Anyone collect beer steins? Suggestions?

[TheHobbyist]

Anyone here collect old brewerania or beer steins or signs?

I have interest in collecting old pre-WW2, but am not finding a lot of information or resources. Some newer stuff is neat too, though.

Here are the few beer steins I have. One is Mettlach, middle one is from Germany (friend brought it back for me), and the third is signed but I can't read it.

Best,
TH

 

[swsig]

I only collect beer stains.

 

[deadin]

I don't collect but these are some I've had around for years. I never did find a decent source of information, but I never tried too hard. All I found out is that they are all early . The first three are full size and the last three are miniatures. (Check the ruler in the picture.)
I particularly like the cat in #3 and the Hansel and Gretel story on #6)

http://deadin.info/webpics/steins

 

[DeathGrip]

I have a few. Every one has a story and most are pretty old.

The tankard in the fourth photo was a gift from my FIL along with most of my favorites. I found another one on line but forgot where. Not for sale but I looked it up from the makers mark.

I never found a collector site for steins and such as helpful as the S&W forum is on all things.

Try to find the marks. Made in ? is a good clue. Off hand I can't remember but there's a difference pre and post war markings. Brain lock.

 

[Dennis The B]

Some of the more interesting ones are the regimental steins, usually from pre-The Great War. Those are not of the ceramic ilk, and usually have a translucent picture of a beautiful woman/girl in the bottom; drink the beer to the last and see the pretty girl.

Those go for big bucks, depending on the scarcity. They're decorated with the names in the regiment, battles, and the lid usually has weaponry reflecting the regiments' purposes.

There are also others which have value based on age, and the type of clay from which the stein was molded.

I have a few, mostly modern ones made in West Germany. There was a gentleman who owned a German souvenir shop in Nashville, Indiana, who was the source of most of what I know.

 

[Rpg]

All I can say is that steins sell for very little at auction or estate sales. Top dollar realized is little more than $50.00 and few sell for over $20.00

 

[steveno]

I bought a couple of bier steins in Germany but they are just what you would get as a tourist. the lids would be a real pain to drink from.

However I do have 6 of the clear glass liter mugs from Oktoberfest and 4 made of clay.

one of the things that was interesting was when you went to a gasthaus to eat you never was sure what they would serve the bier in. I have a couple of very nice bier mugs that are made from cut glass and several glasses that were gold rimmed and the owners would usually them cheap.

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

I have liked beer steins ever since I could remember. We had them as decorations in my parents home and those are now in my house in addition to the too many that I have bought. I have stopped since I am out of space, and the squawking and nagging that comes with every purchase these days. Thanks for the pictures.

 

[H Richard]

I used to collect Anheuser Bush Steins, but they were new made and I only bought a few. Steins made for collectors never get much value. They did put out a guide to steins, which included some old steins but only back to about the mid 70's. It does give the history of several manufacturers: Ceramarte, Gerz, but only related to Anheuser Bush. I have never seen any kind of collectors guide to steins in general.

 

[Absalom]

I have no special knowledge of steins, but I used to be German, so I can confirm that you got some good information here.

Probably in excess of 95% of decorative beer mugs (stein, by the way, is NOT the German word for these ) are tourist stuff that you buy in Southern Germany in the same shops where you buy postcards and other souvenir stuff; I wouldn't be surprised if by now some of them came from China. Most Germans wouldn't buy them, but especially American and Japanese tourists lay down big bucks for them. Those are for putting on your shelf as trip mementos, not for drinking. And those are the ones which Rpg is talking about above, that have no collector and little resale value.

The older historical style which Dennis described are a different story. Those are more the stuff for antiquities shops and collectors meets, and the older the better. I'm sure valuable old ones change hands at flea markets for pennies all the time because people can't pick them out of all the worthless souvenir stuff. As far as I know, their heyday was the late 19th century and the time up to WW I, but I'm really not knowledgeable about any more details.

Btw., usually the German pubs and beer gardens get the glass half-liter and liter mugs in which beer is actually served in bulk from the breweries that supply their beer; the cost of breakage and theft of those (especially in the heavy tourist areas) is already calculated into the price of a "Mass" (a liter of beer), so don't feel bad if in a drunken stupor you should walk off with one.

On a final note, all this applies to Southern Germany, especially Bavaria. In the normal Northern part of Germany where I come from, we drink beer from bottles and ordinary glasses, and the pubs expect to keep their glassware, and a decorative beer stein is just as exotic as it would be in Japan

 

[M1A]

Don't let anyone know you collect steins. Every birthday and Christmas will be stein gifts, and not usually the collectible kind.
Do it for fun, use them, and don't plan on becoming rich with them.

 

[vrichard]

Brought back from Germany 1957 by my sister(Army Nurse)I bought it
from her 1958.on the lid Paul Rihnhuff 1891on the arm that holds the lid
stamped 90%,other side stamped S,glass marked .03 L
Dick

 

[DeathGrip]

On a final note, all this applies to Southern Germany, especially Bavaria. In the normal Northern part of Germany where I come from, we drink beer from bottles and ordinary glasses, and the pubs expect to keep their glassware, and a decorative beer stein is just as exotic as it would be in Japan

Normal?

I wish my wife was here to see that. Too funny watching her and North Germans argue about things and how to do it.

I'm just an American so I always thought it was funny. Kinda like NY vs Chicago pizza.

 

[chief38]

I don't collect them but I do have a few in the house. More importantly, I can help you FILL - 'EM!

 

[Stevens]

I have no special knowledge of steins, but I used to be German, so I can confirm that you got some good information here.

Probably in excess of 95% of decorative beer mugs (stein, by the way, is NOT the German word for these )Quote

It would be interesting to know then what the German word is for those "beer mugs" is. I have always though it was "Stein".

Thanks! Steve W.

 

[Absalom]

I have no special knowledge of steins, but I used to be German, so I can confirm that you got some good information here.

Probably in excess of 95% of decorative beer mugs (stein, by the way, is NOT the German word for these )Quote

It would be interesting to know then what the German word is for those "beer mugs" is. I have always though it was "Stein".

Thanks! Steve W.

The German word is "Bierkrug" or "Bierseidel", in the South also "Masskrug" if it's liter-sized, since a "Mass" is a liter of beer. It's usually spelled not with double-s, but with the sharp-s letter that looks like a capital B and doesn't exist in English, nor on my keyboard. The English word stein originated from the German "Steinkrug", which is a generic stoneware jug or mug (Stein literally means stone or rock).

 

[nachogrande]

VALUE???

My matched set brought over from my Grandfathers great uncle pre 1900, a set of 7 from 2 liter to 1/4 liter? were appraised app 5 years ago for less than the 300$ I paid his estate for them in the 80's. MAYBE they are worth more to the right person in a more affluent area. The appraiser said things like that/china/ silver flatware, the bottom fell out of the market. "If they can't go in a dishwasher, few people want them". The blue & tan colors as well as the sculpting & hunting scenes/guns are first rate. I really gotta learn to post pics, someday.

 

[BigBoy99]

Sold my collection of WWI Regimental Beer Steins about 6 months ago. They were hand painted porcelain with the litho-pane in the bottom and cast pewter tops with soldier figurines. They were all original and had been collected about 50-60 years ago. The average selling price was $450 each.

 

[Absalom]

My matched set brought over from my Grandfathers great uncle pre 1900, a set of 7 from 2 liter to 1/4 liter? were appraised app 5 years ago for less than the 300$ I paid his estate for them in the 80's. MAYBE they are worth more to the right person in a more affluent area....

I think you're right and it depends on a lot of individual factors like the provable provenance, the knowledge and specific collecting interest of the collector etc. I would imagine there are collector forums for this stuff by now too.

And the appeal is highly individual. One guy may see them as charming, the next guy as cheesy. Just like for example Hummel figurines. I think they're ridiculously kitschy. But I knew a lady who paid big bucks to add to her collection. I learned you shouldn't even joke about how much fun it could be to knock these off a fence post with a .22 ....

 

[misswired]

The HB is clay from Germany
The Heineken is from Holland
Both are handmade
I don't know anthing about either