top opened versus bottom opened

[golf_lover44]

Throwing this out to the community. How recent can a can be and it's acceptable that it's been top opened? I'm wondering because the preference is for bottom opened cans; however, many that people have posted pictures of or advertise for sale on here are top opened. So is there a consensus on the age of a can where being top opened is okay?

[Malt Lager]

If it's a can I don't have, and desire it for my collection, I'd take a top opened can in hopes that I'd be able to find a bottom opened one later. That goes for a current can too.
ML

[oldmoneytexan]

I prefer bottom opened unless it has a cool vanity bottom lid. Example, this. I prefer the top opened:

[Daev Larrazolo]

I don't care in the flat tops but pull tabs I prefer bottom opened. It took me 12 yrs to find a bottom opened Big Sky fan tab and then about 7 months later I bought a six pack with holder.

[JAL]

Personally, I could care less which end is opened. It's nice when they are bottom opened, but I certainly won't pay a premium to have a bottom opened example.

I seek print variations...

JAL

[Wheaton]

I like the way bottom-opened flattops look, particularly with tax and vanity lids. Tabs, I'll take what I can get while working on a specialty area but will ultimately try to find bottom-opened examples.

I also enjoy trying to find caps for cones. They make the cans look more complete, but I do at least want them period appropriate.

[pinnacle-project]

Generally, I prefer bottom opened - especially in tabs. But, if I don't have the can, I want it, I can afford it, I will get either.

I was at a garage sale last year and a guy was selling the remaining portion of his mom's collection. Somebody was trying to tell him collectors prefer top opened. While that may sometimes be true, I think those collectors are in the minority. Although Texan does make a good point about vanity lids.

[oldmoneytexan]

A couple of cans that just look better bottom opened.

[Daev Larrazolo]

Edward I thought about collecting vanity top bottom opened cans.

[oldmoneytexan]

I can see why. There are some killer vanity lids out there. One of my favorites is the "littler bug" that looks like an alien. I believe it's on an Adler Brau flat.

[Gunther]

I much prefer a beer can for my own personal collection that has been bottom opened; IMO, I just think that it looks better when the top lid is completely intact, especially with regard to the older self-opening beer cans.

Are they worth more if the top lid is intact? - that's up to the individual, however IMO I believe that the older self-opening beer cans with the tab-top still intact should demand a premium over it's identical counterpart where the tab top has been removed.

[Canadacan]

Nice to see zips and vanity lids intact...but will take either.

[Dixie Dave]

Personally, I don't really care if the can is top or bottom opened if it's something I really want. I still try to bottom-open my traders because I know that a lot of people prefer it that way. One can I cannot bottom open is the 24 ounce Coors Light. I have a 1935 Krueger opener that goes through anything else with no problem but will not puncture that Coors can.

[thatsus02]

i lie bottom opened. if it comes from a collector that has drank that can i would say for the most part its bottom opened. top opened are fine if you need it. I always bottom open these days and pass out church keys to all my beer drinkin buds to help the bottom open tradition. a cheap churchkey is only 50 cent.

[portermite]

Agree with JAL, never did get the whole bottom opened thing. I'd like to know who is the guy who started the whole bottom opened thing in the first place. If anything, you could argue that openeing it from the bottom is compromising the condition of the can, putting something in it that shouldnt be there, like painting the bottom. Somehow it became a standard but I really dont get it and therefore it doesnt matter to me. Looks more natural and like it was actually a beer can when top opened.

[oldmoneytexan]

I've got a few cans that were opened via small holes in the seam. Never understood why someone would prefer that over top or bottom.

[Mike S]

Personally i would always take a bottom opened can over a top opened can. I don't think i would pay much more for it unless it had a really cool vanity lid or was maybe a zip tab. I would put anything on the shelf though as long as it wasn't side opened. Ehhh who am I kidding, i had plenty of those on the shelf too...

[Jeff]

I find bottom opened '60s ‘tabs’ (using the term loosely) to be really cool especially zips, fan tabs, juice tabs, etc. but I have no problem with top opened cans from that era on my shelf. For the most part, I don't much care if a flat is bottom opened or top opened, with the exception of really cool vanity lids which are a bit cooler if they happen to be bottom opened.

I get pickier on the newer stuff. Beer can collecting starting getting really popular around 1972 give or take, so most anything after that can be found bottom opened. So for my taste, '70s tabs and newer should be BO. With exception of the '60s cans and a few exceptions to the rule, most anything aluminum that's top opened is recyclable.

[jinsequa]

I have a few tabs that the person who opened them gently slid the pull tab over without opening it, drilled a tiny hole in the lid, emptied it and then slid the pull tab ring back to its original position.....covering completely the drill hole. (if that makes sense)
Makes a production can look like a an air sealed can.
Otherwise, I always questioned the bottom opened can philosophy but still seek them out over the top opened because my hobby says that is the "standard".
What I think is a shame is I know one seller on ebay who took all of her air sealed cans and drilled a hole in the bottom so ebay would see they were not full. I thought that was kind of wrong.
Eric

[jomama]

I've got a few cans that were opened via small holes in the seam. Never understood why someone would prefer that over top or bottom.

Sometimes there is a good reason for seam-opened

[bobbyboy]

This topic epitomizes subjectivity. Personally, if I need it I will take it opened on either end. I do think old tabs and especially the zips, dog bones and fan tabs look really cool intact. Cones are great with original caps. The cone caps can be really tough or impossible. Question: seems zips, fans, dog bones were produced a short while in comparison to cones, flats and modern tabs. What years were they generally produced?

[golf_lover44]

a cheap churchkey is only 50 cent.

Where are you finding these cheap church keys? I've looked all around town and haven't found anything like an old fashioned church key; everything looks like this and runs a few bucks:



or this:

[jinsequa]

a cheap churchkey is only 50 cent.

Where are you finding these cheap church keys? I've looked all around town and haven't found anything like an old fashioned church key; everything looks like this and runs a few bucks:



or this:

Thrift stores (goodwill, value village, St. Vicent de Paul, etc.)
Flea markets/ Collector's markets - saw at least 40 brands of church keys last week at a flea market in Podunk, Oregon. Most from the 1930's. cheap,
Estate/Rummage Sales- often real cheap. Have to dig through the silverware boxes sometimes.
Local Breweriania club - good place too find the rarer ones
Ebay - another good place to find rare ones but you will pay for them....

If you are willing to look through LOTS of cases and boxes in dingy places....there are some gems out there to find for a pittance because no one else has taken the time to dig through them.
Eric

[jomama]

beer can shows are the best

[golf_lover44]

So I guess the general consensus is: If you don't have it, you want it, and it's top-opened, that's okay. If you can get it bottom opened, that's preferred. Age and condition are factored in, but anything since the 70s is expected to be bottom opened.

[oldmoneytexan]

Eric, go to most any local show. You should be able to find an opener for .50 or less. There are many common openers.