Mini Beers Explained

[MI-Cans]

Background...
I saw the title of "Mini Beers" in the BREWERIANA Forum created by @idigrust and I asked him if that included small cans (which I've added as a side collecting niche). He thought it meant just mini bottles. I responded that I would contact someone at NABA and ask for clarification of the category.

Result...
I'm posting it here so everyone will have a chance to see it. Not everyone visits the BREWERIANA forum. I sent an email on the 9th and got a response today. Here's the bulk of the response.

Hello Ed -
Thanks for your inquiry about mini-beers. Here’s what our president, John Ferguson reports:
“This collectible is [understood to be] the salt and pepper items plus the pre-Prohibition mini sample bottles provided by some breweries. Beer packaged in small cans would go with cans, in small bottles with bottles. Mini **bottles** and 'salt and peppers' are stand alone collectables.”

While there is not an “Other” category on the membership application form, I’m sure you could specify and clarify your collecting interests on the order form and our Membership team can make your interests known to others.

You also mentioned you’d received a complementary copy of the magazine — our most recent issue came out in June/July, and was the summer issue. If the copy you received is older than that, I will be pleased to send along the most current version. But I don’t want to duplicate items that fill up your inbox, so let me know if you’d like the Summer 2019 issue...NABA is designed to help our members “connect and collect” to bring greater knowledge, camaraderie and enjoyment to breweriana collectors and the collecting hobby.

Please let me know if I can be of any additional help. I look forward to meeting you at next year’s Convention in Pittsburgh.

Lee

A. Lee Chichester
Breweriana Collector, Editor
PO Box 878
Meadows of Dan, VA 24120
540-597-9152 (c)
falconer@swva.net

So there it is. Category is clarified.

Refreshing to get a response from a Board member (unlike what I've experienced from some BCCA Board members - that's from personal experience and also my opinion.)

(MI-Cans)

[Jim Romine]

OK, I'll muddy this up a bit.
I include in Mini Beers (and my mini collection) salt and peppers (which have perforated caps), plus the sealed, liquid containing mini beer bottles that were brewery tour souvenirs or novelty items(solid caps and labels that say on them "does not contain beer"), and often sold in gift boxes of 6 to 48 bottles at a time. Almost all mini beers produced post-prohibition were made by either Muth or Bills Novelty. I also collect the mini bottle shaped wooden bottle openers, as they have the same labels that appear on regular mini beers.
All these mini beer types are either 3", 31'2", 4" or 41/4" tall.
Pre-prohibition mini beers were at bit larger (~5-6" tall), and to my knowledge always contained real beer. They were samples.
There are several other mini beer sized items (Salt and pepper shaker cans, can shaped openers, bottle shaped lighters, mini mugs, mini barrels) that most mini collectors I know also include in their collections.
Not trying to steal your thunder. Glad you got a quick response.
Jim

[MI-Cans]

@Jim Romine
No muddy about it. Everything you describe fits in perfectly. At least that's my understanding.

(MI-Cans)

[Rand]

So....it wasn't clear to me whether there was crossover to salt and pepper CANS in their mind.