Who collects what?

[chazwicke]

I collect lots of breweriana and have for a long time. I concentrate on Virginia and DC brewers and breweries. I know that Keel Kemper collects micro sixpack holders and SKala collects bottle caps or crowns. Lots of people collect coasters or beer mats. My question is....What beer related items do you collect if any? By listing it here some of us may be able to help each other out.

[HogieWan]

I collect empty amber bottles that are not twist-offs.

[ontap78]

I collect old New Ulm, MN brewery items. Mostly Schell's and Hauenstein's. I also dabble in other small Minnesota breweries like Kato and Fitger's. And some stuff from Leinenkugel in Wisconsin.Always looking for more stuff.

[SnapperShell]

I collect the bottles of all the different beers i tried.

[Seymour]

I collect spores, molds, and fungus...

:D

[unkle bik]

Six-pack holders. They cover the inside wall of the garage like insulation. A whole row 1970-1990’s aluminum cans.
Beer coasters. Many micros and many from Europe as my friend was stationed in Germany.
Any type of advertising breweriana. 30D stuff like old Standard Brewing Co.s Erin Brew trophies of elk and moose. A 1953 Budweiser stage coach picture. Full of BB gun holes. (I was dumb at 11 years old.) Some wall hangings from the 1960’s

[fretlessman71]

Originally posted by Seymour
I collect spores, molds, and fungus...
Leave your feet out of this. ;)

[zoom6zoom]

Anyone have a tip for getting labels off the bottles easily? I have a few labels I'd like to save but would rather put them in an album than keep the bottles.

[fretlessman71]

Water and TSP works well. The labels will more than likely slip right off with a good soaking, and you can lay them out to dry afterwards. It really depends on the label and what it's made out of, though.

[unkle bik]

Dish soap in hot water.
Let em fill up with water so they submerge.
In a day, most will be floating to the top.

[Fly Creek]

Beer trays from extinct upstate NY breweries! Please don't tell the mrs. how much I have "invested" in this folly.... ;)

[chazwicke]

I've got some nice beer trays I think I sent Bruno some pictures once. My favorite are the two Heurich Trays and a pre pro from Virginia Brewing Company. I also like my Derby King tray from Norfolk. I have a Tip tray from Robert Portner that I love. I've sold some NY trays in the past. Which do you have?

Labels are my favorite collectables. If anyone has any from DC or Virginia. Let me know. I will pay handsomely for items I don't have.

[davesarman]

Originally posted by ontap78
I collect old New Ulm, MN brewery items. Mostly Schell's and Hauenstein's. I also dabble in other small Minnesota breweries like Kato and Fitger's. And some stuff from Leinenkugel in Wisconsin.Always looking for more stuff.

Very similar to my stuff. I decided that I needed to narrow my focus a couple of years back, so I decided on items strictly from upper midwest breweries. Also to limit spending and save space, I decided that for now anyway, it's one item from each brewery. I'm still looking for something from the Kato brewery. I find lots of stuff on ebay, etc, but nothing that I'm willing to fork over the kind of $$$ the items usually go for. The one item I'd really like to have tho, is a tray from Kato Brewing that depicts the largest execution in U.S. history, where the Army hanged something like 70 some Native Americans. (I like items that depict things that you couldn't show today, like the old Schlitz print ads extoling the health benefits of beer or an old Pabst ad I have of a traffic cop taking a break and sitting in the middle of the street drinking a beer while the traffic backs up.) I've seen the tray on ebay before, but it usually goes for several hundred dollars and I'm not prepared to spend that at this time...maybe someday.

[Jake]

Originally posted by SnapperShell
I collect the bottles of all the different beers i tried.

Same here. If I buy a six pack of a new beer I save one out and add it to my collection.

[chazwicke]

I collected bottles only from beers I drank one summer back in the mid 80s. I had 500 and when I moved out of the house, My roommates sold them to a fraternaty.

[chazwicke]

Originally posted by davesarman
Very similar to my stuff. I decided that I needed to narrow my focus a couple of years back, so I decided on items strictly from upper midwest breweries. Also to limit spending and save space, I decided that for now anyway, it's one item from each brewery. I'm still looking for something from the Kato brewery. I find lots of stuff on ebay, etc, but nothing that I'm willing to fork over the kind of $$$ the items usually go for. The one item I'd really like to have tho, is a tray from Kato Brewing that depicts the largest execution in U.S. history, where the Army hanged something like 70 some Native Americans. (I like items that depict things that you couldn't show today, like the old Schlitz print ads extoling the health benefits of beer or an old Pabst ad I have of a traffic cop taking a break and sitting in the middle of the street drinking a beer while the traffic backs up.) I've seen the tray on ebay before, but it usually goes for several hundred dollars and I'm not prepared to spend that at this time...maybe someday.

You should look for breweriana at yard sales. My most valuable tray. Worth 5,000.00 was purchased at a yard sale for $4.00!!!! And the lady said I had to take the 4 pre pro bottles too. They are each valued at $10-25 each. This was a yard sale in my own neighborhood. Several years ago.

[Fly Creek]

Chaz-

That Derby King tray is a really cool looking item. I almost picked pne up on e-Bay recently, but the price got a little too steep and for space and money reasons I try to limit my sickness to the Upstate NY region. The Holy Grail for me at the moment is a Haberle Black Bass tray. A few years ago I saw one at an antique store/junk shop for $40. I was back in school at the time and money was pretty tight, so I passed. I recently saw the same tray sell for over $900 on e-Bay. I guess we all have tales of "the one that got away."

Anyway, I probably have 40 or 50 trays scattered about the home and office. Here are a few currently in the display rotation at work...

[noby]

Originally posted by SnapperShell
I collect the bottles of all the different beers i tried.

I keep starting this, but then a trip to the bottle bank brings me back to square one. I think I'll just have to start keeping the labels. Of course I also keep brown 0.5L bottles, but they're put to good use.

[chazwicke]

Originally posted by Fly Creek
Chaz-

That Derby King tray is a really cool looking item. I almost picked pne up on e-Bay recently, but the price got a little too steep and for space and money reasons I try to limit my sickness to the Upstate NY region. The Holy Grail for me at the moment is a Haberle Black Bass tray. A few years ago I saw one at an antique store/junk shop for $40. I was back in school at the time and money was pretty tight, so I passed. I recently saw the same tray sell for over $900 on e-Bay. I guess we all have tales of "the one that got away."

Anyway, I probably have 40 or 50 trays scattered about the home and office. Here are a few currently in the display rotation at work...

NICE!!! I used to have one of the Beverwycks. The Shamrock tray. I wrote an article for my chapter of the BCCA back in the late seventies about how to pronounce the word Beverwyck. It got picked up in the national magazine. Some folks Say it is Bev as in beverage. I say Beav as in beaver which some of the breweriana shows on the logo. It was a big debate that had two of our buddies from Mass. almost to fisticuffs.

The Derby King trays used to be worth 300.00 or so. I have a suspician that someone found a bunch of them as over the last year or two I've seen a steady trickle on Ebay and also at shows.

I'll try to try to take a few photos of mine and post them later.

[SoxyinMO]

Since I started changing the dining room into a pub, I've been trying to find items that mix baseball and beer (my two favorites!) I got the shot glass set from the World Series, and two pint glasses, too. But my favorites are two pint glasses from the Baseball as America exhibit. The bottoms of the glasses have baseball shapes molded up into them. Very cool.

It's new but I'm having fun!

[chazwicke]

Fun is what it's all about!

[Wit Memo Jeff]

Glasses, especially pilsner glasses, espcially the cone-shaped ones and also various stemmed beer glasses, some with gold rims, as well as some pints and mugs and a few boot-shaped beer glasses. I've got a few hundred (300?) around the house, some have the names of breweries and beers on them, and some have other decorations like waterfowl, leaves, fish, product adverstisements, or interesting glass patterns. I really don't have room for many more but I'm always looking for more. I also collected other assorted bits of breweriana, like a few trays, openers, and a Pilsner Urquell flashlight.

The thing about these glasses is that I use them and if you use glasses enough you'll eventually break some, and I've had some heartbreaks over the years.

Jeff

[SoxyinMO]

Fun is what it's all about!

And when I read your post to Al he said, "ya know, we don't go to yard sales enough any more!" so maybe I'll find some hidden baseball/beer treasures out there!

[chazwicke]

Originally posted by Wit Memo Jeff
Glasses, especially pilsner glasses, espcially the cone-shaped ones and also various stemmed beer glasses, some with gold rims, as well as some pints and mugs and a few boot-shaped beer glasses. I've got a few hundred (300?) around the house, some have the names of breweries and beers on them, and some have other decorations like waterfowl, leaves, fish, product adverstisements, or interesting glass patterns. I really don't have room for many more but I'm always looking for more. I also collected other assorted bits of breweriana, like a few trays, openers, and a Pilsner Urquell flashlight.

The thing about these glasses is that I use them and if you use glasses enough you'll eventually break some, and I've had some heartbreaks over the years.

Jeff

I collect Brewery glasses as well. I've got a similiar amount but the majority are pints. I've also got krugs and mugs and even a few steins.

I've got a Greene King or Abbot Ale Torch (Flashlight)

[chazwicke]

Originally posted by SoxyinMO
And when I read your post to Al he said, "ya know, we don't go to yard sales enough any more!" so maybe I'll find some hidden baseball/beer treasures out there!

I hardly go any more myself. I did it for 20 years. Too many dealers shopping for stuff now. And the prices now are no longer always reasonable. I love antiques but ever since Home and Garden TV started making it sheik to yard sale or go to flea markest and swap meets some of the fun has gone out of it for me. Plus I have a garage, attic, basement storage and private storage locker filled with stuff. Mainly breweriana si I have almost run out of room. Now I'm sort of in purge mode and have begun to sell stuff on Ebay.

[Wit Memo Jeff]

Originally posted by chazwicke
I've got a Greene King or Abbot Ale Torch (Flashlight)

Hey, how's that torch work? The Pilsner Urquell flashlight is shaped like a bottle -an older PU bottle, brown, .33 liter, with an older logo. The bottom of the "bottle" is the lens, and it's turned on by pressing and twisting the cap.

[chazwicke]

Here is a picture of one on Ebay. No as cool as the PU one you have. I've also visited that brewery.



http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=118&item=6160451262&rd=1

[keelkemper]

Chazwicke has done another great job of putting up a topic for those of us who have that collector gene. for me it is the six pack holders...from microbrews in the USA...ive got hundreds all sorted to states...still got hundreds more to go...ebay has certaintly changed the dynamic and driven prices sky high...my best on ebay was a tray I paid 10$ for at estate auction and sold on ebay for 140$...the very next week bought the exact same tray for 15$ and sold it again for 135$...almost convined myself you could make a living doing that...but that is really a rare occurrence with all the dealers that comb these auctions and now they know beer trays are hot...

[chazwicke]

I've got a buddy who makes his living selling on Ebay. He is retired and I know he makes between 40 and 60 K doing it. Mainly breweriana too.

[s00z]

Originally posted by Wit Memo Jeff
Glasses, especially pilsner glasses, espcially the cone-shaped ones and also various stemmed beer glasses....

The thing about these glasses is that I use them and if you use glasses enough you'll eventually break some, and I've had some heartbreaks over the years.

Jeff

I started out collecting pint glasses...then began to collect hefe's, tulips, pilsners, english mugs, dimples...anything I could get my hands on. I usually got 2 of each, but now that my collection tops 300, I have to thin through and keep the ones I love. I just don't have anyplace that I can display them in this apartment. I've packed them up and I have 7 big totes full.

My favorites are my Delerium Tremens with the pink Elephants in Christmas hats...and the Kwak "foot" in the wooden carrier...

-BeerGal

[chazwicke]

EBAY? Mine are not displayed either. Only a few Pre pro glasses.

[s00z]

Originally posted by chazwicke
EBAY? Mine are not displayed either. Only a few Pre pro glasses.

The only ones that sell on eBay are pints. Unfortunately. When you add in the cost of shipping a tulip or otherwise footed glass, plus the bidding price - eBay isn't a great way to go. Unless you sell in big lots. And I haven't seen lots go for what they're worth. I'd rather trade, or sell to someone who cares about them.


or start my bar and display them :)

-BeerGal

[SoxyinMO]

or start my bar and display them

acatually, sooz, that made me realize that I do also collect beer mats, but not really for collecting, for using in our "pub" My daughter brought some back from Amsterdam last year, and my soon to be son-in-law just sent us some guinness (with the hands) and some that he picked up in pubs in England that have football (soccer) dudes covering their groins. They are ads for vasectomies! ha ha!

[chazwicke]

The beer mats are fun to collect. Also easiest to collect. I always pick them up.

[SoxyinMO]

I think that 's why they didn't occur to me, Chaz, we have always just picked them up. In fact, Al has some from all over the world from his Navy days.

[wortchillergoal]

I collect marks. Black and Blus marks, puck marks, and skate marks to name a few. Also. once you have a puck mark, you can't get rid of it. It does not wash out of our sweaters.

[Stahlsturm]

Originally posted by chazwicke
I collect Brewery glasses as well. I've got a similiar amount but the majority are pints. I've also got krugs and mugs and even a few steins.


The plural of "Krug" is "Krüge".

[fretlessman71]

So what's the difference between a krug and a mug?

And PLEASE don't say spelling... ;)

[steveh]

Originally posted by fretlessman71
So what's the difference between a krug and a mug?

A Krug is a kiln-fired, clay vessel -- a mug is made from glass. As far as I know...

S.

[Stahlsturm]

Originally posted by fretlessman71
So what's the difference between a krug and a mug?

And PLEASE don't say spelling...


A mug is what we call "Hefer'l", it's for coffe or tea and it usually isn't bigger than o.25 liters.

A "Krug" (= tankard) holds 1 liter of liquid or more. They have a 5 liter Krug at the Plank brewery. One of these days I'll have them fill it for me with Dunkel and I'm gonna gulp it down all by myself :D

There are Krüge with o.5 liters which we call "Halbe". That's also what we consider those drinking from them to be. Halbe Portionen. Half portions.

[steveh]

Originally posted by Stahlsturm
There are Krüge with o.5 liters which we call "Halbe". That's also what we consider those drinking from them to be. Halbe Portionen. Half portions.

Do you consider the .5 glass vessels Krüge? I always thought the term was reserved for clay-made drink-ware.

Are the tall, .5 liter glasses still called Willibechers (Willibechern?)? I have quite a few of these, from various breweries, that I love to use for sampling German and German-style beers.

S.

[fretlessman71]

Originally posted by Stahlsturm

There are Krüge with o.5 liters which we call "Halbe". That's also what we consider those drinking from them to be. Halbe Portionen. Half portions. There's an antiquated term in American English that means the same sort of thing, but refers to about 1/2 the liquid that you're referring to... the term is "half-pint". One of my bass students is 11 years old, 4 foot 2 and 60 pounds soaking wet. A perfect candidate for the moniker. ;)

[chazwicke]

I had a couple of liters tonight at Hofbrau Haus, Newport, Kentucky. :)

[chibeers]

new member here. collect the six-pack holders. cut one side out, laminate 'em and hang them in the garage. have about 525 right now. couple rules: must be beer, no wine coolers,etc.; have to drink atleast 4 myself, friends may have 2; must be a 6 pack with atleast 10oz. bottles. oh yeah, NO non-alcholic beers.

started the beer wall with a buddy, got up to about 300, moved out and split the wall 50/50. had to go back and track down his half. found most of them. btw, i carry an excel spread sheet in my wallet with all the labels so i don't buy a repeat.

just moved so putting up the wall as we speak. glad i got a 3-car garage, more wall space=more beer.

[fretlessman71]

Welcome chibeers! There's another member, keelkemper, who collects sixer holders. You ought to compare notes!

[chazwicke]

Yes welcome! Keel may have some extras or duplicates. But if you have to drink them yourself then maybe you would not be intested in his dupes. But he may be interested in yours if you have any. I just sent hime 20-30 last week. And I have more for him.

I'd be interested in seeing your list. Any way you can link it or post it here?

[fretlessman71]

In the move I found several I'd be willing to donate to his cause as well... chazwicke, do you know if he cuts out the side and keeps them that way, or if he keeps them intact? If it's the former, I may have a LOT for him.....

[chibeers]

here is an attachment of the labels i have. thanks for willing to donate more labels to me but i have to drink the 6 packs. i cut out one side and am willing to cut out the other for those who would like 'em. i started my collection in CA and have many from other parts of the country as i travel a few times a year. i live in AZ now and have discovered a whole new beer market. there are quite a few local breweries here that you east coast guys would have trouble obtaining labels. let me know if you get the attachment.

[chazwicke]

Originally posted by fretlessman71
In the move I found several I'd be willing to donate to his cause as well... chazwicke, do you know if he cuts out the side and keeps them that way, or if he keeps them intact? If it's the former, I may have a LOT for him.....

Not sure. I have been sending him full holders. Every couple of months I send them as I collect enough to send. I think he hopes to photograph and catalog them. I once picked up a collection from the 80s and 90s that I sent to him as well. I have 10-15 more already and I just sent off two packages last week. I would encourage all of you to send your empty sixers to Keel.

[chazwicke]

Originally posted by chibeers
here is an attachment of the labels i have. thanks for willing to donate more labels to me but i have to drink the 6 packs. i cut out one side and am willing to cut out the other for those who would like 'em. i started my collection in CA and have many from other parts of the country as i travel a few times a year. i live in AZ now and have discovered a whole new beer market. there are quite a few local breweries here that you east coast guys would have trouble obtaining labels. let me know if you get the attachment.

Very impressive. I once saved them and cut them and put them on the basement wall of a house was living in back in the 80s. I left them when I moved out. They were from sixers of beer that I drank.

[fretlessman71]

I had planned to do a similar thing, but it's more work than I want to go through at this point. Maybe when we have a big huge house and a seperate room for nothing but beer stuff... or when I have a bar with taps in the basement and I can put them in as wallpaper behind it, or something... who knows... I may never find them at this point anyway! ;)

[chibeers]

this may be old news but has anyone checked out www.beerlabels.com? i found them quite a few years back and dang, they have an impressive list. i'll post a pic of my current beer wall. only about half is up right now.

[keelkemper]

As a collector of six pack holders, and I am always trying to get more so send me yours, I wouldnt dare cut them up...Primarly because much of the great information that is ususlly printed on the side and the bottom are then thrown in the trash. To save only the label, keeps the artwork but looses the raw"data". this of course is my humble opinion. Additonally, when my grand childrens one day decide to sell off my collection, they will be more valuable as a whole item. Once you cut them up, their just pretty pieces of cardboard. As any collector knows, condition is everything. A bottle with a chip on the lip is infinitely less valuable than a whole intact specimen....same idea with the sixers...but to each his own...

Chazwicke - got your latest batch.....thanks so much.....your the man...contact me if you have six pack caddy's for sale or trade...

[chazwicke]

I'm bidding on an old Richbrau sixpack holder on ebay right now. It was for cans.

[fretlessman71]

I'm going through the rest of my stuff making sure that I don't have any stragglers left around, and then I'm going to have another shipment for you, keelkemper. Possibly bigger than the last one, but not too much bigger. :)

[keelkemper]

Frestlessman....Did you enjoy the Gritty's?.I love the scotch ale in the winter.....I cant wait to get your six packs! what do you collect?....KK

[keelkemper]

I saw the six pack holder your bidding own....i am watching it..KK

[chazwicke]

It is from the 60s I think. Maybe early 70s.

[keelkemper]

well it is a virginia brewery, so you should be bidding on it, buts it a tad pricey, but you never see it in that conditon again, better get er done...did you see also on ebay, a six pack full of cans, same brewery, same six pack design, good conditon...

[fretlessman71]

So, would someone post a link to this for the unaware? Us curious georges can't stand not really knowing what you're talking about... ;)

[chazwicke]

Originally posted by keelkemper
well it is a virginia brewery, so you should be bidding on it, buts it a tad pricey, but you never see it in that conditon again, better get er done...did you see also on ebay, a six pack full of cans, same brewery, same six pack design, good conditon...

Yes, I saw it. I the cans looked to be not in excellent condition and are fairly common. I am bidding on lots of Richbrau stuff. I have much of it already but never hurts to have dups for future trades or sales. Looks like the guy is unloading his Richbrau stuff. I know most of the VA and DC collectors but I don't recognize his Ebay handle. I usually know the seller and all the bidders and I know most of their Ebay names as well. Frequently we cut deals behind the scenes on certain items to keep from upping the bids on Ebay. I have agreements with many of them. In fact, we DC collectors have an informal club and get together every so often to see each others collections. Our last meeting about a month ago we had some visitors who are curators and directors of two museums in DC. They have asked for our assistance in setting up exhibits on brewing and prohibition in DC from 1865 to present. They want some of our research and also have asked for us to loan some of our breweriana. All of us DC / VA collectors have memberships in one or more of the big four breweriana collecting clubs and most in the Capitol City and Richbrau chaptors of those organizations.

[chazwicke]

Originally posted by fretlessman71
So, would someone post a link to this for the unaware? Us curious georges can't stand not really knowing what you're talking about... ;)

http://search-desc.ebay.com/richbrau_W0QQfcdZ1QQfclZ3QQfromZR10QQfsooZ2QQfsopZ 2QQftidZ1QQftsZ2

[fretlessman71]

Hmm... the cone tops look like oil cans, don't they? :)

[chazwicke]

often compared to them. Richbrau used Cone Tops and Crowntainers.

[keelkemper]

seems like you have hit the jackpot with richbrau items.....love those "unrolled cans"......you dont see that very often...probably display very nice....

[rogerdoct]

:rolleyes: I collect abdominal adapose tissue (Beer Belly!)
Roger "Doc".

[BeerScavenger]

My name is Cathy and I am from Edmonton, Alberta Canada. I am in a very large scavenger hunt (3rd annual) and we cannot even figure out what one of the items is that we have to retrieve!

I was hoping you could help. This is what we need to find.... an '"It's all in the name" Coaster'

I am thinking that it is a beer coaster, because what other types of coasters are there?

I was hoping you could tell me who used the slogan, "It's all in the name"

This scavenger hunt is both for fun and charity, so your information would be greatly appreiciated.


Thank you for your time,
Cathy

[Dextolen]

I started collecting bottles of the stuff I tried but eventually it took over the entire space above our kitchen cabinets and the wife said 'it looks like a bar in here'. I reduced it to 10 or so bottles of my favorites.

[JorisP]

I collect glasses too. Mainly Belgian, though I have some exotics. I'm especially avid of old glasses of gone breweries, and all sorts of glasses concerning gueuze and lambic.
Joris

[AWolfAtTheDoor]

Not only am I new to the forum, but I'm new to beer too. I'm young (but legal, don't worry!) but I'm starting to develop discriminating tastes. I pretty much refuse to drink BMC, but I can't handle too strong of stuff so my tastes seem to be pretty light compared to what a lot of people like on here. We have a really good Irish pub in town, so I pretty much exist on Murphy's, Guiness, and occasionally Harp.
But anyways, I started collecting packages too. I cut off the fronts and i've stuck them all together, and plan on putting them somewhere eventually. I don't mind cutting them up, because I don't have anything that neat or unique that shouldn't be cut apart : ) I attached a picture. I don't have many, but I only started a couple months ago. The top one that is hard to read is the '05/'06 Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome ale. I'm real interested to see keel and chibeers collection, can you guys post pics too??

[AxlLives]

After years of bartending and my own personal research I have accumulated a big ol' collection of bottle caps... These include anniversary, retro, new designs, regionals, etc. I then arrange them on a wooden wine case top and seal the whole arrangement with a plastic glaze... It's real boss-looking!!! Holla..

[chazwicke]

Welcome to the board both of you. Collecting is addicting. I have some local DC bottle caps or "Crowns" some of which are worth several hundered dollars. And I have a standing offer on one crown that is the only known example from a brewery that I collect. that offer is $500.00. I still collect caps too but usually give most of the new ones to some folks that collect.

[skahtboi]

Tap handles. I collect tap handles. The art of brewania. I like the figural, really stylish ones.

[chazwicke]

I've got around 40 tap knobs. most are DC, Maine and VA. The St. Georges Dragon figural is nice.

[xscotto]

After my first trip to the UK and Ireland, I got back to the USA and started collecting authentic pub glasses. I collect the ones without brewery logos and branding, and WITH the British "pint" stamp, just as they are served in pubs. (That's the sand-blasted government stamp, not the laser etched kind.) I found them amazingly difficult to find over here.

The last time the wife and I crossed the pond, we managed to make our way out of more than a few pubs with a glass in a duffle bag. I probably wouldn't resort to such behavior if I could actually BUY these things. We managed to get a few out of Ireland with their own government stamp, and a few half-pint glasses too. Amazingly, they all survived the return trip in our luggage.

[Beer Monkey]

Originally posted by skahtboi
Tap handles. I collect tap handles. The art of brewania. I like the figural, really stylish ones.

I collect tap handles as well, up to a few dozen with the Mrs. telling me to stop buying them till at least Christmas so that I will stop getting the same ones she is. My eventual plan is to line the walls of what ever room turns into the bar. sorta like a crown molding. I may have to make the taps hang upside down to make it work with all the different heights. This was definatly an expense of the kegerator that I didn't see in advance.

[chazwicke]

Hve you seen the collection down in the windows and walls of RFD?

[Beer Monkey]

Originally posted by chazwicke
Hve you seen the collection down in the windows and walls of RFD?

yeah that was part of the inspiration for it, that and Bilbo baggins for the inverted idea.

I love finding inspiration in bars

[Lusitano]

I collect the bottles, including caps, from the beers I have tried. These include beers from Germany, England, Scotland, Belgium, Russia, Czech Republic, Poland, etc... oh, and Kenya. I am missing a few that I tried but will be included soon. I also collect labels and six-pack cut-outs that I will eventually incorporate into a square bar/café table that I am putting back together.

[smeyrt]

I collect coasters and tasting galsses from all the beer festivles I go to

[jjpm74]

First post here, but definitely not new to beer. I collect strong ales that are unopened that I haven't yet tasted. The oldest I have is Bass King's Ale (though I have a Pilsner from the 1840s I'm sure isn't drinkable).

I'm also a homebrewer and rate beer on a regular basis (not collecting related).

[gone_fishing]

Well, I have one piece that I "collected". Yesterday my SIL brought me a keg pump/tap that his grandfather had in his basement for a lot of years. It was called an antique, but, I truthfully have no clue. Going to hang it on my office wall.

[chazwicke]

Originally posted by jjpm74
First post here, but definitely not new to beer. I collect strong ales that are unopened that I haven't yet tasted. The oldest I have is Bass King's Ale (though I have a Pilsner from the 1840s I'm sure isn't drinkable).

I'm also a homebrewer and rate beer on a regular basis (not collecting related).

Cool! I have some older beers too. Some that I will never drink. English commerative stuff. Welcome to the board!

[Beer Monkey]

I started a project since I ran out of room to display my tap handles, it's a shelf that will be about 9 feet long with screws hanging down to attach tap handles. it works out that it will hold 32 handles. it will be mostly full as soon as I get it up, I ended up making out really well at Christmas and also in denver came out with 8 more handles. I'll post pictures when I get it finished, needs a couple coats of stain now, and the hard part will be mounting it really well it's gonna be pretty heavy with all the taps attached.

[jjpm74]

Originally posted by Beer Monkey
I started a project since I ran out of room to display my tap handles, it's a shelf that will be about 9 feet long with screws hanging down to attach tap handles. it works out that it will hold 32 handles. it will be mostly full as soon as I get it up, I ended up making out really well at Christmas and also in denver came out with 8 more handles. I'll post pictures when I get it finished, needs a couple coats of stain now, and the hard part will be mounting it really well it's gonna be pretty heavy with all the taps attached.

Cool idea.

I'm currently assemling the breweriana needed to build into the bar I am making. It involves a bartop that is made entirely with bottlecaps under a glass top (no BMC caps either). Most of the caps come from beers I've consumed over the past ten years, but about 3000 or so came from a European Ebayer who had a nice amount of Belgian and Danish caps. I also want to use growlers as light fixtures and am trying to figure out a way to incorporate my feeble collection of beer trays into the bar design.

[Beer Monkey]

Originally posted by jjpm74
Cool idea.

I'm currently assemling the breweriana needed to build into the bar I am making. It involves a bartop that is made entirely with bottlecaps under a glass top (no BMC caps either). Most of the caps come from beers I've consumed over the past ten years, but about 3000 or so came from a European Ebayer who had a nice amount of Belgian and Danish caps. I also want to use growlers as light fixtures and am trying to figure out a way to incorporate my feeble collection of beer trays into the bar design.

I've seen this done before but instead of under glass, what they did was pour a small layer of liquid lucite(or something similiar) and then insert the bottle caps into this, the coated with a thick coat of more lucite, then buff and polish to nice and clear, it looked great, and the lucite allowed for crooked caps from being opened. love to see pics as your bar progresses. I can't wait till I have the space to do a bar, really glad I've got the Mrs convinced we need this as well, all it cost me was a dark room, think I got off cheap ;)

[jjpm74]

I was initially going to go the lucite route until I saw how expensive it was as compared to plexiglass and grout. It also makes for a much heavier bartop which could be problematic if I move in a few years and want to disassemble the bar to take with me. I still may do lucite, but am undecided at the moment.

[Sladek]

Originally posted by Seymour
I collect spores, molds, and fungus...

:D
Ah, I always love a good 'Busters reference...

I like lapel pins. I don't have many, only a handful. I buy them whenever I visit a brewery, if they have them. I need to visit more! I also have a fondness for WI breweries, except the obvious. Capital and New Glarus are on my radar for the spring.

[chazwicke]

I have about 250 brewery lapel badges. Mostly English but a few German and American.

[Bar_Towel_Bob]

What do I collect? Bar Towels!

Got lots of them too....:)

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/bar_towel_bob/my_photos

Anyone out there have any they might like to get rid of? Please let me know if so.

Thanks and Cheers

[Bar_Towel_Bob]

What do I collect? Bar Towels!

Got lots of them too....:)

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/bar_towel_bob/my_photos

Anyone out there have any they might like to get rid of? Please let me know if so.

Thanks and Cheers

[BigHead]

Originally posted by wortchillergoal
I collect marks. Black and Blus marks, puck marks, and skate marks to name a few. Also. once you have a puck mark, you can't get rid of it. It does not wash out of our sweaters.

Now that is some thing to be proud of, self inflicted black and blue marks. Yeah, I mean self inflicted. He chose to stand there and get smacked in order to get them. Hockey players, a waste of skin and TV time.

I collect belt buckles.

[chazwicke]

To each his own I guess. We all do crazy things. Like collecting breweriana of travelling the world in a quest for good beer. It is one of the things I love about this board. We all come from different backgrounds or circumstances. And all have our differing interests but Beer brings us together. That is great thing about good beer. What kind of belt buckles do you collect. Any and all or do you limit it to certain types or subjects?


Bar towel Bob, Are you going to the Blue Gray Breweriana show this coming week in Fredericksburg, VA? If so I'll see if I can pull out my bar towels and bring them along. I know of another guy who collects them in Colorado. He'll be at the show too. Most of mine are from the UK I began collecting them in 89. I think I might have 20 or 30. Not too many. I only am interested in keeping the ones from Greene King or Abbot Ale. The rest I'd be willing to sell or trade.

Congrats on your collection and your certification by Guinness Worl records. That is quite an accomplishment. I read recently of a guy who collected them and sewed them all together to create the worlds largest bar towel. I'm pretty sure we have a thread on it here somewhere.

[Bar_Towel_Bob]

Thanks for the message. Actually, I won't lie, I wasn't planning on attending, but mostly because I didn't know about it. As you can tell I'm not a big player on the show scene. That said, I still will not rule out coming to the show. Especially if I know there will be a few folks there who have towels to deal.

If you have a chance, I hope I can get you to do 2 things for me. First, send me a list of what towels you have that you will bring to the show. Second, if you have a chance, contact the gent in Colorado to see if he too plans on bringing any towels. Pass along to him my email address.

Thanks and Cheers,
Bob

[Halgarmeister]

I'm new here myself. Anyone into steins? I've got two ceramics, one is a 10" Gerz and the other is a 12" that I believe to be a Marzi and Remy, though I'm not sure, the mark is too faint. I also have two etched glass steins that are 6" with a duck and 7" with a pheasant.

[chazwicke]

I saw plenty of bar towels and also many character steins at the Blue Grey show the past several days.

One guy has written a book on character steins and had a lot of really neat one. I collect Skull mugs and steins and he had a magnificent collection on display. I took some pictures and will look and see about posting them here soon. He has a new web site too. Charactersteins.com