40th Anniversary of my Beer Can Collection

[Stonepony]

In 1976, at age 14, I got into beer can collecting. I really had a ball and collected heavily and with great enthusiasm over a couple years. I amassed a beautiful collection of around 1000 cans which were showcased on my wall of my room. My can were primarily cans of that era as I really couldnt afford the older conetops. It didnt matter because my cans depicted gorgeous outdoor scenes, sport teams, pretty girls etc etc. I pain on average .50- $5.00 per can.
They were my pride and joy. Then came college...and some of us know what happens to your glorious childhood room when you go off to college. Mom wrapped them in newspaper, boxed them and put them up in the attic. They've been there 36 years now, untouched. They have appreciated ZERO in value and actually have probably depreciated!! WTF, how is that possible? My fabulous boyhood collection, now 40 years older and worth less. Someday I'm going back into mom's attic and once again thy will shine on my wall.

[steve B]

They're really cool, I collected a bit in the mid 80's, having slid into it from collecting RC cans when they had baseball and football cans. I think a lot of what was made maybe mid 70's until sometime after I became inactive in that hobby got saved in pretty big quantities.

I bought a biggish collection with a friend of mine, and we split it. Tried selling them on Ebay and didn't do well at all. Sold maybe 10 out of a couple hundred. Figured it wasn't worth the time and put them up in the attic along with my other ones. The sports ones went in with the other sports cans.

I've seen some of the really old ones sell for really interesting prices. A clipper beer conetop in nice condition went for 10,000. I saved off the pictures...
Nice looking can, and I guess it must be rare too.

Steve B

[Virtual Boxer]

I think you should keep the collection for yourself and not sell it. You are the only one who appreciate it and have sentimental value to it. Spread them on a wall and be proud!
I have my own cool collections and memorabilia that I don't thing are worth much at all but I love these things. They're a part of my life and history.

[smellthegum]

Stonepony, the lack of appreciation in value comes from the fact that a) many of the cans from the 70s and '80s were aluminum and don't degrade with age like steel cans do; and b) the cans from the era you collected are the 1988 Donruss of the can hobby: they made so many and so many were saved, that they are as readily available today as when they were made. Breweries like Schell's and Iron City had production runs of cans that were marketed specifically at collectors and never even held beer (or not much anyway); and c) there are many fewer collectors today than when the hobby was at its peak in the 70s and 80s. Supply and demand.

SteveB, the most expensive brewery collectible I know of changed hands at $37,500 (two items, actually, both beer cans at that same price). That's not an insignificant amount and way more than I would ever pay for anything, but it pales in comparison to top-end sports memorabilia.

I started collecting around 1975-76 too but never really stopped, even though I was dormant for a few years in the mid-late '80s. I still collect and it's my primary collection (yes, cards are a close second). Here's a look at some of my collection. I mostly seek stuff from the 1950s and earlier. The cans are all 1930s to about 1950. The trays are pre-Prohibition era, from about 1900-1918, except for the Star tray which is from the mid-1930s.

If you want to learn more about cans you might have stashed away or the hobby in general check out The Rusty Bunch forum (I'm an admin on that board), or feel free to contact me with questions.