Bottle Collector

Originally Aired: February 25, 1941 Fibber McGee & Molly #276, "Bottle Collector," Fibber has been quietly pursuing an unusual hobby for three years, carefully saving every empty bottle that comes into the house. When Molly finally asks about his mysterious collection, he proudly reveals his master plan: to cash in all 537 bottles for a grand refund of approximately eleven dollars. Despite Molly's skepticism about the meager payoff for three years of effort, Fibber insists it's been a fun hobby that kept him off the streets. They load up the car with Molly nestled uncomfortably among the damp, dripping bottles and head downtown to the grocery store. Along the way, they encounter the Old Timer, who shares his own peculiar hobbies, and Teeny, the little girl who hilariously confuses "rebate" with "re-bait" for fishing. Just as Fibber prepares to haul his precious cargo into the store, Nick DePopoulos accidentally crashes into him, smashing several bottles. However, the clumsy collision might prove more profitable than Fibber's original plan when Nick offers to pay for the broken bottles and even asks to buy more.