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Marketing Hutchinson Stoppers

The 1889 W. H. Hutchinson & Son Manufacturers and Dealers in Bottlers Supplies catalog listed many products for sale to bottlers.  For the most part, however, the catalog’s primary function was to serve as a marketing tool explaining and promoting Hutchinson’s Patent Spring Stopper.  Here’s an example of a page used to compare and contrast the cost of bottling with corks versus bottling with Hutchinson stoppers:

Although this sales approach was obviously designed to convince bottlers of the wisdom of converting to the use of Hutchinson stoppers, they didn’t forsake those bottlers who chose to continue to use corks.  As late as 1910 W. H. Hutchinson & Son was still selling corks!

Hutchinson's 1889 catalog continued with more of the same sales pitch: 

This admirable Block Tin Stopper is sold at the Low Price of $2.50 PER GROSS, and no Bottler can afford to use corks, even the cheapest, and compete with others using these Stoppers…

A light or heavy pressure of gas can be used with this Stopper in the bottle, and you save the breakage caused by driving hard corks.

Bottles with this Stopper are easily and quickly filled and emptied, and readily washed with water or shot.

The Stopper remains in the neck of the bottle, and can only be pulled out with a contrivance made for that purpose, therefore it is never lost.

There is no odor or taste arising from the use of this Stopper, and they are not liable to leak as corks are.

In fact they are perfect Stoppers, and are sure to become the only Stopper used for Soda and Mineral Water Bottles, as is shown by the number of Bottlers already using them in all parts of the country, and their praise of them.