Collecting Jim Beam Decanters for Investment produced for The World Collectors Net
by Bernie V. Durance
Collecting Decanters for Investment
In the last two columns we talked about identifying bottles and
determining values. It therefore seems fitting to talk about this hobby from
the stand point of investment.
There are several reasons we collect things but it seems like it always
comes down to,"how much is this worth?" We all like to get good deals on
our purchases, but what is agood deal? I've always felt that the best
buy is the one where both parties are satisfiedwith the deal. I don't
mind paying a little more for something if I really like it or if Ithink
it could increase in value over time. Most collectibles do. But how
does this
relate to collecting bottles? In the sixties when clubs and bottle
stores were popping up every where, the values of bottles were
continually going up. There was so much
interest in some bottles that the distillers began reissuing popular ones
that were
bringing high prices. This would eventually have a negative effect on
these bottles
because suddenly the market was saturated with them. The old supply and
demand
thing. Many decanters that commanded medium to high prices began to
decrease as the distillers made more and more. Interest began to
decrease as well. It's my belief that many of the bottles in this
category then are great buys today.
One example of this is a decanter that Beam made in 1959 in their
"Trophy" series called the Ram. As I was only nine years old at the
time, I don't recall the cost of the bottle when it was introduced but it
was probably around $10.00. It's really a neat bottle -- a stylized
design of a Ram complete with a thermometer in the curve of its horn and
a calendar from that year mounted to the base of the bottle. I
understand that when the bottle came out it was not very popular and
stores had a hard time selling it. Due to its unpopularity, Beam didn't
make very many of them. In checking an old Beam price guide from 1976,
Beam lists the bottle at $160.00. In 1980 the bottle listed for $150.00;
in 1995 for only $48.00; today it lists at $40.00. I have only seen one
of these bottles in my 27 years of collecting and that's the one in my
collection. To me, this bottle is a great investment. History will
repeat itself and this bottle will become in demand again. Then the
price will go back up.
Another interesting bottle is Beam's "Crystal Smoked Genie". This bottle
was made in 1964 under their "Glass" series. Like most of the Glass
series bottles, they were
inexpensive when issued. Thousands and thousands were made. I'm not
sure if Beam fashioned this bottle after the early TV series "I Dream of
Genie" but in looking back at their 1976 book, "JIM BEAM BOTTLES", they
do mention the TV show. I'm
relatively sure that this bottle could have been purchased off the self
full of Jim Beam
for $5.99 in 1964. Beam's 1976 book describes the bottle and lists it
for $8.00.
Regardless of whether or not Beam made the bottle from the TV show, the
popularity of the show has had a very positive effect on the
collectability of the bottle. In 1995 it
listed for $20.00 and today it's at $44.00. This is a fairly common
bottle that has more
then doubled in value in the past four years due to increased interest in
the old TV show. This interest has carried over to two other bottles in
the Glass series as well: The "Teal Blue Crystal" bottle made in 1973
and the "Ruby" (the best looking one of the three) in 1980. Again, these
are common bottles but the prices are increasing as a result of the
interest in the "Smoked Genie". The Teal lists for $27.00 today and the
Ruby for $10.00. I think all three of these are good investments and
they make a great looking set.
Beam's "Wheel" series (cars, trains, wagons, etc.) have always been good
buys and have shown the most consistency in holding their value than
perhaps any of Beam's other series. Many of the Wheels decanters are
worth several hundred dollars. They are gorgeous bottles. Of all the
distillers that made Car bottles, Beam has the best. The value of these
Car decanters should continue to show a slow but steady growth.
In 1974, under the series heading "Beam Organization" they introduced
the first of 21
decanters for "Ducks Unlimited". Bottles in this set range in price from
$30.00 to
$295.00. These bottles fall in a class of their own when it comes to
art. They are
BEAUTIFUL.. I understand that part of the proceeds from the sale of
these bottles went to the Ducks Unlimited organization. The combination
of beautiful art and a great organization has insured the future of
investing in this series. I understand that Beam is introducing a new
bottle this year for Ducks Unlimited. This will be the first decanter
Beam has produced in four years. If you get the opportunity to buy one,
do it. You won't regret it and you might start collecting the whole
series.
There are other good investments in Beam series bottles too. Another one
is Beam
"States". In 1958 Beam made the first State bottle to commemorate our
49th state,
Alaska. The decanter is called the Alaska Star. It is in the shape of
a star and at the
points there are symbols of the state's industries. This is a nice
looking bottle and has an interesting history as well. In 1964, when an
earthquake devastated parts of Alaska, many collectors lost their bottles
when the tremors hit. Because this was a very collectable bottle from
the start ($78.00), Jim Beam reissued the decanter in 1964-65. It's my
understanding that if you owned a broken Alaska bottle and sent Beam a
piece of it, they would replace the decanter at no charge. This is one
of the few examples where a bottle was reissued and still enjoys a good
price. Today the decanter lists at $36.00. I think this is one of the
most popular of the "States" bottles and will go up in value. Other
bottles in this series that are worth hanging on to are the 1959 Colorado
bottle, the Hawaii 1959, the Idaho 1962, Kansas 1960, Montana 1962, North
Dakota 1964, West Virginia 1963 and Wyoming 1964. These bottles were all
fairly limited edition decanters and will continue a trend up.
This is a great time to be collecting bottles. There are many great
bottles out there that are not high priced, but as interest in the hobby
continues to grow, as it seems to be doing now, they will start going up
in value. If you don't have a book for pricing, get
one. I recommend "Mario's Price Guide to Modern Bottles". It only costs
$6.00 and
you can carry it in your pocket. You can order one by sending a check to
Mario Latello
at: 146 Sheldon Ave, Depew, NY 14043.
Other Columns Bottles 101 Determining Values Collecting Decanters for Investment Jim Beam Collectors Edition Decanters Other China Decanter Bottle Makers
There are several reasons we collect things but it seems like it always
comes down to,"how much is this worth?" We all like to get good deals on
our purchases, but what is agood deal? I've always felt that the best
buy is the one where both parties are satisfiedwith the deal. I don't
mind paying a little more for something if I really like it or if Ithink
it could increase in value over time. Most collectibles do. But how
does this
relate to collecting bottles? In the sixties when clubs and bottle
stores were popping up every where, the values of bottles were
continually going up. There was so much
interest in some bottles that the distillers began reissuing popular ones
that were
bringing high prices. This would eventually have a negative effect on
these bottles
because suddenly the market was saturated with them. The old supply and
demand
thing. Many decanters that commanded medium to high prices began to
decrease as the distillers made more and more. Interest began to
decrease as well. It's my belief that many of the bottles in this
category then are great buys today.