Collectors of antique snuff bottles need deep pockets, trustworthy acquisition sources, and a mindset that questions everything they are told, even by those whose opinions they most trust.

Pre-1920s antiques snuff bottles sell in the middle hundreds and quickly reach the thousand dollar level.

Antique snuff bottle auctioneers, collectors, and dealers gravitate to the International Chinese Snuff Bottle Society (www.snuffbottle.org). The dues structure of The Society reflects the collecting categories exclusivity--$150 to be a regular member, $300 a sponsor, $1,200 a benefactor, and $500 a dealer member, all for the privilege of receiving three published journals a year, a membership directory, and the right to attend an annual convention. The Society boasts a membership of 500 collectors.

International in the Society’s title reflects the global nature of the high-end portion of the market. Whereas European and American auctioneers, collectors, and dealers dominated the market throughout the 1980s, the secondary market focus has shifted to Asia.

The “antique” snuff bottle market is loaded with reproductions (exact copies of period pieces), copycats (stylistic copies), fantasy pieces (patterns and designs that never existed historically), and fakes. The International Snuff Bottle Society’s website notes: “Modern imitations of valuable bottles abound, and it will often take an expert to distinguish between a modern replica and a true antique.”

Complicating the marketplace is the fact that the art of making snuff bottles is alive and well in China and other Asian countries. Although the use of snuff disappeared in the 1920s and 1930s, art schools as well as independent artisans continue to teach others how to make snuff bottles. The work of some modern artisans is of such high quality that collectors of antique snuff bottles add examples to their collections.

On eBay, words such as antique and rare that appear in listings, such an “Antique Rare natural old snuff bottle,” featuring an explicit bordello scene, with a requested opening bid of $9.99, have no meaning. Buried deep in the list is post-1940, a most generous date for something of very recent origin.

In addition to the www.snuffbottle.org, there are several dealer internet websites such as www.snuffbottle.com developed by the English dealer Robert Hall, which offer history and advice relating to collecting and selling snuff bottles. Beware of artisans and manufacturers' websites whose design and listing appear to offer antique instead of modern examples.

The high-end of the antique snuff bottle market has reached the point where investing (commodity) exceeds collector value. Much of the top five percent of the market is in investment portfolios, probably truer in Asia than in America or Europe.

My recommendation for anyone interested in collecting antique snuff bottles is to spend three to five years researching and handling authenticated period pieces at auctions and antiques shows before making a first purchase. When researching the marketplace, pay close attention to the age of the American and European collectors and dealers. While I cannot confirm this, my suspicion is that the average age is over 65. If true, before investing heavily in antique snuff bottles, consider the question of to whom will you sell when it comes time to dispose of your collection. The options continue to decrease.

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