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.
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

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

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

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

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

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

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
- Stein Collectors International
- Red Fox Chapter
- American Breweriana Association
- Brewery Collectibles Club of America
- National Association Breweriana Advertising
Other Great Reference Sites
Top eBay Auctions
Recent News: Beer Steins
Source: Google News
Something's Brewing
NewHampshire.com, June 16thAh, 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 14thIf 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 13thHans 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 12thInspired 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 11thOne 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 7thContact 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 7thEstablished 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 23rdHundreds 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
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