Treasure hunting in beer country
Author: Erik Verdonck / Published: 2016-01-18 09:43:52 +0100 / Last Updated: almost 3 years ago
Beer mat anyone?© BeerTourism.com
HOEGAARDEN - Saturday morning. I am entering the car park of sports hall De Struysvogel in Hoegaarden. There are plenty of cars already and between them, blankets are spread out,
Vintage advertising
© BeerTourism.com
covered in a wide array of beer glasses, a rusty enamel sign, a handful of bottle caps and a display of beer mugs.
Taking a glimpse through an open car door, I spot a collection of vintage enamel signs on the back seat.
Collectors are busy negotiating a swap but the real work here is done inside the sports hall.
I am wading into a sea of beer mats, bottles, posters, bottle caps and promotional materials from times gone by.
Collectors are browsing stationery from breweries that have long since disappeared.
Some collectors cast their net far and wide whereas others are on the hunt for specific items: beer glasses, beer mats, labels or bottle caps, often narrowed down by region or brewery.
The breweries themselves are not involved in any of the ‘trading’ that is going on. On the contrary, the brewers used to dump all of their ‘old rubbish’ whereas nowadays, these vintage brewery items are often hard to track down and can be worth quite a bit.
Just look up some items on eBay or Catawiki.
Glasses galore...
© BeerTourism.com
Vintage Glasses
For over 20 years, Patrick Kempeneers has been collecting vintage beer glasses. He specialises in pre-war, acid-treated glasses.
250 € Moortgat glass anyone?
© BeerTourism.com
“The oldest glasses in my collection are from the defunct breweries of De Ridder from Deurne near Antwerp and Chevalier Marin in Mechelen."
"They go back all the way to the end of the 19th century,” Patrick tells us.
“In those days, beer glasses were just like wine glasses.” For him, the collection bug started with Brouwerij Hoegaarden.
Just like most genuine collectors, Patrick will swap items from his collection if he has more than one, so he can add to his collection on a regular basis.
Nevertheless, plenty of money is changing hands in the beer collectors’ universe. A pre-war Moortgat beer glass turns out to be worth 250 euros.
The prized pieces in Patrick’s glass collection are displayed at home in a secure, glass-fronted cabinet. The remaining drinking vessels are safely stored in boxes.
Worth their Weight in Gold
The world of collecting is a small one. Belgian collectors are on first-name terms with those from abroad and they know exactly who is looking for what. Ludwig Decaluwé has been part
"Holy" collector's items
© BeerTourism.com
of this world for a quarter of a century.
“My daughter started collecting beer mats,” he says with a smile. “The collecting bug took hold of me soon after. Ever since, my aim has been to collect at least one single item from every Belgian brewery; from paperwork, to a beer mat or a glass...
The entire collection is properly filed by brewery name and by the name of the town or community. Place of origin is important too, quite often you come across a brewery with the same name but originating from a different area.”
So, what spurs on the collector? “I am not doing it for the money,” is Ludwig’s response. “I have quite a few labels that don’t have any value. My primary interest is the history of the breweries. And I like to meet other collectors and swap items.”
An authentic, vintage enamel advertising sign could fetch anything from a few hundred to up to a few thousand euros. Prices for vintage enamel advertising signs are going through the roof as they are coveted by café and restaurant owners as well as private collectors.
The sky is the limit... a brewer recently told me that the original leaded windows from his brewery were offered for sale for no less than … €30,000 euros.
Ludwig Decaluwé
© BeerTourism.com
The Collecting Bug
The Hoegaarden collectors’ and exchange fair is one of the largest in Belgium and is held every year during the first weekend in November. It was set up by the Gambrinus collectors’ society.
Vintage beer mats
© BeerTourism.com
Gambrinus was founded in 1978 and held its first fair in the city of Leuven.
The organisation acquired official status in 1986. Gambrinus is now organising four fairs a year with the emphasis on swapping collectable items.
The club magazine features the latest news on labels, bottle caps, beer glasses and beer mats and provides the reader with information about new breweries.
The Gambrinus association numbers some 600, including some from abroad. The association is in regular contact with similar clubs outside Belgium. The collecting bug knows no borders.
Recent Blog Posts
Best of Belgium Beer & Bites pops up at Brussels AirportBRUSSELS/ZAVENTEM - This year Brussels Airport is 60 years young! The airport is planning to mark this milestone by showcasing the very best of Belgian produce, which would not be complete without ... [ read more ]
Trappist beer meets whisky, Chimay Grande Réserve Fermentée en Barriques 2018At the BeerLovers’ Café just behind Liège’s City Hall we get together to taste the limited edition Chimay Grande Réserve Fermentée en Barriques 2018, a Trappist beer aged in whisky barrels. ... [ read more ]
Palm and Rodenbach - now under the banner of Swinkels Family BrewersLIESHOUT/STEENHUFFEL - Since 2016 the Palm, De Hoorn and Rodenbach breweries have been owned by Bavaria, a Dutch-based brewer. Two years after the takeover, Bavaria has been re-named Swinkels Family ... [ read more ]
The Brewers Of Europe Forum 2018BRUSSELS - To be authentic is not a competition and neither is it a fashionable attitude. You either are an authentic brewer or you are not. You are driven, you make great beers that have a soul, you ... [ read more ]
Zythos 2018. Watch out… there’s some heritage about!LEUVEN - 12,500 fans made their way to Leuven for what was already the 15th edition of the Zythos beer festival. Many fans travelled a long way to get to Belgium. They flocked here from many European ... [ read more ]
Comments
You must be logged in to leave a comment
SHARE:
You Might Like
Brewery Van Honsebrouck - Bierkasteel
Castle Brewery Van Honsebrouck, well known for it's "Kasteel" beer range, now offers their Bierkasteel beer experience; brewery visit, event location, restaurant, bar and shop. Open from 10th August 2016.
The Duvel Moortgat Brewery caters to everyone’s tastes with 3 different brewery experiences. From complete novice to experienced beer lover, Duvel has the brewery visit package for you.
The ultimate book on Belgian beer; a 704 page illustrated hardcover written by Erik Verdonck and Luc de Raedemaeker. Discover how brewing works, how to tap, pour, taste and store your beer; which beer styles and types there are, how to pair beer and food, must-try beers and what about the new craft beer trend? The Belgian Beer Book covers it all.
On August 24th, 25th and 26th we look forward to welcoming you to the 4th edition of the North Sea Beer Festival. Taste over 200 Belgian beers, eat some delicious food and enjoy the music in the wonderful surroundings of Leopoldpark in Ostend.
BLOG
POSTS
Withstanding the test of time: Enamel beer signs
ANTWERP/BREDA - With a little bit of luck you may come across them at a collectors’ fair, in an antiques shop or at a brocante, as Belgians call their flea ... [ more ]
Why breweries have taken a shine to Decoprint - and we have too!
HOOGSTRATEN - Belgian beers are known as much for their astonishing variety of glasses and bottles as they are for their diversity of types and flavours. After all, each beer supped is sensory... [ more ]
An expert view: Chris Vandewalle, beer historian
LO-RENINGE - “Look at this!” Chris digs out an old, small leather suitcase that contains an original, hand-written brewer’s handbook dating back to 1856. “I can read it perfectly well and I know exacly what the brewer ... [ more ]
More Beer
The Gentse Strop, introduced in 2011, is one of Brouwerij Roman's most popular beers, and a reminder of the historic ties between the cities of Oudenaarde and Ghent. Just what are ... [ more ]
Beer Tourism Newsletter Signup
Enter your name and email address on the right and click "SignUp" to join.