Thousands of beer cans.

[Blacksheep]

A friend of mine calls explaining he just finished a "trash-out" on a a home that was empty for over a year (older gentleman passed with no relatives). In the basement he found an old beer can collection (I cringed a bit as I knew where this conversation was leading) and he wondered if I could help sort through them.

He shows up at the door with well over 2000 beer cans stuffed into bags/boxes, I can hear in my mind just exactly what my wife is going to say (it aint pretty, good thing we're getting new carpet in spring). We spend the first day pulling all the aluminum "junk" out of the mess, re-bag them and toss them in the garage which leaves us with just over 1000 steel cans to sort through. No amount of reasoning reaches my friend as I gently try to explain the vast majority are not worth the effort and we may be better off pulling the more difficult to find cone/flat tops and recycle the rest. Three days of sorting/cataloging and my friend looking up each and every can in the beer can collector book he found with the collection..dated "1975".

In the end, he kept 950 cans. All re-boxed for potential sale (he may sell about 6). His best bet being the cone/flat top "filler" cans. Here's a bit of the mess.

(I know, rather boring but it did bring back a few fond memories of my beer can collection)

 

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[jeff of pa]

if he sells them on ebay, and sells
them by name and
location of the brewery,
and on the frankenmuth type of
dog on the can, he could make
a nice profit.

the cones will do best frankenmuth may shock you's
as may the Flat top Fox Head Ale

an idea of what some cans bring

red lion Current bid: US $1,425.00
and he won't sell

http://cgi.ebay.com/gorgeous-RED-LI...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item4cecf0e0f6

If that's a Kaier's

It may Catch a few Eyes
in N.E. PA

& Post any Yuenglings,
There is one I was told is worth a small Fortune
as a Cone Top. (The Flat top May still bring a profit)
I'll Know it when I see it.
Mines a Quart Cone & out back, Too cold to go Get it

maybe sell them in lots by state

 

[shaun7]

That first pic looks like my house in the morning

 

[Blacksheep]

Out of all the cans, I wrapped only the Frankenmuth cone "air free". Noting the large size of the collection and many variations it would seem somebody got to it before my buddy and grabbed a few of the nicer cans. He also told me of the extensive shelving and the majority of the cans laying on the floor...then mentions they "scooped em into bags with a shovel".

There is a lot of moisture spotting on cans that may have been 1+, still a few nice Kingsbury/Iron city etc. (side note: Had a Kingsbury plant in town, when they shut down operations and began tearing the plant down, we went in and found boxes upon boxes of unused labels, calendars, coasters, bottle caps etc. Wish I had some of that today).

The "shelf dust" is also thick on these cans but my friend has no interest in cleaning any, too bad as he may get considerably more money if cleaned. I did keep a few cans (30) that are badly rusted, might try a citrus acid bath to see if there`s anything worthwhile in the bunch.

My friend did leave me a few nicer example common cans and can banks to set on the bar (not yet built), should prove interesting to see how he does. Had a lot of fun doing this.

(shaun7, yep...been there myself in years past. )

 

[10 Bears]

I have ONE collectable beer can.
Very few scars and no dings.
No rust.
Flat top, Brown Derby "Pilsner" beer.
Date on the bottom, Jan 15 42.

Found under the first step, interior, of a demoed church.
Total of six found, I only got one.

 

[Baggins]

The way I am, I would have kept every damn one! I still have my collection that I started when I was around 8 years old...I'm 43 now!
Baggins

 

[Blacksheep]

The way I am, I would have kept every damn one! I still have my collection that I started when I was around 8 years old...I'm 43 now!
Baggins

Still have these (boxed) in my basement, gave my buddy one week to get em moved or out to the curb they go.

 

[Baggins]

Feel free to send 'em my way!
Baggins

 

[Iron Patch]

Side note... Want to see a beer can collection, there's an episode of Hoarders where the guy needed a small buidling to keep them in.

"Let’s take a look at the pats on the back I awarded myself after last night’s new episode, which featured Bob from Massachusetts, a father of at least four, whose family had been driven out of their house by bedbugs, and Dick from Columbus, a collector of over 40,000 beer cans and other sundries."

http://popwatch.ew.com/2009/12/22/hoarders-recap-dick-bob-betsy-bedbugs/