Beer cans are arguably the most collectible of beer related antiques and one of the neatest areas of beer antiques. I say 'neat' because beer cans have a very clear, well-defined history. The creation of what are now vintage beer cans is well understood, as opposed to the history of beer steins or even beer bottles each of which is somewhat murkier.
Canned beverages date back to about 1935, when beer canning was first done in mass production by The American Can Company under the first label to can beers, Krueger's Finest Beer; any beer cans from this earliest era are certainly vintage. The earliest cans were cone tops, using the same lid sealing as was used in bottling and still seen today, the crown cap. Thus it can be said that the original vintage cone top beer cans, highly collectible, were really little more than bottles made of tin.
Cone top cans were produced into the 1950's and they came in three different varieties: high profile, low profile, and j-spout.
(continued below product links)
Find vintage beer cans now!
Search our online store to find collectible and vintage beer cans from America's and the world's brewing past. Find unbelievable collectibles at great prices from the world`s best sellers!
 |  Imported cans from Canada, Europe & elsewhere in the world. |  Classic collectible cans from an era long gone. Find many in great condition! |
(beer canning history continued)
Flat top beer cans came out later. These did not have tabs (not invented yet) You can see as fine an example of this as any in the Kegliner ad right. These were cans you needed to punch a hole in much the same as you do with (for example) Carnation milk today.
From these earliest days there has been an ongoing packaging war between the bottling industry and the canning industry. That war has been fought over which is more convenient (with flagrant disregard for the environment) and over which is better for the environment.
Today, the standard opening is the stay-on tab which pops the opening downward and remains attached to the beer can. These were patented as early as 1975 but were not in high rotation until the 1990's.
Vintage beer can openings and tabs
Tabs have taken two prominent forms in the history of beer cans. The pull tab was popular in the late 1960's through the early 1980's although some companies still use these today.
These were first patented by a Canadian in 1958 but the tabs became more popular with the advent of the ring pull, featuring the addition of an integrated pull ring. The first company to mass produce ring pull beer cans (again, a very vintage collectible beer can today) was Iron City Beer in Pittsburgh.
The invention was licensed by Alcoa, who rightly bragged about it in their industry marketing. Ring pull tabs are also used in canning many other products including tennis balls.
Today, the standard opening is the stay-on tab which pops the opening downward and remains attached to the beer can. These were invented and patented as early as 1975 but were not in high rotation until the 1990's.
Valuation of vintage beer cans
We get asked from time to time about the valuation of beer cans and we almost always recommend that you test the market on eBay to really learn the value of your old beer can if you think it is collectible or vintage. To offer a little help, let's note that there are a number of factors that contribute to the valuation. These include:
the rarity of the brand: Some unique or rare brands are very collectible, for example Billy Beer (named after Billy Carter) or Soul beer. There are many others.
the rarity of materials or processing. Cone top cans increase in value all the time, of course. Flat top cans are also very collectible. If the can is in a size that is no longer popular this is another factor that can lend value. If a beer can has its own history, such as a manufacturer's test can, this makes it very collectible and valuable.
the condition of the beer can. If the can has corrosion, dents, discoloration or any other damage these reduce the value but if the can is truly vintage it will still be expensive. Obviously, the better the condition the more valuable the beer can. Unopened cans have a still higher value but many opened cans sell for a very high price.
In the end, it is the actual can that determines its own valuation. To give you a better idea, elsewhere on our site we take a look at real cans sold on the market and some reasons for their end sale valuations.
