WHEN I WAS A KID

When I was a kid, soft drinks and beer were bottled only in re-usable bottles.  Except for individual sales, the only volume purchase was by case. (no six or twelve packs - aluminum cans and plastic bottles were not yet in use)

By law, all drink bottles were sold with a deposit so that you would bring them back.  Bottles were returned to the bottler to be cleaned and reused.

The case container for pop was a heavy wooden carrying crate with a cubby hole for each bottle. Pop bottlers each had their own bottle so they had to be sorted.

Beer bottlers used heavy card board cases.  All beer bottlers used the same bottle. As a result, it didn't matter what beer bottle was put in what case.  All beer came with paper label glued on.

To my recollection, I could get 2 cents for each pop bottle that I brought to the local grocery store or carry out.  A pack of baseball cards with a slab of bubble gum enclosed cost a nickle.  So three bottles got you a pack of about six cards, a piece of bubble gum and a piece of penny candy, to boot.  That was livin'!

0.0