What to do with my pint glass collection?

October 30, 2018 9:57 PM

Over the past ~20 years I've collected logo pint glasses when I've visited breweries or traveled to new places. Pint glasses make a cheap souvenir, the artwork is usual interesting and provocative of where I've been, and I actually use the glasses as my main drinking glasses for all drinks -- not just for beer.

But the brewery scene has exploded and my collection has gotten too large. I have about 100 pint glasses and I'm ready to get rid of almost all of them, keep just a few for memories, and get some proper grown-up glasses without beer logos now that I'm in my 40s and have kids.

Even though I am ready to move on, I have an emotional investment in my collection. I'm not ready to just box them up and bring them to the Goodwill and I'm not ready to deal with the logistics and incremental goodbyes of selling them bit by bit on eBay or Craigslist. I want to give them away in some way that feels significant and gives me a positive feeling of closure, maybe to someone or some group that will care about having a big collection of glasses with logos from around the world. What are your ideas for a second act for all of these pint glasses? If location matters, you should know I am in Seattle.

posted by cholstro to Food & Drink (10 answers total)

Give them to a hipster bar? Sometimes mismatched is A Thing.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 10:08 PM on October 30, 2018 [5 favorites]

I applaud you for moving on from your collection when it's time!

Could you throw a "last hurrah for my collection" party with a bunch of beer from around the world and have your friends take home the beer glasses they drank out of?

Google also tells me there is a brewery historian and collector in Bellingham who might be able to give you some advice.
posted by rogerrogerwhatsyourrvectorvicto at 10:25 PM on October 30, 2018 [22 favorites]

You need have lots of friends over. Often.

Set up a "Pint Glass Adoption Center" on a table in your house.

Insist that your friends leave with at least one glass after each gathering.

Repeat as needed.
posted by Ostara at 10:52 PM on October 30, 2018 [14 favorites]

Put aside a few in storage if you have the attic space, for breakage with the core set, or when your kids get a place of their own. They are a very functional size and we have several from places like NASA, the local bike shop, and Cafe Hon which work well for iced tea, water and milk. You’ve got great ideas for setting the rest loose on the world.
posted by childofTethys at 4:12 AM on October 31, 2018 [4 favorites]

Best answer: Take a photo of each one and put all the photos together into a single poster you can frame and hang in your kitchen
posted by sestaaak at 5:19 AM on October 31, 2018 [21 favorites]

Know anybody getting married or moving to a new home? Glassware makes a fine present. You can pick a set of eight with art tailored to the interests of the new owners.
posted by blnkfrnk at 6:34 AM on October 31, 2018

the logistics and incremental goodbyes of selling them bit by bit on eBay

You can sell them as a single lot on eBay, and if you don't feel like packing them to ship, you can take them to a shipping center to pack them for you. Google your ZIP code plus "pack and ship." Your eBay search term for the listing is Breweriana.
posted by Miko at 6:56 AM on October 31, 2018

I love finding neat pint glasses at Goodwill and other thrift stores. That's where a lot of our collection comes from, and where it will go back to when we get tired of them. I would consider passing on cool glasses via thrift store a noble fate for them.
posted by Wulfhere at 8:18 AM on October 31, 2018 [3 favorites]

Just keep them. Now that you have children, they will break all your glasses eventually and you won't have to worry about it. Instead of 100, just keep 20 or so in the cabinet as your dinner glass collection. And the kids will winnow you down to about 50 in no time through breakage.
posted by The_Vegetables at 12:44 PM on October 31, 2018 [1 favorite]

I'm going to caution you wrt to giving them to friends. When I was just out of college and all of my friends were too and everyone was setting up house I inherited almost two full households worth of furniture. I gave a lot of it to friends but it was super weird for me to go to their houses and see "my stuff" there. The experience gave me conflicted feelings and put me right off giving used household items to people, unless it's a specific tool or something they need for a specific purpose. Now I just try to sell stuff or donate it. You could put the collection up for sale as one to let's say five lots and see what kind of interest you get.
posted by vignettist at 12:53 PM on October 31, 2018