Beer Can Collectors?

[TURBO]

I have a set of Beer cans mainly from the late 70's when it was a craze...

Not sure what to do with them or if they even have any value...

I have around 1000 different ones, little ones, big ones, and everything in between. I have a few Gallon cans as well.

I don't do flea markets or antique shops.

Anyone here used to be a collector?

I have many fond memories of going on hunts as a kid. Friends and I used to ride our bikes out to the country and look for old abandoned houses. We often came across old cans but most were too rusty to have any value. Flat tops were to be found as well (cans that had to have can openers to open them)... I do have a few that are in great shape, only one cone top though that was worth saving all these years.

At the time, the liquor stores used to order all kinds of odd brands, break them up into singles, and sell them to the collectors. My Dad and I used to go and pick out a few a week to add to our collection. My Dad didn't drink, so he used to open them from the bottom (to keep the pull tabs in tact) then take them to our neighbor who drank a lot of beer. He'd pour the can into a frosty mug and enjoy the beer while we told him of our latest conquest.

Anyone else have any can collecting stories?

[olliegjw]

My Dad didn't drink, so he used to open them from the bottom (to keep the pull tabs in tact) then take them to our neighbor who drank a lot of beer. He'd pour the can into a frosty mug and enjoy the beer while we told him of our latest conquest.

 

That's one lucky neighbor!http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

 

[TURBO]

My Dad didn't drink, so he used to open them from the bottom (to keep the pull tabs in tact) then take them to our neighbor who drank a lot of beer. He'd pour the can into a frosty mug and enjoy the beer while we told him of our latest conquest.

 

That's one lucky neighbor!http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

 

 

he probably thought the same...

 

http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

 

 

[burniebrewer]

I own a collection of 1,000 that is a combination of old/new and can/bottles....and they are all full. They are currently (still) on display in my Grandma's basement.

 

This is a collection that my Grandpa started and I helped him finish. I got some great deals from connections in the liquor business who charged me basically pennies knowing that I didn't intend to drink any of the beer. I probably contributed over 300 microbrewery/oddity type bottles.

 

Unfortunately, we stopped building the collection when my Grandpa passed away a few years back, but the collection remains on display--actually my Grandma wants to know when I'm going to come get it! I'll have to take a picture of it one of these days.

[JimH5]

I used to collect. . .maybe 1975 or so?

 

I kept a bunch of cans in our basement until the mid 90s, and then wondered what in the world I would do with them--so I gave them to my brother-in-law who has a bar in his basement.

 

I remember going to a show around that time, maybe at Brown Deer HS? Not sure where. . .

 

I had some flat tops, mostly rusty cans found in the crawl space under our house. . .Drewers, or Drewery or something like that. I think the brewery may have been in Waukesha. I think the most valuable can I had was a fully sealed People's can. I think there was a Hawaiian can that was fairly desirable, too.

 

My dad was a great sport about my collecting, always buying goofy singles, and then using an awl to open the bottoms and pour the beer out of those tiny holes. Not sure if it was good stuff or swill, but I would expect it to be pretty lousy beer to be sold in collectible cans.

 

Fun times, but completely odd now in retrospect.

[radman12484]

When I turned 21 I started to save the cans/bottles I would drink to show that I drank them. Does this count as collecting? I don't do it anymore.

[Bikeage77]

my dad collects beer cans. for the most part, a lot of cans from the 70's on aren't worth all that much, anywhere between the 1-5 dollar range depending on condition etc for flat tops. The cone tops are what he focuses on. Every year he goes to a national beer can collector's can-vention to trade with his friends from all over the country. a few years back he got 10 raffle tickets and ended up winning a mint cone top that's worth anywhere between 800-1000 dollars. not bad for a 20 dollar donation.

 

there's a good shot you may have something worth money, especially since yer pops opened them from the bottom. but anything like those old Schmidt cans with the various birds, deer, whatever on them are basically equivelent to having a chuck crim or greg brock card, even if its a gem mint 10 http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

 

st pauly's girl cans are worth a bit more, im guessing closer to the 5 dollar range....i generally talk to my dad every few days, if there's some cans you think are rare, lemme know...i can get a better estimate for you, he'll talk to me about his collection whenever. at one point it was close to 20,000 but when he got remarried my step mom made him get rid of all the newer current cans like the miller lite racing series and what not.

 

hope i was of some help!

[TURBO]

my dad collects beer cans. for the most part, a lot of cans from the 70's on aren't worth all that much, anywhere between the 1-5 dollar range depending on condition etc for flat tops. The cone tops are what he focuses on. Every year he goes to a national beer can collector's can-vention to trade with his friends from all over the country. a few years back he got 10 raffle tickets and ended up winning a mint cone top that's worth anywhere between 800-1000 dollars. not bad for a 20 dollar donation.

 

there's a good shot you may have something worth money, especially since yer pops opened them from the bottom. but anything like those old Schmidt cans with the various birds, deer, whatever on them are basically equivelent to having a chuck crim or greg brock card, even if its a gem mint 10 http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

 

st pauly's girl cans are worth a bit more, im guessing closer to the 5 dollar range....i generally talk to my dad every few days, if there's some cans you think are rare, lemme know...i can get a better estimate for you, he'll talk to me about his collection whenever. at one point it was close to 20,000 but when he got remarried my step mom made him get rid of all the newer current cans like the miller lite racing series and what not.

 

hope i was of some help!

 

thanks, yeah, that was good information...

 

I am actually hoping to unload the entire collection, as I have no room or use for it.

thanks again!

[bobbledude25]

This is my parents basement. My dad has been collecting for a million years. Ok, well maybe not that long but a long time. This is only about a quarter of what he has. Cans are two and sometimes three deep on the shelves. Message me if your interested in getting a hold of my dad

 

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h11/numberonewadefan/beercans.jpg

 

 

[danzig6767]

Check this out

 

http://ugly-christmas-trees.com/trees/beer-bottle/beer-bottle-tree.jpg

[Bikeage77]

that tree is beautiful! sure beats when me and my roommates had a fake tree in which we just hung empties on when we were done drinking em...needless to say my mom didn't think it was very cute or clever when she saw it

 

my dad's collection is similar to that above as well...but he hasn't had his shelves set up like that since before we moved when I was little, nice collection!