My collection has been in storage for 4 years since we rebuilt our house. Now we're finishing the basement, and I get to display my 100-150 cans (mostly flats, with a few cones and crowns). I also have 4 rare gallons, and the 2 gallon Burger.

What are the best considerations you guys have for the display. I'm thinking about the lighting, the shelf material, the protection against kids playing in the room, humidity (they are in air-tight cankeeper tubes now), UV light (I'll cover the windows with UV-blocking film), the backing behind, integrating different sizes, and integrating with a few signs.

If you could hand-design your shelves, what would you do?

It would be nice to see some pix of shelves, and displays too!

Yeah, Lets see what you got Dave? LEON.

Hello Dave

I think the best thing you could do is sell me the Burger 2 Gallon. It would come home to Cincinnati and you would not have to worry about all those potential dangers you described (I have no windows, no kids and a very dry house). It would be very safe here.

Just a thought.......

Vinny

dave, woody had the same problem. his cans were in totes for a long time. he finished his basement for a kids play room and also his beer cans. he also was worried about the kids trashing his collection. so i built him display units out of pine (stained and pollyurithaned)with two 14 inch glass doors on each.the latches that keep the doors shut are spring loaded so they absorb the shock of anything that hits them(toys,balls,ect.) they are real simple to build and look great.all the materials can be bought at the home depot (mabe not the glass not all hd cut glass)
hopefuly woody will post pictures of his.....ron

Leon-- you know, I've shown pix of cans 2 or 3 times before. Each time, it ended the thread, so I figured it wasn't RB material.

But I still haven't heard any suggestions for shelves. One of the bigger ???'s I have is lighting. Should I just have spotlights? Or should I use that rope lighting within the shelves?

Seems like having a mirror behind the cans would give more depth and show more. Also, light would reflect, giving fewer shadows.

Hi Dave!

I think Ron's message is right-on! I'd go with that!

But, being a "Lake Minnetonka Boy", you may need something more formidable.....hook up with Jody in IGH.

My set-up is open pine & sheet rock, with regular (incandecent)lights.

MN Mike
(lived in Excelsior for (8) yrs.!)
Hope to meet you at Guzzle!

Dave, probably 25% or more of the threads on this board end with my name on them, Your not the only thread killer LEON.

Dave, I liked that old fireplace mantle thing you had your other cans in!!! Are the cans going to be behind a bar? Or out in the open on a wall. I like your idea of a mirror behind the cans, not sure about glass in front. It will have to be deep to hold the Burger & those Gallons. Maybe an electronic fence for protection? I'm sure you won't have room for that Flecks tin, so I'm sure I'll have to get it from you. ....Hey PETA Person-where do you live? I live in South Mpls & work on Hwy 7 in Minnetonka? -Rog

Roger Krafve....Mike Bullerman.Theres really no excuse for you two not having met...

Hey, no last names Barry Travis Maybe Mike & I have met & just didn't know we were 2 famous RBers in the same room. Barry, when's your next trip up to the cities to look at some re-painted 1970's pulltabs? Let me know, I'll buy you a growler at Herkimer's. -Hey Mike-e-mail me! Sorry we got off your original thread posting Dave, but at least it hasn't been killed yet-Rog

Hi Roger!

We met briefly at the Medina Hamm's show, room-to-room. You had the nice Grain Belt sign along. I'm on the East side & will see all of you at G&T!

Mike

Is stained and sealed wood the optimal slelf choice still? I would think glass shelve might let light through better.....

Mike, it looks like G & T falls on the day of my daughter's 6th b-day. At this point it's up in the air if I'll be there. I WILL be at the Hamms show for room-to-room & the Sat. show in the parking lotSept 15th & 16. What about you Dave & Barry??? Not Dave Barry.

Here's one of the 4 sections that my good buddy Ron built for me. This one holds 60 flats and 15 cones. Sorry about the glare, because the glass doors are closed. The shelves were perfect for what I needed. He did a wonderfull job. Easy access to the cans while being protected from day care central! I have a fairly dry basement, but I run the dehumidifier anyways. Plus each section is mounted to the wall with 4 screws, so I could relocate my cans to another part of the house if I want. Nice job Ron!!!!! Woody.......

Here's what they look like with the glass doors open.....

Woody-- Gorgeous. And you have the cans to match-- quite a collection. You should post the other pix, too, for our drooling pleasure.

Is it regular glass, or is it:
-tinted
-UV protected
-safety (like in your car)?

What does something like that run $$$$$? And do you have specs? Very Quooool!!

Here's the other 3 sections. The last one has different spacing for the quarts and 16's. It's regular thick glass, and I think Ron could fill you in better on the stock that he got for them. I think that all the stock was arround $350. So I'm guessing that if you had someone make these for you,(that wasn't one of your best freinds), then you could be looking at $800 and up.

Woody,
Why don't you let every one know that these are all paper labels from evilbunny hunter.

Woody,
I love the collection, can I have it. Also for the Qt collectors note the Red Dawsons.

How many of those Red Dawson Quarts known? Any known in 12 oz cone? seems it should exist? Interesting. LEON.

dave the glass used is just 14 inch thick plate glass.

quoolbreeze , i don't have any specs off hand but the cost of the displays are really not that expensive. the wood used is 1" x 4" cheap pine. (you have to look for the ones that have the least knots and are straight). the front is just 1"x 2" pine with three edges roudered. the backing is just a composite material called hardboard. the biggest money is the glass and the hardware (hinges and spring loaded magnetic latches)
woody ,the collection looks great but looks better in person let me know when you have some free time so the can dr. and i can stop by for a visit....ron

Leon, I'm not too sure how many of the Red Dawson's quarts are kicking around. All I know is that Don Santora never had an example of it before he sold off his massive quart collection several years ago, and he would shelf any condition of a can if he didn't have one. He mentioned that he knew that it existed, but never got a crack at one. And he was a variation maniac! I haven't heard anything about a matching 12 ounce yet, but you never know! By the way, I got that can in a $10 box of off grade quarts in a room at the Sufferin show a couple of years ago. When I pulled the can out, I noticed right away that something looked funny. So I borrowed someones book to look for possibly a varation on the text when I was shocked to see that the Dawson's and the Master Ale's colors were reversed! What a treat!!!! By the way, when I got back to my room and showed the can to Charlie Bacon, he needed to borrow the can for a few minutes for a private moment!!!!!! Woody............

What was Charlie Doing? I hope you sanitized it by giving it a Oxalic Acid Bath? LEON.