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104 Show & Tell Posts Today

Collectors Weekly

Antique beer steins, mugs and tankards are prized for their craftsmanship and colorful ornamentation and scenes. They can be found in many styles and materials, including copper, pewter, silver, pottery, ivory, porcelain, glass and wood. Many steins were imported to the U.S. from Germany in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, especially from the city of Mettlach, whose potteries produced thousands of the vessels.

The beer stein had its origins in the mid-1500's along the Rhine river in Germany, when small towns began producing functional drinking vessels decorated by enameling and glazing. Each town or area adding their own flair or nuance. By the 1860s, factories around Westerwald and Dresden began producing ornamental steins for display, and continued doing so until WW1, from which the industry never fully recovered.

Lately there's been renewed interest in collecting beer steins with unique designs, including reproductions of works by famous artists. Designs reflect everything from historical battles to comical faces and even car racing and baseball. While many steins have been produced and marketed as collectibles, the most valuable continue to be pre-1900 German handmade steins.

Show & Tell

Imperial German Reservist's stein of Grenadier Silber, 110th Baden Grenadiers - Brewerianaby bluemax…
in Breweriana
4 months ago
Help please with stein identification... - Brewerianaby Mac63
in Breweriana
3 months ago
German Beer Stein - Brewerianaby beeger
in Breweriana
4 months ago
See all beer steins posts

Interviews & Articles

Beer Steins, From Stoneware to Faience

I’ve been a beer stein collector for about 25 years. About 10 years ago I sold my business, a specialty database provider. At that… [more]



Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)

Beer Stein Library

Beer Stein Library

Though partially restricted to members-only, this site has a huge amount of free, publicly available and incredibly… [read review or visit site]

Red Fox Chapter

Red Fox Chapter

The guys at the Connecticut Chapter of the Brewery Collectibles Club of America have created a full-on tribute to t… [read review or visit site]

Bottle Cap Index

Bottle Cap Index

Assembled by Gunther Rademacher with the help of several other contributors, this collection of over half a million… [read review or visit site]

British Beer Labels

British Beer Labels

This pre-1965 collection is organized alphabetically by brand and contains scans of seemingly thousands of beautif… [read review or visit site]

Plopsite.de

Plopsite.de

Norbert Lamping's collection of 600+ ceramic bottle stoppers, Hutter stoppers, swingtops, swivel stoppers, and ligh… [read review or visit site]

Bock Beer Labels

Bock Beer Labels

A quick tour of pre-Prohibition bock beer label designs with nice, high resolution scans. Do the whole slide show o… [read review or visit site]

Trappist Beers and Monks

Trappist Beers and Monks

An interesting site dedicated to Trappist beers and the history of the development of beer brewed by Trappist Bened… [read review or visit site]



Clubs & Associations

Other Great Reference Sites

Top eBay Auctions

Showing 60. See all 299 by  highest bid • most watched • completed
Exceptionaly Rare Chinese Export Silver Warrior Mug/ Tankard. Wongshing C.1850Antique 18thc Very Rare Georgian Hester Bateman Solid Silver Tankard C.1782Antique 18thc Georgian Solid Silver Lidded Tankard, J Langlands Newcastle C.1757Doll - Collectible - Wiltrud Stein "little Girl With Bear"Great German Antique Hanau Silver Stein, 270 GramsRegimental Military Beer German Stein W/ Lithophane, Pewter LidRs Prussia~unmarked~tankard Mold 632 Pink Roses Scene Mettlach Etched 1/2l Stein W/ Pussy Cat On Lid #1947 NrBudweiser Stein1778 English Sterling Silver Repousee Childs Tankard Small Handled Cup NoreservAntique Hallmarked Sterling Silver Mug/tankard 1871 - John Le Gallais - JerseyRare Huge Sterling Silver 2 1/2 Pint Capacity 18th Century Style Lidded TankardMettlach Beer Stein Tankard 2002 Dated 1896 MHandsome Heavy English Antique Solid Sterling Silver Half Pint Tankard L1945Vintage German Stein Lawntennis Theme #1226Villeroy & Boch Beer Stein Painted With A Man & A Dachshund E20thcRare Antique Solid Silver Mug Tankard Victorian 1857 By George UniteFranklin Mint Harley Davidson Tankard Stein Display With 6 Collector Steins1657 Merian Folio Map - Stein Am Rhein Rhine - Switzerland Schweiz Handcol OrigAntique Early 19th C German Hannoversch Munden Faience Horse Stein Pewter LidSilver Tankard Newcastle John Langlands John Robertson 1793-94Victorian (1898) Bright Cut Silver Grape Vine Christening Mug / Cup / TankardEarly Victorian (1859) Sterling Silver Floral Christening? Mug / Cup / Tankard Vintage Silver Tankard - Sheffield 1939 - 7oz - VinersWorld Famous Cldesdales Cb29 Blue Glass And Pewteranhueser Busch Beer Stein.5 L Mettlach Character Stein "barrel With Figural Lid" # 675Antique German Porcelain "faust" Adv. Stein Lithophane Man And WomanFenton Cranberry Opalescent Hobnail 48 Oz Tankard Jug 1940Vintage Gerz Lidded Large 4l Liter German Beer Stein / Mug 21" Tall - ExcellentBudweiser Cs587 Alcatraz Lighthouse Stein MibVintage Original 1970's Bud Man Beer SteinEarly Mettlach Advertising Covered Stein W/ Goat #1526 1908 Rare NrAn Unusual Antique " One Penny Worth Of Beer " Pewter & Brass Tankard / MeasureAnheuser Busch 2004 World Famous Clydesdales Cb29 Pewter Crystal Budweiser SteinVintage Solid Silver Tankard Hm Sheffield 1966 196 Grams Not Scrap Viners Ltd Bud Man Beer Stein - Budweiser Vintage Stein -by Ceramarte Made In Brazil Lone Star Beer Lidded Stein 10 1/2" Texas 1991 Numbered 68 Limited EditionKatherine's Collection "stein" Retired Christmas Bavarian Style Elf 25" TallAntique / Vintage Dresden Handpainted Beer Stein - Unusual Girls Head LidBudweiser Spuds Mckenzie Beer Stein W/ Coa Nib Cs445 GermanyBudweiser Champion Clydesdales Holiday Stein Vintage Ceramarte Brazil1972 Rare Jim Rumph Stone-throwing Ogre Tankard1981 Budweiser Holiday Stein Christmas Mug Snowy Woodlands Cs50 Antique Etched 1l Hr German Beer Stein, Caveliers Celebrating, Carnival, Ca 1900Budweiser 1980-1982-1983 Christmas Holiday Beer Steins Mugs Ceramarte BrazilAnheuser Busch Budweiser Waterford Crystal Beer Stein~ Etched Eagle~nib1981 Budweiser Cs50 Holiday Beer Stein Birch Tree Snowy Woodland Ceramarte MugKoblenz Koenigsbacher Beer SteinGerman Pewter Beer Stein-bayern Neuschanstein Castle-rare-heavyFour 1776 Independence Day Mug Beer Tankard Rwp Wilton Armetale W/ Mug HangerBudweiser Anheuser-busch "bud Ice Penguin" Character Stein Limited EditionOriginal Antique German Regimental Military Beer Stein, Rosters, Lithopane, 1901Diesinger Beer SteinDiesinger Beer SteinStein World 94748 Table Lamp 150-watt 3-way Ceramic Accent Lamp, BlueGerman Military Regimental Beer Stein Nude Lithophane Bottom 1907-1910 Rare!Westfalen 50 5 Millionen 10000 100 50 Mark 1923 Vom Stein Von Droste-h1981 Budweiser Stein- 2nd Holiday Cs50- Ceramarte Mug- Clydesdales Beer HorsesAntique Hallmarked Solid Sterling Silver Mug/tankard - 1905Large Old Antique Persian Armenian Turkish Iznik Pottery Tankard Middle Eastern

Recent News: Beer Steins

Source: Google News

Something's Brewing
NewHampshire.com, June 16th

Ah, there is nothing like kicking back after a long day of colonizing with a ye olde stein of a fresh-brewed ale, because hey, it's half past the sun dial somewhere, am I right? And back in the old days, when beer was as much a part of life as water...Read more

Your Father's Day Shopping Guide (HURRY!)
Houston Press (blog), June 14th

If he served in the armed forces, maybe a cool print or some vintage binoculars; if he is a cocktail lover, a set of vintage tumblers or some antique beer steins would be appropriate. If your dad is a bookworm, a first edition of his favorite book...Read more

Estabrook Biergarten celebrates first year with renovations, shorter lines
OnMilwaukee.com, June 13th

Hans Weissgerber III, who also owns the Old German Beer Hall, is managing the biergarten which is operated by ABC Estabrook, Inc. Last year, after six years of negotiations, Weissgerber signed a one-year lease with the county. It was renewed for 13...Read more

Elkhart auctioning off more elk sculptures
WNDU-TV, June 12th

Inspired by her grandfather's collection of antique German beer steins, Richmond did not simply paint the elk, but actually sculpted a scene along its entire body that can be seen as well as touched. Richmond is a dentist in her hometown of Goshen...Read more

A short jaunt to 'Antiques Capital, USA'
Lebanon Daily News, June 11th

One of the rooms in the restaurant is constructed to look like a German beer hall, with a huge, red wooden chandelier hanging from the ceiling and antique beer steins displayed on the walls. In addition to black-angus steaks and burgers, the menu also ...Read more

Antique electric irons not very popular these days
azcentral.com, June 7th

Contact is Irons Antiques, 223 Covered Bridge Road, Northampton, PA 18067; dave@ironsantiques.com, ironsantiques.com, 610-262-9335. Q: I have two sets of Schulz and Dooley beer steins issued in 1959. They are from the West End Brewing Co. of Utica, ...Read more

Clocks and dolls
The Australian, June 7th

Established by German owners, it rivals specialist shops in Germany, Austria or Switzerland. New owners Jim and Robyn Rich still import handcrafted German clocks, plus linen, beer steins, Bavarian children's clothes and a vast array of traditional...Read more

Asselmeier May Anheuser Busch Breweriana Auction 6 1 2013
News-Antique.com (press release), May 23rd

Hundreds of Old & Collectible Beer Bottles Including Old Original Paper Labels, Beer Glasses, Mugs, Etc. Collection of Breweriana Items: Old Beer Cans, Matches, Beer Bags, Advertising Tins, Bottle & Can Openers, Large Budweiser Trucks Made Out of Beer ...Read more