Croft Stock Ale Cone-top Beer Cans, ca. 1940
GUEST: I own a school building in Waldoboro, Maine, and we've been renovating the building, turning it into a creative compound. And as the guys were doing demo in the ceiling, they found a whole bunch of alcohol bottles and these beer cans. They almost kind of threw them all away. I'm like, "Oh, these look so cool." They're super graphic.
APPRAISER: In the world of breweriana, these are actually very important cans. This is called a cone top can.
GUEST: Mm.
APPRAISER: And it was available as both a 12-ounce and a quart size. And the cone top just specifically relates to the form in which you would drink the beverage. The cone top can was first introduced in 1935 and it was phased out by 1960. When we look at the side of the can, we can see the full company mark here. "The Croft Brewing Company, Boston, Massachusetts." The company first opened in 1934 and they were closed by 1952 when they were bought out by the Narragansett Company. They were part of that post-Prohibition boom.
GUEST: Mm.
APPRAISER: Alcohol is now legal again, so money's flowing, and people want to open breweries. And this is their stock ale. They had a cream ale, they had an all-malt red label. But for collectors today, the Stock Ale can graphically is very attractive as it hones into Art Deco design. When it comes to beer can collecting, one of the first major factors is, is it an indoor can or is it an outdoor can? Literally meaning, did you discover these beer cans in the ground covered in dirt, or did you find them inside? You clearly found them inside. The lithography is vibrant. There's minimal oxidation to the tops of them. When we look at the can closest to me, it has the biggest apology out of them all. Has a large dent with a crease. Also a scratch here with some paint loss. Otherwise, they all have little apologies. But, they're 80-year-old-plus cans. So, you would have a scratch or a nick too, along the way. To find cans in this condition is exceptionally rare.
GUEST: Mm.
APPRAISER: And with exceptional condition comes exceptional jumps in value. Conservatively, at auction, for the group of four cans, it would easily be $10,000 to $15,000 for the collection.
GUEST: Oh, wow. Amazing. Oh! That could help pay for the renovation.
APPRAISER: (laughs)
GUEST: It's amazing. Oh, wow. Too bad there wasn't one that still had beer in it. (laughs)
APPRAISER: Most recently at auction, one exceptional condition comparable to these, but had the original cap...
GUEST: Mm.
APPRAISER: ...in a quart size, brought over $18,000 at auction.
GUEST: Oh, wow. Amazing.
APPRAISER: So, surprised?
GUEST: Yeah! So crazy. I thought it was gonna be like, I don't know, like $100
$10,000 - $15,000 Auction
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Understanding Our Appraisals
Executive producer Marsha Bemko shares her tips for getting the most out of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW.
Value can change: The value of an item is dependent upon many things, including the condition of the object itself, trends in the market for that kind of object, and the location where the item will be sold. These are just some of the reasons why the answer to the question "What's it worth?" is so often "It depends."
Note the date: Take note of the date the appraisal was recorded. This information appears in the upper left corner of the page, with the label "Appraised On." Values change over time according to market forces, so the current value of the item could be higher, lower, or the same as when our expert first appraised it.
Context is key: Listen carefully. Most of our experts will give appraisal values in context. For example, you'll often hear them say what an item is worth "at auction," or "retail," or "for insurance purposes" (replacement value). Retail prices are different from wholesale prices. Often an auctioneer will talk about what she knows best: the auction market. A shop owner will usually talk about what he knows best: the retail price he'd place on the object in his shop. And though there are no hard and fast rules, an object's auction price can often be half its retail value; yet for other objects, an auction price could be higher than retail. As a rule, however, retail and insurance/replacement values are about the same.
Verbal approximations: The values given by the experts on ANTIQUES ROADSHOW are considered "verbal approximations of value." Technically, an "appraisal" is a legal document, generally for insurance purposes, written by a qualified expert and paid for by the owner of the item. An appraisal usually involves an extensive amount of research to establish authenticity, provenance, composition, method of construction, and other important attributes of a particular object.
Opinion of value: As with all appraisals, the verbal approximations of value given at ROADSHOW events are our experts' opinions formed from their knowledge of antiques and collectibles, market trends, and other factors. Although our valuations are based on research and experience, opinions can, and sometimes do, vary among experts.
Appraiser affiliations: Finally, the affiliation of the appraiser may have changed since the appraisal was recorded. To see current contact information for an appraiser in the ROADSHOW Archive, click on the link below the appraiser's picture. Our Appraiser Index also contains a complete list of active ROADSHOW appraisers and their contact details and biographies.
