Beer cans sold here, with valuations
Collectible beer cans have been one of the most popular items sold on the pages of beerclassfieds.com over the years. We often get requests for valuations of various products but it can be difficult to do so; the real test is the open market. To offer some help, here's a look at some beer cans that have been sold and a look at some factors that made them valuable.
These two Cardinal beer cans sold for $187 in March, 2011. The cans were empty (as is almost always the case) but the cans featured no holes, no dents, no rust and no fade thus improving their value immensely. Cardinal was a product of the E & B Brewing Company of Detroit, no longer in operation, bought out by Pfeiffer in 1962. These lovely beer cans were produced in the 1950's.
This sold under the listing name "Rare Soul Stout ML 16oz USBCv2 167/28." Some things that make this can valuable, then, are the rarity of the brand name and the condition of the can which is excellent as you can see. The seller also notes that it is one of the most sought after beer cans in history. The can was opened and empty but it was in "bright, shiny" condition and sold for more than $300 USD.
This Busch early style ring top was one of the three or four most expensive cans ever sold in listing through BeerClassifieds.com. The actual can sold was a test can so it was a unique part of brewing history. In addition, it was in superb condition, and as you can see it was unopened (which is truly rare). It was sold early in March 2011 for more than $450.
This Old Dutch cone top sold for over $600 USD in May of 2011. It was a 12 ounce low profile early cone top, all original, brewed by the Aztec Brewing Company of San Diego, California. It was in excellent condition, as you can tell, with only minimal spotting of the paint.
This is one of many conetop cans we've been able to move. Check out some other conetop beer cans (including some we've sold)
Some other cans sold here:
Some other cans we have sold but have less information about dates and the actual value of the sale are as follows.
This Pabst blue ribbon flat top was obviously in very good condition and sold for at least $150. These cans are not terribly rare. You can also find these for much less although they will likely be in much poorer condition.
That's typical of all collectible beer cans, though, and it is quite shocking how much of a difference the condition of the can makes in terms of its final market value. We have seen the exact same can sold for as low as $6 and as high as $600, relative to its preservation.
These Old Milwaukee beer half quarts are long out-dated of course and were in very good condition as is obvious. They sold for well over $100 late in 2010.
There's something to be said for traveling in a group, though. Larger collections, on the other hand, might in fact be more difficult to move. Anything in lots of three to ten are an ideal way to move collections. Anything larger, though, and you are likely to lose value.
Find great deals on collectible beer cans
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