Q: I have a Bols Ballerina liquor bottle with a figural windup ballerina inside. When it’s wound up, it plays music and the ballerina spins and moves her legs. A label on the bottom says “Le Bleu Danube” and “Bottle and Unit Made in France.” The liquor has evaporated a little, but the ballerina works perfectly. The label says “Sale Distributors for the USA, Brown Forman Import Company, New York 16, New York.” Does this bottle have any value?
A: Bols Ballerina bottles were made between 1957 and 1978. They came filled with different kinds of liquor made by Lucas Bols, a Dutch distillery. Two versions were made, with the ballerina wearing either a red skirt or a white skirt. The Bols family opened a distillery in Amsterdam in 1575, making Lucas Bols the world’s oldest distillery brand. There have been several changes in ownership, but the company is still in business. Brown-Forman offered the Bols Ballerina bottle as a Christmas item in 1959. It was produced in limited quantities at that time but proved so popular that thousands more were made. Collectors like unique bottles. A full bottle in its original box sells for the highest price. Your partly full bottle without the box is worth about $50.