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collecting memories one beer at a time
WRITTEN BY Jessica M. Broughton
MARK SWARTZ WAS 9 YEARS OLD when he started collecting beer cans that he and his friends found by the side of road.
He collected sporadically through the years, but a simple event at age 12 turned his hobby into something more. He was at a restaurant with his family, and the young Swartz was enticed by the beautifully decorated beer cans the waiter presented. His dad, intrigued by his interest in the beer cans, bought him one of each, and Swartz’s path was set to become the serious collector that he is today. Swartz chuckled at the memory. “That wouldn’t have happened nowadays. I mean, parents buying their kids beer, even if it was only for the can?” Swartz then discovered that there were other people who were just as passionate about collecting beer memorabilia as he was. He learned that there were swap meets, trading via mail, and tradeshows held for vendors and collectors alike of all things
world who are also in pursuit of the perfect
stacks in his basement. Half of the
beer related. These connections would allow
beer can.
collection is on display, but due to limited
Swartz to explore the world of
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His passion and wish list grew, and now
space, the other half is in storage. His steel
beer can collecting, and to meet fellow
his collection of more than 17,000 beer
cans are maintained by waxing them with
collectors and enthusiasts from around the
cans is proudly displayed on library-like
car wax, and ideally cans are stored in a
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move from putting beer in bottles to cans
them in their best condition. The beer cans
without having to upgrade their equipment.
on display are empty as the cans are
Cone-top cans were first put on the market
punctured at the bottom to drain out the
in September of 1935 and were popular
liquid while doing minimal damage to the
until around 1960, when many of the
cans. The collector gets the added bonus of
smaller brewers who made the cone-top
being able to enjoy a tasty brew.
cans were sold to or put out of business by
There are four different types of beer cans, and most hobbyists pick one of these
the larger brewers. Pull tabs, also known as tab-top cans,
types of cans to build their collection. Flat-
were invented in 1963 by the Pittsburgh
top cans were, like the name implies, made
Brewing Company with the launch of Iron
with a flat top and needed a “church key”
City Beer. The pull tab meant all that was
to open (similar to what’s needed to open a
needed to open a beer was to hook the tab
can of condensed milk). These cans hit the
through your finger and pull. These were
market in January of 1935, when
used up through the mid-1970s, when stay
Krueger’s Finest Beer made its debut in
tabs revolutionized the beverage industry.
Richmond, Va.
Unlike pull tabs, which were discarded, stay
Cone-top cans were created as a practical approach for smaller brewers to
) ) ) beer can collector
climate-controlled environment to keep
tabs stayed with the can once it was opened and could be discarded as one piece.
Pictured on the previous page with some of his favorites, Mark Swartz’s collection of more than 17,000 beer cans is specific to brews made in the United States.
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Swartz’s collection is specific to brews
overseas,” said Swartz. He said that these
perfect or near perfect condition. As a member of the Brewery
made in the United States, and he only
cans were harder to come by than most,
collects tab-top cans. He also collects
so the best bet for collecting them is to
Collectibles Club of America (BCCA –
cans that are exported from the United
look online for buyers and sellers in other
www.bcca.com), Swartz has seen the rise
States to other countries to sell or for the
countries.
and fall of the popularity of beer can
military. For example, Swartz has a tab-
The oldest can in his collection is from
collecting. “Beer can collecting was at its
top can of Miller from Russia, and quite a
1960, and was made by Joyce. Beer cans
most popular between 1975 and 1982,
few cans that were made for the Japanese
are graded on a scale of one to five, with
when the BCCA had about 40,000
market.
a rating of five being barely recognizable
members,” he said.
as a beer can, and a can rated as a one is
It became difficult to keep the interest
hold of those cans is to either know
in pristine condition. Swartz only collects
of adolescents, who were once the largest
someone at the brewery who makes them
cans that are graded a one or better, and
collectors of beer memorabilia, for a
or to contact someone who is stationed
all of the cans in this collection are in
number of reasons. Every brewery made
“The best way for a collector to get a
its own collectible cans for the bicentennial year, and the prices of the cans began to rise. Baseball cards also became the latest fad, and because of age restrictions, many adolescents were not interested in collecting beer cans when they were too young to drink. But, popularity is returning to beer can collecting and is expanding to include other beer-related items, like coasters, labels, pint glasses from microbreweries, and advertisements. Swartz is also the secretary of the Keystone Chapter of the Brewery Collectibles Club of America. The Keystone Chapter hosts an annual event called the Spring Thaw, which brings regional and national vendors and collectors to Central Pennsylvania. The event runs March 26-28, 2009, at the Holiday Inn in New Cumberland from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. March 28 of the three-day event is the day that is open to the public. The Spring Thaw will feature more than 150 vendors of every type of beer collectibles, including cans, posters, bottle caps, and bottles. Visit www.cansmartbeercans.com for more information. ) ) )
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