My father-in-law is very curiosity about beer art. Breweriana is the special name for beer related artifacts. I’ve been watching for special pieces to add to his collection at art auctions I’ve been attending.

The first breweriana piece that I acquired for my partner’s father was a 1940s Lone Star Beer sign. He was so happy with this find at the art auction that he asked me to keep finding him fascinating pieces of beer history. I think that finding breweriana at art auctions is unquestionably a piece of writing on today’s society.

I discovered another really old piece of breweriana at the very next art auction I attended. It was another sign and it was from the 1930s for Ziegler Beer. I was at an art auction in Wisconsin and had to ship that sign to my father-in-law by freight.

My hunt for breweriana has taken me to some art auctions that I would not have ordinarily attended and I’ve met people that I don’t ordinarily meet. I got into a bidding war with a Cajun man over a Jax Beer sign from the 1930s. The auctioneer stated that it was a piece of New Orleans history.

The Cajun outbid me at every opportunity. I had a restriction that had been set by my father-in-law and we were closing in on it when he finally stopped bidding. I won that piece of breweriana at the art auction for eight hundred dollars.

The porcelain breweriana signs are turning up at art auctions all around the nation. I found another one from the 1930s for Supreme Beer that was double sided and oval. I was really pleased when I was in a position to present that one to my partner’s father.

The tin breweriana signs are in reality not coming out as often at art auctions. I felt fortunate when I discovered one from the 1930s for Washington Beer. The ceramic breweriana signs are much more commonplace.

After my initial few purchases of breweriana for my father-in-law he decided that his taste really did extend to items from the 1930s and 1940s. I’ve tried to keep this in mind when I find new acquisitions.

I usually stay far from neon or illuminating breweriana. I just don’t think it fits in with the feeling of my father-in-law’s collection. The antique feel of everything is nice. He has taken up beer making as an interest since his wife died, so it’s not a far leap to beer art collecting.

The Goetz Country Club Beer sign that I won at an art auction in Indiana was a little more chipped than the other pieces I’ve gotten. I was serious about winning this sign because Goetz was my father-in-law’s mother’s maiden name. He was so pleased with this old piece of breweriana as a consequence of the name on it that it instantly turned into the centerpiece of his collection.

I found two pieces of cardboard breweriana at an art auction in Ohio. I decided that they were going to sell so inexpensively that I could buy them and frame them for the collection. I’m glad I went to that art auction.

I won a sign for Velvet Beer and another one for Stratford Beer. They both were from the 1930s and they were more colorful than tin breweriana signs that I’d purchased at other art auctions. The framer that I used framed both pieces for fifty dollars.

The art auction that I attended in Rochester, New York presented to be really fruitful for my father-in-law’s breweriana collection. There was a Standard Dry Ale reverse painted glass enroll at auction. The sign had hung in a bar until the 1960s when the bar closed down.

The most current piece of breweriana that I purchased at an art auction was a unique prohibition era Miller High Life Brew sign. The red and black sign looked great on the wall with the other signs in the collection. My in-law plans to build an outdated bar in his home, at least the decorating is complete!

Keith has been writing articles online for nearly 4 years now. Not only does this author specialize in antiques you can also check out his latest video on Antiques In New York. Information is not hard to find for New York Antique Dealers if you look hard enough. Keith’s video has lots of information on New York Antiques and is available for any questions you may have. You can find us at

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