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 This is the place to learn about the beer can collecting hobby, how it started, why we do it and how you can too. Learn a bit of beer can history while you're at it. |
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 Will the BCCA buy individual beer cans or my whole collection, or tell me what they're worth? Nope. The Brewery Collectibles Club of America is NOT a dealer. We exist strictly to bring together people with a common interest in collecting beer cans and other breweriana and to provide them with timely, useful information about the hobby. How can I get in touch with someone who might want to buy individual cans or my whole collection? Here are two suggestions. Local BCCA Chapters host hundreds of breweriana shows a year. Attend one and talk to collectors there about looking at and possibly buying your cans. Check our show calendar for upcoming events. E-mail us. We'll tell you how to contact someone from the BCCA chapter nearest you who may be of assistance. Are there books that can tell me what value to place on my cans? The most complete source for values of beer cans produced before the advent of pull tab cans is United States Beer Cans, recently published by the BCCA. Check it out in the BCCA publications area. There is no comparable source for pull tab can values, though the BCCA is in the process of compiling a companion to USBC for pull tabs. Beer Cans Unlimited provides valuing information, but it has long been out of print and is hard to find. Can I get a bundle for my Billy Beer/J.R. Beer/M*A*S*H* 4077th Beer cans? Sorry, but these cans are worth no more than a glass of Bud Light at your local watering hole. With collectibles, value is determined in good part by scarcity. The cans in question are over 20 years old, but they were such novelties that just about everybody seems to have squirreled away a 6-pack or even a case of each brand. If you can get a buck or two for your Billy, J.R. or M*A*S*H can, take it and run. What is a Milwaukee Premium or General Pulaski cone top worth? Sorry, but these cans were never filled with beer and were produced as a novelty item during the heyday of can collecting in the late 1970's. That was almost 15 years after the last production run of cone tops by any brewery. These cans generally have a bottom lid that resembles those commonly found on food cans from that era. They are not considered to be real cone tops and are generally ignored by most beer can collectors. Most collectors value these cans at under $10.00. Do I have to collect Beer Cans or live in the U.S. in order to join the BCCA? No and no. Basically, you need three things to become a BCCA member: a pulse, a mailing address and an interest in breweriana of any kind. Most BCCAers collect much more than cans: sports schedules and microbrewery items are hot these days. And despite the "America" in our name, we have active members in over two dozen countries. What is breweriana? Breweriana is virtually anything with a brewer's name on it. There's obvious stuff like cans, bottles, bottle caps, labels, tap knobs, glassware , steins, trays, openers bar towels, coasters and signs. There's pre-Prohibition stuff like porcelain stoppers, barrel bungs, wooden cases, embossed bottles and "growler" pails. And then there's stuff you might not even think of, like sheet music ("Under the Anheuser Bush"), tapes of radio and TV commercials and brewery stock certificates. It's all breweriana and it's all collectible. I belonged to the BCCA years ago, and now I want to rejoin. Can I get my old BCCA number back? Sure. A one-time $10.00 fee is all it takes to reactivate your old BCCA number. You pay it along with the regular membership application fee. E-mail bcca@bcca.com for details or, join online. There's a place on the membership application form where you can request your old BCCA number. Is there a grading system for beer cans? The condition of a beer can - especially an older one - is a big factor in determining its value. The can grading system spelled out in the BCCA's United States Beer Cans is an excellent guide. It's basically a five-level system, with a Grade 1+ can being virtually perfect, having no noticeable imperfections, and a Grade 5 can being so rusted and damaged that the brand and label are barely recognizable. How does this affect value? Let's say a Grade 1 can is worth $100. The same can in Grade 1+ condition could bring $125. In Grade 2 condition, it might go for $40. In Grade 5 condition, you'd be lucky to get $2. Don't take all of this as gospel, however. Ours is a hobby with haggle room. Talk to an experienced collector from a nearby BCCA Chapter to learn more. I'm new to beer can collecting. Should I collect them full or empty? It's your collection. Save them whatever way you want. The lion's share of collectors save empty cans, preferably opened from the bottom. Some people collect full ones but full cans, especially older cans, can be hard to find. And steel cans with seams can eventually rust or leak. Where on the Internet can I discuss beer cans and breweriana? The newsgroup alt.collecting.breweriana is a discussion area and marketplace dedicated to collectors of beer cans and breweriana. Or check out our Links section. |
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