It's been a hard day (at the office, shoveling snow, skydiving, whatever) and you've decided to kick back and enjoy a nice, cold beer. But don't toss that empty bottle or can - it might be collectible!

People love their beer, and everything about beer, from the bottles and cans it comes in, to coasters, playing cards, glasses, bottle caps and trays. If it's got a brewer's name or logo, it's collectible. But perhaps the most popular beer collectible is the can.

November 1933 witnessed the distribution of the first canned beer: 2,000 containers of Krueger's Special. The market test was a success, leading to the first sales in Richmond, Virginia, of Krueger's Finest and Krueger's Cream Ale on January 24, 1935, considered the official birth-date of the beer can.

It is not known how many of the original Krueger's Special cans have survived. They have become the "holy grail" of breweriana and are considered priceless. Examples of Krueger's Finest and Cream Ale are also relatively rare and easily command $5000+ in secondary markets.

Note that old steel cans tend to rust, especially along the seams, so many collectors prefer that cans be empty. If you plan on saving a particular can, even one of the newer aluminum ones, and want to empty it, open it from the bottom! This preserves the visible top portion in original condition.

Also popular with collectors are labels. Not everyone has room for more than a few bottles or cans, but a comprehensive label collection can be easily stored in a few archival-quality albums or boxes. It takes a little effort - and a probable soaking in water - to remove a label, but the result can be a visually pleasing, historically interesting, and potentially valuable addition to a collection. How valuable? While most labels sell for just a few dollars, many older and rarer specimens fall into the $50 to $100 range, and for a few, even more.

The sheer amount of breweriana available dictates that collectors specialize, and items from microbreweries have been garnering a lot of attention of late, due to the built-in rarity factor. There may be a million Bud Light containers out there, but there are relatively few Hale's Ales.

Interested in learning more about the world of breweriana? Grab a beer, kick back, relax, and check out the resources listed below.

Books

Beer Advertising Memorabilia by Herb Heydock

Brewing Battles: A History of American Beer by Amy Mittelman

Collectible Beer Trays by Gary Straub

Vintage Beer Tap Markers: Ball Knobs, 1930s-1950s by George Baley

Websites

American Breweriana Association
Publishes the American Breweriana Journal magazine.

Brewerians.com - Beer Can Research and Store
Really nice reference - lots of info and pics; easy to navigate.

Brewery Collectibles Club of America
Founded in 1970, organization sponsors a CANvention, publishes bi-monthly Beer Cans & Brewery Collectibles magazine. Fantastic site offers calendar of breweriana shows around the U.S., list of U.S. breweries, history, FAQ's, great links page, and more. Also publishes a guide to United States Beer Cans.

(European) Beer Club Collectors
List of European breweriana collector's' clubs.

National Association Breweriana Advertising (NABA)
Founded in 1972, and "dedicated to the preservation and study of American brewery advertising". Hosts annual convention. Check out the "Gallery" and "Links" pages.