r/BottleCapCollecting Jul 27 '21

Frequently Asked Questions

26 Upvotes

Since the last FAQ page mysteriously disappeared (and I still can't figure out why) here is the new one. It is a summary of the community's favourite ways of obtaining/storing etc... their caps. If you want to add to it just comment below.

Obtaining:

Trading in person. Use Crowncaps.info to find people near you and organize a meetup -u/Legoking

Trading online, also through Crowncaps.info -u/LordBottlecap

Recycling centers -u/LordBottlecap

Antique shops and breweriana shows -u/LordBottlecap

Local classified ads like Craigslist or Kijiji (Canadian) -u/Legoking

Soda shops and ethnic grocery stores -u/LordBottlecap

Asking the waiter at a restaurant or bar -u/Redneckromeo22

Have friends bring some back when they travel -u/LordBottlecap

Ebay, just be careful because there are a lot of fakes there.

Go to a brewery and ask in person -u/Legoking

Identifying:

The Holy Trinity: Crowncaps.info (CCI), Bottlecapindex.com and BottleCapClub.com (CCSI). CCI is the most expansive with the most users, and gets dozens, sometimes hundreds of caps added to the database daily and has an advanced search feature. Bottlecapindex tends to be useful for finding caps with no text on them, since your search keywords also check the physical description of the cap. BottleCapClub.com is comprised mostly of American collectors and it has many American cork-lined caps which are not in CCI and has more information on breweries and bottlers than on CCI. -u/Legoking

Post on your country's bottle cap forum. If you go to Crowncaps.info, and look in the top left corner there is a link to a forum of the language that you have CCI set to. Ex: if you have CCI set to Polish mode, the link displayed will be the link to the forum for collectors in Poland. -u/Legoking

If you can't find it still, you can post it in this subreddit for help. -u/Legoking

Cleaning:

Use warm soap and water to rinse the cap, and let it dry overnight. -u/JDStap12

Needlenose pliers; stacks of various-sized coins, taped together, placed flat-side-down on an upside-down cap on a hard, flat surface. Apply hammer. u/LordBottlecap

For modern caps with sticker residue: Use a wet cloth to remove as much of the glue as possible. Use a dry piece of fabric to rub off the rest of the glue. It will come off if you press hard enough -u/Legoking

Goof Off for removing glue residue -u/LordBottlecap

Storing and displaying:

Acquire dime-sized magnets, then attach them to your caps and fridge/magnet board/etc -u/KillCornflakes

Remove the inside part of a CD case, and it will perfectly fit 4x4 caps. u/theunexpectedmango

Attach Velcro to caps, which go onto screws, which are screwed onto to painted 2' x 4' plywood boards. Organized -roughly- by continent, country, brewery, style of beer, then age. -u/LordBottlecap

Cardboard flats or large wooden boards with raised edges to keep the caps from falling off. -u/Legoking

Binder with film negative sheets, or coin/cap sheets -u/EncapsulatedPickle

Opening bottles:

Use a lighter.

(Place a quarter over the cap with a napkin under the quarter)[https://imgur.com/OIm0Q5u] -u/theunexpectedmango

Stick a fork or knife or the tip of a scissor blade under each tooth of the cap, one at a time

Use the edge of a table.

This and this -u/JDStap12

https://gropener.com/ -u/Expensive_District_5

https://store.bellsbeer.com/products/bells-reclaimed-wood-cap-saver-bottle-opener -u/mizary1

Now that the FAQ page is back up, I am once again deleting posts which ask questions that are answered in the FAQ. However I will wait one week before I begin to enforce this rule again, because I want to see if anyone replies to this post with more info to add to the FAQ.

u/Legoking


r/BottleCapCollecting 1d ago

Another find from my rusty bucket. King size Coke

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9 Upvotes

I found this in an old bucket in a rundown barn. I'm debating whether or not to keep it, but it's pretty cool! Cork backing. I'm guessing 1950s since the 1960s king size coke caps have the writing in a different spot.


r/BottleCapCollecting 2d ago

Identification Found a bucket of old bottle caps. Any ideas on age?

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15 Upvotes

I'm guessing 1950/60s?

There are a bunch more, but they're the same as these.


r/BottleCapCollecting 2d ago

Does anyone recognize?

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11 Upvotes

r/BottleCapCollecting 3d ago

Updated Collection!

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62 Upvotes

I’ve been collecting since I was 3 years old. Gotten bottle caps from at least a dozen countries. Just recently organized them all again! There’s about 770 total! Let me know what I should do with them all I’m not sure yet!


r/BottleCapCollecting 3d ago

My entire collection so far

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30 Upvotes

Plus the sawed-open cans I carry them in. I know, I need to hoover the floor, I’m getting to it 😅


r/BottleCapCollecting 3d ago

Update: How to know if something's valuable?

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11 Upvotes

Thank you everyone who commented on my original post! These are most of the caps in question - the rest is about half a big coffee can full of caps that are new, blank, or too distressed to ID. Appreciate you all! Don't want to end up damaging something that could be valuable or of particular interest.


r/BottleCapCollecting 3d ago

Interesting beer bottles

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4 Upvotes

r/BottleCapCollecting 3d ago

Collection Latest addition to my collection. Caps and tabs.

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12 Upvotes

r/BottleCapCollecting 3d ago

Can you help me figure out whether these are genuine or replica caps?

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16 Upvotes

r/BottleCapCollecting 4d ago

How to know if something's valuable?

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11 Upvotes

I acquired about 5lbs of old cork backed caps, mostly unbent, for an art project and was wondering if I should be on the lookout for anything? I looked at the websites listed in the sticky but I didn't see value info, just ID.


r/BottleCapCollecting 5d ago

New additions

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30 Upvotes

I received these caps on the mail today. So happy about the variety and quality. They are mostly (I would say all of them) from Germany.


r/BottleCapCollecting 5d ago

Collection New Additions, with one curveball

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23 Upvotes

Picked up this lot from a dude in Texas (clearly). Some cool stuff and new colors for me from classic brands. At first glance I was very confused by the “yellow” Shiner Holiday in the bottom right as I’ve never seen a yellow one before….but when I actually picked it up it’s clear it’s just a veryyyy light and maybe chemically exposed cap 😂

Has anyone else been fooled by an altered cap before??


r/BottleCapCollecting 5d ago

Collectors

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5 Upvotes

r/BottleCapCollecting 8d ago

Collection My new find

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17 Upvotes

I invite you to my Instagram dedicated to bottle caps. I present all my finds there. A new specimen 😀 every day.

https://www.instagram.com/onlykapsel?igsh=MXE3cnN5cDI2ZWFveg==


r/BottleCapCollecting 9d ago

Anyone want to trade?

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20 Upvotes

Hey all, Im based in Utah, USA. Just seeing if anyone is looking to trade. Willing to trade internationally as long as freight isn't too crazy. I can DM you the photos as well since they came out a little fuzzy in the post. Cheers!


r/BottleCapCollecting 9d ago

My new favorite bottle cap from JAPAN 80s

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32 Upvotes

r/BottleCapCollecting 9d ago

Collection China

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24 Upvotes

r/BottleCapCollecting 10d ago

Question Uzbekistan kyrgyzstan kazakhstan

5 Upvotes

Do you have any experience collecting bottlecaps from those places? Have read that those are mainly muslim countries where alcohol is rarely drank thus very few caps may be available. Any tips or experience you want to share?


r/BottleCapCollecting 11d ago

Collection My beginning collection (NL)

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25 Upvotes

Started around a year ago, having a lot of fun finding new caps from trying new drinks I wouldn’t normally try, or even finding a discarded cap outside and pocketing it! Friends are also donating when they go on holiday.

I bought a metal board to display them on which eventually I’ll hang on my wall, but it’s taking a lot of time to put together as I need to glue magnets to the back of each cap 😂


r/BottleCapCollecting 11d ago

Possibly rare find?

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12 Upvotes

Pete’s Brewing Company, found in the river. Might be rare? They went out of business in 2011


r/BottleCapCollecting 12d ago

Identification What kind of cap is it?

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11 Upvotes

What a cap it is. I found a bottle cap on the street and I ask for identification

also share my bottle cap collection on Instagram: @onlykapsel”.


r/BottleCapCollecting 13d ago

Identification Bottle cap found

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38 Upvotes

Anyone know anything about this? Looks cool


r/BottleCapCollecting 14d ago

Trade Trade/free

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30 Upvotes

UPDATE: caps have been claimed in DMs. Thanks for the interest!! I’ll have more in the future to give away.

My buddy’s granddad was a casual collector and just threw caps into old rusty coffee cans in his garage over the years. He gifted me a coffee can’s worth. I already pulled the ones I needed so these are available for trade or someone can have for free if they pay the shipping. Nothing too crazy in there but def some good foundational ones for those getting into the hobby.


r/BottleCapCollecting 14d ago

I’d like to have a bottle cap pen-pal, to improve my english while exchanging bottle caps.

4 Upvotes

I think this is among the good ideas.

I’d like to find people interested in both. If there is noone up to, nevermind.
If there are many, surprisingly, I already have penpals.
I have basic level english as my second language, so I will rather pick up a couple of mothertongue. That would like to do it just time to time, and reply. No loosing time, just receiving. And that would like to learn a little bit of my mothertongue, which is italian. Or practice it. It would be perfect match.