Cone Top Beer Can Sample

Anyone into beer can collecting has probably heard the term cone top, but perhaps you are new to collecting and not sure what that means. Below are a few cone top beer can samples and some brief explanations.

These cans have a pointed top, or spout-like appearance and were capped like a soda bottle would be. A can opener (or bottle opener) were needed to pop the top and drink the beverage. They were introduced around 1935. There are four kinds of cone top cans. The tops or "cones" of the can is what make the biggest differences. Read more about the history of cone tops and the manufacturing contribution these cans had in beer can development.

The low profile cone top can was the first of this style. They had a flat bottom and you could see the shape of cone's bent steel, or the ribs, pointing outwards. A few years later the bottom was modified to be concave.
 

1930's Rainer "Low Profile" cone top beer can

 The J-Spout was right behind the low profile can in production. It was first manufactured in 1937. This design looked more like the traditional glass beer bottle necks and a few dozen brewing companies used this type of conetop. 

Dawson's Pale Ale J-Spout

By the time 1938 came around the American Can Co started manufacturing another type of cone top, the high profile can. This was a huge success. After the war, (World War II), this type of can became even more popular. It was to become the most widely used design.

Canadian Ale Brand Beer "High Profile" cone top

The last innovation in style for the cone top was the Crowntainer, designed and manufactured by a company known as Crown Cork & Seal. The company produced cans for nearly 100 different beer companies. CC&S was the only can company making this style. White and Silver color was very common, no matter what the beer brand. These cans were used up until about the middle 1950's.

London Bobby Ale Crowntainer Cone Top

Collectible Vintage Beer Openers

We've all seen the old steel churchkey can openers that were popularized by the beer companies during the flat top era. These vintage openers were given away with the purchase of beer, often with the brand stamped onto the steel handle.

 These Schlitz church key beer openers are an example of the many brands in this style that can be purchased cheap and often in lots.

Those old church key openers are fun to collect. They can easily be found in lots, many times with several different brands included. They are inexpensive and relatively easy to find and they look great amongst your cans or game room bar!

I personally prefer the fancier ones. Often these were reserved for taverns and bar owners. Sometimes they were used as gifts or for special event give aways.

It is amazing how many different shapes and sizes can be found with what seems an endless list of beer brands or brewery names on them. Some are quite detailed and the engraving can be beautiful. The cast iron molded ones will last forever and many of those can be found in great condition.

Vintage Old German Beer Opener

When manufacturing techniques of the 1950's and 60's started to become more efficient and cheaper, some really interesting innovations in these beer openers became very popular. The "sliders" which were housed in a handle much like a knife blade were quite popular as were the miniature beer cans with the opener on top or as a slider. 

A fantastic find! Vintage Iroquois Indian Head Beer Bottle Opener.

 Today these collectible vintage beer openers are highly sought after by both collectors and hobbyists alike. They can turn up quite often at flea markets, garage sales and estate sales. They are small, easy to display and eye catching, making this hobby quite addicting to many who start!

Beer Can Dumping

You've heard of dumpster diving but how about beer can dumping or just dumping? It seems there are a lot of beer can collectors getting into this and if you like the outdoors and walking in the woods, this could be for you!

Most homes, camps or neighborhoods had small dumping areas instead of garbage pickup, particularly in the rural areas. Garbage such as old food, coffee grinds, fruit skins and such were often used in compost piles. Wood and paper was burned and plastic was hardly known. Cans and glass were buried.

If there was a beer drinker in the area, chances are there were plenty of old flat top and cone top cans deposited into that dump! Now you would think the cans would be disintegrated by now but often they are not and the paint on the outside was very durable.

Though the cans look horrible when found, often they can be cleaned in a special cleaning procedure with citrus acid that brings them back to life in a way most of us would never think possible!

These before and after cleaning of dump cans is amazing to me!

This has become a fun hobby for many can collectors and even profitable for a few as many of these cans will be brought back to display condition. While it is unlikely that a dump can will clean up to grade A quality, or even close to it, the older cans are amazingly nice looking and make great additions to many collectors displays. Where else are you going to find cans that old that are affordable?

I love the idea. If I were younger I'd be hitting the woods and doing this. I remember as a teen sifting through dumps and finding all kinds of cone top cans, particularly Duke cans, and just discarding them! That was almost 40 years ago. I wonder if those cans are still there and if they'd clean up!

Finding old Beer Collectibles & Memorabilia

While old beer cans are probably the most sought after pieces in this collectors niche, there are many other related items that people seek.

Old can openers with beer brand names stamped on them, ashtrays, serving trays, pens, tap handle and knobs, advertisement signs, clocks, menu boards, calendars, shirts, hats, toys and Zippo lighters are just some of the many brew-mania items people collect.

Finding this memorabilia is not difficult, but often finding it in good condition or locating specific pieces can be challenging! If you are rather new to can collecting, you'll find cans at almost any flea market across the nation. The chances of finding any of real value is slim, but if you are just starting a collection or going to be at the flea market anyways, it's well worth it to check out those boxes of old beer cans!

Yard & Garage sales often have boxes or "lots" of old beer cans for sale

Along the same line are garage sales, yard sales and estate sales or auctions. Often at these places you can find neon signs, beer clocks or wooden crates in excellent condition, especially at the estate sales. I like to stay away from the auctions and stick to sales where you can just walk in, look around and buy. Auctions generally take too long for all you are going to get a chance to bid on. However, if you really know what you want and the piece is very hard to find and being offered, then by all means go for it!

These beer signs & other memorabilia were found in the basement of an estate sale.

Be sure to check out everything real good at these sales. Search every room. Often in the kitchen you can find old beer openers, church-keys, serving trays or ashtrays mixed amongst the everyday household bowls and silverware! And don't forget the basement or garage if there's stuff down there. This is generally where the men hang out and did their drinking!

If you are an outdoors-man and in the woods often, don't neglect to check out any old abandoned out buildings, garages, houses and cars. Many a cone top or flat top beer can has been found hiding in these places in very good condition as they were concealed from the elements of weathering.

Abandoned farms can yield some nice vintage beer cans!

Search the trunk of old cars and under the seats. In the building, look in odd places like behind and around the furnace, fireplace or work areas in basements. Check any ledges above doorways, I-beams or cubby holes. Guys would often stash a can somewhere like this and forget about it.

Abandoned junk cars can be hiding some great cone tops or flat tops, often in fantastic condition!

Online auctions as well as online stores are another great way to find exactly what you are looking for. There are several web stores exclusively devoted to collectible beer cans and beer memorabilia. Most of these are rather expensive as they tend to supply either very rare brands or memorabilia that is in excellent high grade condition. A great way to enhance your collection or display if you are past the "starting out" point.


However, the online auctions can yield some pretty nice collectibles and the fact you can search is terrific for finding exactly what you are looking for. You'll have more variety to choose from and because of the bidding you could end up with an incredible bargain!

Often these auction sites have many listings for "lots" of cans, a great way to get a jump-start on a beer can collection if you are just starting out. You'll also find all the other beer collectibles like toys, trays, pens, lighters etc in one place and if you win the auction, it is delivered right to your mailbox!