What's on your beachcombing bucket list?
We asked our readers what top three things they’d like to find on the beach. Some listed things they’ve never found and some chose things they love to collect. We got close to 700 results from our online poll. Take a look at our top 10 reader favorites.
1. Bottle stopper. Number One on our list was a sea glass bottle stopper. Some listed the exact color they’d like to find (Red! Pink! Purple!) and some specified simply finding a frosty stopper. But, whatever the color and condition, this was the most popular item in our survey. Get a look at an enviable collection in this video of Tasmania glass stoppers ›
2. Sea marble. In close second came finding a beach glass marble. Many readers wanted to find their very first marble, any color, any size. Others were very specific, with many specifying a German marble, or even a German onionskin marble. One person just wanted more than the half marble they had found. Learn how to identify some of the common marbles found on American beaches in this short video ›
3. Japanese fishing float. Lots of people want to find a fishing float. And, who can blame them? These beautiful, hand-blown teal glass balls used by fishermen to keep their fishing nets afloat made our the top three on our beachcomber list. Check out a video of beautiful floats found on Japanese beaches ›
4. Red sea glass. All of the rarest colors of sea glass were on our lists, and red was tops. A few people specified a red, heart-shaped piece. Watch this video for a whole range red sea and beach glass to get your heart fluttering ›
5. Antique bottle. Many people put a whole sea-frosted bottle on their lists. Coke bottles, medicine bottles, poison bottles, Codd bottles, and more made the list. Learn how to identify some of your beach bottle finds with this video featuring sea glass expert Richard LaMotte ›
6. Orange sea glass. Orange was the second-most coveted sea glass color. If you love orange sea glass, check out this video of vibrant orange beach glass ›
7. Purple sea glass. Both purple and lavender also made the list of sought-after colors. Check out a video of soothing purple and lavender sea glass ›
8. Message in a bottle. Finding a message in a bottle was eighth on our list, though one person’s daughter-in-law had the best find ever while digging for sea glass: a proposal message in the bottle complete with an engagement ring. Learn more about messages in bottles and read about love letters sent via sea mail ›
9. Yellow sea glass. Bright yellow rounded out the sea glass colors in the top 10. Beautiful yummy yellow beach and sea glass features in this short video ›
10. Sand dollar. The only natural item in the top 10 of our bucket list was a sand dollar. Many mentioned them, and one person even specified a fossilized sand dollar. Learn how to figure out if a sand dollar is alive ›
There were lots of fun responses to what people wanted to find on the beach: a husband, their lost sunglasses, ambergis, a pirate treasure chest, false teeth, shark teeth, gaming dice, porcelain doll, an insulator, and more. And one thing many of us look for on the beach: a moment of zen.
What's on your list? Comment below!
This article appeared in the Beachcombing Magazine January/February 2019 issue.
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