Andy Dunn is seen the world through his beer can collection over the past 50 years
I met Andy Dunn a few years ago, and we both enjoy telling stories over a good beer! He is a man who has experienced many things over his life, including a passion for collecting beer cans. Oh, and not your typical 12 oz ones, but gallon and 5-liter cans from around the globe. It is a collection built over the past 50 years and so many stories that I had to capture them!
A wall of larger cans from England, Russia, and other European countries.
Andy invited me to see the collection on a fine fall Saturday morning. I was utterly amazed as we turned the corner in his house to see all the cans! I asked Andy how he got started collecting beer cans. He told me it was in the 1970s and was something his neighbors were into, and seeing the ones everyone had found was fun.
The amazing thing to consider is beer has only been put into cans since 1935 in the United States. Gottfried Krueger Brewing Company in New Jersey first put their Cream Ale and Finest Beer in cans to be sold. For less than 100 years, cans have been a way to distribute beer.
With every collector, there are themes to parts of your collection. Andy told me about several of his including animals, countries, women, and cans that were controversial for their time. I asked Andy how he could find so many unique cans from around the globe. He told me that they came from trade shows he went to. The two leading organizations Andy has been involved with are the Brewery Collectibles Club of America (BCCA) and the American Breweriana Association (ABA). He reminisced about a BCCA event in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where there were 1,200+ people. At that show, there were up to 800 tables where people had items for sale or trade.
Each show was an opportunity to meet more people and have more connections. Andy is a people person, so I can see how his network would be able to grow by meeting new people at each of the events. The one name that sticks out is his acquaintance of Claude Turkey Landinosa. Claude is a top collector in the United States. The connections Andy would make would help him continue to develop his collection of about 500 larger beer cans and more than 500 smaller-sized cans.
A treasure found in a small grocery store.
I was curious to find the most unexpected place where Andy found a can for his collection. He said, “It was a small grocery store by Yellowstone Park. Finding the Arnold Bavarian Pilsner in a cone top can was not expected.”
We continued to discuss how cans changed over the years from the metal used and the seams of the cans. The fascinating thing was cans started as flat pull tops, then went to cone-shaped cans, and then back to flat pull tops.
Andy showed me cans that still had the tabs in place on top. He then turned the cans over to explain how they were opened with a can opener, creating that small triangular opening in the bottom to pour the beer. He said that the cans with the tabs still in place were more valuable than the ones that didn’t have their tabs.
So much to learn when you are a collector. I would never have known what makes a can more valuable than another other than the limited number of cans produced and available.
Andy admires local breweries from the past in Omaha, such as Storz and Falstaff. He told me stories about Storz, from the original brewery to the short revival on the riverfront. The Storz-ette pictured above was created in 1953 for women. The eight oz beer cans came in the Princess 4-pack. The packaging was creative for the time, but the beer didn’t live up to expectations. The cans were quickly disposed of and now are rare.
Andy is a connoisseur of women's beer cans! The cans are on display, sitting atop his larger cans. Seeing the Penny beer cans reminds me of magazine advertisements for other products from the 1960s. The other story that stands out is about the purple can that came from Denmark. This is one of the most controversial cans of its time and was not allowed to be sold in the United States. What was considered art in Europe was a bit too much for some Americans. Today, it is impressive to see all of the creative art that exists for beer labels! The evolution continues to grow with more craft beer breweries today.
Yes, it happens to men as we get older. We still channel that teenager in us, which comes out in acquiring items that make us laugh!
I can completely understand why Andy couldn’t pass up these fun, unique items that aren’t necessarily the main part of his collection. This includes tap handles like a canoe, a monkey holding a Storz can, and the most cherished Bad Frog can and tap handle of a frog, giving you the single-finger solute!
There are so many stories that I could continue writing for days! The last can, the Cardinal, is amazing how it looks this good for being a paper label and close to 50 years old! You would think that moisture and light would wreak havoc on the label. I would be nervous to handle this can because, with my luck, I would end up ripping the label.
For those reading the story who know Andy, you will have to have him tell you more about his collection. I know he has many fond memories he would love to share with you.
Cheers!