Before embarking on the journey of collecting, it is necessary to learn where your ideal bottles can be found and as much as you can about each location. Most of the time, finding an intact, rare, and quality bottle involves both digging in rural or deserted areas and finding great deals at local flea markets and antique stores. Here are a few searching tips I have picked up over the years:
RURAL AREAS
During the 1800s, rural areas did not contain centralized standard dumps as they do today, so it was a common practice for people to throw garbage and bottles into the nearest gullies. Also, construction workers tossed their trash onto the ground before laying down the foundation for the houses they were building. Because farmlands are less likely to see the sort of hyper-development that occurs within cities, many of these houses remain, acting as a life preserver for several of the oldest and rarest bottles. Of course, it is always important to make sure you have permission to dig on someone else’s land.
MAPS
Some neat ways to explore the locations that you choose to dig include viewing the landscape on Google Earth or using Sanborn insurance maps. Sanborn maps, which were produced between the late 1800s and early 1900s, provide detailed illustrations of houses, factories, cisterns, wells, privies, streets, and property lines (Polak 72). These maps give you a better idea of what types of bottles you may find and how old they potentially are. 
FLEA MARKETS, BOTTLE SHOWS, ANTIQUE STORES
Flea markets, auctions, shows, yard sales, and antique stores are vital resources in assisting with your search because they provide you with so many social connections. A lot of what you learn is based off of the things people relay via word of mouth, and if you make friends, they can tell you where to find certain types of bottles. These friends do not necessarily have to be into bottles. For example, I have met people who collect other types of antiques, so if one of us comes across something the other one might like, we may then swap stories or antiques.
The connections and information gleaned from flea markets and bottle shows, magazines, and pricing guides leave you more informed so that when you enter an antique store, you will know whether the prices are fair. Generally, prices are lower at yard sales, shows, and flea markets and higher at auctions and antique stores, but you should not disregard auctions and stores, as they may contain bottles you might not be able to find anywhere else. Also, there are variations in pricing among stores. For instance, I enjoy collecting bottles having to do with my hometown, but I have often found that these bottles are less expensive if I buy them in another city.
- Polak, Michael. Antique Trader Bottles Identification and Price Guide 6th Edition. Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2008.
Bottle Bonanza 
