Collecting Beer Stein's Articles | Beer

By: J. Morgan

Collecting beer steins is a hobby that has been around for many years. You will find a large number of different beer steins available, ranging from the original designs that were used in the “pubs of old” to the more modern designs being made today. This makes it possible for you to collect a wide selection of beer steins the come in a variety of prices. Some are very affordable, while others are extremely expensive. While beer steins are no longer used for drinking beer, they are one of the most popular collection items around.

The artwork that you will find on steins will simply amaze you with their detail. You can find steins with celebrities like Elvis Presley to ones honoring the Olympics. They also have baseball and football players along with designs featuring animals such as birds, deer, elk, and so forth. A lot of time and effort are put into the making of these steins and they are a wonderful collectable item.

Beer steins are made from silver, pewter, wood, earthenware, stoneware, glass, and porcelain. A modern stein can be distinguished by its hinged lid. The first lid was designed in the 1400s as a way to keep the beer clean when central Europe was invaded with swarms of flies. Laws were passed that required all food and beverages be covered, and the lid was invented. Later, it was discovered that the lids on steins was a great way to prevent the beer from being spilled while engaging in song and dance.

Steps for Beer Stein Collecting

When you are ready to start your beer stein collection, the steps listed here will help you get started and have more success finding what you are searching for.

1. Do your research so you can learn about the different beer steins available. This way you will know which ones you’ll want to start collecting first.

2. Learn how to distinguish originals from copies.

3. Learn how to detect when a stein has been damaged and repaired.

4. Be well-informed before buying at auctions because many times, the auctioneer will know very little about the stein up for sale.

5. Look for steins at estate sales and yard sales. Oftentimes, the people selling them do not realize what they have and you can score some really great deals.

6. When ordering from companies, you need to make sure you use a reliable company you can trust and that offers a letter of authenticity with the beer stein.

Following these steps will help to make sure you receive the product you expect and do not end up with a cheap imitation. Always remember that sometimes, antique stores and other places that sell beer steins do not really know that much about them. If you just take their word for what it is you may not really be getting what you think you are.

That is why it is so important that you take some time and study up on the different types of beer steins available and learn as much as you can about them before you start your collection. Then, you will know for sure if you are paying a fair price as well as exactly what type of collection you have.

How Collecting Beer Steins Began

It is believed that steins were first viewed as collector items during the mid-1800s because this is when museums started displaying them and private collectors began searching for them. Anyone purchasing a Renaissance stein during this period paid a very high price for it.

Beer stein collectibles make great gifts, especially for the person that already seems to have everything. If you have a baseball or football fan on your gift list, consider this design of steins as a gift. Someone that loves animals would enjoy the nature collection, for example. There is something for every collector out there. You even have the option of having a picture of your choice put on a beer stein as a special gift for someone.

Once you have a beer stein collection started, it is important that you take measures to protect your collection. You may have a very nice collection that is worth a lot of money and you don’t want anything to happen to it.