Page 39 - Journal of Antiques and Collectibles June 2019
P. 39
B reweriana. It’s the term for vintage, collectible brewery advertising. It is Collectors also seek the packaging from these breweries – mostly
cans and bottles. Most coveted are old beer cans.
the most mispronounced and misspelled word I encounter. Spell
The breweriana collecting hobby exploded in the
check flags it every time. I know the trouble folks have with
the word because I have collected breweriana for 40 years and
beer cans and beer labels before the 1970s. The
I have made my living at Breweriana.com for 20 plus years. 1970s. Older collectors had been collecting mostly
Most common mistakes include brewmania, brewania, huge explosion occurred when boys in the age
brewermania ... You get the picture. It’s breweriana! range of 10-16 started collecting. It went viral
with these boys. The hobby was huge, much
The Hobby larger than I think most people realize. There
Breweriana includes any old brewery advertising were one or two boys on every block in
pieces. Breweries adorned trays, tip trays, lithographs, America collecting beer cans. If I had to
reverse painted glass and other signs, match safes, guess how many boys were collecting, I’d
drinking vessels, tap knobs, neons, salt and pepper estimate several hundred thousand.
shakers, thermometers, clocks and just about anything Today those boys are about 50 years or so
else you can think of with their advertising. old. They are at the peak of their income
earning potential and, when it comes to
adding to their collection, they mean
business. Their interest has expanded from
This “cab light” beer cans to all sorts of brewery advertising.
Gillco sign from the
Star Brewing Advertising
Company of Boston
dates to the 1930s Many collectors display their brewery advertising
collectors in a room with a bar and, perhaps, a
pool table or pinball machine. The most interesting
displays integrate many types of pieces like lighted signs, neons, trays,
cans, and lithographs.
Cab lights manufactured by Gillco out of Philadelphia in the 1930s
are among the most sought after pieces in the hobby due to their
high-quality construction and incredible graphics. They were made from
curved glass with the artwork fire baked onto the reverse of the glass.
These pieces hold up very well and, generally, are very rare. The Dawson’s
14” diameter tray from Deer Park
Breweries from Port Jervis, NY, sold for
$450 at a recent Morean Auctions event
Breweriana comes in many shapes
and sizes as seen in this photo This 13” x 11 1/2” brewery sign is reverse-painted on glass showing an
English galleon over the words “Plymouth Ale,” and sold for $275
July 2019 37
cans and bottles. Most coveted are old beer cans.
the most mispronounced and misspelled word I encounter. Spell
The breweriana collecting hobby exploded in the
check flags it every time. I know the trouble folks have with
the word because I have collected breweriana for 40 years and
beer cans and beer labels before the 1970s. The
I have made my living at Breweriana.com for 20 plus years. 1970s. Older collectors had been collecting mostly
Most common mistakes include brewmania, brewania, huge explosion occurred when boys in the age
brewermania ... You get the picture. It’s breweriana! range of 10-16 started collecting. It went viral
with these boys. The hobby was huge, much
The Hobby larger than I think most people realize. There
Breweriana includes any old brewery advertising were one or two boys on every block in
pieces. Breweries adorned trays, tip trays, lithographs, America collecting beer cans. If I had to
reverse painted glass and other signs, match safes, guess how many boys were collecting, I’d
drinking vessels, tap knobs, neons, salt and pepper estimate several hundred thousand.
shakers, thermometers, clocks and just about anything Today those boys are about 50 years or so
else you can think of with their advertising. old. They are at the peak of their income
earning potential and, when it comes to
adding to their collection, they mean
business. Their interest has expanded from
This “cab light” beer cans to all sorts of brewery advertising.
Gillco sign from the
Star Brewing Advertising
Company of Boston
dates to the 1930s Many collectors display their brewery advertising
collectors in a room with a bar and, perhaps, a
pool table or pinball machine. The most interesting
displays integrate many types of pieces like lighted signs, neons, trays,
cans, and lithographs.
Cab lights manufactured by Gillco out of Philadelphia in the 1930s
are among the most sought after pieces in the hobby due to their
high-quality construction and incredible graphics. They were made from
curved glass with the artwork fire baked onto the reverse of the glass.
These pieces hold up very well and, generally, are very rare. The Dawson’s
14” diameter tray from Deer Park
Breweries from Port Jervis, NY, sold for
$450 at a recent Morean Auctions event
Breweriana comes in many shapes
and sizes as seen in this photo This 13” x 11 1/2” brewery sign is reverse-painted on glass showing an
English galleon over the words “Plymouth Ale,” and sold for $275
July 2019 37
