It’s Oktoberfest time again, bringing with it a chance to drink the hearty brew, enjoy the robust tastes of Germany, and party the day and night away. Such images may not conjure up the most romantic of notions, but Oktoberfest's origination is, surprisingly, just that. It goes back to Munich in 1810 and the wedding of Prince Ludwig I to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hiloburghausen. The marriage was such a delight to one and all—the couple the celebrities of their time, the occasion so spectacular—that the wedding turned into a massive extravaganza. The following year, the anniversary was marked by a great two-week open-air festival, and the year after that, and the year after that, with more and more people celebrating and more and more activities themed to the German harvest-time. In the end, the anniversary of the Prince and Princess was forgotten, but the celebration certainly was not. Today over 7 million visitors to Munich drink a copious 14 million liters of beer and manage to tuck away more than 300,000 pork sausages, 600,000 roast chickens and over 60,000 roasted pork knuckles!

It’s not just Oktoberfest that has appeal; the whole custom of German beer drinking has a colorful history. As a result, possibly the most interesting and certainly the most popular collectable of all, which today has become a worldwide favorite, is the German beer stein.

The word stein is actually a shortened form of Steinzeugkrug, which is the German word for stoneware jug. Its origination is quite fascinating if a little gruesome. During Europe’s bubonic plague from 1340 to 1380, more than 25 million people died. It was during the plague that ways were sought to improve sanitation and to avoid contamination from flies and other disease-carrying insects. One of the laws put into effect in Germany required all food and drink containers to be covered. The common mug, used by everyone, began to be fitted with a hinged lid so it could still be used with one hand. As a result, the stein as we now know it was born.

About 100 years after the great plague, beer making and its consumption in Germany started making enormous strides. In fact, records show that average beer consumption increased to about two liters per day in many parts of Germany. Up until this point, only wealthy Germans possessed personal beer vessels, as they were made from pewter, silver and glass which were far too expensive for ordinary people to afford. With the development of the stein as a result of the plague, stoneware drinking vessels became popular and enabled most people to possess their own individual tankard. Colored glazes, hand painting, ceramic art and carved decorations began to adorn the steins, and the personal beer stein soon became the most important status symbol and display piece for many Germans. Steins also began to be made in ivory, porcelain, wood, silver and pewter as well as stoneware and in a variety of sizes, some as big as nine gallons.

Collecting beer steins is extremely popular. Some collectors specialize in particular types such as faience (a thick, brightly painted pottery originating from the 1500s in Faienza, Italy); regimental designs or figural designs, and others collect steins from just one manufacturer. There were a huge number of German potteries that made the majority of steins found today, but there were a few famous factories whose steins have become highly collectable such as Meissen, Mettlach and Capo-di-Monte. Some people get confused by some of the terminology printed on the base of the steins. Gerschutz or Musterschutz are not the names of manufacturing companies. They actually mean patented or registered design. Speaking of base markings, in 1891, a marking law was passed, and, as a result, the use of different marks on the base was seen from that point on. These markings help give some idea as to the age of the stein and provide further information about its origin.

Prices for beer steins range from $150 to $500 for the more common, good-quality originals to several thousand for the most sought-after designs and makes. An ivory beer stein with silver gilt lid and base sold recently for over $7,000. In the stoneware/pottery range, a special regimental beer stein dating around 1909 to 1912 fetched over $3,000 at auction not too long ago. The material, age, condition and collectablity all impact the value. When considering a piece to buy, also make sure that the lid and thumb piece have not been replaced, carefully inspect stoneware steins for chips or cracks, and ensure that the stein is not a reproduction. Reproductions of the old beer steins have become so sophisticated, however, that it is very hard to distinguish with an untrained eye. Consulting with an appraiser may be appropriate.

Obviously, the value of collectables, particularly modern collectables, is based upon the market and the interest within it, but beer steins have been popular collectors’ items for many years, and it seems highly unlikely that this will ever change. If you would like to find out more about beer stein collecting, you might want to read The Beer Stein Book by Gary Kirsner and Jim Gruhl. Published by Glentiques in 1995, it is available in many good bookstores.