plus the fact that the
entire table could be deleted by one mistaken mouse click.
- I do not plan to publish a paper bound version of this database at
any time (it would defeat the purpose of creating it), however, in the
Premium version, users
will be able to print the entire database at any time (or any number of specific query results in a printable format).
I still think there are hundreds of unlisted pontiled sodas in
private collections all over the country that have have only been seen
by a select few. Anyone who significantly contributes to the project
by submitting a list of rare sodas that includes 5 or more examples
NOT YET IN THE DATABASE will be granted free lifetime access, as well
as access to the beta version. Send your list to me
HERE.
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