Waihi resident Tony Ryan, 71, was one of 40 stallholders at the Edgar Centre at the weekend who travelled to showcase and sell their items at the National Antique Bottle and Collectables Show.
He said his children were not interested in holding on to the countless number of bottles he had found over the years and he had to find the right person for them.
Mr Ryan preferred to collect bottles that were either labelled or still had their contents because it did not get any more original than that.
"It’s just like it was when it was new."
One of his most prized possessions was a glass bottle that held chilli punch produced by an old Invercargill-based cordial maker Moffett and Co.
It was for sale at the show for $400.
"I never used to sell, I used to just buy and my museum grew."
His "museum" of collectables which included other items like coal ranges and scales filled his double garage.
"I’ve just been the caretaker for some years, that’s what I say.
"Now it is somebody else’s turn to look after it."
He had sorted through old boxes for the show and found things he had not seen in over a decade, which bought back a lot of memories for him.
Most weekends he would be out and about digging holes in the hopes of finding something.
On a hot day in Rotorua, he found a small blue Hitchens blood restorer bottle while digging, a product made by L. D. Nathan & Co of Auckland in the 1880s.
"I can still remember digging that out of the ground and being over the moon."
He said that was one item he was never going to part with.
But he was hopeful the rest of his collection would go to people who would care for it as much as he had.
"It’s not just a matter of selling stuff, its about finding the right home for it."
Hundreds of people visited the show during the weekend.
