Back in the ‘60’s, in Detroit, where I grew up, there was a two cent deposit on glass bottles and a five cent deposit on large bottles. We used to scour the alleys and ask around at the body shops for bottles to return them and buy bags of candy. If you scored a five cent bottle, it would make your day.
My brother and I did the same thing.
Enough 3¢ bottles and we had a 12¢ comic book or package of Hostess cup cakes, Twinkies or Snowballs.
Yup!
The old glass Coke bottles, mostly. Two cents for the 12 or 10 ounce size, a nickel for the bigger ones.
Me and my brother used to wander the streets in upstate NY and find tons of them! Literally!
We did that too, soda bottles were 5 cents each, and the grocery store would give us the refund, and that is how we 4 kids got our candy money that we then spent at the same grocery store. To poor for an allowance or the extra for candy bars otherwise. Then the state caught on, and would only refund when you bought more soda. Indiana same time frame.
Now I’ve a big bowl of beer/soda can tabs 2 year collection, waiting for some one who collects for St. Jude’s to have them. They make more money off the tab than the cans. Cans can be taken to the Animal Shelter for recycle for dog/cat food.