Collector’s corner
The collecting of beer memorabilia has become highly popular. In each issue we’ll have a look at some of the trends. Andrew Burnyeat reports
Some of the most expensive beer cans in the world are being bought and sold on the internet every day.
The law of supply and demand operates with the same force in this market as it does in most others – the rarer an item is, the more someone will pay to get it. A can of Fitzgerald’s Burgomaster beer, with an “extremely rare J-spout” changed hands recently for $4,500 (£2,500).
Rarity, then, rather than material values such as the quality of the metal from which the can is made, the craftsmanship – or the quality of the beer – dictates price. Some of the Burgomaster cans trade for just $250 (£140), though even this is not to be sniffed at for a can of beer.
The Burgomasters are particularly popular, it seems, in the United States. A burgeoning beer market spurred on by a wave of microbreweries has created a secondary interest in ‘breweriana’.
Damaged cans and bottles lose much of their value, but even then there is a specialist service in the US repairs dents, marks and scratches so that they can be sold for a higher price.
Moving down the food chain, there is also a market for coasters. A 1965 Red Stripe coaster can be had for as little as $15(£8.60); a 1950 Zywiec coaster would set you back just $8 (£4.50).
Among the more expected items available for sale over the world wide web are knives. The exact legalities and logistics of this are not clear, but knives carrying brewery logos are on offer for between $11 (£6) and $65 (£37). A 1953 knife inscribed with the Falstaff.....
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By Andrew Burnyeat
Section : Collecting Beer
Page number : 65
